Family Is Found (Sequel to Running Towards Home)

CHAPTER 17

ARLENE'S POV:

Damn it. I'm an hour past curfew. It's one in the morning. I didn't realize how late it was. My mom is going to be mad. I try to sneak in through my window, but it's locked. I have to go through the front door. I open it, unlocked like always. I close it quietly behind me, and try to head to my room. Then a hand grabs me. I'm pulled around to face my mom. She's drunk. I can smell the alcohol on her breath.

"Late again?" she says. She slaps me. My cheek stings. I know better than to fight back when she's drunk. It just makes things worse. "I'm sorry." I say. She punches me in the stomach. I double over. A little yelp escapes me. I'm hoping she's had enough, but she decides she wants to keep going. She kicks me, over and over, and I can't seem to get a breath in. She probably bruised, if not fractured, at least one of my ribs.

She forces me back up, and shoves me at the little wooden table in the living room. It breaks beneath me when I land on top of it. I can feel slivers of wood embedded in my skin. I can feel blood running down my head and back. She keeps hitting, kicking, punching me. I can't feel anything anymore. My body has gone numb, trying to protect me from more pain.

After what feels like hours, the blows stop. I wait a few moments. I hear my mom's door close. She must be in her room. I start to stand up, but fall over a bit. I use the wall to support me. I'm dizzy, and everything hurts. The world looks blurry. I can't think straight. All I know is that I have to find Johnny. I start towards the door, and walk out into the night.

I somehow make my way to the Curtis house, and knock on the door. It has to be two in the morning. I can only hope they wake up. I hear the door open. Then everything goes black, and I fall into someone's arms.

JOHNNY'S POV:

I wake up when I hear someone knocking. Steve is heading towards the door. I look towards the clock on the wall. It's two in the morning. Who would be knocking now? I look towards the door as Steve opens it. "HOLY SHIT!" Steve screams. "What?" I yell back, getting up. "HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT!" Steve repeats. I go over to see what he's screaming about. Then I see a bloody and beat up Arlene fall into his arms. I ran over. "DARRY! DARRY!" I scream. Darry comes running into the living room, closely followed by Soda and Pony. Everyone is up now. Sam gets up from the couch, and helps Steve set Arlene down.

Darry comes over, and yells at someone to get the first aid kit. Someone grabs it, and Darry starts pulling out supplies. I kneel down next to Arlene's head. I would think she was dead if I couldn't see her chest rising and falling. I'm going to kill whoever did this to her.

Darry starts cleaning out her cuts. She yelps a bit, and I grab her hand. "I'm here, I'm here, it's going to be okay." I murmur into her ear. She calms down a bit. She's covered in cuts and bruises. Darry uses some tweezers to take out the large splinters she has stuck in her skin. He pulls out at least twenty bits of wood. Once Darry is done, I cover her with a blanket. Everyone heads back to their rooms. Sam opts to sleep on the floor next to the couch, and soon enough everyone is asleep but me.

I'm so worried about Arlene. Whoever did this to her has no heart. Once I find out who it is, I'm going to make sure they never hurt her again. Arlene doesn't deserve this. I fall asleep on the ground, still holding Arlene's hand. I'm never going to let her go again.