Caged

Chapter 1

“Uh-hem, Mrs. Clark, we have your daughters safe and sound with their careworker.” Steve Potter’s groggy voice bounced around the hospital room.

The small boxed in beige room is silent. Mrs. Clark stays completely still without a single movement. Struggling to breathe, she doesn’t choke out any sign of response. Her frizzy red hair rests on her paper hospital gown. Her brown eyes hesitate to open as the lights above her are too bright.

“Beep...Beep…” The steady heart monitor breaks the silence.

Her shaky arm rises upon her weak body and reaches out for Steve Potter’s large hands. She rests them in his palms. Steve closes his lanky fingers interlocking into Mrs. Clark’s.

“Promise me,” Mrs. Clark’s ill voice cracks. “my girls will never ever be around my husband.” a single tear drops from her watery eyes.

Steve clears his throat, “Of course,” he gently squeezes her bony hand for reassurance. “Sarah and Evelyn will be no where near him.”

He stands from his white plastic chair, with Mrs. Clark’s hand still in place. “I know exactly who will take care of them.” He smiles.

“Thank you,” she croaked and closed her watery eyes once again. “Thank you.”  she then whispered.

___

Sarah’s Pov

“Tick… Tick…” I glare at the obnoxious clock that is taking forever to move.

I slouch back in my chair and cross my arms across my chest. I dart my eyes at the clock while Steve talks non-sense. I just want to get the fuck out of this office. I don’t want them to take me to my aunt. The last time I saw her I was about seven. She would always have this perky ass grin on her face and her red hair goes down to her hips! I swear she smells like daisies threw up on her. I remember when my mom told me that my aunt was moving to a studio in England. She wanted to take on her artist career here. Now look where I am. In a fucking adoption center waiting for her to pick my sister Evelyn and I up.

I can’t get last friday night out of my head. The sirens, cries and scent of alcohol. The whole thing just punches me in the face.

“I don’t care if I hurt you. Your mother is in the hospital dying.”  His harsh words creep up every once in a while too.

“Sarah! Make daddy stop!” Evelyn’s cries make me ache.

She was clinged onto my arm, digging her nails into my skin. My father with a bottle of whiskey in one hand, and a belt in another cornering us in my light pink colored room. I remember that night is that all I could think about was my mother. Hoping she would be okay. If she wasn’t sick, my father wouldn’t of went fucking crazy.

When my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, my father lost it. I thought I was going to aswell.

Although hearing police sirens was somewhat a sigh of relief, it was also emotionally hurt me. The blue and red lights flashed through my bedroom window. Yes, they can take away my father. They can’t take away the memories of the hell my sister and I have been going through.

Evelyn asked me on the plane last night an interesting question.

“Daddy isn’t going to be here, right?”

Her hazel eyes locked with mine. I didn’t respond, I just nodded.

“Sarah, I know you aren’t listening.” Steve sternly says to me.

I look at him and roll my eyes, “I don’t want to be here.”

He sighs, “I know.”

I sit up in my chair and grip onto the handles. I look around to make sure no one is near. “Then let me go.” I whisper.