Sink And Burn

Chapter Two

I curled up in the thin blankets I had collected, my head resting on the plain wall next to me. The cold air reached me from outside the window, travelling through the smallest areas, desperately crawling into the house. I pulled the blankets closer. My body shivered slightly.

I just sat there. Doing nothing but thinking.

Cold. Winter. Snow. Blue. Ice. Shiver. Darkness. Small spaces.

I don't know how long it was until I pushed the blankets off my shoulders and moved to the window. Five minutes, maybe or perhaps it was fifty. Who knew?

I pressed my hands to the cool glass while I just stared out into the distance; ignoring my skin begging for warmth. Outside was dark. The sky looked black, not a star in sight. Drops of rain that had fallen earlier were left on the window. Just there. Doing nothing.

It was almost silent. The small ruffling of leaves, the sound of my beating heart and the call of the wind.

It was peaceful, enough for the corners of my lips to tug upwards.

Bang.

The sound of a door slamming made me jump, the almost silence breaking, my brain now unfocused on the nothings.

My red fingers reached one of the thin blankets, wrapping it around my bare, pale shoulders once more as I scrambled off the creaking bed. My feet carried me down the stairs, hands touching the banister.

"Dad?"

I walked into the kitchen. Black socks meeting broken floor.

There he was, the 5'9" mess standing over the sink.

"Dad, are you alright?" I asked, walking slightly closer.

The smell of alcohol reached me, it was disgusting. Then the sound of glass smashing as it reached the bottom of the sink. Soon came the angry grumbles of a deep, intoxicated voice.

He turned around, eyes meeting mine. His eyes were dark, almost as dark as the bags underneath. His face appeared colorless. Green tie hanging low. Strands of dark hair meeting his forehead.

"Ophelia?" he questioned, blinking rapidly.

I nodded, stepping slightly closer again.

"Where's Grace?"

My heart fell to my stomach. This wasn't a rare occurrence but I never knew which way it could go. Angry? Sad? Scared? It was a roll of a dice, and every part of me hated it.

"She's dead, remember?" I barely managed to speak, the words held onto my tongue, not wanting to leave my lips.

"No, no, no" he mumbled, over and over again, spinning round and round in a circle.

"Dad-"

"No!" he screamed, throwing his arms in the air. I jumped back into a cupboard. My fingers held onto the counter. 

 A strand of blue hair fell into my face, but I couldn't move it, I couldn't move.

My grey eyes followed him as he paced around the room. I swear I saw tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I-I'm sorry" he apologised, glancing at me every few seconds.

I shook my head. I wanted to tell him it was ok, that I was fine but my lips just continued to quiver.

He grabbed his coat and before I could stop him he was gone. Just like that. Gone.

I sighed, realising the counter from my grip. Time seemed to stop but I knew the world kept spinning. It just didn't feel like it.

I watched the clock, as it told me hours passed. As it told me lies.

Five hours, twenty three minutes. He still hadn't returned. I knew school would start soon so I picked myself up from the kitchen floor.

I quickly got changed into black ripped jeans, a long sleeved top, a plaid jacket around my waist and trainers.

I managed to do my eyeliner without making a mess of my face. Then, after making sure my nose ring was in place, I grabbed my bag.

I switched my music off and that's when I heard the sound that quickened my heart rate.

Sirens.