Lost love

Chapter 7

"Meredith!" She heard her father calling her name.

"She's a 6 year old, she has a wild imagination and lives in a fantasy. This is ridiculous." Thatcher spat at their guests.

Jumping up from her position on the floor where she sat playing with her dolls she quickly headed down the stairs where her father stood at the front door.

"Yes?" She asked hesitantly looking between her father and the two woman at the door, holding her favourite doll.

"Have you been lying again?" He asked, his voice stern.

"No daddy." She frowned, her little chest starting to panic.

"You have. You can't make up stories about me hurting you Meredith! Do you want to live alone away from mommy and daddy? Because that's what'll happen if you do!"

"No daddy please, I don't want to live all by myself, don't make me please." Tears ran down her face.

"Then you need to tell these people that you're done because they think I am hurting you." His eyes were staring into her, almost like he was daring her to disobey him.

"Mered-" one of the women began to interrupt seeing that Meredith was starting to become upset.

"I'm fine." Meredith told the women.

"We just need to ask you some questions." She smiled with sympathy.

"No, my daddy isn't mean to me." She whimpered.

"Meredith why are you crying?" The other woman asked, "if your not scared then why are you crying?"

"Because you're gonna take me away from my daddy." She stuttered, she had gotten good at lying.

Even with an uncomfortable feeling about the father daughter relationship, they had no reason to further investigate since Meredith had told them that nothing was happening to her. As they made their apologies and explained they were just looking out for her best interests they turned around to leave, Meredith stayed at her door step alone as she watched her only escape leave. She made eye contact with one of them as she turned back to look at Meredith who quickly looked away and closed the door over.

Meredith was holding a shaky breath behind the door, she knew this wouldn't be good for her and she wondered who told them, no one knew about her dad except Mrs Adams but she wouldn't put her in more danger, would she?

"You little brat!" Thatcher shouted at her as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the living room.

"Who did you tell?!" His hand gripping her tiny body so tightly she thought she might shatter.

"No one." She whimpered.

"You're a liar!" His hand met her face making her drop her doll. She winced and held her red cheek with her small hand, tears falling from her eyes.

"I promise." She cried.

"Tell me who you told."

"I didn't tell anyone." Her voice stuttering and breaking with fear at her own father. "But.."

"But what?" His fist clenched in his hand.

"M-Mrs Adams."

Thatcher lost any calmness he had and shoved her out of the living room, stepping forward again and pushing her harder each time.

"Daddy stop." She looked at him, her wet green eyes begging.

"I hate you, you are a disgusting child who deserves nothing. The only thing you deserve is this." He said before kicking her knee.

He watched as the 6 year old howled in pain, her knee folding as she fell to the ground crying. Meredith looked up at her father, a light of what looked like amusement and satisfaction in his eyes.

"You are the reason that your mother doesn't come home, she hates you just as much as I do, you should have never been born & one day you'll pay for it."

Meredith attempted to stand up to try and get up the stairs but she failed and resulted in crawling, she managed to make it up the first five steps with her father laughing in the background at her as she cried. She thought she was going to make it back up the stairs with no more injuries but she was wrong, she felt his hand tug and her ponytail pulling her down the stairs. He let go once she'd lost her balance and watches as she tumbled down, hitting her head on the wooden floor at the bottom. The small girl made no movements.

"Nice try Meredith but you're not going anywhere." He teased her.

She remained still lying there as Thatcher shouted disputes at her, warning her to get up. He kicked her ribs to turn her body over, his laugh stopping when he saw her eyes closed and blood dripping from her scalp. He shook her in an attempt to wake her up but her eyes remained closed, Thatcher quickly turned around and left the house pulling the door closed behind him. He got in his car and left, not realising that the door hadn't actually shut and was left open slightly.