Affliction

23

Annie

My nose is throbbing. It hurts so bad, I'm sure it's unattached. The blood is like an endless stream. I feel it below my nostrils, on my lips, in my mouth, and down my chin. All I could think about was the burning and blood. But then it hit me- the reason I'm bleeding.

I snapped my head up and saw Wilmer's hand wrapped around Jacobs neck as he held him off his feet against the wall. He was yelling something only centimeters from Jacobs face, and I was terrified.

"I didn't hit her!" Jacob pleaded.

I put my fingertips to my nose and cringed at the pain. There's no way he didn't do this. But now, Jacob was crying. The pain of watching that was worse than his fist. I still have feelings for him and I can't bare another second of it.

"Put him down!" I said, yanking on Wilmer's sleeve. "He- he didn't do it!"

Wilmer's fist unclenched, but he still had him pushed up against the wall, unwilling to let go. I was pleading, and pulling on Wilmer but he wouldn't budge.

"Sir," Jacob said, "I'm not crying because I think you're going to kill me. I'm crying because I don't want to loose your daughter. If you want to kill me, go ahead. It's better than living without her."

"It was the door!" I tried. "Wilmer, when you opened the door, it hit me!"

He was buying it. His face was still pissed, but he also looked guilty. I have to keep prying.

"Go down stairs to your mom, Annie." Wilmer seethed.

"No, don't hurt him!" I cried, trying to get in the middle of them.

"Downstairs! Now!" Wilmer yelled at me for the second time in my whole life.

"Please don't hurt him! I- I love him! He didn't do anything!" I cried, attempting to push Wilmer off of Jacob.

"Annie, I'm going to tell you one more fucking time!" Wilmer yelled, "Get downstairs!"

"Go, Annie." Jacob instructed me, fear and rage in his eyes.

I don't know if I'm about to throw up or pass out, but both are open options right now. I have to get Jacob help. I have no idea what Wilmer is capable of when he's pissed off.

"Mom!" I cried, not moving a muscle. "Mom, help!"

There's so much going on, my brain can't keep up. Jacob, blood, Jacob, help, Jacob, Demi, Wilmer, blood and help are the only things I can think about. My thoughts keep jumping between them, and it's making it way too overwhelming to be in my own head right now.

"Wilmer!" I heard Demi screech from behind me. "Let go of him!"

It was as if Demi's voice broke whatever trance Wilmer was in and Jacob fell to the floor, where I instantly went beside him. Someone had hold of my arms, trying to pull me back, but I swatted whoever it was off.

"Jacob, Jacob, are you okay?" I asked, tracing my fingers over where Wilmer's fist once was.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Annie, it's you- your nose. Are you okay?"

"I-I don't know. I think so." I'm to afraid to touch or look at my nose right now.

"What the hell is going on?!" Demi was pissed. I've only seen her severely pissed once or twice, and this was something to be scared of.