Her Revenge

Chapter 15 - Birthday

Emilia Morales 

Age: 15

I looked over at the clock in my room and watched it click until it was 12:01 and it became a new day. It was my birthday today. I turned 15 today. Every one else I knew would be excited if it were their birthday. Heck when I was younger I was excited too. But I didn't like my birthday. This day just marked another year that I have been tortured.  Another year that I have been beaten. Another year of sadness. I didn't like my birthday anymore. Father only saw it is as another thing that he could so brutally take away from me. 

I walked towards my bathroom on shaky legs that were aching so badly that I wanted to cut them off. I changed out of my tattered clothing throwing them into a garbage bag, so that I could burn them later. I looked down at the forming bruises on my body. Hand prints tattooed on my hips. Shades of blue and purple colouring my ribs from when I was thrown on the hard, cement floor of the basement. Fingers on my wrist and upper arms. Blood dripping down my inner thigh. 

I looked away from the mess of my bed and walked towards the bathtub, which was filled with water waiting for me. I sunk into the hot water, feeling it burn my skin, but I didn't care, I just needed wash it all away, maybe even burn it away. Everything hurt as I scrubbed my skin raw, feeling the memory of their touch linger. 

You were to entitled this year. 

You need to relearn your place and maybe this time it will stick. 

You are only doing this to yourself. 

You fight back and it will be worse. 

You don't deserve to be celebrated. 

Was my father's reasoning behind the atrocity that happened not even an hour ago. He sought to take every good thing from me, most of the time before they even happened, my birthday being one of those things. He says that this was the day his life was ruined, the day he was given a daughter instead of another son, I ruined his life. Like I even had a choice in the matter. 

I finish cleaning my body and I pull my body under the water. I open my eyes looking at the roof of my bathroom through the water. Bubbles slowly start to escape my lips and rise to the surface. It was peaceful under here. There was no sound but the beating of my own heart. The only thing that was hurting was my lungs as they screamed and begged for air. Despite pushing my body to its limits and tip-toeing over the line of death, I had never felt more safe or calm. I stay there for a little longer. It was when I felt as if I were about to start coughing, the pressure like a million boulders on my chest, when I began to rise out of the water. Inhaling the air around me, I felt the pressure on my chest become relived. I drew my knees into my chest and hugged them, my chin coming to rest upon them. My long wet hair cascaded down my back, almost acting as a shield. And I just sat there staring at the wall, silent tears streaming down my cheeks. 

I stayed there for what seemed like forever and at the same time like no time had passed at all. I stayed there until the water turned ice cold and my skin wrinkled. I stayed there until the sun rose, light flooding the room. I stayed there with tears leaking out my eyes and a heaviness in my chest that made want to die. 

I didn't hear my brother's voice call out for me in my room. Or his footsteps as he came towards the bathroom. Or his muttered curses as saw my catatonic state. I didn't feel Carlos pull me out of the freezing water, draping a towel over my naked body. Or his hands coming to my arms, in the same place where there was hand-shaped bruises, as he turned me around to face him. Or him shaking me in a panicked manner. I did see his mouth moving quickly with no words leaving them. I did see the look in his eyes that made my heart crumble more than it already had. I did see him and it made me cry. So hard that I began sobbing uncontrollably. So hard that I fell into his chest and his arms wrapped around my body. So hard that I felt sick. 

Carlos' hand came to my hair as he began to pet it in a calming manner, but it didn't help. I was so fucking tired. I didn't want to keep living like this. I wasn't sure how much longer I could do it. I hated it. Hated myself. Hated everything. I was so tired of being hurt constantly. I was so tired of meaning nothing to my father. I was so tired of the pain. I was so tired of it all. I just wanted it to stop, so badly. Carlos stayed there, hugging me until my sobs began slowing down. I then drew away from him, muttering an apology as I held my towel to body leaving the bathroom and going into my wardrobe. I put on some random clothes and venture back towards my bedroom, where I find Carlos sitting on my bed, with his head in his hands. His head came up when I walked back into the room, he opened his mouth to speak and some words might have come out, but I didn't hear them, or maybe I just ignored them. I just went to the side of my bed and slid under the covers. I felt Carlos get up from his place at the end of the bed and came over to where I was lying. He looked down at me with the saddest eyes I had ever seen before. His hand brushed over my hair. He leaned down and kissed my hair, I closed my eyes, another tear escaping. 

"I will tell everyone that you aren't feeling well",  he says before leaving my room, closing the door quietly. 

And that was our routine. Walking around it. Pretending it doesn't exist. Covering it all up. Hiding it away. 

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It had turned dark once more, so I knew that I had been lying here for hours. No one had come to check on me. No one had come to see me. No one did anything. I laid here in despair, wishing for a different life. It was then I heard my door open quietly. My heart began hammering against my chest as I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that whoever it was that came into my room would just see me asleep and leave me alone. 

Their footsteps came to halt in front of my body. Their hand came to my face, brushing the hair there behind my ear. Their soft touching calming and familiar. It almost made me want to open my eyes but I didn't. Their lips brushed against my temple.  

"Buon compleanno bella", the familiar deep voice said. (Happy birthday beautiful) 

My heart almost skipped a beat. It was Sebastian. I then heard him place something on the nightstand beside me, before his footsteps began retreating toward the door and quietly closing it behind him. 

I stayed there with my eyes closed for a little while longer making sure he was really gone. After I opened my eyes and saw the small, rectangle box wrapped in white wrapping paper. Carefully unwrapping it, I lifted the lid to box and I felt the breath in my throat get caught. It was beautiful. At the bottom of the golden chain was two charms, one that looked to just be a diamond and the other a small gold circle. On the back of the circle was the letter 'S'. I skimmed across the engravement and felt my heart swell in my chest and small smile take over my lips. I looked to the door and my smile grew a bit more. I put the necklace around my neck and laid back down. I closed my eyes and let sleep take over me, for the first time during this entire day, that I might be okay. 

(1409 words)