Winter Falls: The UGR - Onhold

Chapter Two - Hiding

Winter walked downstairs, prepared for the worst. Her father, with his hair unbrushed and crumpled clothing, looked like any ordinary man who had just woken up. He stood by the kitchen bench with his arms crossed, his posture tense. "Winter! You should be at school by now! Why ate you still here?" he demanded, fury radiated off his body in waves.

Winter winced and raced out of the kitchen in response. "I'll go this instant, father," she said. Wrong move. She should have replied before moving.

Winter felt her hair tugged sharply with so much force that years sprung to her eyes. She stopped in her tracks to hold her head in pain. Her father released his grip and a few strands of her hair fell to the wooden floor boards.

"You dare avert your eyes from me when answering," he growled, "You're just like your mother, keeping secrets from me with those masked faces of yours! Never showing your true feelings!"

Winter felt herself being dragged down. Her father started to hit her, repeatedly sending blows for her stomach and face. He mainly avoided her eyes and nose, probably because he wanted to avoid eye contact with her. She didn't care, it was always like this since the day her mother had betrayed her father and left them. Her father had never been the same since and started raving and distrust others.

Winter closed her eyes and waited for her father to finish venting out his anger on her, she had time. It wasn't even five in the morning yet. She had simply wanted to get out of the house.

Winter frowned, what had caused her father to wake up so early anyway? He reeked of alcohol. She sighed, once again, she was stuck going to school with dark bruises.

Her father's shouts brought her back to the present. "What's with that face?" he sneered, "Probably thinking of telling the police, huh? Don't you even dare!"

CRASH

Her father had gotten off her and, instead of kicking her, threw a glass vase at her face.

Winter did not dodge but remained still as he stood there, huffing and puffing. She did not move or hold her head in pain. She simply lied there, waiting for him to leave.

When he left, she sat up and looked at herself in the hallway mirror. Blood dripped from a wound on her for head and her arms showed incredibly dark bruises.

She decided to take a shower and remove all the blood. She winced in pain when the ice-cold water rained onto her. She did not like warm water, even I'm winter, since her wounds only ended up more swollen.

She bandaged herself around the head and her arms, covering up all bruises that could be seen. She also decided to rebandage the bullet wound she had gotten this morning. Winter cringed when she touched it, her father just had to hit the sore spot where it hurt most, huh? Not like he knew anyway.

By the time she finished with the bandaging, she inspected her work in the mirror before changing into her uniform, it was 7:40. Soon afterwards, she raced put of the house and started for school, even though she was already half an hour early before class started.

Winter loved her school uniform. She liked it how the dark black material helped her blend in with the darkness of the night and early mornings. Her long white hair however, contrasted with her uniform and blended in with the soft snow.

By the time the school came into view, she slowed down and acted neutral. The academy gate stood wide open as she glided through and handed her ID to the security guard checkpoint.

"Morning, Winter," the man inside the stall said.

Winter returned the greeting. "A good morning to you, sir."