blurred lines in a forbidden fairytale

{41} are we out of the woods yet?

Sarah's (Felicia's) POV:

I can't breathe. My throat hurts so bad, like I swallowed fire, and my chest is all tight. I sit on the floor in the corner of the living room, knees pulled to my chest, my face all wet from crying. My ears are ringing, and my hands won't stop shaking.

I didn't mean to break the vase. I didn't. It was an accident. I just wanted to put the flowers in water, but my fingers slipped. The glass shattered everywhere, and then... then it all went bad.

Daddy was so mad. He grabbed my arm so hard it still burns. Then his hands were on my neck. I couldn't breathe, couldn't even cry. Mommy was screaming at him to stop, but she didn't really mean it, not really. She was mad too, saying I'm stupid, saying I ruin everything.
I don't know how long it lasted. It felt like forever. Then he let go, and I fell to the floor. Everything spun. I thought I was gonna die.
They left me here after. Went upstairs to their room, slamming the door. I can hear them yelling, loud and scary, but not at me this time. I think they're mad at each other now.
My throat hurts so much, but my heart hurts worse. I wanna call Taylor. She said I could. She said I should.
I don't have a phone, but I know where Mommy keeps hers. She always leaves it on the kitchen table when she doesn't need it. My legs feel wobbly when I stand up, but I do it anyway. I sneak into the kitchen, quiet as a mouse, holding my breath every time the wood creaks under my feet.

Their door is closed upstairs, and I can still hear them yelling. That's good. They won't hear me. I push open the door and see the phone, right where I knew it would be. My heart pounds as I grab it, and I run up to my room as fast as I can.

I don't know Taylor's number, but I remember the piece of paper she gave me. It's in my backpack. I dump everything out, books and pencils and crumpled papers, until I see it. My hands are shaking so bad I can barely punch the numbers in, but I do it.
The phone rings. Once, twice. I'm so scared she won't pick up. What if I got the number wrong?
Then her voice comes, soft and warm like a blanket. "Hello?"

I start crying again, loud and messy. "Taylor," I whisper, my voice all croaky.

"Sarah?" She sounds worried right away. "Sarah, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"No," I sob. "I'm not okay. Daddy... Daddy hurt me, and Mommy didn't stop him. He—he put his hands on my neck, and I couldn't breathe, and—"

"Oh my God," Taylor says. Her voice shakes, but she's trying to stay calm for me. "Sarah, where are you? Are you safe right now?"

"I'm in my room," I whisper. "They're still yelling. I'm scared."

"I'm coming," Taylor says, and she sounds so sure, so strong. "Honey, listen to me. I need you to stay in your room, okay? Lock the door if you can."

"I already did."

"Okay, that's good. Just stay quiet. I'll be there as soon as I can. You're so brave, Sarah. So, so brave."

I clutch the phone tight, holding on to her voice like it's the only thing keeping me from falling apart. "Please don't let them hurt me anymore," I whisper.

"I won't," Taylor says. "I promise."

The line goes quiet, but I keep holding the phone, wishing I could hold her hand instead.

Taylor's POV:

My hands grip the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn white, but I can't loosen them. The road blurs ahead of me, my heart pounding so loud it feels like it's echoing in the car. Sarah's voice still rings in my ears—small, scared, gasping through tears. I can barely stand it. I didn't even have time to call Aurora before I hopped into the car. Aurora who is probably trying her best to sort things out in her own house, since she finally gathered the courage to return back home yesterday. I haven't heard from her since.