Dependence - Book Two (Wattys 2013 Finalist)

Reapings: District Nine

Bliss Dixon’s POV:

‘’ Bliss! Get the hell out here!’’ Screams my father, waking myself and my sister up. ‘’ You too Velvetta!’’

‘’ What time is it?’’ I question groggily.

‘’ I don’t know.’’ Answers my sister honestly. ‘’ Three a.m. maybe.’’

Both my nineteen year old sister and I rush from our bedroom and into the kitchen to where my father is calling us impatiently from. When we enter, I avoid eye contact with my father – as does Velvetta, we have both learned to avoid looking at him and avoid speaking unless spoken to when he is like this.

‘’ Well?’’ Says my father after a few painfully long seconds of silence.

I am too afraid to say anything, so my older sister speaks up instead.

‘’ Well what father?’’ She says, and flinches instinctively.

‘’ What do you mean ‘well what’?’’ Roars my father and hits her across the face with his hand.

She cries out in pain and falls to the floor because of the impact. She remains there for a second, silent and when she finally gets to her feet, she has a bloody lip. She gulps in fear and stays quiet – as do I.

‘’ Don’t act ignorant! You both know what I was referring to.’’ He continues.

I glance at Velvetta in confusion, she stares back at me with a similar look of bewilderment on her face.

‘’ It’s your mother’s anniversary. She has been dead five years today. I’m ashamed that you two don’t know that.’’ He explains furiously, glaring at the two of us hatefully.

‘’ No it isn’t. Her anniversary isn’t for another eight days.’’ Corrects my sister.

I think back to the night all those years ago, the night my mother was killed. She didn’t just die, she was murdered. Murdered by the ‘man’ that calls himself her husband and our father. He had been drunk on the night – much like most other nights. Much like right now. He stumbled in and my mother had scolded him, apparently he had scared her because he was home three hours late.

Somehow he thought that meant she was accusing him of having an affair – which was very likely – and then accused her of seeing another man. Something she would never have done. I remember hearing it all from my bedroom, every word of it. And then the smash of the glass bottle and my mother’s stifled scream that had been cut short by my father’s fatal blow.

‘’ What did you say to me?’’ Asks my father, staring at Velvetta venomously.

‘’ It’s not her anniversary for another eight days.’’ Velvetta repeats fearfully and I can sense she immediately regrets it because I make eye contact with her and she gulps in terror.

Before she has a chance to apologize to my father, her grips her by the throat and begins to squeeze it tightly. She gasps and clutches his gorilla claw-like hand with both of hers. She begins to make choking noises.

‘’ Stop it!’’ I roar, and dive towards him.

He easily swats me aside with his free hand and I fall to the floor. Thankfully, this gives Velvetta the time she needs to get loose. She picks up a plate from the table – which she had set up last night before we went to bed for breakfast the next morning – and smashes it across his head.

It explodes into uncountable pieces and showers all over the floor. My father roars in pain like some wild bear that has just been shot by a hunter. However – exactly like a bear would – he continues to fight. He closes his hand into a fist and punches Velvetta in the side of her head. The blow knocks he across the room and she flies into the wall.