Dead Roses

Strong

Chapter Eleven

London's P.O.V

After a long, silenced car ride home with Mackenna, she unlocks the door and I step into the house groggily. The aftermath of any shopping trip will leave me absolutely exhausted. I slowly walk up the stairs to my bedroom in preparation for a nap, when my arm is gripped tightly, and I am pulled into the family bathroom.

When the hand tugging harshly against my arm loosens, I pry my eyes apart, opening them to witness the man that consistently haunts my thoughts glaring towards me in the reflection of the bathroom mirror.

"Hello London," he slurs sickly.

"Good afternoon, Father," I speak quietly in attempt to settle the anger bound to be shown. His eyes reveal a sharp edge replicating the claws cats would strike their opponents with. Before I could manage to even contemplate defending myself or leaving myself defenseless a strong force collides with my jaw.

My vision blurs as tears meet the surface of my eyes. The pain from his palm is familiar, a pain memorized and planted into my mind from the several abusive acts targeted towards me. The pain subsides quickly whilst the tears dissolve away.

"I didn't ask you to talk," my sorry excuse of a father circles me, "now, you will get punished."

I swallow the saliva damping my throat as I watch my own father pull a knife from his trousers, aiming the blade towards my helpless body. Is it finally my time?

He pins me against his large torso holding my neck captive as the cold, sharp blade is pressed against my delicate, forearm skin. Through the mirror, I see it glisten in the mirror. I attempt to make little to no movement as his shaky hand presses the knife into my skin further. I want to die and finally see Dane again, but not like this.

More pressure is applied to the knife, and the new injury causes blood to ooze down to my hand before splashing on the bathroom tiles. This pain is major compared to the minuscule slap beforehand.

"It's just a scrape London, please don't cry baby," Mommy pleads in frustration as she rubs alcohol my knee.

"Mommy are you blind? My knee is about to fall off!" I exclaim, beginning to cry. Hot tears fall from my eyes as I howl in pain and fear. "I'm never playing tag again. I am useless at the game-"

"London stop it, you just need a bandaid," Mom looks at me quite amused while rolling her lips into her mouth in attempt to not laugh.

"What's so funny? I could die any time soon," I sob.

"Baby, you are so strong, you will make it through anything. I promise you aren't going to die or even be hurt as long as I am with you. You will be okay," she says while rubbing my upper arms.

"I am not a baby, I am a woman," I correct her as I brush off dirt from my top.

"A strong woman."

"I am a strong woman," I struggle to say as my 'father' presses the knife into my skin even more. "And you can't hurt me more than you already have."

"Stop with the revolutionary bullshit," he laughs as he continues to slice my arm.

"No Grant. She is a strong woman," a voice says behind me, startling me and apparently my father too as he drops the knife onto the tiled floor. Lights are turned on again, quickly illuminating the room and next to the door, is none other than my savior, Rosaleena.

Oh my fucking god.

"Don't you think you've damaged our daughter enough," she asks as her eyes zero down onto my blood-stained arm still dripping immensely.

"I haven't even begun..." he subtly threatens, forcefully pushing me towards Rosaleena. She guides me to my bedroom and sits me on my bed as she rummages through the house finding supplies to fix me.

"London, I am so sorry," she says as she frantically covers her hands with rubber gloves and retrieves cleansing alcohol from her first aid kit. "I'm so, so sorry I can't save you from him. I'm sorry I can't be as perfect as your real mom. I can't even begin to try and replace her. I'm so sorry he does all this. I'm sorry I can't work fast enough to get him away from you. London I am so sorry. I love you London but I can't save you fast enough," she finishes in sobs.

My voice and my heart break as I painfully comfort Rosaleena, "you have saved me more than you think. Just by not leaving dad has saved me, because who knows if I would even be alive. You are perfect. And don't try and live up to my mom, she left when it was hard for her you've stuck with me when it was hard for both of us. That's why I love you," I struggle to say as she completes tightly wrapping a bandage over my sore. After a moment of silently sobbing, Rosaleena finally speaks.

"You need a hospital."

***

"Hello London, do you remember me?" An overly obnoxious man says as I attempt to fall back asleep. "London please wake up," the voice says again.

As I wake from my insensibility, light rays beam from the ceiling above me rapidly sealing my eyes closed. "What do you want?" I struggle to snap as my larynx produces hoarse sounds. I take in my surroundings and instantly recall the events from before as they flood back into my memory.

"We need to tell you something London," The man says. He is the same doctor who previously treated me.

"Go on," I press.

"It's best you refrain from major arm movements so you can heal. We have done some stitches on your cut and after ten days you should be able to get your stitches removed. It will hurt to move for a while, however, it looks like you are under good hands with Rosaleena here. How'd you cut it?" Doctor Blakley nosily asks.

"None of your damn business Blakley. I'm not sharing my personal injuries and stories to a man who will most likely gossip to all the 'Karen's and 'Jill's in the staff room. I refuse to let myself be the talk of the day as you sip your fucking coffee. Now can I leave?" I raise my eyebrows at him in irritation. It's not his fault I'm injured, in fact, he healed me. But it's his fault for snooping.

He raised his eyebrows and rolls his thin lips into his mouth to stifle a laugh, "quite the child," he nods to Rosaleena earning a smirk from her. As he exits the room, I wind my middle finger and wave it in the direction his retreating figure, most likely went to.

"London, you are a badass," Rosaleena laughs sadly. I scan her, taking in her appearance and she truly looks like shit. Her white blouse is covered in my blood and her usually rosy cheeks are tear-stained.

I attempt to laugh along but I am strained as the corner of my lip twitches. My eyes widen in realization. It continues to twitch until my blinks become rapid. Tears form in my eyes as the blinking and twitching grow violently, earning loud beeps to coarse through the echoing room. Doctor Blakely immediately runs into the room, retrieving a needle from inside the drawer beside the hospital bed I lay uncomfortably on.

He slowly injects the needle into my flesh and the abrupt movements decrease as well as my heartbeat.

I slowly fall into a peaceful slumber.

Hello and thank you for reading this chapter. I would like to thank @EmmaJeanMac and @EllaBoothey for helping me make this chapter immaculate. Hehe.

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The weather is good somewhere :)