Rooftops - A Year In The Making

Chapter 13 - Unexpected horror

It's only been two days of the window being shut, but it feels like a lifetime. Each minute feels like an hour and the days, like weeks. The quiet mum that confused me has long gone. No sign of the secretive her, just the loud, abusive mother I've known my whole life. As I sit silently, no movement except my eyes I can still feel the pain spread through my stomach.

"Why does MY child have to be gay! Mine! It would happen to me wouldn't it. bet ya don't even like er'. Bet yer doin it to spite me! I always knew you were different, knew yer weren't right, knew there was something wrong with ya!"

Obviously this would annoy anyone but the reason I decided to stand up for myself was because she wasn't just assaulting me. She was assaulting a big group of people, good people. And I wasn't going to just stand there.  I wasn't going to let others be abused behind their back like I had to endure every day of my short life.

"There's nothing wrong with me" I say quietly.
"...What!"
"There's nothing wrong with me" I repeat a bit louder. Fighting myself as well as her.
"Sit down on your bed now. So I can really hurt ya."
"No"
"WHAT?"
"NO!"

I didn't win, deep down I probably knew I wouldn't, the big bruises, as strong reminders of just how much I lost. I walk over to the small mirror in my room and examine the bruises, so clear you can see the imprint of a fist. Then I go back on my bed and sit, like I have been for the last two days, then I look over to the window, through the cracks of wood I can see the identical window opposite. But something has changed. The usually clean glass window reads a single word. 'help'.

~Cassandra's POV~

I miss her, I don't think there has been a minute where I don't think of her stuck in that house with, her. I knew she didn't get on with her mum that well but, that was bad. I can't get the image of her out of my mind. Her black hair, tangled and knotted down to just beneath her shoulders, obviously a smoker. White baggy t-shirt that had the faded print of a star wars emblem. And a bottle in her hand, anger on her face.

I just sit there, staring at the window. I haven't had the courage to look out yet, in case I see her, because I know I'd breakdown. I haven't told mum, I don't want to.  I don't usually keep anything from her, we're not overly close but we get on, this is just too much to tell though.

"Knock knock" I hear mum walk through the kitchen and open the front door.
"Hello?"
"Hello, I am Harry Chelms and this is Tyler Jones, we used to work for your husband," At this point I quietly get off my bed and walk to my door to hear a little better.
"How..." Mum's voice turns into a whisper. "How did you find me?"
"I think it would be better if you don't ask questions Mrs Heart."
"Bu... Ahhhhh" I hear the high pitched wail of my mother and move to the landing, still out of sight. The two men, one chubby man and a small man behind him were still stood in the doorway. The chubby one, with his hands wrapped around my mothers neck.

She squirms under his grip and the small man follows orders to help restrain her. As he moves further into the sunlight I see a glimpse of whats in his hand. A knife. My mother sees it too as she falls limp in his arms, unable to move and unconsious.

Then I see her get dragged into the kitchen, as I just stand there. Like her, unable to move. As they wait for her to wake up, I hear the knife, not doing anything in particular, just being handled. Or sharpened. The movement of two turns into three as my mum wakes up. she sounds disorientated but can remember what happened.
"What do you want from me?" She asks, her voice fragile.

"Your husband" The chubby man says, he has a deep, monotone and raspy voice.
"He's not here" Mum says after a pause.
"I know that. I want to know where he is." He speaks calmly, but arrogant, like my mother is a naughty three year old.
"In prison" She says quietly.
"I know that woman!" He says, I hear a slap and a small cry from mum. I stand there helpless, still unable to move.

He takes a while to calm down and it only takes a minute for mum to give in and tell him which prison dad is being held at.
"Now, is there anyone else here?"
"No" Mum says simply
"Your not lying are you?" He says, his voice staring to get more frustrated again.
"I don't know anyone here."

A tear rolls down my cheek as my mother pleads her innocence. The men's feet the only other thing I can hear.
"Now, you won't tell anyone of what happened here would you?" I can hear his Yorkshire accent as he starts to calm down.
"N-no, of course not." Mum stutters. Then the man starts laughing, not for long, long enough for me to press my eyebrows together in confusion.

"Ha ha ha" He stops laughing. "Of course not" He repeats my mothers words. "Tyler"
Tyler, brings life to the saying 'silent but deadly'. As he brings down the knife. I only hear her scream for less than a second, then it goes silent. Deadly silent.
"Bag her" I hear the chubby man say. "I'll check the house."

My feet stay where they are as I hear his heavy footsteps getting further up the stairs. Finally as I hear the thumps hit the landing I spring into action. Mum lost her life to save me. Now I have to save myself. I run to the wardrobe and slot myself in between the white closet and the wall. As the man walks into my room he looks around a bit before going to check some of my bedside table drawers, leaving the ones he did check open.

He looks around once more, giving a very sloppy impression, obviously never done anything like this before. After he checks the other rooms I hear him thud down the stair case and out the door. I don't get out straight away though, I don't know how long I stay there, time seems to have stood still. I quickly write help on my window, hoping Riley sees it and cautiously step downstairs.

The three mirrors  leading down the stairs show me a picture I am not familiar with. My hair in a messy bun. And tears filling my face. Tears that I hadn't even noticed I had.

Bet you didn't see that coming xD 
It's a bit dramatic, I know, but I had to do it like this for it to work.  Push the lil vote button if you like it, love ya :)