Dominion

Chapter 1

Aarrrggghhh!!!"
I jolt awake clutching my blankets to my chest. My head is spinning in a cycle with my unsteady breaths.
"Aarrgghhh!!!"
Wait, I am not the one who just screamed, was I even the one who screamed at first?  Now that I think of it, I wasn't having any nightmare, funny how I feel like I actually screamed.
Question is,  if I didn't, who did?
I fling the blanket off my body, my feet buried in my fluffy night socks hitting the cold floor  as I move towards my bedroom window. Perhaps, it's coming from the neighborhood. 
I open my window to look outside, the scream is louder this time. More like a cry of pain but it's certainly not from outside.
                                                        ***************************
"Hey"
I turn to see a girl by my side. She looks around my age, she has to be.
"What do you want?" I snap. I am really not in the mood to talk to anyone right now.
"I saw you sitting here alone and since I am waiting for my friends to get here I thought, why not join you for the time being." She explains sitting down on the empty space beside me.
"Suit yourself."
I am at the park, sitting on of the wooden chairs. I usually  come here to clear my head and think when need be. Today just so happens to be one of the days the need arises.
I woke up to the sound of dad and Mum fighting. I remember rushing down the stairs to our living room fearful for what I would see. I was so confused, I didn't know what to do. They have never fought for as far as my memory goes, well until this morning. More so, a physical fight.
I am still trying to put my hands on what could have caused the fight. Dad looked so angry as he delivered punches to Mum, I feared for her life that moment.
I tried separating them, screaming and shouting on top my voice for them to stop but they didn't. Better still, dad didn't. Mum was the one getting beaten and trying to defend herself from having multiple broken bones later on, that's how bad it was.
Dad had smashed mum's favorite flower vase in the cause of the fight. It's so hurtful, he knows how much that vase means to her. It was passed down from her grandmother to her and she never wanted to loose it left one, see it broken by no-one but her husband. I remember looking in horror as I watched the pieces shatter to the ground.
Thankfully, a colleague of dad walked in on time to prevent more damage to be done to the house and mum's already battered body.
I nursed mum's wounds after the fight. Dad left with his colleague for work shortly and I felt relief when he was gone. The air around the house felt more breathable.
The confusing and annoying thing is that no matter how much I begged, Mum had refused to tell me what led to the fight or even get to the hospital to have her body checked. She just wanted to be alone after everything which I respected.
All I have been thinking about since morning is the fight. I went over to my bestie's place earlier just to give mum the space she needed, I didn't expect to get back and see Mum still laying on her bed in pain whilst crying her heart out. Knowing dad I am sure he won't be coming back home tonight so I drove here.
So, here I am alone with my thoughts.
"My name is Joanne, what's yours?" I hear the girl beside me say, I almost forgot she is here.
"Clara." I reply reluctantly.
"Nice name." She comments
"Thanks"
"In school or out of school?"
I look her debating once more whether I should answer or not.
"Out, finished last year."
"Same." She beams at me, I grace her with a subtle nod.
"Anything up to?"
"Can you stop with the questions!?" I snap.
She flinchs and falls back in surprise, the cheerful look on her face drops. I almost feel bad for snapping at her, almost.
She doesn't say anything for a while.
"It's going to be okay Clara." I snap my head to her questioningly.
"Your parents, they're gonna sort it out." She clarifies giving me a reassuring smile.
"I don't know what you are talking about, my parents have everything perfectly fine between them." I lie
"then why are you here?"
"I don't see how that's any of your business."
She gets up and comes to stand in front of me.
"Do me a favor and consider this." She stretches out to me a brochure. I look at it warily before collecting it.
I look at the brochure and scoff.
"No point giving me this." I put it on the now empty space beside me.
"Why not?"
"I don't go camping and I am certainly not a Christain." I retort
"I know, but you will need it." She says finally, leaving me to the peace I came for.
"Wait," I call out.
She stops and turns to look at me, "what?'
"How did you know?" I am referring to my mum. Unless, she has been stalking my family or working with someone who is that can't be a lucky guess. It's not like it's written all over my forehead for people to see.
"You're being watched over Clara, I was sent"
Now that's just creepily weird.