According to his memory

Chapter 1

CJ Flint

I unpack the labeled boxes into the new apartment I just bought for my sister and I. It's closer to my new job as the secretary of the CEO of Cleveland Parts, a lawyer headquarters. They had the highest win count against any competitors even internationally.

I was chosen with the warning that they had a very strange request for me to fulfill. At this point I would take anything considering that Cheyenne and I's father had found us and set our old house on fire. That was the third time.

"Cheyenne, those go in the kitchen." I smile at my sister who is one year younger than I am. Her brown hair settled just under her shoulders with the slightest curl.

"CJ, chill the fuck out." She comment before moving the boxes. She always got tense after a sign from our father.

"Cheyenne! You know I don't like cursing." I huff. I'm just as frustrated but I need to be the strong one.

"Unless you're mad, then you're no better than a pirate." She laughs and push her lightly with my shoulder.

Her face turned more serious as she looked at me hopeful, "Do you think this one will last?"

I smile warmly at her while pushing my short black hair behind my ear, "Yeah, I have a good feeling about this one."

We both take a moment to look around the apartment that contained two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, and living room. Big windows let it a lot of natural light in the living room that opened into the kitchen. 

This was the ideal place and there was no way that our father was going to come in and ruin it. My room was close to Cheyenne's in the small hallway that also housed the bathroom and laundry room which was basically a closet.

She still has nightmares that wake her up screaming. Having our rooms so close will help me wake her sooner. To make the pain end sooner. Mine are more quiet and make me tremble in silent tears.

We had been running from our father since I was 16. My mother had left with our older brother when our father started beating him for being gay. Once my mom left the beating was shifted to Cheyenne and I. One night I couldn't take it anymore so I waited until he was passed out after a night of drinking. It gave me enough time to steal all the money I could find in the house and grab Cheyenne out of bed before taking to the streets.

We've been on the run ever since. Recently when he finds us he always lights a fire to tell us he's coming for us in the morning. It was like a taunt because he knew our mother would light a candle to put in the window held flower box next to our bedroom window. This would tell us that she was coming to see us. Once our father found out the system he would hold Cheyenne and I from school and punish us.

His favorite weapon to use on me was a knife that had soaked in the candles' flame. Right before we ran he picked me up from school early because I hadn't done the dishes. He pinned me to the kitchen table while ripping the back of my shirt open. The smell of burning flesh remained while I went in and out of consciousness as her engraved my back with a box opener blade. From that day forward I had a scar painted on my back which read "ungrateful daughter." 

I check the clock in the wall to see that it is getting late. I look over at my sister as her stomach growled. She smiled sheepishly while turning her head to look at me. The scar on her face caught my eye in the dimming light. Cheyenne had one on her left cheek from a beer bottle. Her psychopathic ex-boyfriend got drunk and angry that she was leaving so he hit her over the head with a beer bottle. She called the cops who brought the ambulance. She had to get three stitches and he got a month in jail.

"How about we order a pizza and call it a night." I call to Cheyenne who had herself dramatically draped over the small couch.

"Yes!" She yells then running from the black leathered material to the phone to order the pizza I had promised.

I turn on the stereo since the television isn't hooked up yet and Cheyenne and I have a dance party until a knock on the door is sounded. Cheyenne dances over to the door but her face drops from her smile once she sees who it is.

James Kaiser Madison, her ex who would beat her and trick her into thinking it was her fault. I had missed it for months until the hospital called me saying she was getting stitches. I pushed Cheyenne out of the doorway and snatched the pizza from his hands. Throwing him the cash for the pizza and snarling, "get out."

Cheyenne looked shocked with wide eyes like she had just seen a ghost. I grab her shoulders in a side hug to comfort her.

"Come on Chey, let's eat." I put back on my smile for her while we eat. After eating I pop the leftovers into the refrigerator for our lunches tomorrow.

Sleep isn't too far behind seeing as both of us start our new jobs tomorrow. Cheyenne is bouncing off the walls excited for her new EMT position at the local hospital while I am trying to think of what the company will want me to do.

Cheyenne and I struggle to share the bathroom while getting ready for bed.  Finally at around eleven o'clock we weave our way through the brown boxes to our separate rooms. Saying "good nights" and "I love yous" before crawling under the covers of my bed. Falling asleep as my head hit the pillow in the safeness of our new house in our new city far from danger.