What Keeps You Alive

WKYA Chapter 5

That icy tendril quivered all the way down my spine before sinking into the deep pool of dread that lay at the bottom. As I stood too afraid to look behind all I could think about was the last time I ever let him hurt me.

He had come to my house late at night, it was almost two in the morning. I remembered the sound of tapping on my sliding door and how I walked over and pulled at the curtain feeling the same dread in the pit of my stomach.

In my drowsy and sickly state I couldn't put up a fight as he walked me to the side of the deck, where it was at least ten feet to the ground. He picked me up and whispered in my ear. I'll never forget the words.

"Wow, babe, you definitely feel lighter. But I don't think you're trying hard enough. Maybe its time to see how far I have to push you before you'll finally listen to me. I said no eating." His voice was cool as the ice traveling my spine. In one epic twist he threw me over the railing and I hit the ground with a sickening thud. I could feel blood seeping from my head because of a rock I must have hit. He climbed down the ivy next to the deck. He leaned over me, "You see darling, this wouldn't hurt so much if you didn't eat. if you had obeyed me you'd be lighter than a feather. So light, in fact, that you could have floated down. Instead you're laying here pathetically begging me not to hurt you."

I wasn't begging. I didn't have the strength to beg. The air was knocked out of me still and the smell of the blood was making me nauseous. I knew I had to try to stand. I rolled over and put my arm next to me where I could bend it and attempt to push myself up. But then he was there; kicking and punching until I was out for the count. I couldn't move. At that moment in time I thought I would die, I wanted to. But then he stopped, turned, and left. I wanted to cry with relief, but I knew that no one knew where i was and it was the middle of the night. And so I leaned my head back and fell into the black oblivion that I prayed would claim me even as used goods.

I shook my head to clear the flashback and turned swiftly. I found my brother there. And I collapsed against him in utter relief, as I knew tears slipped from my eyes. He pulled me to him and held me in his comforting embrace while I cried and cried. After a bit of this I began to fall asleep against him and felt him pick me up and carry me to my bed to tuck me in. He closed the door to the outside and shut the drapes. But before I fell asleep I heard him settle into the couch in the room next to mine.

My guardian angel.

 

The next morning I woke to Cavin's shaking me.

"Cav, its saturday! Its been a long time since we got up to watch saturday morning cartoons." I turned over and snuggled into my pillow.

"Arya! There's someone here to see you!"

"Hmm? Oh, well tell them to come by when its not 6 A.M." I yawned and snuggled again.

He left and I felt a moment of peaceful serenity before the door burst open again and something hard struck me. "OW! You jerk! Caaaav! Why'd you hit me!?"

I was screaming with my eyes shut. And then I heard a chuckle. My eyes snapped open and settled on Declan. In my room. Laughing. At me.

"What are you doing here?" He broke off his chuckle but smiled at my expectant expression. My lips were pursed and my left eyebrow was cocked and as deadly as a gun.

"I came to take you to breakfast. At 6 A.M. Because this is the time of day where girls look their most beautiful. Before they've had a chance to put anything on their face."

I stared for a moment, wondering if he was serious. He nodded.

I shrugged, got up, pony-tailed my hair, checked my pajamas to make sure they were appropriate for public, grabbed a too-big sweatshirt and turned back to him.

"Lets go!" And I smiled.