Heart Of Steele

Chapter 1

"I won't do this anymore!" Her mother cried.

Charles Reid's hand went shooting across his girlfriend's face.

"Shut up!" Her father barked. "I told you to shut up."

Ava Hardys' hand flew to her cheek, tears glistening in her eyes. "I'm getting so sick of this. So sick of you."

Twelve year old Raina sat in the corner of the living room watching the scene in horror. Her father had come home late again, smelling of alcohol, though she wasn't certain that it was the cause of the argument. They'd been yelling for what seemed like hours. She should be used to this by now. She really should. Her dad had beat her mother for as long as she could remember and her mother always threatened to leave.The screaming, the crying, the smacking, and punching. Though, he never touched Raina, she felt every single blow. She should've been used to this. But it still scared the daylights out of her.

Peace. That's all she wanted.

"You want to go, then there's the door."  Charles' voice boomed as he pointed towards the front door. He folded his tall body on the couch and clicked on the TV. "What're you waiting for?"

Ava's eyes shot over to Raina and she held out her hand. She used the hand that was previously covering her cheek to pull her from her sitting position on the floor and Raina could now see the pink giant hand imprint on her mother's honey colored skin. Later, it'd be purple. She winced.

"Come on baby. We're getting out of here."

"She ain't going anywhere." Charles said from the couch, his eyes never leaving the TV screen. "I said you could leave, you're not taking her with you." he laughed. "It's not like you wont come back anyway."

Ava ignored him and pulled her daughter down the hallway to her room. Raina sat stiffly on the twin sized princess decorated bed watching as her mother frantically began pulling clothes from her drawer. "Baby, where are the suitcases your Nana got you for Christmas?"

The suitcases. Raina hated those suitcases. Her Nana got her and her mother suitcases that previous Christmas. She remembered the look Ava shot her mother.

Her Nana shrugged. "Just in case you need to, you know, get away. Out of the blue." The meaning behind her words might have flew over Raina's head had it not been for the look her Nana shot her father.

He was pissed but he didn't show it then. Always a charmer, his smile stayed in place as he thanked her for her gifts. But as soon as they got home his smile was gone and the next morning her mother's eye was swollen shut. She hated those suitcases.

"Raina." Her mother's quivering voice brought her to attention. She was squatting next to her, her soft hand rubbing her arm. With smooth skin the color of honey, brown eyes; wide and exotically tilted at the end, a delicate chin and high cheekbones, she was gorgeous. Even with her ebony hair swept into a bun. And Raina looked just like her, something she's been proud of. "Raina," she repeated. "We have to go. Help mommy okay? Where are your suitcases?"

"Where are we going?" Her voice sounded small even in her own ears.

"To Nana's. At least until we figure something else out. Where are the suitcases she got you?"

"But he said I can't go." Tears sprung into her eyes. He would never let her leave. Not because he wanted to keep her, but because Ava wanted her. And God forbid Ava get her way.

"Don't you worry about him. We are leaving. Tonight." Ava shot up from her squatting position and walked back to her dresser. "Raina. Suitcases!"