misguided

chapter 3: blood and abuse

It kind of worried me that my mom wasn’t looking for us. I guess it just shows how much of a pathetic douche she is. I had just gotten back from school and once again walked in on a happy Kaitlin playing with Austin. Watching them together made me happier than I have been in my whole life. Since I had to stay at school longer than usual to finish some work up, I got home at about 6:00. We ate dinner and at about 8:00 laid Kaitlin down to sleep. Once again, I fell asleep in Austin’s room, in his arms. This was my favorite place to be.

            I woke up in a panic. I had just had the absolute worst nightmare I have ever had. The nightmare had me so scared I decided to go and check on Kaitlin. What I saw sent shivers up my spine and left a sick feeling in my stomach. I didn’t know what to do. So, I screamed. I rushed over to Kaitlin’s side. She was coughing up blood and I had no idea what to do. Austin ran in afterwards followed by Sammy then her mom. We ended up having to rush her to the hospital.

            When we got there they asked where her mom was. “Well see the thing is, she isn’t here,” I said. “Well then who are you?” the doctor replied looking at all of us with a confused face. “I’m her sister, we HAD to get away from my mom and so we have been staying with them,” I said pointing behind me to Austin, Sammy, and Mrs. Johnson. “Can we please just go with her and explain the rest later ma’am?” Austin said. “I suppose” the doctor said with a sigh.

            The doctor hooked her up to an IV, and Kaitlin shortly fell back asleep. She started to ask questions again, which scared me because I didn’t want to answer the one I most dreaded.

“Where did this burn mark come from?” the doctor said without looking up.

“Uhm… my mom.”

“What’s your moms name?”

“Ciara”

“Last name?”

“Moore”

“Okay. Ill be sure to have something done about that.”

            We went home 6 hours later; there was nothing severely wrong with Kaitlin, just a cut in the back of her throat from a chip. We have to feed her very soft food for 1 to 2 weeks. When we got back home we all took a very long “nap”. When we all finally awoke from our 5 hours, so called, nap we ate lunch and watched a movie.

            That night we went to bed and did not wake up in any panics or walk in on anybody coughing up blood. But just in case that might happen Austin and I went to sleep, for just that one night, in there with Kaitlin.  Woke up the next morning and made breakfast for Austin, me, and Kaitlin. Sammy and her mom were at work so it was just the three of us.

            Surprisingly Kaitlin woke up before Austin. I was kind of hopping Austin would have woken up earlier than Kaitlin so we could spend some time together, doing anything really. I didn’t mind as long I was with him. I don’t know why I didn’t notice him sooner. I’ve known him for 10 years, and never even had a thought about him in the way I do now.

            Austin woke up at 10:00 (2 hours after me) and we all ate breakfast. After breakfast we sat on the couch and watched Dora. Kaitlin’s favorite. She sat on the floor right in front of the TV. Austin and I couldn’t help but laugh when she screamed, “Dora, you’re standing right in front of the blue bridge and you’re asking me where it is? Just shut up and turn around, stupid.” He turned to me and said, “god I love your laugh.” And kissed me. His lips were warm and soft, and I couldn’t help but smile mid-kiss. We looked down and Kaitlin arguing with Dora once again, and look back at each other and laughed. He looked at me and said “wanna go to hot topic after lunch and take Kaitlin to get some new clothes?”

“Will they even have anything in her size”

“Yeah, I’ve seen a couple of sleeping with sirens shirts, and I’ve noticed her singing along to a few of their songs.”

I kind of giggled and said, “Okay, sure, why not?”

            After lunch I put on some red skinny jeans, a “of mice and men shirt”, and my black vans. We got Austin’s car keys and went to the mall. Kaitlin was amazed by all the band merch. We got her some shirts, I got a hoodie and “black veil brides” leggings, and Austin got a Pikachu belt. We went to go and check out, and Kaitlin BEGGED us to go to the vans store then the converse store, and then go and get her a really big cookie from the American cookie kiosk. And so we did exactly that. When we checked out from hot topic the cashier said “you can tell this one will have a good taste in music when she gets older” nodding over to Kaitlin. We got 2 pairs of shoes for everybody and each store, and watched Kaitlin try and eat a cookie that was half as big as her and went back home.

            When we got home there were a couple cop cars in the driveway. Austin got out and the officer said something ill never forget.

“Austin Johnson?”

“Y-y-yes”

“You’re under arrest for child abuse”

            That night I prayed to the non-existing god. “God, if you’re real please help me get this story straight.” I fell asleep shortly after and had horrible dreams about Austin abusing Kaitlin and I just don’t know anymore. I hope they have the wrong guy. I hope I didn’t fall in love with someone like my, dare I say it, mom.