My New Daddy

18: Nightmares

Chapter 18

I run through the hall, fearing for my life. My little feet carrying me as fast as they can. Looking for a place to escape to I look around frantically. I barely spot the door that leads to the stairs we never use in the darkness, but skid to a halt just in time. The door opens surprisingly quiet as I yank it open and slip inside. Unfortunately for me it doesn't close as quiet, though. It makes a little thud as the door hits the frame. I know instantly he has heard me when his footsteps quicken towards me. It seems to take forever for my little feet to carry me up the stairs towards the other door. No one lives up there anymore. Hopefully they forgot to lock it up. Thud thud thud. Frank is getting closer. He's almost to the door. Finally my little hands close around the door knob. My only escape is in my hand. I twist. The knobs sticks. My world shatters. I crumple into a little ball as close to the wall as I can on the top stairs.

'Please no. Please don't see me.' I chant in my head as I hear rather than see the downstairs door violently open. It's to dark for my little eyes.

"Get down here!" Frank bellows.

I begin to sob. He knows I'm here. Frank bounds up the stairs and grabs onto my wrist. I'm jerked up by my wrists. Hardly having time to catch my balance, Frank starts dragging me down the stairs. Running down the stairs after him, I almost fall multiple times. He has not let up on my wrist and it feels as though it could snap at any minute. We finally reach the bottom of the stairs and I'm thankful for a second. That is, until I remember why I was trying to get away in the first place.

When we reach the living room Frank pushes me towards the wall with our family pictures covering it. I never did understand why all the pictures were in one place instead of spread throughout the house.

"Stand still!" Frank yells at my trembling little body.

I can't even speak. I'm terrified of this man. The very same guy I told my mommy less than a year ago that I want to stay around is now my tormentor. I never knew such horrors could happen in ones own home. A place that was supposed to be safe for me.

My head snaps up as a knife flies towards me. Luckily Frank is to drunk to have any sort of aim. This could either work for me or against me. The knife clatters to the floor after bouncing off the wall. I watch in horror as he collects a second one. He aims. He misses by a long shot.  As the third goes straight towards my head I scream a blood curdling scream.

I sit straight up in bed and almost scream along with the little girl who haunts my nightmares. It takes awhile for me to catch my breath and calm down. There will be no more sleeping tonight. Just like almost every other night. It's not even light outside yet. Glancing towards the clock I realize why. It is only three in the morning.

I try not to think of my nightmare that I have had to many times now. Though, I can not seem to help it. Even with as young as I was I remember all to clearly how I ducked just in time for the blade of the knife to go over my head. Frank loved to play with the dartboard when he was drunk. It just happened to be broke around that time. Frank, being the resourceful man that he is, made his own. With me. He nicked me a couple times that night, but thankfully nothing serious.

I know if I turn on the television there's a chance it will wake up my mother and Frank. So I settle for reading. There is no better escape than to get lost in someone else's world. After a couple hours of reading another one of the Goosebumps books that I rented from the school library I nod off to sleep.

When I awoke in the morning I was unbelievably stiff. I had no clue how I could continue to feel worse and worse every day. It took me a moment to register the open book laying on my floor as I reached down to grab the blankets I kicked off of me. Last night I was lucky. Not only did I fall back to sleep, but I didn't fall back into my nightmares like I normally would.

I make my way out of my room eventually and head for the cereal. However, I get stopped in my tracks when I see my mother glaring at me from her rocking chair. The cigarette in her hand produces an ugly smoke around her as she stares unmoving. Slowly I make my way to her. I know if I keep walking towards the kitchen I will be in even more trouble than if I were to face the music now. Even though I have no clue what I did wrong this time.

"So how long did you leave your light on for last night?" she spits.

"What?" I'm confused. Mother knows I go to bed at a decent time.

"Your light!" she snaps. "You left it on you ungrateful little bitch! Do you know how much electricity you used up? It's not free Brooklynn Rose!"

Realization hits me. I left my light on when I was reading and fell asleep. "I didn't mean to! I fell asleep reading!"

"Why were you up so late reading!?" mother flicks the ashes of her cigarette into the filthy ash tray. I'll have to clean those again soon.

I look down to the floor. Like she doesn't know I have nightmares. "I couldn't sleep."

Frank walks out of the bathroom at that moment. Instantly causing the conversation to cease. He must not know my light was left on. Thank god. "Brookie!" he says cheerfully. "Can you get your daddy a soda?"

"Uh. Sure," I retreat as fast as I can. The way he acts like he's my 'daddy' so soon after beating me just the other day sickens me.

I'm tempted to make myself a bowl of cereal while I'm in the kitchen but quickly decide against it. I know if I make Frank wait it could mean trouble for me. After grabbing a sprite from the fridge I go back into the living room.

"Here," I say handing him the sprite.

"Come here Brooklynn. Come sit by Daddy," Frank scoots over in his big leather chair making a small spot for me.

"Oh. Okay." I climb into the little spot. I'm half sitting on his lap with his arm around me and I hate it. I hate it so bad.

He's being overly nice. I recognize these times all to well. This is the calm before the storm.