Danny hesitated, then stalked out of the room. I sat, shivering, against the wall, my hands wrapped around my knees, covered in my own blood. My hair was matted and there was a chink of glass stuck in my left foot. I pulled it out gently, and a big, black bead of blood replaced it. I pulled myself up and dragged my weary, unwilling feet across the stained floor, to open the door. I dropped to my knees and crawled across the hall. From the window in the front door I could see Danny walking down the road, his head held high. Probably going to a pub or bar, with his "mates". I stared at the phone lying on the shining mahogany table and made up my mind. I picked it up, punched in the numbers 999, and held it to my ear.
"Hello, which service do you require today?" a shrill voice at the other end of the call asked.
"Ambulance, please." I gasped into the receiver. The pain in my ribs was starting to get so bad it was hard to breathe. I heard the dialling tone and I sunk down onto the steps that led up to the bedrooms.
"Please come soon..." I prayed.
"Hello? What seems to be the problem?" A reassuring, male voice sounded in my ear.
"He beat me," I choked, pressing a hand to my chest.
"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." The voice sounded worried. I inhaled quickly and deeply, but my lungs never seemed to fill with the much needed oxygen.
"12, Queen's Way, London." I said, loud enough so the man could hear.
"All right, miss, we will be there soon. What's happened?" he asked.
"He beat me, and...and..." I retched as the pain in my chest reached maximum level and I slumped against the step. I dropped the receiver as the man's voice carried on saying, "Hello...miss?" All I could see was blackness and I welcomed it.
The next thing I was aware of was the door being forced open, and three men ran in, all looking strong and capable. Two came towards me, and I dimly felt one lifting me up.
"Miss? Are you all right?" he asked. The other man went to inspect the damage, and I heard a voice in my ear,
"What happened?"
"My boyfriend...he abused me...and threw me into the shower...slit my wrists...It was Danny..."
The man who was holding me shrugged off the other man, who had opened his mouth to respond.
"Leave it Jerry, she can tell us at the hospital." I thanked him internally for that. He carried me to the ambulance and put me down gently on the stretcher. There was a woman kneeling down at the head of the stretcher, and she gasped as she saw me.
"Jerry, Tom, what happened to her?" she asked urgently. Tom shook his head and the woman laid her hand on my ribs as the ambulance started to drive away from Number 12.
"Does that hurt?" The woman looked down at me kindly.
"Yes," I blurted out, using the last ounce of my breath. The woman withdrew her hand quickly, and even I could see why. Shining in the neon green ambulance light, a pearly white bone was sticking out of my thin skin.
"Oh. My. God." The woman stared like an amateur, and for the second time that night, I blacked out.
"Becky? Becky, sweetheart, can you hear me?"
Warm fingertips stroked my cheek, touched my eyelids, my nose. My eyes fluttered, and then opened to see my mother, looking down at me with loving, honey brown eyes. When she saw I was awake, her mouth curved upwards into a smile.
"Mum!" I sat up sharply, and then winced. Mum wrapped her arms around me, enfolding me in a warm hug.
"Baby, are you okay?" she asked anxiously. I nodded, though the movement made my neck throb.
"Am I in trouble?" I wondered timidly.
"You bet. Why on earth didn't you let us know that this man was...subjecting you to this torture?" Mum looked desperate and angry at the same time. I cowered back against the hospital pillow.
"I'm...I'm so sorry Mum. If you knew, he would have gone after you as well." I whispered. Mum sudddenly covered her face with her hands.
"Mum?" I sat up again, cautiously this time, to pull her hands gently down. Mum's eyes were red and her back heaved with suppressed emotion.
"Becky...I'm so sorry sweetheart." She managed to choke out. I was taken aback.
"Sorry? Why? You haven't done anything wrong!" I told her.
"Yes, I have. I have failed as a parent. I should have been there for you to confide in." Mum dragged a hand across her eyes.
"Mum, no one knew. If I was going to tell anyone it would have been you, but I couldn't, otherwise he would hurt you. I couldn't let that happen to you, Mum." I felt tears well up.
"Oh Becky." Mum hugged me again, and this time I squeezed her close to me, never wanting to let her go.
"The police are onto him, Becky. He won't be free for long." She murmured in my ear. That was comforting news, I admitted to myself, hopefully no one else will have to go through what I did.
"Mum, I can't believe I never even asked how your holiday was! Was Egypt fun?" I asked, smiling.
"It was amazing!" And with that Mum launched into a long story about how wonderful it was to see the pharoahs and statues up close, how hot it was, and how terrible the food was. I kept nodding and smiling, but in my mind I was racing. How much had the ambulance driver told them? Everything I had told them? If Danny found out Mum and Dad knew this much...I shudder to think of what he might do.
YOU ARE READING
Some Scars Don't Heal
Novela JuvenilBecky is a beautiful sixteen year old girl. She goes to school with her friends, but unlike them, when she gets to school she doesn't want to leave. Why? Because she has something terrible waiting for her every night. No, it's not a vampire. It's so...
