Proud

Chapter 16

I start to walk away. There's no particular place that I'm walking to. As long as it's away from her, I really don't care where I'm going. I look back and see her sitting in the car. She's not moving. She's just sitting there.

In my mind, I have a few options that I can take. I decide to do the first thing that pops into my mind.

As far as I can see, packing up and running away seems to be the best options. I've literally got to the point where I just need to run away. I need to be alone and to think things through.

I walk home to where I live. Or where I used to live. This place is no longer my home.

I storm through the front door and run to my room.

I slam the door behind me, not even caring how loud I am or if I wake up my little sister who is probably having a nap.

I grab out my backpack and start shoving clothes in my bag.

Just as I do that, my door opens and my father appears. He sees my face and the makeup running down my face from all the tears.

He reaches out to me.

"What are you doing?" He asks me.

I shake my head and continue to pack.

He puts his hand on my shoulder and tries to slow me down. It doesn't work.

"I'm leaving" I tell him succintly.

"I gathered that. What's happened?" He asks worriedly.

I continue to pack as I reply, "Ask your wife".

He bites his lip worriedly and asks, "What do you mean?"

I don't answer him. Tears stream faster down my face as I recall the past hour. I think of Finn, and then I think of my mother. My hand moves to my face as I remember my mother hitting me.

My father picks up on this. A look of shock goes to his face.

"She didn't?" He asks me, a tear slowly forming down him face.

I don't answer him, and he can gather by my silence that that means yes.

He starts to cry harder. He takes a couple of steps back until he hits my bedroom wall. The moment that happens, he falls to the ground. He crouches in fetal position against the wall and cries.

His face is in his hands, but I can still hear him mutter.

"I thought it was only me" He says quietly between sobs.

This time I am the one to be confused. I drop the jumper in my hands to the floor.

"What do you mean?" I ask him confused.

He doesn't answer me.

I continue to press him for answers, "Has she...? Does she...? Has she hurt you before?"

He doesn't look at me as he answers, " I had no idea she'd hurt you. If I had known...". He sobs into his hands.

He continues to mutter quietly, "I wanted to end it when it started... But you were so young and you and your sister, you needed a mother. There was nothing else I could do! She promised to never hurt you guys. She told me that she would restrain her anger, that she wouldn't take it out on you!"

I stare at him completely shocked. I feel my legs start to crumble so I decide to move to my bed. I sit down and process the information I just received.

She hit him. She abused my father. All this time, I had no idea. I'd seen this kind of thing on television, but it had always been the other way around. The man always abused the woman.

I can't believe that this was happening to me.

I stare at the wall and just think. It's like i've lost any sense of direction. I have no idea what to do. If I leave, then who will help my father, or let alone my sister. I start to worry.

Suddenly, my phone vibrates. My eyes go to the screen. I see a text message from Finn.

"Ana, where are you?"

I ignore the text. Arsehole. Where the fuck do you think I am? What a dickhead?

I roll my eyes and look at my father. He is sitting on the floor sobbing. I don't know what to do, or how to react.

Seconds later, I hear the front door open. This seems to snap both me and my dad out of it.

He gets up off the floor and walks up to me. He shoves the jumper I dropped into my bag and then reaches for his wallet. He gives me his credit card and all his cash. He shoves it into the bag.

I watch him shocked. I can hear my mums footsteps on the stairs, indicating that she's getting closer.

My father turns to me.

He puts his hands on my shoulders.

"Listen to me. You need to get out of here. Once she starts, there's no stopping her. It starts off with one, but it doesn't end. You need to go. Get out of here." He tells me.

I start to freak out, "Where do I go? And what about you and - "

He interrupts me, "Your sister and I will be fine. Don't worry about us. You gotta go Ana. It always starts with one. I can't let this happen to you. I just can't. You have to go and you can't return. Do you understand?"

I nod my head, half confused. He moves me towards my window and opens it for me. He practically pushes me out of the window.

I climb out the window on to the roof and start to climb down. 

I take a final glance at my father. He mouths 'I love you' and then looks away. I hear my door open and hear my mother scream 'Where is she?'

This gives me all the motivation I need. I take the jump down to the pavement and start to run as far and fast as I can.