Sucked Into Middle Earth...Just My Luck!

Chapter 15

I stood in a courtroom, heavily bandaged and shaking as dad and his lawyer sat across the room from me. After the incident with the campfire I had taken all the savings I had and hired someone to get me emancipated. Today dad had shown up to court to fight against the request but it wasn't going well.

"Sir, it is clear that your daughter is in danger under your custody. Because of your actions she has sustained life threatening wounds and will carry the scars of your mistake for the rest of her life. I fail to understand why you would oppose this" said the judge, an older lady with a stern face and rigid posture.

"She's a liar, she fell" dad accused and the judge sighed.

"Mr Cantrell, we have video evidence that you pushed her. A family from a nearby campsite submitted the video after she was taken away in an ambulance. I suggest you stop lying to the court, this already doesn't look good for you" the judge told him truthfully.

I remained silent as my father glared over at me, murderous intent clear on his face. After barely any deliberation the judge declared my independence from dad. I should have felt relieved but instead I just felt sick that it had come to this. I had to return to my home to collect my belongings with a police escort before I was taken to a shelter until I could find somewhere to live. A screech from outside the shelter caught my attention and I felt my stomach drop as I spotted my father, angry and drunk, stumble out of the badly parked SUV and kick open the doors to reception. I heard a fight break out and an alarm was pushed to call security to the location but he'd already broken down the door into the main living area. I drew a shaky breath as his gaze swept the room until it rested on me.

"You!" He Shouted and I swore I'd never seen such anger in a persons eyes before.

He launched across the room while I stood frozen in fear and knocked me to the ground, hands finding my neck and immediately cutting my airflow with enough force that I could already feel bruising. His weight was painfully resting on the rest of me and my burns were throbbing with intense pain as I struggled on the ground, trying in vain to remove his hands from my throat as my vision blurred...

I woke with a scream to someone holding my wrists still as I thrashed about, unaware who it was or where I was. The person shushed me as another grabbed my shoulders and forced me to be still. I tried to steady my breathing and then glanced up at the person who had been holding my wrists and was now just holding my hands together in my lap. My gaze met Boromir's and I unwillingly let out a small sob.

"Alice, what is the matter?" He asked.

"You were screaming in your sleep" said a voice from behind me that I recognised as Aragorn's.

I glanced behind me at him and saw on his other side that Legolas was also wide awake now. Great...I've caused a scene. I drew a shaky breath and wiped my eyes of the tears before turning back to Boromir, "it's nothing. Sorry to wake you".

"I doubt it was nothing" said Aragorn disbelievingly.

"You muttered the word 'dad' many times" Legolas told me and I frowned.

"What is troubling you so much that sleep cannot abate it?" Asked Boromir and I shook my head.

"I don't want to talk about it" I told him.

"What did your father do?" Asked Legolas and without warning my eyes started watering again. Damn you and your triggering questions.

Boromir used his hand to lift my chin up and said in a surprisingly gentle voice "Alice, we are all your friends here. If it is troubling you, let us help".

I hated that he had a point and I hated even more that meeting his gaze made me want to unload every dark secret I'd ever held locked up inside. I ripped my focus off him and glanced at Aragorn and Legolas, both of whom sat on the cushions I'd laid for them waiting anxiously for me to say something. I'd only ever told this stuff to Karma...but maybe it was time to open up to my new friends. Once again I wiped my eyes, took a breath and then said "So my father wasn't exactly parent material. He had a lot of problems and he took most of those out on me" I explained slowly, trying not to trigger myself again. I was sick of crying.