Keeping Afloat (A Wintumn Story)

Flashback (2)

TW: SH

Autumn had come back from school. She'd had a really crappy day and didn't want to speak to anyone especially her Father. She took off her shoes and walked into the living room to find her Father sitting on the sofa reading what looked like a report.

"What do you think this is?"

"I don't know father, what is it?"

"It's your school report." He says bluntly looking straight into her eyes. Crap she thought knowing exactly what he was mad about she'd got a C in science. Autumn just looks at him waiting for ever he was going to say. "A C in science." He says getting not breaking eye contact with her. Autumn doesn't move a muscle she just stares at him blankly. "I won't have a C level student for a daughter. Who do you think you are thinking a C good enough. Your honestly thick!" He shouts. Autumn flinches as he does "Now your going to get up into your room and not come out until your getting an A do you hear me!" Her Father exclaims. Autumn nods and runs into her room.

She shuts the door behind silent tears start to fall from Autumn eyes. She really did try her best. To get the best grades to make her Father proud. But nothing seemed to work.

"Your thick" Echoed through Autumn head as well as the other thing her Father had called her.

She opened her vanity draw and got a ring box. She sat leaning against the wall and pulled out a single blade from the little box. She made a slice into her arm. Again and again and again.

Autumn looked down at her arm after she'd finished. She went to put the blade back into the box and back into her vanity draw and went back to how she was sitting.

She sat on the floor crying her eyes out wondering why she can't have a father who was proud of her achievement not just looking at the negatives and a loving mother not one who'd left her with the monster who was her Father.

Deep in thought Reece walks into her room. "I just saw your report card. I'm actually so proud--." He looks down to see what Autumn done to her arm. She looks up at him, her eyes glossy from were she'd been crying. "Oh Aut." He says closing her bedroom door going to sit next to her. "What happened?" He asked. Autumn had explained everything that had happened at school and since she'd gotten home. Reece held her as her hands began to shake uncontrollable. She started to cry again.

"Why can't we just have a normal family?"

"Soon Aut, soon we will get out here and leave all this behind us, I promise." Reece held his sisters hands to stop the shaking.

Once it had stopped and Autumn had calmed down he thought about her arms. "Should we get you cleaned up then?" He said. Autumn looked at him genuine fear in her eyes. "I can't leave here." She said, her voice breaking as she did. "Father said I can't leave my room." Reece got up. "I'll go grab some plasters then alright."

Autumn stayed sat in the same position. This wasn't the first time her brother had found her in this state. She knew how much it hurt him seeing her like this though. But she didn't want to stop. She did it to make to pain she felt in her head feel real. It made it feel valid.

Reece came back into Autumn's room with some cleansing wipes and some plasters. He sat opposite her whilst and cleaned the cuts on her arms. Autumn didn't look at him once the whole time he was doing this feeling guilty that he's had to sort her out after hurting herself again. "There we go." She looked up at him blankly not saying anything. "Aut, you need to tell me if you ever feel like this, I'd rather listen to you talk about you and how your feeling for hours then you doing this." Still getting no response he got up to leave.

"I'm sorry."

Reece turned to look at her. She looked so small sitting on the floor.

"Autumn, I'm so so proud of you."

He leaves closing to door behind him.

W/C 729

A/N: I've been thinking of writing this storyline for a while just didn't know how to get it down. I hope I did it justice and people who are struggling atm. You are not alone. There is always light at the end of the tunnel I promise coming from someone who's just got out of a bad period of time herself 🫶