Beaten

Chapter 10

Chapter ten

***Mrs. Bentie’s POV***

I knew I couldn’t lie like that, and sent her a nice letter. I couldn’t do it. I had to change it. I put the nice letter in, let the guards check it, then took it out and put in the mean one. Because I don’t love her. Never have, never will. I hope I get out soon for good behavior, so I will find her and kill her.

I already know where she lives.

***Bella’s POV***

I get up in the morning and get dressed, and then my mom lets me go to Alyssa’s, as long as I come back by five.

I ride my bike over and ring the doorbell, right as the mail truck pulls away, stopping at Maddy’s house.

“C-come in.” I hear a voice say. Reluctant to barge in, I peak into the window (not that that’s great either). I see Alyssa lying on her stomach on the floor holding a letter. She is shaking like a leaf and sobbing like crazy. That’s when I fling the door open, letting myself in.

“OHMYGOODNESS!!” I cry in shock. Behind me the door bounces off the wall and closes.

“R-r-read this!” She says between tears. I grab the paper from her stiff hand and begin to read.

Dearest (NOT!) Alyssa,

I wrote something nice for you. But then I realized it was too nice and it was a lie. There is nothing nice at about you at all, darling.

I know where you live. I’m not telling you how I know, or when I’m coming, but you know I will.

When I get there I will kill you. Just say goodbye now, darling.

If you tell your father, or ANYONE, I WILL make your death slow and painful.

With all my hate,

You mother

“ALYSSA! OH MY GOODNESS!!” I cry, worriedly.

“Yes, but please, just don’t-“

“Don’t? Don’t what? Don’t tell anyone? I have to! It’s not a choice; it’s the law.” I said.

“No,” she sniffed. “Please, she will make my death slow and painful.”

“Fine. I won’t. But YOU will!” I say.

“Nooo! I CANT!” She cries, still on the floor. “Help me up please…?”

“Ok, where do you want?” I ask politely.

“Sofa please. You can just drag me.”

“Um, ok,” I say. “Gemme your arms.” I grab her arms and slide her across the hardwood to the sofa, then pick her up and throw her on it. It’s easy because she is so skinny, as am I, but she is just so LIGHT!

I had just made us some juice and handed Alyssa her glass, the doorbell rang.

And it rang and rang and rang.

***Maddy’s POV***

“Hey, guys!” I said as Maggie and Elizabeth rang my doorbell. I opened it “come in!”

“Well, no thank you, we wanted to see if you wanted to go next door?” Said Elizabeth cursorily.

“To the old people’s house? Are you sure? They’re kinda creepy…” I said.

“NO!” Laughed Maggie. “To alyssas!”

“Ok, I totally knew that…” I said, “But sure, lets go!”

***

When we got to Alyssa’s, we could see Bella’s bike was already there.

“Awesome, Bella’s here too!” Elizabeth said happily.

“Hey, Elizabeth, I dare you to ring the doorbell a million times until she answers” Said Maggie.

“NOO! That would me so mea—“

“I will!” Cried me.

We walked up the ramp. It felt so unnatural to be walking up a ramp to someone’s house, but at least her mom wasn’t still beating her.

I walked to the door giggling, and started ringing it over and over, not thinking a thing would come out of it. Behind me Maggie and Elizabeth were laughing harder and harder. Then I heard an earpeircing scream come from inside. I peaked in the window, making a silly face, because I thought they were just playing around. But then I saw Bella’s and Alyssa’s face and knew that they weren’t playing around.

Before I knew it Elizabeth barged in and ran up to them, laughing.

“HAHA! Did I HAHAHA that was HAHAHA funny” She spoke.

Maggie came running up behind her. “Elizabeth,  stop. That wasn’t funny; I should’ve never dared you that.”

“Ohmygosh, I’m sosososososooo sorry!” Elizabeth cried, releasing what she had done. “I’m not… I’m not your mom!” She said, then burst out into tears.

“No, it’s fine” Alyssa said.

“Besides, she doesn’t even know where you live!” I said. I watched Bella and Alyssa exchange glances. “Right…” I asked. Bella grabs a piece of paper from the coffee table and hands it to me. I read it, careful not to miss a word. When I finish I drop the paper.

“Alyssa! That’s terrible!” I cry.

“Lemme read! Gemme it!” Says Elizabeth, picking it up off the floor. “Oh my god…” she cries after she finished. She hands it to Maggie.

“OH MY GOSH! THAT’S SCARY! WE HAVE TO TELL—“ cried Maggie. She stops when she sees Bella put a finger up to her lips, out of Alyssa’s glance.

“Let me just put this over here for you, so you can reach it when you need to get up…” Says Bella, and slips her hand into the pocket on the side, and grabbing a shiny silver phone with a light blue with white polka dot case. She slips it into her sweatshirt pocket. Casually she says, “I’ve gotta go to the restroom, be right back” She flashes a smile and runs upstairs.

***Bella’s POV***

I run upstairs with the phone, going fast but not too fast to seem suspicious.

“There’s a bathroom downstairs!” Maggie calls, clearly not getting it. I see Elizabeth elbow her.

I run around upstairs looking for a bathroom, one that’s far away from Alyssa. Then I see more stairs, leading up to a third story I didn’t even know they had. Perfect.

I find an empty room with just a few unpacked boxes. I slip the phone out of my pocket and search around in her contacts until I see, DADDY. I push the talk button, and it rings about five times until he answers.

“Hey, pumpkin, what’s up?” He says.

“Hey” I butt in. “It’s Bella, Alyssa friend—“

“I know who you are. What is it?” He ask worriedly.

“Alyssa got a letter from her mom—“

“Wait- you know?”

“I know now, but her mom knows where you live and are going to kill Alyssa! You have to come home, and I promised I wouldn’t tell because her mom said if she did Alyssa would die a slow and painful death. But I had to!”

“Thank you so much! I will be home shortly; the ride is about 45 minutes from here. Call the police—they will stay with ya’ll until I get there. Once the police get there if yall don’t mind leaving, this is a personal issue.”

“Ok, bye”

I press the end button and dial 911 as fast as I can. Alyssa is gonna be so mad at me!