The Haven

Chapter One

The steady dripping of water from the sink faucet in the bathroom seemed to be deafening in the silence as Eva stood with her back pressed against the closed door. The early morning light was barely beginning to peek through the small rectangular window above the top of the shower. Though the heat was running, and she could feel it coming through the vent just a few inches from her feet, goosebumps ran up her arms and legs from the chill that she never seemed able to shake. Taking a deep breath, Eva pushed herself off the door and closed the distance between it and the side of the tub, reaching in to turn the plastic knob on the opposite side of the faucet. Instantly, water began to pour from it, thundering into the tub. She tested the temperature of the water with her right hand, adjusting it with the knob closer to her until it was perfect. Jerking up the little knob on top of the faucet, she stepped back to grab hold of the shower curtain as there was a whining noise and the water pouring from the faucet transferred to the shower head and cascaded out. She stripped out of her thick pajamas quickly and pulled the curtain aside slightly, stepping over the side of the tub and under the waterfall.

The hot water sent a shock through her body but she relaxed a bit as it warmed her skin, her bones. Steam rose around her and through the room. The water soaked through her hair, sliding over her skin. As good as the water felt, however, she knew she didn't have too long to enjoy it before the hot water would run out. She washed her hair and body as quickly as she could and waited until the water under her feet ran clear of any suds before carefully turning the shower and water off. She stepped out of the tub gingerly, careful not to slip on the cracked linoleum floor, one hand braced against the wall, the other reaching for the faded cream towel hanging on the wall. She wrapped it around her body, folding one end over the side above her breast line and stepped over to the sink to swipe her palm over the steam-covered glass of the mirror.

The first thing she saw were the lines of darkness under her jade green eyes, the result of another restless night. Strands of her honey-brown hair pressed to her skin, heavy from the water retained there. She tried to avoid looking at her shoulders where a bruise had developed overnight near her collarbone. A chill went through her when she noticed the outline of it looked very much like the hand of the person who had put it there. She averted her eyes as she felt a sensation of nausea in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't the first by far and she knew it most definitely would not be the last she received.

Nine more months of this, Eva reminded herself inwardly. Nine more months and then you are free.

Eva's skin was flushed, a result of the hot water and the added steam surrounding her. The corner of her light red lips tugged downward into a frown as she eyed her hair. Perhaps she should have bound it up this morning and avoided washing it because blow-drying it would take quite a few minutes and would very likely disturb her mother and step father who were sleeping in the room just a few feet away. Unwrapping the towel from around herself, she used it to quickly dry the excess water on her body and then wrapped it around her hair. Claiming a second towel from under the sink, she covered her body again, snatched the hair dryer from the same spot and pushed the bathroom door open to retreat to her room. She nearly screeched in surprise when she found her mother, arms crossed over her chest and an annoyed look on her face, on the other side.

"God!" she hissed as quietly as she could, raising her free hand to her chest where her heart was now pounding against her rib cage. "Don't do that to me!"

Eva and her mother looked nothing alike. Her mother was shorter by about two inches, and slightly stout from having kids. Her hair was blonde, though it was beginning to gray, and she wore it cut short, the ends just waving under her chin. Her round face seemed slightly swollen and that was likely because of the drinking she had done the night before after returning home late from her job as a waitress. The only similarity Eva and her mother seemed to share was their eye color, though her mother's eyes were clouded. Eva stood at 5'6 with long legs and an athletic figure, though she had never done sports in her life, save for the days when they played volleyball in Gym.