The Broken Ones (Cake FanFiction)

Chapter 9

*Luke's POV*

I curl up on the bathroom floor, changing from my hunched over sitting position to a fetal one. A pang of pain shoots through my chest at the action and I wobble up, back to my original pose. I groan in agony as I realize I rested all of my weight on my bruised ribs. Hot tears form in my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall and stain my cheeks. I push myself up by using the counter to balance my shaky body. Leaning over the sink, another wave of pain rocks my body; cuts splitting open, bruises being touched, aches being awakened. I let out a choked cry and cover my mouth so no one can hear me, specifically Jack and Ben who are asleep in the guest room next to the bathroom. The walls are thin, they will be able to hear me if I make any noise. My shaking hands go to my hair as I pull at it in the reflection of the mirror.

How am I going to possibly go about my day when standing up makes me want to scream in pain?

It's not like I can just stay home. Jack and Ben will know something's up, Mum will worry about me, and worst of all: Dad's home all day. I shake at my thoughts, despair sinking in as I realize I have very few options.

My eyes well up once again and I can't help but start to sob into my hands as I hobble out of the bathroom and down the staircase, cringing on every step. I collapse on the couch and scream into a pillow in agony as my body feels as if it has been through ten wars. At this point, I don't care who hears me. I'll just lie and say it was a nightmare or something. I continue to cry into the pillow, my sobs muffled by the soft fabric.

Creak

My head shoots up at the noise of a floor board creaking. It's pitch black in the room, the only light coming from a few digital clocks in the kitchen on the microwave and stove.

"H-hello?" I stutter, my voice then cracking from all the screaming and crying.

"Why the hell are you crying?" An angry whisper shouts at me. I can feel the breath of the voice on my face. I know who it is before they even touch me.

My dad heard me.

He takes me by the shoulder and throws me against what I think is the wall. I can't tell because of the lack of lighting. I feel as though I've been shot at how much pain the impact causes me.

I go to scream but I feel a hand over my mouth.

"Make a sound and I beat you ten times as hard, hear me?!" He hisses in my ear and I nod, my heart beating crazily against my chest.

I don't know why, but the only thought in my mind is to run. I have this urge to tear away from my father and sprint out the door and down the darkened road. My head spins as I think about it, how easy it would be to break away and run out the door. How easy it would be to get away from him. My feet itch as I await the blows to pummel me in the darkness.

I need to do this. This is my chance.

What happens next is all up to my body, none of it relates to my brain. I stand up and blindly push in the direction I hear my dad. My hands make contact with something and a loud thud vibrates the floor.

"You're getting it now!" He grunts as I hear him stand up.

"N-no!" I choke out as I flip on the light switch. My heart is beating so fast that I can hear it.

"Never say no to me," my dad says darkly as he starts to charge towards me. I gasp as my feet take off running, every inch of my body on fire as I push through the room. I reach the door and yank it open, slamming it shut behind me. I don't stop running, I don't even look behind me. My lungs ache horribly as I breath heavily. Finally, I see a street light and stop. I collapse to the ground, every part of me stinging with hurt. If my ribs didn't hurt before I ran, then they defiantly hurt now. I let out a shaky breath as I come to terms with my situation.