This Means War (The Virgin Wars Contest)

Chapter Nine

(Just a little forewarning, the song to the right is pretty creepy. Watch with caution. >>)

A forceful tap on the door scared me awake. I knew he was coming.

I rolled off of my bed and crawled underneath as he pounded the door down. "Steven, stop it!" My mother begged out. Instead of replying, I heard the smack of his palm against her, along with her cries as she dropped to the floor.

My quivering hands reached up into my bed and grabbed my teddy bear, hugging it tightly as I pushed myself deeper under the bed and against the wall of my room. And then I heard the baby screaming bloody-murder - as if he knew what was happening.

Fear.

That was the only thing on my mind as he continued smashing the door to pieces. "Just stop," my mom pleaded breathlessly. But he didn't. I was so afraid, he would find me. I knew he would.

Aaron kept wailing in the other room, his shrill voice echoing throughout the entire house. All I could do was squeeze my bear for dear-life as the tears poured out of my eyes like a fountain.

"Steven, you're drunk. Please, stop this!" Suddenly, I heard the most heart-breaking noise. It was my mom's scream being silenced in an instant; her body falling roughly with a thud.

"Mommy!" My voice was strained and hoarse.

Suddenly, his hand reached in the hole he had created and unlocked the door. It eased opened as he laughed maliciously.

He's going to find me. He's going to find me. He's going to find me. I repeated over and over.

His footsteps were loud compared to my silence. I dug my face into the soft fur of the bear and stayed motionless. "Oh, so you wanna play hide'n'seek, do ya?" Aaron had stopped crying, leaving everything audible. 

My room was black, aside from what light poured through the doorway. And then I saw my mom, just lying there, absolutely still. A small whimper escaped my lips as his eerie footsteps abruptly ceased.

The only thing I could think of was the fear. The pain that was sure to follow. My mom. Aaron.

I gulped as he sang the song he always played.

"Oh show me, the way to the next little girl." He was what mommy called 'drunk'. I didn't like it when he was drunk. "Oh don't ask why. Oh don't ask why," he mumbled out darkly.

"For if we don't find, the next little girl..." I closed my eyes as he paced in front of the bed, his shadowing looming. "I tell you we must die. I tell you we must die."

"I tell you. I tell you. I tell you we must die." He began leaning down towards me, his hands on the mattress.

Peering underneath, he smiled that smile and yelled. "Found you!"

I woke up panting - try to hold back the tears. "It was just a dream, just a dream." I told myself, petting the old brown teddy's now matted fur.

But I knew it wasn't a dream.

Checking to see if my door was still locked and intact, I let out a relieved breath of air. I thought the nightmares had stopped...I guess seeing 'dad' again brought them back.

Looking at the clock, it was only three in the morning. I scanned the room, the moonlight still shining in through the window. I rested my head back onto the pillow and curled my legs in. Before closing my eyes again, I kissed my bear on the head.

As hard as I tried going back to sleep, my heart was still beating too fast. So I quietly grabbed a blanket and snuck out the window, laying it out on the shingles. The chirping of the crickets was somewhat pacifying as I stared at the stars, my eyelids growing heavier by the second.

*

Heat scorned my body as I stretched my arms in the air and yawned. When I opened my eyes, the light was near blinding. I was still on the roof. And that's when the memories came flooding back.

I had that nightmare again, the same one I had when I was a kid. The same ones he caused, he created.

The mere thought of him made my skin crawl. No way he's off the hook for this, I wanted the hook to rip his fucking heart out - if he even had a heart. He could've fooled me, and I wanted him out of our house, now. I couldn't stand the idea of living in the same home as a fucking murderer.

Stomping down the stairs, I made sure they were awakened. A light flicked of in mom's bedroom as my veins pulsed with pure hatred. Steven was the first one out. "What's going on out here," he demanded, obviously pissed that I had disturbed him.

I clenched my fists. "Get out."

"Excuse me?" He was practically gawking at me.

"You heard me, you son of a bitch. Now get the fuck out of our house, our neighborhood, and our motherfucking lives!" My voice echoed throughout the home, bouncing off of the hardwood.

Steven's face contorted into a wicked grin. "Still feisty, I see." If he tried anything I was swinging my fist into his fucked up face. "You haven't changed a bit, Brookie." My body stiffened.

Taking small steps, he continued. "You're still the same little girl you were back then..." Before I could react, he smacked me. My hair flipped as I flew to the floor, my face instantly stinging. "Weak and pathetic."

"You're pathetic. And a coward," I spat out. "You couldn't take responsibility for what you did because you were scared - no, you were terrified!"

He shoved his finger in my face, practically taunting me to bite it off. "I did what I had to keep you guys safe! I provided for you, I protected you, I saved you!"

Suddenly, my voice was deep and deadly. "The only one we ever needed protection from was you."

Steven angrily ran his fingers through his greying hair. "It wasn't my fault-"

"It was all your fault, and you fucking know it."

"I was drunk, a-and I-"

"Yes, you were drunk, and you killed him. And you didn't even care." I could see the tears forming in his eyes as I continued. "You killed him, Steven! He was my baby brother and you killed him! He's gone, and he's never coming back! Do you have any idea how much pain you've caused me, caused mom?"

The silence was unbearable. "My hero," I muttered out dryly.

And then I saw it...my mother. Standing in the doorway, watching me valiantly defending myself. But she just gave me a distant look and turned away. As for my so-called 'father', he was too busy breaking out the hard liquor to notice me going upstairs, packing a bag, and slipping out the front door.

I was running away, and I was never coming back.

Ohh! Don't hate me too much for bringing up the past! And I know this chapter was short, but I'll make it up to you soon - I swear! <3