Battle To Be Free (z.m) ✔️

Chapter 21

 

Alanna's POV

11 years ago

We were playing in the backyard the sun just starting to set behind the white clouds on the glorious summer’s day.

I and Daniel were playing in the dirt, our ‘mother’ was still alive and we had no idea of the consequences that were to come. We were innocent, we were aware that the beatings were wrong, but they weren’t that bad so we didn’t try to do anything to stop them. It had become normal; almost routine.

After we were both dirty we found Melinda and Elijah playing in a deep puddle further in the garden, the dirty water coming to their little knees. The puddle to every other child would have been simple and not a toy but to us it was the most entertaining thing in the world.

“I splashed you!” Elijah called out as the water went in my sister’s face.

Mel laughed. “I’m going to get you for that!”

I ran up to help my sister out and Daniel ran to help his brother.

“This is how it’s going to work,” Eli called out.

“Wait!” I protested. “Why do you get to decide?”

“Because I’m the oldest and you’re a girl!” He laughed.

I just huffed in response and Daniel sent me a smile which instantly cheered me up.

“This is how it’s going to work,” Eli repeated sending me a half-hearted glare. “Boys vs. Girls and whoever gets the most water on them is a poo face.”

I was overly confident as I stared at the two brothers in front of me. “Let’s do this!”

The fight started immediately both sides splashing with all their might. Water was flying in every direction and I didn’t know how Eli was going to judge how had the most water on them but I knew it would be impossible.

After our little arms and legs had gotten tired we decided to call it a draw just as mother saw the state we were in and she wasn’t happy in the slightest.

Our mother, as we called her at the time, was a very sickly looking women with hollow eyes and a skin colour that slightly hinted that she had an Asian heritage. Her eyes were always cold and emotionless and throughout all the time I spent there I don’t think I could remember her being happy once.

She growled at the sight of our clothes which were covered in mud and dirty water. She clenched her mangy yellow teeth before beckoning us inside with a simple hand gesture; almost as if we were her dogs.

She ordered us to clean up, which we did in the bathroom that we all shared, before heading back downstairs and receiving a slap for the each of us. Seth, Aria, Demetri and Lucas were watching us but with little sympathy in their eyes as we had all been through it and when it wasn’t happening to you, you didn’t feel sorry for the people it was.

After an effective punishment, as she called it, we all headed upstairs to bed. There were three bedrooms in total: one for mother and father, one for the boys and one for the girls. But over the years we had just roomed with whoever we wanted and that’s how I ended up in a room with Eli, Mel and Daniel while the others were in the bedroom opposite to ours.

At that moment I shared a bed with Daniel and we were both laid there in complete and utter silence whilst listening to the soothing sounds of the Eli and Mel snoring from the bed next to ours.