She walked through her dodgy neighbourhood, watching the sun flood her blessings upon the dancing pavement. The hot aired boomed off causing her blisters from her old shoes to swell. Athena walked on her toes desperately trying to relieve the pressure from her heel. It honestly irritated her, she couldn't wait to rip off her shoes.
She dragged her feet along the pavement, almost in autopilot before she realised she was back at hell, her home. She sighed, her house almost look duller compared to the rest of the identical terrace houses. Each with blue walls, and a white door. the only way to distinguish the difference was the big black number on each of the door frame. Each house was differentiated by the class of the family and the area of built. Athena lived in one of the poorest old towns, filled with abandoned old people with their death days booked and drug-crazy teens.
None of her windows shone a welcoming glow, showing a presence of life within the home. Neither was there any welcoming sounds of laughter and discussion. She knew when she walked In there will be no welcoming smell to dinner or loving hugs and kisses from a happily married parents. Every other student adores being at home, sitting in their safe warm bed with the heating on high. Especially after a fresh home-made spaghetti, having family meetings and family days out was something Athena has never felt.
She walked pressed her hand against the door, it scans before opening. Athena's dreams of a loving family vanishes within the seconds and she is met with reality. No smell of fresh of dinner, but instead a moldy smell of fear and alcohol burns her nostrils. Instead of laughter and discussion, she hurt suddon creaks and shuffles. Finally, instead of a loving married couple welcoming home with laughter and kisses. Athena was met by her pregnant mother, shakingly scratching a cork of a wine bottle desperatly trying the pry it open.
Athena dropped her bag running to her mums aid, she swore she threw out all of the wine bottles in the home. "Mum please,'" she grabbed the head of the wine bottle, her mum pulled weakly. If her mum damages this child intentionally she will be sentenced to death, this is a way the goverment deters diability. Despite her mum pure hatred of Athena, she loved her to peices.
Athena managed to slip it out her mother's sweaty palms.Her mum growled deeply "don't fucking touch me!" She threw her fists, hitting her daughter's face but Athena dodged. "I don't want another one of you BRATS walking around" she spat out like pure venom. The poison stabbed Athena's heart, her mum never intelltionally wanted to get pregnant. Not only was it a rule from the government, but it was by one of mums 'customers' that only visited her at night. Her mother stanched the bottle from her jabbing it into Athena's stomach harshly, causing her to fall over coughing.- unable to breathe. Athena bit her tongue, and in frustration she snatched the bottle before smashing it against the wall. Her mum's last bottle of vodka.
Number one rule: never break an alcoholic's drink.
Her mum froze. You can tell anger speeded her whole body head to toe. Athena swore she saw the vain sticking out her mums' head as deadly rage took over. "You..." her mum whispered. She stared at the mess on the floor her daughter made. Athena's mum looked up at her daughter with hatred. Her Filipino decented eyes scrunched up in digust, slowly approaching her the light revealed this blood thirsty women. Her black raven hair hung un clumps with her massive bags hung under her eyes. Her winkles and her pale skin along her nose wore away with the constant sniffing of cocaine, this practically made her look dead. Athena's smelt the dead scene of bio fuming from her mother, as she wrapped her slenders fingers around her daughter's throat. She raised her half-staved 16 year old child from the floor squeezing her fragile neck.
Athena struggled to breathe under her mums grasp, feeling her deprived lungs burning for oxygen. She was unable to inhale the precious air as her mum tightens her grip.
"mummy please," she begged her mum's eye weakened but quickly toughned slamming her fragile body harder against the wall, ringing filled her ears.
Athena starts to feel dizzy. Her heart hammers against her ribs, every cell in Athena's body starts to scream for oxygen as black dots danced in her eyes. The Desperation for sweet oxygen increased.... everything starts to go black.
The grip loosens and Athena falls to the floor , greedily gasping for air. She feels the sweet oxygen fill her desperate lungs. she falls into a coughing fit on the ground. She looks up at her mum who for a split second wore guiltiness and brokenness within her eyes, but only to become hardened again.
she walked away.
Athena lays on the floor breathing heavily before curling up into a fetus position and fell into a panick state on shock, she slept.
Athena's mum wasn't always like that. Her dad vanishing at age 7, her mum went downhill and Athena being an easy target dealt with the result of her despair. It all started with a few slaps, her mum tried her best to stop but it broke through... realising how much, she enjoyed banging her fist into her 8-year-old daughter. The bond between mother and daughter completely shattered, she spent her time sleeping with numeras hungry men to fill her emptiness. From a young age, Athena looked after herself. Picking up lose change and saving them up to by a food , however she commonly went hungry.
She wakes up hours later and sits up from the kitchen floor and looked at the clock. "7:30."
"Shit" Athena whispered, standing up still dizzy. She grabbed a flashlight before exiting the hell hole. Walking across the street towards her school where April and Elijah told her they were going to meet up.
----

YOU ARE READING
The Run-aWays (I)
Teen FictionBeing perfect isn't as important as being real. ~"Don't underestimate me. I know more then I say. I think more than I speak. And I notice more then you realise."~ Three teens starving for liberation. Thirsty for realness. As everything around them s...