We All Fall Down

Prologue

*Eleanor's Point Of View*

*Three Years Ago*

"Baby, wake up," A voice spoke gently though urgency seeped through it. Who was waking me up? "Sweetheart, open your eyes."

I groaned and rolled over as best I could considering the bruises from my beating earlier were still very fresh. I just wanted some sleep, hopefully, I'd be able to sleep off some of the pain I was enduring. But of course, fate was never on my side. Whoever spoke before ripped off my covers, and quickly began dressing me causing me to immediately come to my senses.

"Get off of me!" I screamed, tears already springing to my eyes. I thrashed around, fear overwhelming me. What was dad's problem lately? He's been more violent than usual, and he knows to let me sleep it off so it wouldn't show at school.

"It's just me, sweetheart," A soothing voice spoke. The realization that it was my mom, and not my dad, washed over me. "Calm down."

"Mom?" I whispered, "What are you doing? Why are you waking me up?"

I glanced around the room and noticed two suitcases by the door. Confusion flooded my mind. What was going on? Was dad finally getting rid of us? Where were we going to go? We didn't have the money to be on our own; without him. My lungs began to feel tight and heavy as I took in that we were leaving. How would we survive?

"Calm down, El. Just calm down, alright? We don't have long," My mom said, panic clear in her eyes. She quickly stood up, pulling me with her. I didn't say another word as I took in what was happening. Dad didn't kick us out... we were running away.

"What if he finds us?" I questioned. My thirteen-year-old mind filled with questions that I wasn't prepared to know the answers to.

My mother shook her head, "He won't."

I dared not ask anything else, I knew we had limited time at this point. We had to get out of here as quick as possible. My dad was unpredictable here lately if he felt like it, he'd wake up at three in the morning just to give us a few new bruises. If he caught us sneaking out the doorway with our suitcases, we'd be dead. Quite literally.

I watched as my mom hurried around the room, throwing things into a small suitcase. She barely glanced at me, it was as if she had this all planned out like she knew exactly what she was going to do and when. She seemed to have a mental checklist of everything we'd be taking, which was just the general things, nothing special.

I took in a deep breath as she finally finished and looked over at me. Her eyes spoke what her mouth didn't, I knew it was time. We were leaving this house for good.

I hurriedly jumped off of my bed and to the small suitcase. I lifted it, along with my mother who carried hers, and we tiptoed out of my room and down the hall.

It all went so smoothly and easily. It was like a movie. The suspense was suffocating. Every time we approached a turn or a corner, I expected him to jump out. When we reached the front door, the surprise that settled in my stomach was overbearing.