This is a re-written and hopefully better version of an old book with the same title that I wrote back in 2020.
Beatrice Ellison is a 13 year old girl who is determined to find a place where she belongs. But in order to do that she needs to find out...
"What the hell?" I muttered sitting up and looking around. I was laying in the yard outside the Ellison House.
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I felt myself tense up when I heard a glass break and I quickly rushed inside. The place smelled just like I remembered, stale beer, cigarettes, and hairspray. But something was off, the house was a mess sure, broken glass, half finished plates of food everywhere. But it was to quite, far too quite.
I slowly tipped toed through the house, the familiar sound of glass crunching under my shoes as I went. I went upstairs to my room and I gasped when I saw myself at about five years old. I was sitting on my bed with my eyes closed as an old stuffed bear was floating around my head on fire. Oh no! I remember this day, I need to stop this.
"Hey! Beatrice? Stop, okay you have to stop." I said grabbing the little girls shoulders but it was like she couldn't hear me...and maybe that really was the case.
"Kid! Listen to me okay? You have to stop before-"
"What is the meaning of this?!" Anne's voice boomed causing the little girl to jump as her eyes snapped open. The momentary distraction was enough to send the bear falling to the floor burning a hole in the carpet before the flame went out.
"Oh you little- after everything I've done for you?!" Anne screamed angrily as she grabbed the little girl by her hair.
"No! Mommy I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I won't do it again!" The child cried as I stood frozen watching the memory play out. I knew what was coming, no matter how much I tried to repress the memories of Anne. I knew what she was doing.
The woman quickly dragged the child to the hallway closet and strapped her to the chair before slam the door and locking it. I remember this day, it was the first time Anne had ever forgot to let me out. I stayed in the closet for three days, strapped to that stupid metal chair with tape over my mouth. All while the woman who was supposed to be raising me, drank and drank, and drank some more.
The memory faded to a new one, one when I was much older.
Ten year old Beatrice ran down the hall, almost running through me as she rushed to Nicky's bedroom.
"Get the fuck away from him! He's a baby!" She screamed, slamming the door open to see Anne standing over Nicky with a belt in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other.
"Oh you shut up, you'll get your's soon enough. I told you to watch this damn kid!" Anne slurred as she turned, nearly falling on her ass from how drunk she was. I remembered this day too. Nicky was hungry and I'd been away at school so the two year old waddled his way to the kitchen looking for something to eat. In doing so, he'd knocked a case of beer of the counter sending shards of glass everywhere. I remember spending nearly three hours picking little pieces of glass from his arms and legs that night. I took him to school with me the next morning and got all my assignments for the next few months. It was then I decided that I was never gonna leave him alone with Anne again. I'd called Stuart a few days later but by the time he got home Anne already had a story to blame me for Nicky's injuries and Stuart didn't care enough to investigate.
