The Demons Lover

Chapter one

I didn't want to be here, my thoughts screamed at the person in the front seat, Take me home, I begged and pleaded in my mind, cautious eyes flicking to the passenger seat, and my hands dug further into the seat.

My hands hurt from clenching the car seat for an hour straight, my face was red as the heat blasted from the heaters, even thought the dazzling sun was doing more than enough to keep us warm, and my hair was slick with sweat. I could only describe this as torture; my eyes narrowed at the woman in the passenger seat, stick thin with a fake chest that bounced as we moved along the road. Her bleached blonde hair almost blinded me, and mixed with her fake orange tan I felt sick to the pit of my stomach, if that wasn't enough, the stench of her overpowering flowery perfume made me gag in the heat.

"Oh Harper, do stop being such a child" She'd screech every time I gagged and inhaled a mouthful of her perfume that burned my throat viciously. My father, ever silent sat there and allowed her to have what she wanted, the heat up high, the screech of her voice that could shatter fragile glass into a million pieces. He let that woman be a bitch to me, his only daughter.

A thousand times I had argued to the end of my limits, screamed and fought with her over what I was allowed to do, to wear, who I was allowed to see. She hated who I am, my wavy auburn hair and green eyes which to me weren't so special, how I dressed...

It got the point where she hit me once, right across the cheek with those daggers for nails. And for once, she looked guilty. I remember the coldness of the room mixed with the warm wetness of blood on my cheek, the silence that hugged the room, clung to the walls. And my father, who had watched the whole scene blossom in front of him, how she had hit me with that clawed hand of her, and still he sat there, staring shamefully at the floor. The first splat of blood hit the floor, and I moved, slowly at first, then quicker, past her, past him, through the door. Never stopping. Running, running, running. Running for so long I thought my legs would fall off.

I ran until it rained on me, the water stung the cuts on my cheek, and still I ran. My feet never stopped or stumbled until I reached the graveyard, and I skidded through tombstones as I tried to make my way to where I wanted to go. My eyes welled with tears, and I collapsed in front of the grave of my mother. Sobbing loudly I'd pulled myself up and hugged the cold stone, knowing this is as close as I would get to comfort.

When I had cried out all my tears, I had moved away, blood had dried to the stone and, with the rain still falling; I tried my best to wipe it away.

I sighed heavily and stretched, my mind still lingered on the memory of wiping away the blood, moving about restlessly and my hands stretched for the button to open the window, and pressed my fingers in, wishing a cool blast of air came through the gap and when it did, I inhaled gratefully.

"Harper" A voice hissed, and I turned away from the window to see her twisted in her seat with her fake blue eyes glaring at me. "Close the window" she gritted through her teeth, and my eyes wildly flicked to my father.

"Dad... Please, it's boiling in here. You can't deny it. You're sweating." I begged, my heart crossed that he would let me win just this once, it wouldn't kill her to put more clothes on if she was cold. Her eyes narrowed and she turned to him, eyes huge.

"Darling, its positively freezing in here." Her eyes flicked over to the radio where the temperature was there, glowing orange. 35 degrees

My father let out an exasperated sigh, his hand reached up and wiped across his brow, and then went back to the wheel, and his eyes never left the road. Both of us sat there waiting for his decision.

"Harper, you can have the window opened for a while, but could you pass Selena my jumper, I wouldn't want her to freeze." He said, and that was it, his hand reached over and patted her leg as her mouth became a frown and she sulked. Internally I sighed, the joy that had spread through my being was quickly departing, and I gripped my father's jumper tightly, holding it on my lap for a few seconds before dumping it on her lap.