Living for Something Greater

Chapter Four: Lingering In Silence

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-Kaiyla

Chapter Four: Lingering in Silence

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.”- Lamentations 3:25

“ But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” –Micah 7:7

“Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” –Psalms 27:14

Arabelle’s P.O.V.

Most of the time she spent in the closet was silent and dim. Which she accepted, being that she had come to hide from her father. She was to stay secret and wait out until Monday morning when she’d be forced to go to school. She’d have to leave earlier than normal and hope not to wake anyone as she’d slip out Zoe’s back window. Her parent’s room was on the other side of the house, which made that part of the plan easy it was just getting back into hers to change and to grab her school bag.

            Zoe hadn’t asked why she had asked to stay at her place, or why she couldn’t just tell her parents. But whatever it was that was going on in my life she evidently didn’t care or want to fathom about it. Not that she would have informed her anyways, she was too ashamed to have let it get this extreme. It had been six years since the abuse began; she remembered trying to tell someone at first. Her early premature friend Katie; she was too late to tell her though. Because by the time she had the nerve to tell Katie, her dad was their ready to pick her up…

It was summer time the tall green grass gusted in the breeze. As the two girls played in the yard, singing sweet songs and wishing of princes… That was the instant she realized she’d never be the same, nor would home be. It was no longer a safe haven.

            “Katie?” She had called over to Katie who was sitting beside the broad tree trunk.

            “Yeah,” Katie said looking up with big chocolate eyes.

            “I have to tell you something…” But that’s as far as she got.

            Arabella watched as her father came through the back door his face was almost crimson red as she said ‘something’. He walked over grabbing her arm in the softest way possible. She knew he was pretending to be nice, she almost started crying. Only a single tear oozed down her pasty colored cheek.

            “Come one we have to go home, say your goodbyes.” He spoke forcefully. Letting go of her arm for a minute, only to let her huge Katie one last time… She never saw Katie after that one time. She was forbidden to talk or hang out with her, as her dad had put it.

            When they had arrived home that afternoon he had heaved her into her room… and so the nightmare began. In the end her cheeks were vividly ruby along with her usually colorless stomach. It didn’t take long afterwards for those cherry marks to fade and show the genuine bruises on her body.

“Hey are you hungry?” She heard Zoe ask opening the closet door wide, stepping into view.

            She smiled, “Just a little.”

            She laughed, “I’ll be up in a minute with some pizza and a can of soda.” And with that she left the room, shutting the door gently not wanting her parents to howl at her possibly.

            It wasn’t long until she had come back up with two slices of cheese pizza and a can of coke handing it to me. “Thanks,” She mumbled grateful. Her stomach had been growling for the past hour now. But Zoe wouldn’t have known that, she had just come home from some place.

            “So what’s your plan Monday morning?” Zoe asked, in a nonchalant tone.

            Arabella swallowed the pizza, “I’m going to leave in early in the morning… You shouldn’t even be able to hear me when I leave.”

            “Okay,” Zoe said taking a sit on her bed, pulling out her guitar and began to strum some tunes. It was long after she nodded off and letting the darkness take over her sight.

When sunrise came she awoke, glancing at the clock on Zoe’s desk. 5:00AM, it read. She sighed rubbing her eyes and opened the bedroom window. It protested a little, letting a small eek out. She froze listening if someone had woken up.  Once a minute had gone past without a sound, she lifted herself out of the window and onto the damp grass. Then she turned back to the window and shut it closed but left a slight crack not getting it to close anymore from the outside.

            Stealthily she ran into the woods that ran behind Zoe’s house and her own. She would often walk in the woods letting its beauty surround her. The sun wasn’t centered in the sky yet but would be soon. A breeze swiftly wafted a crossed her skin leaving tiny goose bumps on her pale skin.

In a jerky movement she brought her arms up and rubbed them against her sweatshirt arms in hope of staying warm. Only a little more, she reminded herself seeing the clearing.

Once out in the opening she spotted her house and slowed down. She didn’t see any lights on but that meant nothing. She saw her window in the back of the house… It was still open. Her curtains blew softly in and out with the breeze. There was no sign of her father or brother. She signed in relief, letting the small worry lines turn upside down into a modest smile.

Still with caution she walked over to her open window and looked inside. Nothing. Even her bedroom door was closed; no one had been in her room it seemed. So in a swift movement she hoped threw the window and into her deserted bedroom.

After she was inside she walked over to her dresser and pulled out some blue jeans, a dark long sleeved shirt and her undergarments. Hastily she changed into the fresh clothes and set the sullied ones by her door.

She didn’t have a bathroom attached to her room so she had no idea what she looked like she’d have to wait to get to school to do anything with her hair. She had always kept a spare hair brush in her gym locker for times like this.

Knowing she couldn’t do anything else she strolled over to her window and slipped out once more.

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