Nameless

Chapter 10-The Encounter

“I’m going to beat your effing head in!” Mom screamed. It’s been six months after Jason left, and the beatings have been getting worse. No one will move into JJ’s old house, because of the state ours is in. As of right now, I’m crouched in the overgrown bushes in the backyard, hiding. Me and mom are playing Hide and Beat, I hide and when she finds me, I get beat.

                I shake slightly, fear getting the better of me. The movement makes the bush tremble, letting her know of my hiding spot. She grabs me by the hair, and pulls me inside. I’m crying out for one of the neighbors, any of them. But no one ever hears me. I sob as she throws me to the ground, circling me like a cat who eyes a maimed mouse. Playing with her food.

                “Get up. I said GET UP!” She screams. I shakily stand, just to have her kick my legs out from under me. She cackles. She jerks me to my feet, and slaps my face. “Quit that bawling, you sound like a newborn. Except newborns don’t misbehave so often.” Her mischievous face sends shivers down my spine. She grabs my hand and forces my sleeve up. Red lines criss-cross themselves in angry patterns from my elbow to shoulder. She grins ear-to-ear.

                “I knew it. Stupid little bitch.”

She shoves me, and I lose my balance. I topple over and hit my head on the glass coffee table, shattering it. I feel cuts on my face open up, and lights flash. A large purple dot dominates the center of my vision.

 

“Arin!”

I startle awake. Martin leans over me, wearing only his shorts. I’ve fallen out of bed, on my good arm, and my sheets twist around me like a straight-jacket. My throat hurts and tears mark my face.

“I heard you screaming and crying. I came running in here.” I can’t speak; the knot in my throat won’t allow it. I just nod. He switches on the light, and untangles me from my cloth prison. He helps me on to the bed, and I take a few deep breaths.

“Arin, what’s wrong? Was it a nightmare?” He asks, concern etched on his face. I shook my head.” A memory,” I whisper. I tell him about it. His eyes are unreadable. Once I finish, he gives me a hug. “Do you want me to stay?” He asks. I bit my lip, and nodded. I curled up into a ball, and he put his arm around me.

He leaned over and switched my lamp off, and darkness settled around us.

    ./././.|.\.\.\.

“What.”

I opened my eyes. I felt warm, strong arms encircling me. I looked around. Merlyn stood in my doorway, a confused look on her face. I glanced at Martin. He was still asleep.

It’s Sunday morning, and Martin came running in my room again, trying to rouse me from my sleeping hell. It’s strange, after he stays with me, I don’t dream anymore. But it’s only when he’s here.

I carefully extract myself from his warm embrace, and walk with Merlyn to the kitchen. “What, why, and how?” She asked. I explained how I had another nightmare and he was concerned. I didn’t add that since her accident, Merlyn hasn’t checked on me during my night-terrors.

“Well, don’t hurt him. He’s… fragile.” She said. She left to go unpack.

I went about my business, getting ready for work and such. My boss, Casey, gave me a week off to getting used to doing things with my left hand.

I got to the usual spot where Christopher waits for me, and there he is, as usual. He smiles and escorts me to the bakery.

I arrive right on time, and discover pretty quickly that I’m useless. I can’t write down orders, because I’m right handed. I can’t lift heavy things, remove cakes from the oven, or serve one-handed. So what Casey ends up doing is sitting be by the counter with a phone and her laptop so I can type the orders people call in and watch the bustling shop.