The Same

Chapter 12

{April's POV}

I woke to the sound that had become all too familiar: screams and crashes echoing through the house. The voices were too drunk to be understood, but my four year old brain could still tell they were angry.

I groaned and rolled over in my dirty bed. My arm ached from where my dad had thrown a wine bottle at it yesterday, but that was nothing compared to the heartache that hadn't gone away since I last saw my sister.

All of a sudden, I heard a slam that was no doubt the broken front door. A car started, and I lept up to peer out the grimy window.

My mom's rusty van jolted back out of the driveway and careened down the street. A knot of fear formed in my stomach. My mom gone meant only one thing: the only one left for my dad to hit was me.

•••

"April, April wake up. It's only a dream."

I opened my eyes to Sam standing over me with worry and confusion filling his beautiful eyes. At first, I had no idea where I was and why I was there, until I looked around and saw the tent.

It all came back to me and I remembered I was camping in Florida with Sam as the words registered in my brain: It was only a dream.

"What happened? are you okay?"

I became aware of the tears rolling down my face and suddenly felt my face heat up.

"I'm sorry... just a bad dream," I told him.

"You were talking to someone."

"I was?" this was new. I didn't remember talking to someone in the dream. "What was I saying?"

"I don't know, it sounded like no..." his face was clearly concerened. "What happened?"

"It...I just had a dream," I blurted out.

But it had seemed so real...

"Are you sure?"

I could tell he didn't believe me, but I didn't want him to worry about me. That had never happened before, and I didn't know why or what it meant. All I knew was if Sam knew, he'd never stop worrying.

"I'm fine Sam, really," I replied with more confidence than I felt, giving him what I hoped was a convincing smile.

Looking outside and noticing it was still dark out, I crawled back into my sleeping bag.

"Go back to sleep, Sam."

"You know you can tell me anything," he whispered through the darkness.

Even with his words that I knew he meant, I couldn't tell him.

"I know, Sam. Thank you."

He crawled back into his sleeping bag and I listened to his breathing become steady. Only when I was sure he was asleep did I let the tears come.

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~Abby