Fire and Ice

Chapter 30

    Things around the house we're calmer. I slept better during nights but I still had nightmares.

    Instead of running to Thomas I went to dad. He always got up and fixed me chocolate milk, putting me back to bed.

    I would bug Thomas to let me play his PlayStation. And he would always huff and say not right now. But after he died he would let me play with him.

    When a car pulled up I tilted my head to the side like a confused puppy. This wasn't dad's car. His was a black truck with pretty purple colors on it.

    This was a grey car.

    When momma got out I smiled widely.

    What was she doing here? Was she visiting like dad said she would? Was she going to come back home?

    She looked around weirdly. Like she was looking for someone.

    "How would you like to take a ride with momma?"

    She held her hand out to me. I smiled and took it.

    But what about dad? Did he know momma was coming home? Did he know she was picking me up?

    Getting into the backseat in a new booster seat I smiled at her. She buckled me up quickly.

    While driving down the road I watched the cars drive by. I watched the nice houses turn into icky ones.

    "Momma? Where are we? Aren't we going home?"

    She looked at me through the rear view mirror.

    "We are going home, silly. Didn't daddy tell you? He doesn't want you anymore."

    Tears form in my eyes.

    Dad didn't want me anymore?

    Why?

    Did I do something wrong? Was I not good?

    "Your gonna live with momma now, Camellia."

    But I wanted Tom-Tom and dad....

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"Get down here you little shit!"

    I groan as I hear her yell. I've been living with her for four years now. And I learned not to make her angry.

    She had came home one night with a man. He looked twice her age, but who was I to say anything. I was only a little girl watching her mom bring new men into the house every week.

    So I finally said something about it.

    I told her how I didn't exactly think it was okay. And the man questioned her as well, asking if what I said about new men every week was true.

    Of course mom said no, and that I had an overactive imagination.

    And after he left she came after me.

    She slapped me across the face, yelling at me and telling me that I ruin everything.

    She then locked me in the closet. That was the first time she's ever done that.

    Usually she just hit me and withheld food from me for a few days.

    This was new and scary.

    The closet didn't have any light coming through. There was a handle, I could feel that much, but the lock was gone. There wasn't a lock hole.