Under the Apricot Tree

Prologue

As my hands bared my bloody blisters, the hatred for the man I called my father grew, boiling up inside me. I reached down to pick up the rotten apricot that balanced on the ground. I was beginning to question how much longer I could put up with this.

Just a little while longer. I told myself. Mom will realize soon and get rid of him. But even as I recited this small message of hope over and over in my brain, I still doubted that the torture would ever end. Mom was too far gone. She was here, but it was like it was just an empty shell of her, like somebody had hollowed her out of everything that made her, her.

The rotten apricot exploded in my hand, adding to the mess of black mold that already drenched my hand, I cringed, but was sure to check that he wasn't looking first. I plopped the apricot into the plastic bag that tied around my wrist.

"Did I just see you cringe?" He shouted making us all jump. I whipped my head around afraid he possibly saw me, but I immediately saw he was looking his cold blue eyes directly at Kate, my younger sister. The warm green color had been sucked out of her eyes and she looked as though you could snap her in half with one finger. She stared back at him. I always admired her bravery against him for only being 7 years old. Even being twice her age, I don't have near as much bravery as her.

"No, father." She said not batting an eye.

"That is what I thought." He began to walk towards her, she never moved a muscle. "Because. I would never want anything to happen to my little Kate." He brushed her shoulders. I saw a bit of fear flash through her eyes, but it was immediately replaced by pure hatred. He squeezed her cheeks examining her face then dropping it back down.

"Of course not, father." She smiled, but not the kind of smile that you have when you wander through the park and your mother says yes to getting ice cream. The kind filled with hate and made with plastic.