~ Breathe ~

{Chapter 5}

Looking at the calendar in the kitchen, Christella counted the days until she and her brother were able to attend their new school. She worked out that it was only a week away, and she was excited more than anyone else to be going. It would mean she didn't have to deal with her awful aunt, uncle, and cousin.

"Move girl!" Daniel pushed Christella to the side, causing her to stagger and fall to the ground.

"What is your problem Daniel? Seriously!" She hissed.

"Don't you talk to my son that way! You will respect him!" She mentally groaned as the large figure of her uncle stood before her.

She turned over to face him.

"And I'm kind of your niece. Maybe you should respect me and my rights!" She snapped back.

"You will not talk to me like that, you foolish girl!" 

With a slap across the face, Christella fell to the ground.

"Daniel, she's yours." 

Anger flashed through Christella's system as she hated it when her 'family' referred to her as if she were an item.

Daniel seemed excited by the fact that he was being told to hurt his cousin, as his face lit up at the news.

"You're sick." Christella snarled weakly. 

"Shut up." Daniel threw a punch at Christella as a crack sounded from her frail body.

One after another, Christella felt the balled up hand of her older cousin dig into her body. She couldn't decide whether this or the the pain she experienced from her Anderson's was worse.

She couldn't breathe, Daniel seemed to be aiming to punch her chest, knocking the air out of her everytime. Tears were falling down her face once after another.

"Please — I can't breathe — stop — Daniel —"

"I said — shut up!"

Sitting in the corner of the upstairs bathroom, Christella felt lightheaded. She could feel where the bruises were forming, and could see a few of the early ones too.

She didn't want Heath to know what happened, she was going to keep it a secret for as long as she could.

Suddenly, the door clicked open. It was Heath. He was coming in to put some gel in his hair so it seemed, but at the sight of his sister, he placed the gel down and picked up his sister, cradling her in his arms.

"What happened?" He asked desperately.

Christella couldn't talk, but she squirmed in his hold. It was hurting her. He seemed to get the message pretty quickly, as he set her on her feet. He assisted her back to the bedroom where she lay down on their bed.

She began to explain to some degree what happened, knowing she couldn't hide it anymore.  Christella's entire body seemed to be shaking and her face had lost all colour. Her head was in Heath's lap as he played with her hair.

"You'll be alright."