cleanse

2

I sneak into the house through the back porch. I can see Magdalena through the dirty window. She's sitting on a barstool in the kitchen. I squint my eyes so I can see better. Tears are welling up in her eyes and that's when I hear the barking. My father's booming voice dominates every other sound. "Where the hell is she?!" He barks at Magdalena. I desperately want to run inside and take Magdalena upstairs to protect her, but I'm stuck, watching her get roasted by father.

She just looks at him with tears in her eyes and shrugs. Her lilting voice is so soft, it's inaudible through the door. She turns her head and instantly notices me. She jumps out of fear, but when she notices it's me, her eyes won't come off me. Tears stream down her face as I father stomps toward her. I hear the clunking of hit boots against the hardwood floor.

He lifts his hand smacks her without warning. "SHE'S GONE AND IT'S YOUR FAULT!" He shouts as he begins punching Magdalena. She flails her arms for a few seconds, but finds it useless soon after. I swing the door open and dive at father. "STOP!" I scream, my voice cracking as the tears drip down my warm face. "YOU SAVAGE! STOP!" I try to push father off of her, but he weighs too much. No matter how many times I scream at him, he continues to senselessly beat Magdalena.

I look at the poor girl who isn't even conscious anymore. Her eyes have fluttered shut and the tears have dried, leaving flakes of white on her cheeks. Is she dead? The thought races through my mind. Is she actually dead?

Blood trickles down her lips that are covered in bruises and scrapes. Her eyes have black and blue circles around them and her body has an unfathomable amount of scars and bruises. Father finally backs away from her swollen and empty body. She is as still as a rock.

"YOU MURDERER!" I shriek, running toward the kitchen phone. My shaking hands can barely keep a grasp on the phone as I try to dial 911. "H-h-hello?" I stammer. "My sister has been knocked unconscious and we need help immediately!" Tears begin to create a lump in my throat as I give the phone attendant our information.

"We're on our way." The lady on the phone said. Then she hung up. I slam the phone back into the slot and sit down on the cold floor next to Magdalena. "You'll be okay, tiny bird." I whisper as I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

It takes me a moment to realize that father isn't even here anymore. I don't remember hearing or seeing him leave. I lean down and kiss her forehead and sing her the song that mother sand to us when we got scared at night.

My voice faded in and out as I sang the song. Mother would have never let this happen. I open Magdalena's palm and wrap her short and stubby fingers around my long index finger, careful not to disturb her peace.

But the banging on the front door disturbs it anyway. I see the paramedics outside with their hands on the door, eagerly waiting to be let in. I rush towards the door and open it in a flash. Then everything was a blur after that. They ran in with the stretcher and the first aid kits. I followed behind them, very out of line. In fact, I would say that I trudged behind them.

They picked up her body and tied her into the stretcher and within a minute, she was in the ambulance with me sitting by her side. Her heartbeat was unsteadily jumping up and down. I held her hand tightly in mine. The sweat beads on my palms got her hands all wet.

We live near the hospital, therefore we were in the Emergency section within minutes. The doors swung open and the paramedics ripped Magdalena from my grasp. I watched as they rolled her body into the hospital. I ran my fingers through my hair and began to cry. "I can't lose her..." I whisper,tears getting caught in my throat, making breathing a difficult task. "I have to pass. For her. For mommy." Those words ring out through my head like a gong.

I collect myself and trudge into the waiting room. I find a chair that is far away from everyone else and take a seat. As I wait for a report on Magdalena, I realize that I don't even know where father is. He somehow vanished once her body hardened. Where is that psychopath?

Just as I'm thinking about where he could possibly be, the doctor emerges from the emergency room. "Violet Hazel Foxwood?" He asks as I rise up out of my chair. I nod in reply and follow him back into the emergency room. "Your sister has suffered a great amount of pain..." he trails off. Then he turns his head to face me. "Her wounds were severe... but not enough to cause brain damage or other serious issues that could keep her here long term." I sigh in relief that my sister is alive and well.

We enter her room and she is wide awake. "Violet!" She gasps. A huge smile crosses her face as I envelope her in a bear hug. I run my fingers through her smoothed hair and kiss her forehead. I pull away from her head and look over her body. She has bruises from the size of a small soup bowl to the size of a basketball.

She has one bruise on her face, starting next to her right eye and down to her lip. I bring her back into an embrace as the doctor informs us of where she stands for the next day or two. "She will have to stay here overnight, but tomorrow afternoon, she's all yours." The doctor explains.

A wave of happiness and relief washes over me. Magdalena is safe and father is out of the picture for now.

However, the happiness doesn't last long when I remember the Examination is in three hours.