Wounds to Bind

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I pull out my earbuds again when I realize I'm home and stand I'm my driveway. I stare at the door dreading what I will have to face. 

My eyes close and I pretend mom will be waiting in the doorway for me with a huge smile, instead of a drunken father. 

Opening the door I silently hope he will already be asleep, some days he gets exhausted from all of the business meetings he attends and all the "intense negotiating" he spends his day doing. 

"Ahh your home," I here his voice coax. 

"Yup," I say tenderly. Maybe I will have luck tonight and not have to deal with him.

"How was work?" 

"Average as always," I answer. 

"Hmm." 

"Yea," I whisper. I began walking to my bedroom. 

My father gets off the couch, "Come here." He demands. 

"Uh, I, uh... I have to go shower." 

"No. Come here." 

"I really have to go." 

"I told you, to come over here!" 

"But I-" 

"Tessa!" 

"I-" I croak. 

"Tessa anne mclastler!" He shouts slurring his own last name. 

I walk closer to him but only slightly. The feel of my heart choppily beating at the inside of my ribs is enough to leave me with a lack of air. His posture shifts and he puffs out his chest. He's in an aggressive state. My eyes stay open but I want to close them. I want to them to not be able to see anything so that I don't have know this is real. I lock my jaw and grind my teeth together. They press onto each other so hard I can feel the tension in my cheek bones blatantly numb my eye sockets. 

"I am the boss of you and you will do as I say! Next time you better listen!" 

I grow ever more startled and begin to jump back, but before I can react, his hand comes up quickly and connects to the tender skin on my face. A resounding slapping noise is heard. The sound stayed in my ears. 

I stay still, stand steady in front of him, tears stinging my eyes. And then I turn, and run out the door.  

I hear him stumble after me but once I get onto the pavement outside, his footsteps stop. My feet keep carrying me though. Every time one of my shoes hits the black rock i feel a punch at my lungs and slap at my bones. I only reach the end of our driveway before I trip. I feel my foot turn sideways at the impact of an object and then slip over it. My leg follows with my feet and i end up with one of my long limbs rolling in front of my body and my other leg's toes coming in contact with the hard rock. As my body fails me i lose all support under me and begin to fall forward without a sideways angle. The rush of air hits me right before I slam into the hard, cold, sidewalk. The leg that had rolled over the cylindrical object had hit second but it was still sticking out and all the skin n the back of it stung like acid. The leg that had stumbled and tripped over the driveway, after losing balance because of the other one, hit first.  

While I glance back I see a beer bottle. Of course. My right foot must have stepped on it and rolled forward, my leg following it. My left leg had lost its balance and caused me to trip over the tar. 

"ARE YOU OKAY?" Someone asks alarmed. 

I lay on the sidewalk with my face buried in my hands until footsteps get closer to my limp body.