Betrothed

Marked

The next morning I got a text from Opel saying "We need to talk." I put my phone on my dresser and went to the bathroom to see how badly I got hit this time. The bruise on my cheek had spread to under my eye and it was a dark shade of purple and my mouth hurt. My father walked in and I backed myself up against the wall I didn't want to be anywhere near him. "Relax I just wanna look I have an ice pack to help." I slowed my breathing as he got close and put his hand to my cheek taking a close look at it. "Ow, dad please it hurts." He pulled his hand away and put the ice pack to it and I sat down on the toilet letting my father help. It was always like this, he would get drunk and lose his temper over little things then the next day he would try to be kind to make up for what he did but it never made things better. "You know you do this to yourself if you'd just be a good daughter I wouldn't have to lose my temper and hurt you."
"Dad I swear I didn't jump the fence yesterday, I was walking home from school when some mean kids from school grabbed me and ripped my sweater and all those other times you were drunk." He sighed and then he moved the ice pack from my face and I could feel the swelling going down. "You know why I drink living without your mother is hard and as for those kids you just need to have a better friend so you're protected or you need a good bodyguard either one, so how about this I'll get a handle my drinking and you get your friend to keep people off you ok." I nodded knowing I didn't have much of choice and he kissed my head then sent me back to bed while he went to work. Not long after my dad left I started cleaning the house knowing Opel she was gonna come over after school and come to make sure I was ok, even though we were friends I never once let her into the house afraid she would find out what I was hiding. School soon ended at 2:00 and Opel came in at 2:30, but I kept trying to hide my face from her. "I can't believe you Scarlett we've been friends for years and you never told me about your own father beating you and why are you hiding your face from me?" I sighed knowing I couldn't hide anything from her anymore so I lifted my head and turned to the right letting the bruise show and Opel covered her mouth trying not to cry for me. "Oh my god he messed up your beautiful face no wonder you had to stay home from school, does your jaw feel broken?" I looked at her and shook my head saying no and she pulled me into her arms giving me a big hug. "We have to get you away from him I'm gonna get my parents over here and I'm calling the cops I can't let you go through this any longer." I freaked out on her and grabbed her shoulder when she opened the door and a guy was standing outside. He had pale white skin, and blue tattoos on his body, he was a vampire tracker from the House of Night. Me and Opel backed into the house slowly and he walked in closing the door behind him. He looked at Opel then looked at me and touched my cheek healing the bruise like he had  a healing touch, then he put his finger to my forehead. "Scarlett Esmeralda Anderson, night has chosen thee; thy death will be thy birth. Night calls to thee; hearken to her sweet voice. Your destiny awaits you at the House of Night." I then felt myself passing out as pain hit my forehead, and I heard Opel screaming before I hit the floor and I blacked out.