20 Reasons to Let Go

[ Reason Sixteen ] - Purple and Blue

Kendal's POV

There was no noise as Kendal crept down the stairs late at night. She slipped on the second to last step, breaking the silence and falling upon her bottom, which sent a shivering feeling up her tailbone.

"Damn you, wool socks." she whispered frustratedly, picking herself back up onto her feet. Refocusing on her mission, she tip-toed into the kitchen and gradually opened the refridgerator door. The light of the fridge illuminated her face, and she peered inside.

Eyeing the shelves, she considered her options, "Grape juice, milk, eggnog... that'll do." Pulling a glass from a nearby cabinet, Kendal smiled to herself. Getting up for a midnight snack was something she used to always do before the night of Leyla's murder. It felt right, like old times.

Suddenly, the living room light switched on, and Kendal froze mid-pour. Turning her head, she saw that her father sat ominously on the couch, staring at her.

She was so stunned that she forgot about the eggnog, and soon enough the glass had overflown with creamy liquid, leaving a mess of it all over the counter.

"Shoot!" Kendal breathed, reaching for some paper towels. "I'm so sorry, Dad, I'll fix this." she assured him, soaking up the mess.

Her father said nothing, which was unusual, so Kendal turned to check on him.

His eyes kept refocusing, and his neck seemed barely able to support his own head. Blinking once, he let out a tiny burp.

That's when Kendal noticed the many empty beer bottles scattered at his feet. Horrified, she stood still, unsure of what to do. Should I just leave?

"Hi, Kendal."

Kendal pretended not to hear and headed for the stairs.

Her dad surged from his spot on the couch, suddenly alive and grasping for her. "Kendal." he said again, this time more forcefully.

"Y-yes?" she stuttered, refusing to look him in the eye.

"Next time, answer me right away when I speak to you." he growled, his breath heavy with alcohol.

Kendal nodded, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

All at once, it happened. He grabbed her arm with a strong, controlling hand, and swung with the other arm. His dark eyes flashed with a strange pleasure as his fist made contact with her jaw, and Kendal fell to the ground at the force of the impact.

She held her jaw with her left hand, and pushed her limp body from the floor with the other. Her face already bruising, she looked up with frightened eyes. Her father was breathing heavily, but besides for that, seemed utterly unperterbed.

Still panting, he turned on his heel and stalked out of the room.

Kendal's face continued to swell, and she let out a sob as she rose to her feet and dashed back upstairs.

♦ ♦ ♦

Once back in her room, the tears really started running. She gasped for air, pushing her face into her pillow to keep from screaming. In that moment, there was nothing she could do but cry.

And as she continued to cry, the room lit up with a notification on her iPod, telling her she had a text. Wiping her eyes, Kendal stopped crying for a second. She hadn't used that thing in years, who would even know to text her on it? It must be Cady. She thought, She knows I don't have my phone. Cuious, she scooted closer and looked to see if she was right. Whoever it was had texted her on an old app she hadn't used since the fifth grade.