Don't Let Go.

The Beginning Of It All

It's a Saturday morning in the year 1998. Clarissa Evergreen wakes up to the sound of her husband snoring next to her on the right side of the bed. She turns over on her left to look at his face. His eyes are closed, and his mouth is wide open, with drool escaping his mouth like a fountain. 

Clarissa looks at him in disgust. She slowly and quietly removes the sheets and blanket off of her body. Still looking at her husband trying not to wake him up. She then gets off the bed, and walks backwards carefully trying not to run into anything. She opens the door, slowly turning the knob as it makes a loud cracking noise. Clarissa puts her hand over her mouth and looks over at Frank in fright. She then slowly opens the door, and steps out of the bedroom, into the hallway leading to the kitchen. She then  tries to carefully tip toe trying not to wake Frank up. 

Clarissa finally reaches the kitchen and opens the fridge. Inside of the fridge there is shelfs barely empty. Only holding half a gallon of milk, two water bottles, and a leftover tray of bacon inside a small container. Clarissa takes the container with bacon inside, and quietly opens the lid, She then takes out six pieces of bacon, and cuts up fruit. She heats the bacon up with the toaster oven. Leaving the greasy delicious smell surrounding the kitchen and the hallway. Clarissa then plates the warm greasy bacon onto a paper plate. Clarissa also takes out a small bowl to plate the fruit into. To finish it off, she takes a plastic tray from the pantry, and places the food onto the tray. Clarissa then Takes the tray and holds it into her hands. She walks past the hallway, past the living room, and knocks on a door.

" Sweetie! I have some breakfast for you! " Clarissa says quietly. A little girl peeks her head out of the door. " Is it bacon? " "Yes. And I even have your favorite fruit!" Clarissa wide mouthed. The little girl looks up at the tray and stands on her tippy toes, trying to see over the tray. Clarissa bends down a little so that the girl can see. She looks up at the tray at the juicy watermelon. Clarissa looks at her with a smile. " Watermelon! My favorite. " The sweet little girls says jumping up and down.

The little girl opens the door wide open, and brings her right arm to her shoulders. Her arm is out welcoming her mother to her bedroom. As Clarissa steps in her room. There is a pink bed in the corner of the room. There are stuffed animals on the bed including a teddy bear, and a stuffed doll. The room is surprisingly clean, and neat.

Clarissa sets the tray on the brown dresser in the little girls room. The little girl runs to her bed in excitement, as Clarissa brings over the tray she sets it on the little girls lap. The girl stuffs her mouth with watermelon, and bacon. 

" How are you already awake? " Clarissa asks as she sits down on the little girls' bed. "Daddy woke me up." The little girl says quiet. " How? " Clarissa asks. " He came in my room. He was very angry. " The little girl says. Clarissa had her eyes wide open. Her mind filled with fright. 

The little girl looked down as her face got red. It was completely silent. Clarissa looked at her daughter, and asked to see where he had hit her. The little girl looked down and started to cry while lifting up her shirt, and her sleeves. Clarissa covered her mouth with her hands in fright. On the girls upper left and lower right arm, were big bruises. Some brown and some purple. Then she lifted up her shirt and showed her mother the bruising on her waist. There was one big brown bruise, and a small cut below it. 

Clarissa held her arms out, and hugged her daughter. Tears streamed down her face as she held her daughter in her arms. The little girl was crying and hugging her mother in fear. 

" Why are you still with him? " The little girl asks. Clarissa is silent. Sitting on her daughters bed, she knew the answer but couldn't say. " Violet, everything will get better. " Clarissa says calm. "He does this to you too. I hear when you guys argue. And when your sad. I hear when you cry and scream. " Violet says as she slowly eats her food. Not enjoying it as much as she did before. Clarissa take a big and long sigh. "I'm sorry baby. I'm really sorry. Clarissa moves the tray of food on the dresser and picks her daughter up into her arms. " Oh sweet Violet, This will all be over soon." As she looks up at the ceiling fan spin.