Run Away (An Academy Ghost Bird Fan-Fiction)

Chapter Eleven

Sang

      "What the hell are you doing back here?" My mother growls. She's sweating, her robe is half open and hanging off one shoulder. The night gown she's wearing has food stains on it. The knuckles of one hand are turning white from her grip against the door frame while her other hand is hidden from view behind her back. Her eyes are bloodshot and furious, all of her loathing currently directed at me.
     "I just came back to talk to Dad." I tell her in a quiet voice.
     "Did you come here to ask him for more money or did you think you could come back here and steal more from me?" She accuses me.
      I shake my head furiously with my denial. "I didn't steal anything." I say but my voice trembles from the terror I feel.
      "You've been gone for days, I warned you that you'd be on your own. Not to come crying to me if you get raped by thugs because you didn't listen to me! Yet, here you are." She growls.
     "Did you get tired of whoring yourself out to the entire neighborhood? Well, you aren't getting anything from me or anyone else in this family!" spittle flies from her mouth, "I don't want my daughter learning house to turn tricks on the street corner. I don't want you to teach her how to lie, steal and sneak around with disgusting perverts." Her voice grows angrier with every breath.  "You aren't welcome here. I don't house thieving whores!"
   "I didn't--" I start
   "I don't want to hear anymore of your lies!"
    Before I could blink she reaches out and grabs me by the hair. I yelp from the pain and then I am being pushed to the floor with more strength than I thought she had. The stitches on my knee hit the rough carpet and the sting makes my eyes water. She shoves my face further into the ground and I feel the split in my lip break back open, blood starts to pool in my mouth. The grip on my hair is suddenly released and something gets wrapped tightly around both my ankles, pinching my skin.
       I try to twist around, moving my hand to grab whatever it is, but suddenly my mother's foot is stepping on my hand. Her calloused bare heel digging sharply into the bones. My mouth pops open in a silent scream.
      "Don't even think about it!" I stop moving and silently beg for her to let me go, hoping that my compliance will be enough. She starts again, wrapping my ankles tight and then continues up my legs to just below my knees. The weight on my hand is finally released but suddenly I'm being dragged backwards by my feet across the carpet. I try to grip the carpet with my fingertips and nails but the fibers slip away, burning my skin.
      "If you can't keep your legs closed, I will tie them shut!" she screams.
      Finding my voice, I plead with her. "Please, mom. I didn't do anything! I swear!"
     "Shut up! Stop all your lying or I will shut you up!" She growls.
     She pushes me into my tiny closet and my shoulders slam against the back wall. I scramble to sit up as she rips the fabric belt off of the robe she's wearing. She grabs my wrists and wrapping, first one and then the other, mashing my palms together and then begins wrapping the belt tightly around both my wrists. Securing the belt with a tight knot, she then ties my wrists to the rope around my legs, what I now see is a long bungee cord.
     She reaches down and grabs a shirt off the floor, shoving it deep into my mouth. My cries now muffled to a whimper. She stands up now and looks down at me, a look of distain is directed at my falling tears.

      "You're just as deceitful as your bitch of a mother." she says with disgust, and the closet door is shut in my face and I am swallowed by the dark.

What?! What is she talking about? Who is my mother?

      My tears dried up. I sat in the dark and listened as my mother stomped around the house. She ranted to herself as she banged around my room. I heard the book shelf fall to the floor with a loud crash. I heard tearing and papers fluttering to the floor.
      "Are you learning it from these books? You're always reading!" She screamed at the closet door. "I didn't teach you these things!"
      Later I heard what sounded like hammering from somewhere inside my room. She continued argue with no one inside the empty room. "I told you to stay in the house! All you had to do was listen to me!" More hammering, "Why do you make me do this? Now you're forcing my hand." bang, band, bang, "I tried my best to teach you how to act." bang, bang, bang, "Stupid selfish child! Now you will stay where you are told!"
      My bedroom door slammed shut and the upstairs went quiet. I was too terrified to move. I kept waiting, listening for her to return.