Mine (Brad Simpson) {IN EDITING}

Chapter 1

"Wake up you little shit." My father slurs, clearly drunk.

"Ow!" I scowl, glaring at him.

"Don't look at me like that." He warns, glaring back.

"Or what?" I sneer, knowing he will abuse me yet again.

He doesn't answer, only slaps me across the face. I have been hit, punched, kicked, slapped, abused so many times I don't even feel the pain anymore.

"Ow." I say sarcastically, pulling myself off my tiny bed.

"Come and make my breakfast." He orders, walking up the basement stairs.

I stare at the concrete box my mother's body is kept in, and smile at her. My father thought keeping me in the basement with my mother would scare and torture me, but really it comforts me.

"Yes, dear father." I say sarcastically, climbing up the stairs after him.

He throws a packet of bacon at me and threatens to throw a pan, but I give him a warning look and he places it on the stove.

"It's my birthday today, you know." I say, lighting the ancient stove top.

"Oh. How old are you turning?" He asks. I wouldn't guess he was even related to me if I didn't know better.

"18." I sigh. "Did you get me a present?"

"Fuck no!" My father laughs, shaking his head.

I sigh, not expecting him to have been this nice, let alone remember my birthday and get me a present. I don't mind, being alive with a roof over my head and food to eat is good enough for me.

"Alli?" A familiar voice calls from the door and I sprint to the front of the house to greet it, leaving the kitchen unattended.

"Amy!" I squeal, hugging my best friend tightly.

"Happy Birthday!" She practically screams, handing me a small, well-wrapped present in the shape of a box.

"Thankyou so much!" I say, gesturing for her to come inside.

"Alison, where the fuck are you? You're supposed to be doing my breakfast you cunt!" My father calls, his face pouted until he sees Amy walk in.

I remember back to the time when Amy's father and my own did a 'swap', where one father would rape the others daugher. They both laughed and had a great time, but my father got a bit too interested in Amy. She is very attractive, but I don't want her sucked into my fathers abusive wrath. Her own father is horrible, of course, but her mother is worse.

"Hello, Amy." My father beams, walking towards her and hugging her tightly, his hand dropping to her ass.

"Hi, Alistair." She smirks, pulling away quickly. "Could Alli have a day off her chores so we can do some birthday celebrations?" She asks, pulling her shirt down, showing her cleavage.

My father bites his lip, and nods nervously.

"Thanks." She says, waving as we rush upstairs to my old room.

"Open it." Amy nods to my present as we jump onto my old bed.

I nod, ripping the wrapping paper off. Amy is the only person that gives me a present for Christmas and my birthday each year, and I am so thankful that she is even in my life.

Ripping off the colourful paper reveals a small box. I smile at Amy before lifting the lid carefully.

Inside the box lays a silver bracelet, with four charms attached. One is a small heart, 'Amy' written in letters, 'Alli' written in letters and an infinity sign hanging off the end. I feel tears of joy welling in my eyes, threatening to spill over the edge.

"Thankyou so much." I sob, hugging her tightly as she clips the bracelet onto my wrist. "I love it."

"I thought you would." Amy smiles at it, admiring its beauty. "Have you got your bag ready?"

"Yep." I nod to the neatly packed backpack in the corner of the room.

"You?" I ask her.

"What do you think this is?" She laughs, showing me the backpack on her back that I didn't notice before.

"Oh." I laugh at my stupidity.

"Are you ready to go then?" She ask, staring into my eyes nervously. I want to say no, but I know how badly she wants to leave. We've been planning this for months, and I can't just leave her stranded. She is like a sister to me.

"Yes." I say, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding in. I walk over to my backpack in the corner, hooking it over my shoulders and taking one last look at my childhood before following Amy downstairs.

"We're going out, Alistair!" Amy calls out, opening the front door.

"Alright! Have fun!" My father calls kindly, making me think he could change, and not be so horrible. I mentally curse myself, I've given him too many chances.

I feel the tears begin to stream down my cheek as I leave my angelic mother behind, locked in a basement. One day, I will be able to tell the truth about her murder, but today is not that day.

"It's okay, Alli. I know you're sad, but we will save her. Don't worry, we are getting away for good." Amy comforts me, hugging me close as we walk to the bus station. "It's all going to be okay."

"Thankyou." I say as the bus rolls up to the bus stop. We hand the driver our tickets and take a seat right at the back.

"I'm just so scared, Ames." I say, leaning against Amy's shoulder, still tearing up slightly.

"I know. So am I. But we will get through this, I promise. We are going to be okay, Alli. It's all going to be better in Philadelphia." Amy promises, leaning her head on mine.

I stare out the window for what feels like forever, and just as I feel my eyes drooping closed the bus comes to a stop, the door creaking open.

"This is your stop, girls." The bus driver says in monotone, looking at the only two people left on the bus - Amy and I.

"Thankyou." Amy beams, pulling me off the bus as the doors creak closed as the bus drives away.

"Here we are!" Amy says excitedly, squeezing my hand as we look at the sight before us.