My Only Wish

Chapter One: My Savior

"Worthless!"

Another hard blow comes to the the back of my head.

"Pathetic!"

A sharp smack lands on my right cheek, knocking me to the ground.

"Useless!"

A kick crashes into my ribs, causing a little blood to pool in my mouth.

He's been at this for three hours and I'm praying he'll stop sometime soon. The only reason I'm not screaming out in agony is because my body has already sent itself into a state of shock. I feel every blow, every punch, every kick. But once it's delivered the pain turns to numbness, only noticeable when I let my mind wander to the thought of it.

"You don't even deserve my time," my father slurs, kicking in my ribs one more time before finally stumbling out of my room. He slams the door behind him, causing a few things to fall off of my shelves.

Letting out a shaky breath I relax on the floor slightly. More blood pools in my mouth and runs out of the corner of my lips. I slowly turn onto my back, wincing in pain as I do so. I stare out of my bedroom window and feel the breeze tickle my bruised skin. My vision grows fuzzy as I admire my favorite view. Clouds passing by the heavenly moon. Memories of my long nights on that very window sill take over my vision as I let out a calming breath.

If I am lucky, I won't make it out of this night alive.

Father is a drunk. A no good, back stabbing, completely insane, terribly violent drunk. He has never been a father to me. Nor has he been a husband to Mother. His constant beatings and cursings towards Mother and I inform us of what we really are to him. What we really mean to him. To him, we are nothing but an inconvenience.

As the blood continues to pool and spill out of my mouth my mind drifts back to what I had just endured. The hits. The blows. The harsh words. I have experienced this for the past fourteen years. Since I was three, Father has done this. Now I am seventeen and it still remains the same. The marks tattooing my body are nothing but proof that this isn't the first time he's beat me.

But I can ensure that it will be the last.

Biting onto my nightgown to suppress my screams, I drag myself over to my window sill. Placing my hands on the ledge, I pull myself onto my knees. I look out across the quiet city. Stars shining brightly in the sky. Street lights flickering across the walkways. Clouds passing by the heavenly moon. Ever so slowly, I take in a deep breath, feeling my lungs sputter as I do.

Grabbing onto the curtain, I raise myself onto my feet. I grab onto the ledge and after regaining my balance I place a foot onto it. My hand reaches up to grab onto the top of the window frame, balancing myself. My other foot joins it's pair on the three story high ledge, trembling a little as it does.

I take in the view in front of me once more.

The tops of houses, their roofs pristinely painted. The bats flying against rays of cool moonlight, screeching quietly through the air. Bedroom lights flickering off all around the block. Leaves lightly blowing in the crisp Autumn breeze. The cracked grey cobblestone street that I would soon be laying on.

Clouds passing by the heavenly moon.

As I watch the clouds I notice something. Something very familiar. Something I saw as a child on more than one occasion. Something impossible. Something miraculous. Something mystical.

Something I wish was real.

Clouds in the shape of a pirate's ship sail past the milky moon. Foggy flags billowing from the boats faded leech. A trail of smoke like haze following behind it gracefully, melting into the starry sky.