Criminal

23

Melanie

The sound of quiet clattering filled my ears, along with a dull buzzing in my head. My mouth was dry and my eyes felt heavy, I could feel that they were sore underneath my eyelids. Slowly, I could feel my senses coming back.

I could feel the cold leather beneath me, my fingertips grazing along the smooth surface. The smell of wood roamed around my nostrils, accompanied by smoke. It smelled like Christmas. My mind wandered back to when I was a young child, it was Christmas Day.

"Smelly Melly!"

"Daddy!" I squeaked, running and wrapping my arms around my father.

His strong hands picked me up and gently threw me in the air, catching me again and planting a kiss on my cheek. The sound of our laughter mixed with the classic Christmas songs that my mother was blasting in the kitchen, she was busy preparing our Christmas lunch.

As if on cue, my mother peered around the corner. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw us, more so at my father. She cleared her throat and walked over to us, giving me a big smile and holding out her arms. I was passed from my father to my mother and I quickly wrapped my arms around her neck, her gentle laugh vibrated my whole body; making me feel warm and safe.

"Why don't you go and play with your new doll?" She whispered, setting me down on the floor and pointing to the pile of opened presents on the living room floor.

A bright smile appeared on my face and I quickly ran over to my new toys, sitting on the fluffy rug and grabbing my doll. I ran the tiny hairbrush through her long, dark hair; making sure every hair was perfect.

"You're high," I heard my mother spit from behind me. "I told you not to come back, now get out."

My smile slowly disappeared but I kept playing with my doll, deciding to dress her in her new outfit. They were arguing again. I haven't seen my father for a few days, I was told that he was working and might not make it back for Christmas, but he made it.

"This is my house, Sarah." He replied in a hushed tone. "You have no right to kick me out or to stop me from seeing our daughter."

I stared at the burning fire below the mantelpiece, watching the occasional flame spark up and disappear. It was fascinating, how such a beautiful view could harm someone so badly. The sound of rustling pulled me from my trance, along with my parents' voices arguing quietly. A loud slap made my body freeze in fear, my mother's cries soon filling the room.

My eyes shot open and I gasped loudly, sitting up and breathing heavily. I could hear the same rustling as before, to my right. I turned my head and jumped slightly when I saw Harry kneeling in front of the fire, holding a metal stick to the flames.

Flashbacks of what happened before filled my mind. The escape, trusting Liam and Harry capturing me, once again. My whole body was stiff as I stared at him, he continued to twist the metal in the heat.

A few seconds passed before he rested the pole on a wooden log, leaving it in the flames. He stood up straight, turning to his right and looking down at me. My hands began to shake as he walked closer to me, the sound of his footsteps were daunting.

Instinctively, I pushed myself back into the sofa, stopping when I wasn't able to move anymore. He came to a halt in front of me before crouching down and letting out a deep breath, his eyes meeting mine.