Love Save the Empty

Twelve

"I'll be

your crying shoulder,

I'll be

your love suicide.

I'll be

better when I'm older,

And I'll be

The greatest fan of your life."

I'll Be - Edwin McCainn

The man made his way towards Bella, slowly and deviously. He ran his rough fingertips up and down Bella’s arm, eyeing her up and down while licking his cracked lips. His bloodshot eyes met with her light green ones filled with terror.

“What’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?” the man growled. His hand moved to her cheek, softly caressing it. His soft touch burned into Bella’s skin like fire. Her voice cracked and shook as she spoke.

“H-Harry!” she spoke loud enough for Harry to hear, or at least she thought.

The man’s yellow teeth showed when an evil smile crept on his face, his hand continuing to hold her face, Bella utterly terrified under his large rframe.

“Ah,” the man began, “you must be the infamous Bella.”

He brought his body closer to hers, too close for Bella’s liking, so she backed away slightly. She was immediately yanked back into the man’s dirty body, and she squealed at the pain in her arm where he was holding.

“You know, Bella,” he lowered his hands to her petite hips, “There’s nothing that boy’s got that I don’t. A girl like you needs a real man. A man that can give you more than he can.”

Before he could make another move, Bella heard her name from upstairs. Soon, Harry was in full view of what was going on, and froze instantly. The man he feared the most had the girl that kept him going in his grasp, and there was no telling what he was going to do with her.

“Dad, you’re not supposed to be home,” Harry mumbled.

Bella’s eyes widened. Dad? This disgusting man was Harry’s father? How could something so beautiful come from something so repulsive. Out o instinct, Bella pulled from Harry’s distracted father’s grasp and ran to Harry’s side, taking his clenched fist and lacing her finger with his stiff ones. All the man did was chuckle.

“This one’s a nice one, boy. You finally did something right,” Harry’s father snorted, “Better be careful, though, turn your back for a seconds and who knows who might take her.”

Bella took Harry’s one hand in both of hers when she felt his body tense up beside her. She rubbed small circles on the back of his hand in attempt to calm him. Even though she was scared out of her mind, it was obvious Harry was even more terrified. She had to try to be strong for him right now.

Harry’s father made his way over to the two, aware of the power and control he had over them. Harry’s eyes were locked on his father, his father’s on Bella, and Bella’s as the tiled floor that suddenly became very interesting.

“Damn, you’re a real beaut.”

Bella felt a cold, rough finger sneak under her chin. Her face was lifted and the coldness and roughness spread to her cheeks as he moved his hands there. Suddenly, his hands were slapped away by a regretful Harry. His father was caught off guard, stunned even at the action. Never once since his son has been born has he retaliated in any way.

For the first time since Harry appeared, Harry’s father’s eyes landed on his. Darkness took over his father the way Bella had seen it take over Harry except dramatically more extreme. The wrinkles on his forehead became more prominent and his icy blue eyes grew as dark as the deep ocean. Bella didn’t think the man could get any more terrifying. She was wrong.