The Voice [On Hold till April]

Chapter 4 ~ The Past

Outfit in External Link =============>

(http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=61161173)

~*~

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

― Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life

~*~

Chapter 4

**Aria POV**

*Flashback*

I try to clean as fast as I can. If I don't, mom will hurt me.

I pick up my princess Barbie doll and examine it; why can't I have a happy ending? Why can't anyone save me? What did I do to deserve this?

Then I hear a care pull up in the drive way. I start shaking as I try to clean faster with trembling hands. Only at the age of 8 I realized this is the scariest moment of my life. My mother is a harsh woman. Her parents not caring about her and beat her with a shoe as a punishment; they even sent her under the bed as a punishment for doing anything wrong. Their parenting passed to my mother, but harsher.

She does use shoes, but heels. Instead of being under a bed, I'm drowned in the bath tub. The thing is I never do anything wrong really. Leaving toys out for example should be at least a spanking, not a hit in the head with a heel. Another thing is my father never knew any of it. My mother made me swear on his grave that I wouldn't tell.

I hear the door slam, knowing she was home. I close my eyes knowing I forgot to pick up the prince Barbie.

"What the hell? This room is so dirty, Aria!"

I start shaking more as I turn to look at my mother. She is so toasted. She can barely walk. Maybe today I'll get lucky with a few bruises.

I watch my mother, as she smokes a big cigar between her cherry red lips. "Do you know what that means?" She asks smiling wickedly.

I nod slowly clutching my princess doll. My mother approaches me in three long strides and as she grabs my arm I do something I'll regret forever.

I slap her hand away and spit in her face.

She then shakes me violently, yelling curses at me. She then takes her big cigar out of her mouth and collides it to the skin of my right wrist.

~*~

"Come on James!"

James, my dad's new puppy, follows me inside the house. I look around the house for dad to see if he's home yet. I walk into the kitchen and grab an apple. I fill James's water bowl and food bowl. James eagerly gulps down the water sloshing the water all over the floor. I giggle and notice the note on the counter.

Dear Ladybug,

Sorry I'm not home, emergency came up at the station! Mom should be home soon. I but boiling water on the stove for you to start some mac and cheese for you and mom.

Love Always,

Dad

I smile at the note and tuck it in my pocket. I love my father more than anything in the world. He's the best man really. He's the sheriff of the local police department here in the small town of Slivertongue Oregon. I'm proud of everything he's done.