Unraveled Threads

Chapter 5: Solace.

TW: ABUSE
November 26th, 1999

I wasnt going to go home after school today, one of my school clubs had an event. I was terrified to leave Aut home alone with dad, and was praying he wasn't going to be home. Autumns lunch was a bit later for that day, so it was just me and Mia. "You alright Reecey?" She turns to me. "I'm fine.. it's just you know that, I am not going to be home until around 7 p.m., I'm scared, Auts gonna be home alone. "You know Autumn is braver than you right? She won't be scared of being home alone" she joked.

-

I joked. I can tell that he's sad, oh God, why do I always have to say these stupid jokes when he's serious, "sorry Reece, I didn't mean to.." I always manage to say the wrong thing, I hope he doesn't hate me now. "I'm not mad at you Mia. I'm just scared.. Aut will be home alone with dad." Oh.. that's why. "How bout I go with her?" He looks at me, and shakes his head. "Definitely not. He'll hate that."  Right I forget how idiotic he is. "Oh.. well you know, she might be fine. He might not even be there!" I reassure him. "Yeah.."

-

7:45 p.m.

"Finally. I'm home." I had forgotten all about how scared I was to leave Aut alone, until I walk in to the living room, and I see Autumn sitting on the floor covered in blood, with my father kneeling beside her.

-

"You are worthless, you are nothing. You will always be nothing." He whispered in my ear, over and over again. I felt like breaking down, right then, and there. I can't imagine what Reece goes through daily, I know it's worse. I was so tired, that I began hearing Reece's voice.

-

"Autumn?!" I paused before turning to my dad, this motherfucker. He can hurt me as much as he wants, but leave Aut alone. "What is wrong with you?! Leave her alone." He gets up from the floor, and begins walking closer to me. Fuck. I'm in trouble. "Aut run. Go upstairs." I commanded, she followed and ran up the stairs, I could hear her sobbing.
"You prick. How dare you?!" He leans closer, grabs the scruff of my neck, and slowly begins to lift me up, I can't breathe.. I feel faint, as I realize I'm falling. Then it all goes black.

-

It's been 1 hour.. it's too quiet.. I'll go down to make sure Reece was okay. As I get in the living room, I see Reece on the floor, unconscious, and covered in blood and bruises. "Reece?!" I cried. No.. this can't be happening. I can hear father driving off, most likely to go drink. How could he.. what do I even do. I hear the doorbell ring. I continue crying, I can't even speak. Mia barges in. "REECE?!" She screams. Her eyes widening. She immediately kneels before him, and puts her hand on his heart, she lets out a sigh of relief. "He's breathing!" I let out a sigh of relief as well. "Autumn I'll clean him up, you relax okay?" She commands. "Sure fine.." I begin violently sobbing. Poor Reece. My brother, in so much pain. Mia walks back in, carrying Reece. "I'm quite strong. Let's lay him down here." I check his pulse. "Still breathing." She smiles at me. "How 'bout I get you cleaned up as well?" She looks over at me. "What? Me? Why me?" She looks at me shocked. "Autumn you're covered in blood." I am?! "What?!" She stretches out her hand, for me to take it. She proceeds to clean me up. Making sure not to hurt me, she's so sweet, she is the closest thing I have to a mother right now. "You ready to go back to Reece now?" She asks. "Yeah.."
We walk over to Reece, and sit beside him for a bit. I zoned out. Thinking about how it must've looked for Mia to walk in, and see us both covered in blood.

-

I'll go over to Reece's, let's just make sure their dads car isn't there. Yes! It isn't. I ring the doorbell. No answer, I can hear Autumn crying inside, I barged in. What. The. Fuck. Oh my God. Reece is unconscious, and covered in blood and bruises, and Autumn is covered in blood as well. "REECE?!" I scream. Oh my God. I rush over. He's got to be alive! He has to be alive! I check his pulse, and let out a sigh of relief, "He's breathing!" Autumn does as well. She looks quite worried, she must relax, I'm worried for her. "Autumn I'll clean him up, you relax okay?" I tell her. "Sure fine." She sits down. I clean Reece up, making sure not to touch those wretched bruises, oh how I hate Roger. How dare he do this to his children?! I can hear Autumn crying in the living room. After I clean Reece up, I pick him up. Lifting a limp body was quite easy. I kiss his cheek. "It's all gonna be okay, you've got me." I whisper. Autumn looks shocked when she sees me carrying him, "I'm quite strong." I set him down carefully, making sure not to hurt him. Autumn checks his pulse. "Still breathing." I smile at her. "How 'bout I get you cleaned up as well?" She looks at me confused. "What? Me? Why me?" She must not know, she's covered in blood. "Autumn your covered in blood?" I tell her. "I am?!" I get her cleaned up as well, trying to be as gentle as I could. She looks at me, with a look of admiration. "You ready to go back to Reece now?" "Yes.."
We walk over to Reece, and sit down, just thinking.  After a bit, the silence was broken. "He's awake!!" I screamed. Autumn rejoiced.

-

"He's awake!" I could hear Mia scream, huh? What happened? Autumn throws her arms around me. "What happened?" I ask Mia. "When I walked in you were unconscious and covered in blood." She tells me. Dad. "Should I call the police? She asks. "No! You can't! He'll just buy himself out of it, and it will be more trouble for us." I tell her, very concerned. "Right. Reece do you need anything? Some water maybe? Something to eat?" She asks me, while walking over to the kitchen. "Just some water. "

-

"Aut are you okay?" He looks at me. "Reece how could you be asking about me right now? You were just unconscious for almost 2 hours! Think of yourself for once!" I tell him. "Aut, when I walked in you were kneeling on the floor covered in blood. What happened?" I sigh. "Well, I had just come down to get some water and.."
(She explained everything to Reece)

-

"Here's your water Reece. You want anything else?" I ask as I walk back in. "No. Thanks Mia!" He takes the water. I sure hope he's okay. "Autumn do you want me to clean all this blood before I leave?" I ask. "Yes please," she seems so glad I asked. I begin to clean it all up, I felt sick, knowing that a father caused all this pain to his children. After I finished up, I washed my hands, which were now covered in blood as well.
"Autumn do you need anything else? I need to leave now, my mum must be worried." I ask her. "No. Thank you Mia. I don't know what I would've done without you in this situation." I smile. "Bye Reecey!" I say as I leave the room.