Falling for the Devil

Chapter Three - Ell

Ell came home to an empty house.  She sighed and her shoulders drooped as she wiggled the key in the lock and let herself in.  Over the years, Ell had gotten use to being alone.  Flinging down her backpack near the counter, Ell made her way into the living room to see what mess her mother had left for her to clean up today.  Bottles littered the floor and a glass had spilled who knows what all over the chipped and eroded coffee table.  At least none of her mother's "friends" were still asleep on the sofa. 

After the mess was put away, Ell moved back into the kitchen to make a quick dinner.  As she got out bread and meat to make sandwiches, Ell remembered the road that had led to this life style.  Dad had never been great when he was around.  He and mom married right out of high school, and within a year he had taken her spirit and given her a squealing baby girl in return.  For ten more years, they toiled under Dad's violent rule, until he finally messed up enough to get himself hauled off to prison.  Shaking her head, Ell stood up from her food and placed the second sandwich in the fridge for her mom, hoping that this simple act of kindness would remind her of herself and bring her back to Ell.

Ell refused to mimic her mother's unhappy life.  In just one more year she would be able to leave and never have to come back to this house that held so many terrible memories. She could go to college, get a degree, land a high paying job. She left no room in her schedule for love. Love did not exist as far as Ell was concerned. Love just caused drama and pain. The man always left. And the woman was always hurt.

Ell stumbled to her room and tried to concentrate on her homework. She had to do well in high school if she ever wanted to succeed. After two hours of hard studying, Ell gave up and decided to get ready for bed.

After her shower, she was exhausted. Ell staggered to her bedroom, and quickly finished her Latin.  Then, she walked to her window and kneeled down. "Dear Lord, I am so sorry for my behavior and I ask you to forgive me. I promise to try to be a better person." She looked towards the sky as she said her only request, "Please Lord send me a savior. Send me an angel to take me from this place. Amen." Every night since she was ten, Ell had asked the same thing. One day she hoped it would come true.

As she fell asleep, Ell swore she heard a voice say, "He is on his way."

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"School is hell," Ell thought as she pretended to listen to Nicky's constant chatter. Ell once thought of school as a safe place where no one could hurt her physically. She had never considered someone affecting her mentally. That was until Luke happened. It seemed as if no matter where she went or where she hid, he always appeared.

He was in all of her morning classes. And he was brilliant. He knew everything. In AP Lit, he recited the opening lines of "Canterbury Tales" perfectly. In AP Bio, Luke had dissected the cat with a doctor's precision and labeled all of the shoulder muscles without even glancing at the textbook. In AP Art, he painted "Starry Nights" better that Van Gogh himself.  It's like he was torturing her.   Every time he answered a question correctly or moved with his perfect, cat-like grace, she could feel his smirk and self-importance.

Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted as Nicky shouted in her ear. "Geeze Nicks. There is no reason the blow out my ear drum!"

Nicky shrugged, "You had that look on your face. You know the one where you are pretending to listen to me but not?"

"Sorry. I've got too much on my mind."

"Finally. You admit it!"

Ell glanced at Nicky with a "what the heck?" look on her face.