Abused {ACM}

Chapter 29

I waved good-bye to them, and started walking home. I walked as fast as I could without running, and yanked the ribbon out of my pocket.

I've found you.

I shuddered, and now more than ever I wanted to talk to Zach. I wish I had saved my phone call.

I wasn't going to be stupid about this. I've learned that keeping quiet about things never helped. I shoved it back in my pocket, deciding I was going to tell Amy about this. Tonight. I stepped onto the condo's two steps, and stopped.

There, tied onto the doorknob, was a black ribbon.

Abby's POV

I stared at the small piece of fabric, blowing gently in the wind. Not at all matching the emotions tumbling around in my stomach, threatening to travel up my throat along with my lunch.

"Amy?!" I screamed, throwing open the door, my voice cracking at the volume I tried to extend my vocal chords to. The door hit the wall and slammed back into my shoulder, but I ignored it, listening to the silence that occupied the house. "Joe!" A sob lodged itself inside of my throat and refused to come out, making it hard to breathe. There was no answer.

"Aunt Amy?" I shouted again, sprinting to the kitchen where I had last seen them. "Please, please answer me." The clocks in the house were ticking too loudly, despite my desperate cries. And you know that feeling you just have in the pit of your stomach when you know that you're alone in the house - the one that usually has you closing all the windows at night and double checking your locks? It was there, and it was screaming at me to get the hell out before I got hurt.

Before my father climbed out from under the table with a kitchen knife or something and finished me - for good. But I ignored my instincts and looked at our unfinished dinner lying on the counter, half-chopped tomatoes lying on the wooden cutting boards.

"Where did you go?" I sobbed. "How did he find us so quickly?" My hands broke out in a cold sweat and I felt my breathing go uneven again. My vision blurred and it was hard for me to form a complete thought.

I remembered what Vanessa had told me and sprinted to get a book, pressing it into my stomach slowly as I inhaled, and then slowly moving it out, releasing the pressure against my abdomen as I exhaled. I did this for about ten counts, and then I straightened up, calmer now.

It was time I stopped crying and depending on everybody else to do the work for me.

It was time I became my own hero to my own story, because really - nobody else was going to do it for me. Nobody was going to charge in, saying Amy and Joe were fine, that my dad was already thrown into prison, that I could see Zach again. There was no Austin or Zoey or Macey or Parker or Dustin or Clary here.

My father had already found me.

He had done something - something I didn't want to think about - to Amy and Joe. And it was all my fault. Zach and Zoey and Macey and everybody were safe back at their homes.

Now, I finally had nothing to lose. I finally had nothing to lose.

A slow smile crept onto my face upon the realization. All this time, I had been on this carousel, this cycle of abuse and violence and tears and heartbreak and self-pity. But the ride's over. It was time I built my own life, my own ride, made my own decisions.

I ran upstairs, not caring how loud my footsteps were - if he was in the house, I was welcoming him, a challenge. I was saying, 'Come and get me, because I'm so freaking done being afraid of you.'. I grabbed my cell phone, my wallet, a wad of cash from Amy's room, knowing she wouldn't mind, and packed a backpack, squeezing in my passport, clothes, and other essentials that I was going to need.