Changing Gears

Chapter 28 - Fawn

Fawn groggily came to, her head groaning and foggy. Her body felt as if she had taken a tumble down a set of stairs – lots of stairs. The bright lights in the room stung her eyes as she tried to adjust to her surroundings.

Blinking rapidly her vision cleared. She was in what seemed to be an office room, sort of like Wielder's but less homey and welcoming. Dimly she moved her body, not surprised when she found herself restrained on a chair.

Plastic zip ties held her wrists and ankles onto the chair meaning she could hardly move. Trying to look on the bright side she noted that the chair she was in was in fact actually kind of comfy. Fawn mentally slapped herself, she was stuck in a random room, tied to a chair and what she chose to focus on was the comfort of a chair? It was official, she was crazy.

A cough behind her had her head tiring to snap round, unfortunately, given the functions of the human body she could only turn so far and with the force she had tried to look behind her neck ached. Subconsciously she tried to reach up to rub her neck but again found her hand tied down.

She huffed in annoyance which seemed to amuse the stranger behind her. Thankfully he decided that this little interrogation would be more fun if she could see him and the man stepped around into her vision. He seemed older than Fawn had though from his voice but more dangerous. he was enormous and Fawn had to lean back and tilt her head up to get a better look at him.

Several scars littered his skin that she could see that marred some tattoos which disappeared under his black suit which he wore. Her eyes flickered to his face, his mocha brown eyes seeming familiar but she couldn't place them.

'Where is Chase?' she asked deciding on a direct approach although, even if she found out she wasn't sure that she would be much help to him even if she did know.

'What? Not even going to say hello to your own father?' he asked cockily smirking as all the colour drained from Fawn's face.

Fawn was shocked, the last she had heard about her father that he was an addict and living in a rundown apartment block, at least that is what Chase had told her when he had returned from his 'visit' to see him. The man in front of her did not fit that description.

Fawn thought back to the younger version of her who would cower in the basement as she heard the door slam and her father come in the front door returned from work. she had never known what work was but from the blood all over his clothes, she knew she didn't want to know.

'Fawn!' he shouted, causing her to whimper and hug her teddy bear, the boy next do to them had given her as a present. She had to hide it from her father as he never let her have toys, he destroyed any that he found in his house.

Kissing the top of the bear she places it under one of the loose floorboards in the basement under her cot. She whipped around as she heard the door the basement open and light filled the room reaching to show more of the small dirty space that the dim overhead light ever did.

She stood up sharply and made her way to the stairs quickly where her father stood up at the stairs glaring at her.

'Why weren't you at the door when I came in?' he asked gruffly as she hobbled up the stairs as fast as her bruised and battered seven-year-old body would let her. He emitted a low grumble as he reached down, grabbed her ponytail and hauled her out into the corridor.

Fawn's father demanded that as soon as she had finished her chores of the house that she sat by the door waiting for him to get home, she hated it worse than the chores as her father used to send men back at random time in the day to make sure she sat there.

Today had been her birthday and she had just wanted some time to herself as it was also the anniversary of her mother's death as she had died giving birth to her as her father constantly reminded her.

He had come back early that day, she had only meant to spend thirty minutes or so to herself and then be back by the door waiting for him to come home.

That beating that day had been the worsst, he was roofless and pushed past his usual limits even going so far as to take a baseball bat to her arm.

All she could do was cry quietly as she felt wood break snap bone. It was a blessing that she had passed out but it seemed that had not fazed her father as when she woke up but hours later, she noted that more damage had been done to her body.

Her father sat on their living room couch, downing whiskey straight from the bottle. She tried to get to her feet quietly hoping to retreat back to her bed without further injury. She whimpered as she moved her arm, trying to get up but alas she couldn't keep quiet as she looked down at her arm seeing it bent at a wrong angle.

The noise had her father's eyes snapping to her, his expression was blank but she could see in his eyes the raging fury that never disappeared

'You have one hour to get out of my house.' He told her blankly taking another swig of the pungent brown liquid. She nodded and did her best to scurry to her feet and down to her room, tears leaked from her eyes as she took each step trying to be quiet but that didn't mean she didn't feel the agony raking her body.

She had quickly gathered her teddy, a change of clothes and a photo of her mother she had taken from the bottom of her father's closet. She put the clothes in an old backpack her father had allowed her and then began to make the climb back up the stairs.

She looked around the house she could never call home. She tucked her arm protectively in her stomach, caring her bad with her good one. She was determined to walk out of this house head held high and she did just that, not even looking at her father as she slipped out of the door into the darkness of the streets

What now? She thought as she took her first steps into the darkness.

That was the last time she had seen her father in person and she was shocked, to say the least, she couldn't even speak. After all these years here he stood in front of her smirking down at her. It was all too much

'Surprise!' her Father exclaimed grinning maliciously as she blacked out again.

- A/N -

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