Scars | ✔

Chapter 9

Clem watched as Tayla came in. She had a stun baton and a few rags in her hands. Tayla approached a sleeping Marshall and looked him over.

"My poor son.." Tayla pouted, placing a wet rag on his forehead. She turned to Clem and glared at her.

"And my disrespectful daughter." Tayla finished, inching closer to Clem.

"Please. I'm sorry." Clem whispered, careful not to wake Marshal.

"We take you in, give you food, a home, brothers and hunting land, a bedroom and lots of love, and this is how you return the favor?!" Tayla asked in a quiet yell, clenching the stun baton. The stun baton was in the form of a stick. The handle was black, and the end of the stick was the electrical part. It reminded Clem of the.. er.. what were they called? Light.. Light sabers. From Star wars. She had watched the movie with her parents, and she couldn't sleep for a week because of it because she thought that the bad guys were going to get her.

"I'm sorry, honey, but that isn't how we play things around here." Tayla whispered in disappointment, putting the end of the stick against Clem's neck. Clem yelled in pain as the object shocked her neck. It burnt her skin, and she could feel hot tears trickling down her eyes.

"Please stop!" Clem cried, moving her neck around to try and get away from the electric shock. After about two minutes of shocking, Tayla moved the stick away from Clem's neck. Clem had tears running from her eyes, onto her warm, red cheeks. Clem could feel a warm substance on her neck, running down from where the stun baton's end had been. Clem wanted to grip the area; to rub it till it felt better; but she couldn't. Her hands were tied up, and all she could do was cry.

Clem glanced over to Marshall, who was stirring in his sleep. Tayla followed Clem's eyes and glared.

"You better stop crying. If you wake my boy up, i'm going to be mad." Tayla whispered to a still crying Clementine.

"W-what about m-me? I'm still your.. your daughter, r-right?" Clem stuttered, trying to get on Tayla's good side.

"You shouldn't be. I don't know why I ever wanted a daughter. They're all just disrespectufl little brats. You're lucky I don't kill you. Everybody hates you, and you'll never be able to change that. No matter where you go, who you meet, you'll always be hated. You have no purpose in life. You should have been aborted." Tayla spoke to Clem. Clem's lips trembled as she watched Tayla's every movement. Tayla was right. Clem had no purpose. She was hated beyond measure. She was a brat, and she should have been aborted. Whatever that meant.

Tayla glared at Clem, hitting her with a whip across her upper arm. Clem yelped as the cord hit her arm. Tayla pulled her hand back, and brought it down with full force, hitting Clem on the same spot. Clem started to cry as Tayla hit her a few more times. Marshall slowly opened his eyes, taking in the sight before him.

"Ma! No, stop!" Marshall yelled, despite his tired state.

"My dear son. I love you with all my heart, and I'd do anything for you, but.. what's her name.. Clementine, needs to pay." Tayla said, hitting Clem once more. Tayla gave an evil grin, before untying her son. She left the room, locking the door behind her.

Marshall ran to Clem's side, untying her and holding her bleeding arm.

"Ow.. it hurts, Marshall... it hurts.." Clem whined as Marshall grabbed his wet rag and held it against the wound.

"It hurts.." Clem whispered as tears fell down her eyes.

"I know, I know.. It'll be okay.. I promise." Marshall said, taking a good look at Clem's even more bloodied hat.

"I didn't even say anything to her.." Clem muttered as Marshall pressed the rag against her arm a bit harder. Clem yelped as he pressed it.

"Sorry, Sorry.. I just need to stop yer bleeding." Marshall said.

"Here.. Hold this here." Marshall said, giving the rag for Clem to hold. She did so as Marshall went to the bed.

He tore the fabric off of the blanket, and quickly ran back to Clem's side.

"Pa showed me how to do this before.." Marshall whispered to Clem, who still held her arm in pain.

Marshall started to wrap Clem's arm. He wrapped it until he couldn't anymore, and when he was done, he tightly tied a knot to keep it from falling off.

"There ye go. Yer okay." Marshall said, sitting next to a pouting Clem.

"It really hurt, Marshall." Clem whined, leaning on Marshall, and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I know it did. I know that it'll leave a scar.. but I also know that it'll be okay. It'll sting for a bit but.." Marshall stopped talking to catch his breath, but before he could say anything else, Clem cut him off.

"I'll be okay," Clem said, finishing his sentence. "We'll be okay."

Marshall gave her a slitght smile and a nod.

"Atta girl." Marshall said in a sigh, rubbing Clem's wounded shoulder. Clem sighed and closed her eyes.

She wanted to be with her mom and dad. She remembered how her mom and dad would help her feel better when she got hurt, or was sad, or was scared.

"There, there, Clementine. It'll be okay. You've gotta be strong. You're a tough girl." A man said to the small girl, who laid in bed, holding the rim of her blanket close to her face. Clem looked up to the lady standing next to the man, and cocked her head sideways.

"Toughest girl ever." The lady said with a smile.

"What if I get scared again?" Clem asked the two.

"You have to be brave, honey. Sometimes, you'll be on your own. You won't always have us with you, and when that happens, you have to know that you're tougher than you think." The man said, smiling towards the lady.

"As long as you believe in yourself, and believe that there is hope, that you can do anything you put your mind to.. Then you will be able to do anything." The lady said with a smile. Clem smiled up at the lady and man and closed her eyes.

"Thanks, mom and dad."