Good Girl

Good Girl- chapter 1

*Ivy*

I sat at the top of the stairs as my parents screamed at each other. Tears trickled down my cheeks. When my friends told me about their parents being divorced, I never thought it would happen to me, my life was fine.

I quickly learned that anything can happen to anyone. I flinched at the sound of glass being shattered as I held in my scream. I hesitantly stuck my hands over my mouth, hoping no one would hear me.

Unfortunately, my mum did, as always. She came tiptoeing up the stairs.

"Honey, go to bed," she spoke in a soft voice, leading me to my room. It was already two in the morning. She put the blanket over me and kissed my forehead, thinking I'd just forget about all of this and go to sleep.

I lay awake for hours, holding my breath, hugging my blanket tightly. My cat came curling up next to me as I cried.

I heard the mumbled worlds of 'custody' and 'divorce': I was immediately grief-stricken. I had a deep feeling at the pit of my stomach of fear. My parents were the ones protecting me and looking after me, seeing them upset dulled my world.

I was an only child, I had longed for a sibling to share my sorrow with. My mum came stumbling up the stairs with puffy eyes and her hair tied back into a ponytail. I saw her stepping into my room and I immediately shut my eyes tight.

It felt like almost an hour as she sat on my bed, stroking my hair. I didn't dare to open my eyes as her face was leaning over mine. I felt strands of her hair brush against my forehead and I tried holding my breath. After I began to slow my breathing, she got up and left my room.

I waited for it all the end. Continuous screams and then hitting each other; I couldn't bare it.
I tried closing my eyes and live in my own world, forgetting everything.

I was sat in a field under a willow tree; everything felt so light. The grass was emerald and polished, and the sky lit the meadow. There was a small notebook on my lap, of which I had been writing a poem. A poem about everything being perfect and calm, nothing wrong with the world.

There was no pressure pushing my shoulders down or guilt I'd felt.
I hadn't dealt with anything doleful.
I watched as the sun started to melt,
the sky going grey, the day begin to end, and the night start.
The darkness dulled the atmosphere,
all the spiders and the monsters I'd feared as a child would come out.
Though I knew monsters weren't real,
I knew they brought fear to me, for that part was true.

I closed my notebook and signed off my poem as I headed back home. Home. Where all the shouting continued. "Ivy!" I heard my mother bellow. I ignored the painful cry.
"IVY!"

I jolted up as my hands pressed on my bed. I still heard the yelling. I'd had enough. I hesitantly climbed out my bed and grabbed my backpack. I threw in the essentials, clothes, hair brush, a blanket and a toothbrush. My parents didn't hear my footsteps as I tiptoed down the stairs.

I had an uncomfortable feeling; I'd never seen them like this.
'I hate you!'
'You're the biggest mistake I've ever made'
They never told me what had happened between them two. They just kept it a secret from me like I didn't mean anything.

The rooms downstairs were all dark as they stood in the kitchen hitting each other. I wiped the tears sprinting down my cheeks and headed out. I wasn't gonna deal with this anymore. They didn't dare look behind them when the door crashed closed. I sighed and headed out into the deep nothingness. I held my breath, trudging through the grass looking behind me every second.

I'd never ran away before, well, I would say to my parents that I was going to whenever we'd argue, I never did tho.

I was planning on going to my friend's house, Freya. I was sure she'd let me in.

I was around ten minutes away from Freya's house when I heard a whisper.
"Pst, Ivy" the sound echoed through the bushes. It sounded like my voice.
I jolted around. "Hello?" I called.
"Ivy help me" goosebumps ran through my body as I froze still.
"Who are you?" My voice trembled, I couldn't move.

Thoughts suddenly shifted through my head. I was so unbelievably exhausted that I started to hear voices echoing through my head.
"Ivy! Ivy please help"
"Ivy! Why are you ignoring me, Ivy?"
I tried walking away, my body tensed, ignoring the sounds.

Eight minutes away. The voices followed me. I looked around one last time and felt two hands grab me by the mouth. I let go a scream as I was pushed to the ground.