DEADLY CHOICE | D.Dixon

Trouble maker

I stared at the broken mess of glass and booze pooling on the rocks and tent floor. I was done, dead. Even my mom would punish me for this. Maybe I can glue a bunch of mommas eye spiders on my back until I can fly, fly until I'm away from here and safe.

I could hear heavy footsteps stalking towards the tent and I tried to gather yo all the glass and shove it in my small backpack but all it did was cut my hands up. The footsteps stopped abd I looked up to see my father, staring down at me like I was a rabbit eating his crops. His expression was blank and full of disappointment; disappointment in me.

He grabbed a fistful of my shirt and threw me further into our tent. He couldn't punish me in public, especially with Pinocchio being a cop. Just as my dad was zipping up the tent door I saw the younger Dixon staring back at me holding a skinned rabbit in the distance. Straight as dad zipped up the tent I felt tears prick my blue eyes.

"Shirt off. Now, Ada." My dad ordered and I did what he said, pulling my green jacket off and my grey t-shirt off after. He ripped off his belt. I cowered in the corner of the tent, shaking and crying like a goddamn baby. I was so stupid.

"D'ya got even half a brain cell in there!? The hell is wrong with ya!?" My dad screamed at me and kicked me in the stomach. I hunched over in pain, clutching my stomach in agony before the sharp pain of the belt hitting my back attacked me and I cried even harder, trying not to scream as more tears fell and my finger nails dug into my stomach.

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I sat, hunched over on my sleeping bag as I cried and cried. I didn't mean to break the bottles. Momma came over and cleaned up the puddle with a towel but left the glass for me. My back ached and stung all over. I put my shirt back on and then jacket. Lori said she'd give me a hair cut today and I didn't know how long I had been sitting here. I stumbled out of my tent and the first person I saw was Sam, leaning against a tree next to Amy and smiling. He was close enough to hug her but he wasn't even hugging her? It was weird. She was smiling and laughing a lot too.

I kept on walking through camp until I saw Lori ushering Carl off now that his hair was done though he looked like an 8 year old. I was 8 and even I looked older than him, that was saying something. I tapped Lori on the arm to get her attention.

"Can I have a haircut please? Just a bit off." I asked quietly, hiding slightly behind my backpack in my arms that I brought everywhere.

My backpack consisted of hair elastics, Extra pairs of socks because wet socks are gross, chocolate, a notepad and pen, bandaids, my mini good luck shovel, tissues, a switchblade and a handgun my dad trained me to use a year ago.

Lori looked down at me and nodded."sure, hon." She spoke. I sat down at a dark blue plastic chair with Lori standing behind me. My wavy hair was currently mid arm length but I hated how long it was. I looked like a Kmart Disney princess doll.

"You got any length in mind sweetie or do you want me to just trim it?" The woman asked, her gaze switching between me and... Pinocchio? Damn, I didn't know anyone liked looking at that thing. I stared at my hair in the set up mirror and pointed to just below my shoulders. Short, but not so short because that makes my face look weird according to my momma. Apparently sugar makes my body look weird too, but I haven't turned blue or anything from too much sugar before so I think I'm fine.

She gets to work at chopping my hair off like this was a kindergarten craft project and my hair was the paper, except you had to look at that paper for months after that craft activity, sitting on the wall for everyone to see. She finally finished and put the scissors down, patting me on the shoulder. I stood up and sat in front of the mirror.