Silence is Golden

Chapter 14

Hours later someone pounded on my door loudly making me jump; I paused the music and went over to my door pulling it open. My father stood on the other side a strained expression on his face, still wearing his work clothes and his hair looked like he had ran his hand through it on numerous occasions throughout the day. I stepped back letting him come in and sat on my bed waiting while he shut the door and crouched down in front of me. He went to place his hands on my knees but I flinched and backed away from him.

“What happened today?” he asked softly.

I just shrugged and glanced about the room unable to meet his eyes.

“When I got in your mum was talking nonsense and couldn’t get a proper explanation, you came home from school early?” he said trying to catch my eye but I still evaded him and focused my gaze on the carpet slightly to the left of him.

I nodded to his question.

“Why?” he asked.

I just pulled a face that he couldn’t really see.

“Where you ill?” he asked.

I nodded again just going along with whatever he wanted.

“So what happened when you got home?” he asked in the same calm curious voice.

Is he seriously going to sit here and do this? It’s kinda obvious what happened, she is down stairs babbling crap and completely off her face and I'm sitting up here with a bloody big bruise forming. I don’t need a mirror to know it’s there I can feel my cheek swelling and know by the morning it’s going to look like a right mess. I met his eyes square on and just pointed at my swelling cheek.

“Who did it?” he asked quietly.

I just rolled my eyes, is he seriously going to play dumb and act like he doesn’t know how it happened.

“Who? Tell me who did it Roxanne?” he asked a hint of urgency coming into his voice.

He bloody knows who did it he’s just too scared to admit it, he’s too ashamed to admit that his wife hits his daughter, is an alcoholic and pushes him around as well. Frustration from his little act taking over I jumped up and pointed in the direction of the kitchen where she probably is right now finishing off her fifth bottle of wine for the day. He just nodded and left the room as suddenly as he turned up shutting the door behind himself firmly. I returned to my bed exhausted by the whole incident.

I was walking home when I heard the scuff of someone’s shoe against the pavement behind me as I went past Charlie’s pub The Maids Head. Someone was following me; I smiled feeling the adrenaline flood my body at the thought of a fight. The lights from the pub flooded out through the grimy windows creating a globe of warm yellow light about the pub in the darkness. I could make out a group of guys leaning against a wall up a head. Probably a bunch of his goons, when will he get the point I’m not interested? Is the guy following me something to do with them? He stepped out of the shadows as I approached the group at the exact same time I was grabbed from behind. An arm went around my waist and a hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming. I kicked out with my feet catching one of them on his shin making him swear and tighten his grip on me. My pulse was pounding in my ears as I elbowed him in the ribs trying to break free. He grunted but still refused to release me. Something hard hit me over the back of the head and my world turned upside down as I was thrown over someone’s shoulder. Everything seemed to be spinning and I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I heard a familiar cold laugh as the darkness claimed me.

I bolted up right in bed my hands shaking as I clutched at the chain about my neck and my breathing out of control. I felt the beads of sweat running down my back as image after image flashed through my mind making me cringe. I checked each dark shadowy corner of my room before my heart rate finally began to slow back down.  My hands continued to shake though and the images won’t go away. I just can’t get rid of the image of his cruel laughing face then it slowly turns into a cold victorious smirk because he knows he has won. I chucked my covers off onto the floor not being able to stand anything touching my skin. The adrenaline slowly left me and I was just left as a shaking my mess clutching at the old ring on the chain round my neck.

Inch by inch the darkness left my room as day light slowly crept in through my window. Finally my alarm clock went off telling me it was the normal time for me to be getting up and I crept from my bed on shaking legs across the room to pull open the curtains not needing to get dressed as I never changed yesterday. I took my time collecting my school bag and putting everything inside I need for the day.

The trip to school was silent and uneventful like every other day but I couldn’t rid myself of the fear that constantly assaulted my mind. I don’t know if it was my mother hitting me or the dream that triggered my unexplainable fear again, perhaps it was a combination of the pair I don’t know. I had finally begun to develop a daily routine and relax into the background but now I'm back where I started. Jumping at the slightest noise and checking over my shoulder every few seconds. I can’t help it; it’s just the way I am now. This is my life now, it’s who I am.

I have often wondered about the connection between us and animals. The second I had walked through the big glass doors clutching the strap of my bag they noticed me. It’s like they are dogs and can smell the fear coming from me. most of them just gave me cruel looks, while a small group of them gathered to my left whispering intently and sending taunting smiles on my direction as I made slow progress through the crowds. I recognised Blake’s signature messy blonde hair and sports jacket he always seems to wear; I'm guessing he takes it off to wash it occasionally. But then I can’t really talk I thought as I looked down at yesterday’s shirt now crumpled from sleeping in it last night.

When I looked up again the group had converged around me immediately making my heart rate spike. It was only the girls from the group, boys stood a little bit down the corridor watching and laughing.

“Hey little freak!” one of the girls said with fake cheer and swung her arm around my shoulder pulling me tight into her side as her fake nails dug cruelly into my shoulder.

“Nice bag you got there freak” another girl said beside me before snatching my bag from my shoulder and rummaging through it.

Fear clouded my mind freezing me in place as I struggled to regain control of my body as they threw insults at me. A pair of hands pushed firmly on my back sending me stumbling across the floor causing me to fall into one of the girls surrounding me. Another pair of hands grabbed me and pushed me to the floor as they all laughed loudly above me as I remained sprawled on the floor like a coward. One of them pulled my ipod from my bag and started flicking through it.

“You’ve got crap taste in music freak” she said dropping it to the floor beside my head.

I flinched away as I saw her foot coming towards me making them laugh even louder. I heard her heal smash the screen of my ipod and my bag dropped to the floor by my feet its contents scattered across the floor.

“See you around freak” one of them called as they walked away leaving me there on the floor shaking.

I stayed where I was the shame eating at me, I'm weak.

hey guys! sorry about this being late i know it was supposed to be up ages ago but some stuff came up. Anyway enjoy and dont forget to vote and comment, if you like it that is.

The wait for the next chapter wont be as long i promise  X