Human Sacrifice

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

I stepped out of the shower and twirled my now strawberry scented hair up into a bun and tied it secure. Curls of hair fell each side of my face that were too short to stay put and with a grip in my hand and one in my mouth, I pinned the runaway curls up. I never used a hairdryer on my hair as it smelt like it was burning and I set the ends of my hair alight once. I shuddered at the memory and tried to forget it. My hair never grew nice anymore, it was always split and frayed.

I stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom and mimed along with the music blasting from the stereo. Bubblegum pop. I never usually agreed with it but on a sunny day it was relaxing and took my mind off the fact I was supposedly being hunted down and my friend had disappeared. I could think about those at a later time when I actually cared enough to. I laughed and dried my hair with the red towel and plugged my straighteners in to the socket. I switched it on and waited patiently for them to heat up. I hated getting ready before school, it was a burden that wasn’t appreciated by anyone but me.

I straightened my thick and horrible short hair and brushed it while I did. The boring chore had to be done, otherwise my hair would be a mess, and would resemble an afro or something along those lines. Or a wild lioness’ mane. I put my various accessories on and tidied the straighteners away. I looked at the choker and shrugged, pulling it on. What difference would it make? I fixed the gems that were meant to be blood and hid it under my collar of my school shirt. Off to that hellhole with walls and corridors formerly known as school.

“Mom, you know you love me” I said in a sweet voice, fluttering my eyelashes. She looked up at me from her paperwork with red-rimmed eyes after a long caffeine-fuelled night of work. I twirled a curl of my hair and looked at her with the childish smile that would win me anything I wanted. She rolled her eyes.

“What do you want Brixie?” she asked, not enthusiastic, and I knew she couldn’t care with the way she addressed me with the stupid name she’d given me. It honestly sounded like what you would call a dog. Maybe a goldfish.  I folded my arms.

“Drive me to school?” I asked, full of optimism. I always had optimism at the wrong times, even when I knew I would be greeted with defeat. She shook her head and handed me some money for lunch.

“No, you can walk or get the bus. I’ve had a long night and I am not driving your sorry little made-up ass to school. Make your own way there” she said, her voice stern and angry. I gasped and walked out – more like stormed – out of the room and slammed the door shut. “AND YOU CAN PAY FOR A NEW DOOR!” I heard her yell from inside.  Yeah right! That was her job.

I walked to school and groaned as it began to rain. I pulled my folder from my bag and used it to cover my hair. This didn’t help because a car speeded past and soaked me. My clothes were thin and soaked and the boys across the road began to laugh. I growled at them and flipped them off, which soon shut them up. Needless to say my hair was now frizzy and wild. This day COULDN’T get any worse. Yes life, that wasn’t a challenge it was a rhetorical question. Seems like it took it as a challenge.

I tried to walk but my drenched clothes were dragging me down and making every step harder; every step was like an ascent up Mount Everest. I wringed my hair and watched the rainwater drip from it. 1st November, great start to the month. I sat on the pavement and took out one of the cigarettes I’d managed to steal from my older brother and lit it, shaking as I placing it on my lips and took a long drag. It was like instant stress relief.

A swanky, posh, sparkling and gorgeous car pulled up in front of me. I was told never to get into a stranger’s car so I stood my ground and stubbed out the cigarette under my shoe. The occupant rolled down the window and I was greeted with a teacher at my school. Great. “I should hope you weren’t smoking Brix. Want a lift to school?” he asked. I shrugged and got into it and we drove to the stupid prison like building.