His Blind Revenge

1 Her Plan in Motion

Anna~
I was dressed in a tank top and short shorts eager to be out in the sun. Today was my day away from David's School for Gifted Children and my last day in Florida. I was going to enjoy it. Grabbing my cane I practically skipped to the kitchen, messing around in the pantry I managed to pull together an easy breakfast of uncooked strawberry pop-tarts slathered in extra crunchy peanut butter and a glass of buttermilk, a breakfast my roommate and caretaker always grumped about. Speak of the devil. Lynn stumbled into the kitchen yawning loudly. She began to make herself breakfast, soon the scent of eggs cooking made my nose crinkle in disgust, sweet smelling sulfur, onions and butter. How appetizing. The coffee which had already been brewing chimed letting me know it was finished. Lynn mumbled something about coffee. But I was already shaking my head no. I didn't even need to hear her. She offered to get me a cup every morning even though the answer was always the same. Whether it be from the myth of drinking coffee stouts your growth to coffee makes you shrink I was not going to take any chances on my already tiny body. Besides buttermilk and coffee? The thought of the taste made me gag.
"I'm gonna head out." I muttered reaching for my purse and keys which I kept on the kitchen counter at all times, Lynn picked them up practically shoving them into my hands. I pressed my lips together tightly to keep me from saying something to harsh. I can pick up my purse myself. I had to remind myself that Lynn was just doing what my father told her to do. What he was paying her to do.
"Anna?" Lynn spoke in a sickly sweet voice as if she was speaking to an imbecile. I was blind not slow. "What happened to your shoulder sweetie?" I plastered a smile onto my face praying I didn't have look like I wanted to commit murder. Lynn was barely a year older than me. She shouldn't call me sweetie. Ever. "My shoulder? What do you mean?" I asked cautiously, I thought back to yesterday, I don't remember falling at all. No pain yesterday, although now that Lynn said something my arm did feel a little stiff.  Stretching both arms out I moved them in a circle, my left shoulder protested and nearly made me gasp out loud, it was a quick flair of pain when I moved it backwards.
"Yeah, it's looking like it just started to bruise. It looks painful what happened?" Sickly concern coated her voice making me cringe.
"Don't know. I probably hit it...somehow." I shrugged my shoulders carelessly masking the brief flicker of protest, it wasn't unusual for me to sport multiple bruises.
"Well you need to put a long sleeved shirt. Walking around like that will give the wrong people wrong ideas."
Lynn said in a annoyed 'I'm going to tell your dad' voice.
"And change your shorts. They could pass for underwear. Your father would have a heart attack if he saw you wearing those." I sighed, I knew Lynn was just doing her job. Really I did but sometimes I just couldn't stand her. It was always; 'Your father this, your father that.' Or on the rare occasion when I did something drastic, like get a tattoo on my lower back that draped down my left leg. 'If only your mother could see you now. She'd be so heart broken.' I huffed nothing I ever did was right. I've been doomed from the start. My father would love to prove I couldn't survive on my own so he could demand that I come home. Because I was a failure. But that didn't matter any more. I would be out of Tampa before noon. Hopefully.
Marching back to my room I jerked my dresser open seething as I brushed my fingers over the labels on the boxes finding favorite teal blouse, a 3/4 sleeved with white beads sewn in patterns right under the collar. At least that's how Lynn described it. It should cover up the bruise but wouldn't get any sun on my shoulders. That was a bummer I hated not being able to feel the sun burning my skin. I toyed with wearing the shorts just to spite Lynn but then thought better of it. No need to make Lynn more upset and call my father sooner then needed. I jerked on a pair of skinny jeans already hating the feel of rough fabric against my sensitive skin.
As I stalked back through the apartment I grumbled childishly under my breath just loud enough for Lynn to hear.

"Don't expect me to be home anytime soon." I snipped stomping my feet as I made it to the door. Taking a deep breath I prayed silently to anyone that would care to hear me, begging Lynn to not notice my disappearance for at least two hours.
After I was outside our apartment I ducked behind the dumpster searching for the duffle I had hidden late the night before. For a moment I contemplated going back. This was stupid. I was just being a brat. I was doing this why? To prove a point? Spite my father? Maybe to prove something to myself? I scoffed at that I didn't need to prove anything to my self. I slumped forward leaning onto the cane, why was I really doing this? I really should go back up to the apartment and apologize to Lynn. There was no way I could possibly make it on my own. I took a deep breath, and reminded myself of my older, amazing half brother. He made a life for himself away from our father. He ran away when he was seventeen, now he was across the US in California so far away from me with a kind beautiful wife and five little children. He was successful. And his children knew nothing about their grandfather. Or what our father used to do. And Sean was happy. He also said I could come live with him whenever I wanted.
Walking carefully using my cane to find the curb I took a deep breath. Seeing my brother again is what I needed. I was leaving and that was final.
I was ripped out of my thoughts by a loud voice.
"You Anna?"
Confused I shook my head, trying to clear the fog of self doubt away.
"Who are you?" I shot back placing my duffle on the ground.
"Geez!" The voice scoffed "Anna called for a taxie? I just wanna get out of here."
"Yeah. I'm Anna." I sighed picking my duffle back up again.
"Great! Took you forever. I was about to take off." The guy snipped, snatching the duffle from my hand.
At least he was considerate enough to grab my arm and practically shove me into the back on the car. I hissed in annoyance at his rude behavior but he ignored me completely.