Devouring Her Soul

Part 4

School ended, and I made my way home. I walked painfully slow, dreading what would happen when I arrived.

After walking for about 10 to 15 minutes, I walked past the convenience store, meaning I had about 2 miles left till I got there.

*Fuck you, Andrew.*

As I continued to walk I heard a faint meow from a hole and walked over to look inside of it. When I peered inside, I saw three kittens. The hole they were in was pretty deep.

"Aw, are you stuck little kitties-"

I reached in to help them, but they got scared and scratched me.

"Ouch.."

*I guess I can't grab them..*

I scanned the area for anything I could use to get them out. I saw a large stick and gently slid it into the hole. The kittens stuck their claws into it, and I slowly pulled them out.

They started purring as they rubbed their heads against my hand.

"You guys are adorable. I can't just leave you here."

I took off my jacket and wrapped them in it before walking over to the nearest animal shelter.

I checked them in and thanked the lady at the front desk before looking at the clock.

My heart dropped when I saw the time, and I rushed out of the shelter and ran home.

*Dad's going to fucking kill me!*

I get to the front doorstep, panting, and stare at the door as I catch my breath.

My hands shake uncontrollably as I reach for the door handle and contemplate opening the front door.

As soon as I touch the knob, the door flies open, and I'm pulled inside by my shirt.

I get thrown to the ground, and the door slams shut. I look up and see my dad standing there absolutely furious.

He stands there in silence for a while as I lie on the floor. Suddenly, he speaks, his voice low enough to make me freeze in absolute terror. His voice vibrated like a reptile, and he looked away from me, his expression darker than coal and an empty beer bottle in his hand.

"I got another call from your school today.."

My hands started to shake again as I sat there frozen in place.

"Said you got detention twice in one day.."

He walked forward before starting to yell.

"Didn't I tell you I didn't want any more calls from your god damned school!?"

He threw the bottle down onto the ground, and a shard sliced my cheek.

"I- I'm sorry-"

He looked at me with nothing but pure hate and disgust.

"Did I tell you to speak?"

I paused, not sure if I should answer.

"Huh?! Answer me you worthless bitch!"

"N-no."

I cried out as tears streamed down my face.

"Exactly! Shut the fuck up! You fucking whore!"

He grabbed me by the hair and dragged me across the room before throwing me into the wall in the kitchen.

He kicked my side and grabbed me by the hair again before continuously slamming me against the wall and yelling at me.

"You stupid piece of shit!"

He looked over at the kitchen drawer and let go of my hair. He walked over to it and grabbed a knife before turning on the gas stove and heating it.

I slid down the wall, and he walked towards me, and my eyes widened in fear for my life.

He put it up against my throat, and I screamed.

"Please, stop! Please!..please..."

He looked at me, then turned the knife so the side was facing my skin, and pressed it into me.

I screamed as the heat from the knife burned me, and he shoved a kitchen towel in my mouth to suppress the sound.

He dropped the knife after a few seconds and grabbed my hair again.

"Maybe that'll teach you a goddamn lesson."

He spit on my tear-stained face and walked away.

I dropped and laid myself on the ground, holding my neck that now had new burns, and cried for a few hours as my dad went back to his room.

After a while, I got up and crept upstairs to my room as quietly as I could before going to the bathroom to see what the damage was this time.

I would have to wear turtle necks for a while to cover the bruise. I washed my face and took a quick shower once I knew my father was asleep.

I made my way into my bed, covered myself with my blanket, and tried to fall asleep.

I looked over at my backpack and saw the slip of paper Ms. Chen gave to me with her number and contemplated calling it, but decided that, if anything, I would never drag Ms. Chen into my problems.

I slowly drifted off to sleep as I cried a bit more.

The next morning, my dad was out of the house, and I decided I'd make myself breakfast. I walked downstairs and grabbed an egg out of the almost empty fridge.

I turned on the stove, and a shock ran through my body, causing me to drop back onto the floor, remembering what happened last night.

I sighed, turning the stove off and putting the egg back in the fridge.

It's been a while since I last ate, and I've noticed that my reaction time has become noticeably slower. 

I headed upstairs to get dressed, putting on a black long-sleeve top and black jeans, along with a dark blue jacket zipped up to my neck to protect against the harsh winter weather and to cover the new burn I got last night. 

I grabbed my bag and put on a face mask to hide the cut made by the glass before walking to school. 

As I entered the campus, the bell rang, signaling it was time for class. 

While walking through the halls, I spotted Andrew and his friends standing nearby. They looked at me, and I thought, *This is going to be a long day...* At least I have the first few periods without them today. 

I walked into English class, took out my textbooks, and tried my hardest not to fall asleep.