Broken

Chapter 1

He knew leaving her alone in that house was a mistake, as their children screamed at him to go back to get their mother he knew this was a mistake, he knew he shouldn't have left her. They were always together, in every single situation, they were a pair, like two peas in a pod. As he sped out of their driveway with the children jumbled in the back he took one last look at the house they just wanted to call home, the house that they wanted to make beautiful together, their chance at a forever home. It was nothing but haunted now, nothing but a shell of their once perfect life together. Hugh didn't know where he was taking their children when he started to drive, he just knew it had to be as far away from that house as possible. He had to keep them safe, they were his babies, they were little Liv's, all sharing aspects of her beauty in their own unique way. He had to keep them safe. He had known for a while now that his Liv wasn't doing well, he had noticed it weeks ago when she started acting differently around him and started showing more aggression and anger than love and longing. Now all he had to do was keep his little Liv's safe because that's all she would have wanted really, for him to protect them. He had every single intention of going back for her, he was going to get her out of that house as soon as he knew his children were okay. Before he had a chance to realise where he was he found himself parked outside the motel.

"Daddy?" a young Theo spoke in her soft voice, her words filled with concern and care.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Hugh smiled at her like he always has done like there was not a care in the world. He wanted them to feel safe with him, he was their father, after all, it was his duty to keep his children safe.

"Are you going back to get Mommy?"

Hugh stared at her, shock displayed across his face.

"Always Theo. I will always go back for her."

And with that, he realised that he needed to leave them, the one thing he never wanted to do. He passed Steven the motel room keys and kissed each of his children on the forehead, right between the eyebrows, another thing him and Olivia shared. They always kissed their children on the forehead, as a sign of love and togetherness. Steven looked at his Father and smiled, knowing that at this moment he needed to be strong for both his parents and his younger siblings. He had always been protective of his family, now more than ever. Steven and Shirley were the eldest and always had been closest to their father. The twins and Theo were Mommy's children but the eldest remained Daddy's no matter what happened. Now was their chance to prove to the Father they were able to take on his role when he needed them most. 

Hugh watched his children enter the motel room and shut the door behind them. He took a strong breath in and started the engine again. He was going back. For her.

The drive had never seemed so long, every second felt like a lifetime when he wasn't with her but this was extortionate. It seemed like years passed before he arrived back at their house. As the large gates opened in order for Hugh's car to access the driveway he noticed the tire marks left from the last time he was here, when he sped off without the one person he needed most at that moment. Darkened pathways and broken windows met Hugh as he stepped out of the car, a tremor in every step he took. The only thought crossing Hugh's mind was his wife, Olivia. He prayed to God that she was okay, it's all he wanted at this moment. As he stepped up the path he found his legs moving faster with every second passing, he didn't know what he felt in this very moment but he knew instinct had set in. He was running towards her, craving the feeling of her within his arms once more. As Hugh reached the steps leading up to his house he moved even faster, taking the steps two by two.

"Please don't be dead. Please don't be dead. Please God, don't be dead."

Hugh's voice was shaken and quiet, with little hope for his wife. As his hand reached the door handle and slowly turned he closed his eyes, not knowing what he was about to see. He knew Liv wasn't in a safe place when he left her, he knew she wasn't sane, he knew that he shouldn't have left her here but in the heat of the moment, he had no other option. The only thought that graced his mind was whether she was okay or not. Was she alive? Was she dead? He didn't know, but as he walked through the front door he saw her. He had always noticed her first when he walked into the room, she was the person his eyes were drawn to. This time was different though, she wasn't smiling at him lovingly as she would do on any other day. She was lying there. Cold. Bleeding. Broken.

"Oh god. Oh fuck. No Liv, no. Don't you dare leave me. Not now."

As he sank down the ground next to his beloved he noticed the blood dripping from her head, a pool of dark blood surrounded her and soaked her clothes. The dress Hugh loved so much covered her pale skin, now ruined by the blood. Her skull was cracked and she was covered from head to toe in cuts, scrapes and bruises. There she was, almost lifeless. Hugh cradled her and cried, not knowing what to do with her. The house had got to their family in the worst way possible, Hill House had come for the heart of their family, the woman he loved so dearly, the mother to his angels. As Hugh's tears ran down his cheeks and onto Olivia, he felt something. He felt a pulse.