The Strangers (TheWriteAwards2014)

Life before death (edited)

"Life is as fragile as a flower, but love is as strong as a bull and can last forever, and together we can prove everyone wrong. This is our life, our time, and no one can take that away from us. All that matters is the love we have for each other. Isn't that enough?"

                                                                                     ~.~

I saw it all happening. He was going to kill her. She tried to run, screaming for help, but her pleas were useless, for no one could hear them. I couldn't help but scream as the killer grabbed her from behind. Her screams smothered by his hand as a snap could be heard. It was a deafening sound, and I shuddered-

"Sky, Sky! Chillax man, it's just a movie." My best friend Lillian said.

"I- ugh, I know. I just hate scary movies." I said, a small blush creeping its way onto my cheeks.

"Mm, trust me, we know. It was obvious from the way you almost scratched my arm off and screamed so loud that the next door neighbors turned their lights on." My other best friend, Autum said.

"I'm sorry." I said shyly as I slinked further into the couch, my head bowed low.

"She didn't mean it that way Sky." Lillian sighed. "And you know it. We just don't understand how you get so worked up from these movies." She looked flustered, concern clear in her eyes. I always seemed to ruin movie night whenever we watched horror movies. But I knew, life wasn't always sunshine and butterflies. I have seen darkness, and these movies, well they seemed real enough to happen to anyone.

"They just scare me." I said meekly, hiding behind my main of dark hair.

"You will go skydiving, bungee jumping, bridge jumping into shark and manatee infested water, hiking in the middle of nowhere, (A/N I actually have done all this, sooo much fun!) and go running through the woods, at night none-the-less, and yet, made up movies scare you? I'm sorry, but none of that makes sense to me." That's Autum for you. The logical one. We have been friends for six years now. She was tough for her size, always sticking up for me.

"Well, yes I do all of that, and I love it, but it's not entirely the movies that scare me, but the dreams that I have afterwards." I tried to sink even further into the couch, but my attempts were in vain. All of the horror movies they ever chose were so real life like.

"Ha-ha, Sky dear, you don't have to shy from us. We are just concerned that's all." Lilian said, pulling me up from the couch, and pullin me into a tight, comforting hug.

"I know. I love you guys." It was nice to at least have happy supporting normal friends, even if my life was far from normal, I had them to keep me sane. "I hate to go guys, but I have to get home." Slightly cringing when I glanced back at the TV.

"Why can't you stay? One night?" Autum begged, giving me her giant puppy eyes.

"I wish I could, but I have work tomorrow and my parents would kill me." I said, politely smiling

"Alright." Lillian sighed, disappointment clear in her voice. She fidgeted, looking out at the sky.

"Call us when you get home, okay? You had poor Lils almost have a heart attack last time."

"Sorry." I said, smiling bashfully at her. Last weekend when we had movie night, I had forgotten to all Lil when I got home. Frantically, she called my parents when I didn't answer, having them in a panic when they came home.

"It's okay, just don't forget." Lil said gently. Always the kind one, she is.

"I won't, I promise." I said with a goofy grin and my hand over my heart. We all bursted out laughing at this.

"Bye!" They said in unison, waving from the door.

"Bye guys! Love you!" Getting in my car, I blasted the heat and turned up the radio. For the end of Summer, it was unusually chilly.

 ~~~~~~~~~

When I finally arrived home, my parents were still up.

"Hey mom, dad." I greeted as I locked the door. "I'm going to call Lillian and tell her I'm home, then I'm going to bed, work in the morning." My dad just grunted, clearly unhappy with something. I guess that they've been fighting again. "Night!" And with that I hurried upstairs, locking my door, and dialing Lils number.

Ring

Ring

Ri-"Are you home? Are you safe? Nothing happened, right?" Lil rushed in a panic. I smiled, her worry warming me through.

"Yes Lil, I'm home, I'm safe, and nothing happened." I said, mumbling the last part.

"Oh-kay."Lil said, not fully convinced but dropped it anyway. "Call me if you need me. It doesn’t matter what time it happens to be." I smiled, loving the fact that I had the two, no, three, most amazing best friends ever.

"Will do Lils. Bon nuit!"

"Bon nuit, mon amie!" And with that, I hung up and climbed into some comfy pj's.

As soon as my head hit the pillow, shouts could be heard from downstairs. I turned my iPod on, trying to drown out the noise. Their arguing and fighting has seemed to become worse and worse every day. Soon I heard a loud crash and I turned off my iPod, praying everything would be okay. That's when I heard pounding on my door. I tried to pray a little louder, hoping my father would go away, but he soon broke down the door, and flung me out of bed.

The smell of alcohol rolled off of him. He had a deadly gleam in his eyes and I knew this time, I might not make it. His beatings have become even worse than normal and he's been drinking more, never knowing when to stop.

Grabbing me by my throat, he threw me down to the floor. I grunted as pain raced down my spine.

"You no good, b*tch of a daughter. You're just like your mother! Useless!" He picked me up, and hit me with so much force; I was on the edge of consciousness. This time was it, this was the moment where I would probably experience the end of life. He learned long ago to never hit my face. Hiting me in the face left bruises no excuse could cover up. "Get up!" He roared at me. I struggled to obey him, but as soon as I even sat up, he knocked me back down with more force than I had ever experience. I landed on my wrist. Pain shot through my entire body, telling me it was more than likely broken.

"Useless!" And with one last blow, he left me there. Broken, bleeding, and helpless.

It wasn't always like this. he used to be the best father in the world, and still is, when sober. It started a few years ago. He and my mother began arguing, and he took it out on me. I looked like her. WIth beautiful long black hair, big dark eyes, a pale complection, and a slender, athletic build. Even at my mothers age, she was still graceful and beyond beautiful. The main difference between her and I, was that she was brave and had the grace a ballarina would envy. I was awkward, never comfortable even in my own skin.

My father saw my weakness. He saw her, but weaker, helpless, and so he bagan to hit me. Little by little, those few hits gradually became beatings that left me broken. He never apologized when sober, but he did take me places and buy me things, acting as if he had never touched me, lately however, he couldn't even stand tomlook at me, and now a days, he was rarely sober, making beatings much more frequent.

With much force, I sat up and dragged myself to bed. It would be a few days before I could go to work again. Which also meant that I wouldn't be seeing any of my friends anytime soon. With a heavy heart and an aching body, I drifted into a deep sleep, full of nightmares, full of anger, and full of heartache. 

(A/N okay! So that is the first chapter to my story. Feedback is MORE than welcome. The next chapter will be info on Skylar, and you will be introduced to Mikal, the sexy Russian BFF lol sorry for any spelling errors too!)

A/N I have been going through and updating some stories that I want to finish, this is one. So please, even if you have already read it, please re-read it!!