Harsh Reality

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"Daniella!" I hear as soon as I walk in the door. My shift at the diner was over and I had just returned home. With the many hours that we spent side by side today, a bond has started to form between me and Nona. She is kind, and gentle, and I just feel like when I am around her nothing can harm me. But I am brought back to my reality upon the rough hiss of the Devil himself. "Where the hell were you?" Oh shit, he's been drinking and he forgot that he wanted me to get a job. I'm so going to get it. I open my mouth to respond. But my harsh reality stops me. "That's what I thought bitch." Father grabs ahold of me and slams me into a wall. He stalks over, his tall frame towering over my small one. He sends a punch to my abdomen making me fall over. Father continually kicks me while I lay on the ground, my body absorbing the punishment. Finally, he stops. I think he is done, but when I look up to meet his gaze I am surprised at what I see there. Just a small look of remorse. But the look quickly vanishes. "Get up, I want this mess cleaned." Father then proceeds to walk away leaving me laying on the ground trying to recover. He has done worse, I will live.

I try to get up, but the pain in my ribs stop me. I might have a few broken, nothing too major. I am struggling to get up, every pull I make sends shock waves of pain ricocheting through my body. Come on Dani I coax myself. If you can only make it to the kitchen. Just then a roar is heard throughout the house. It feels deep and menacing, I swear the house shakes. Father comes running from around the corner, his eyes full of fear. Whether it is directed for me or him I don't know. "Daniella," he urges, "Forget about mess, get out of here. Those men outside are not to be messed with. Run! Please!" His eyes shine with love and pain for the first time in a long. For once I want to believe him, but I know better. He is a sick and twisted psychopath. Everything is a game for him, and I am his main pawn. Still, I crawl to the closet. Father might be a gruesome man, but something tells me these men will be worse.

As I lay in the closet attempting to be quiet (which isn't hard since I don't talk) a man approaches Father. The sound of his thudding, heavy, footsteps are enough to have me cower away in fear. When he speaks his voice is deep and dark. Many secrets are being held behind that menacing voice. He sounds professional, he has done this multiple times. That thought alone makes me shudder. A man with experience in killing and scaring others. I'm screwed, even Father's screwed.

A loud crash echoes throughout my home. I've been laying in this dark cramped closet for what seems like forever. Father refuses to give the man what he wants, and the man refuses to leave without it. "Goddess damn it!" the deep gruff voice shouts. "I came here to get her and I want her now! You thought you could hide her from me? Huh? For twenty-one years I have been tracking her down. When I'm done with you, you'll be begging for death. " Another crash sounds throughout the house. I can hear wails of pain and ruff echoes of Father's body's impact with the man's fist. Each sound makes me flinch. Do I love my Father? No. Can I let him die from this beast of a man? No. I open the closet door a crack. Father is being kicked repeatedly by this man who is enjoying Father's pain. I know what I have to do.

I slowly crawl out of the closet and look behind me at the stairs. I quietly tip toe up them and down the hallway. I am standing right in front of Father's door. I take a deep breath before opening it and walking over to the safe. The last time I was in this position, I was a craving a way out, this time, I'm creating a way out for the man who deserves nothing more than to die tonight. I don't even have to think, my body doing everything instinctively. Momma set the password to the safe, it's one I'll never forget, and it was her favorite thing in the world; Me. 3552; Ella.

The safe pops open without hesitation. With shaky hands I draw the gun. My mind is hazed over. I'm not in control anymore. I am, but I'm not thinking. Slowly but surely I make my way down the stairs. Never did I think I would be using this gun on anyone other than myself.

I cock the trigger as I come to the bottom of the stairs. I catch Father's gaze, his face all blue and bloodied. He's getting a taste of his own medicine. Something in my stomach churns. It still isn't right. I raise the gun and point it at the masked man. I pull the trigger, and my world stops. The man falls and blood spurts everywhere. Some of which lands on me. My hands begin to shake violently. My heart is racing and my mind throbbing. I just killed a man. Me. I start to spasm. Every rule I was taught I broke. Never be violent towards a man, never stand up to a man, never harm a man, I'm dead. Just like the man lying in front of me.

Sometime during my breakdown, Father left. I don't know where but his car is gone. He is leaving me. The only thing I ever did is what Father told me to do. Now I killed someone, and he is gone. I walk out the door and down the street. I don't know where I'm going. My feet just take me in a direction.

When my feet stop, I look up and see I am outside the diner. Nona and Grandad are inside counting money, today's profits. I knock on the door. Nona looks over and her eyes widen in horror. I can only imagine what I look like. Covered in blood, tattered clothes, and all black and blue from my beating. That, I no longer feel the pain of. Everything has been numb since I decided to grab the gun.

Grandad unlocks the door and Nona immediately pulls me into her arms. The motherly embrace almost has me breaking down in tears. "Dani, child what happened?" She asks me after a while of rocking me back and forth. With my still shaky hands I grab the pencil and paper Grandad holds out to me. He's dead. I write. My writing comes out as shaky as I feel. I wasn't done though. With another breath I write again, He left me. He's not coming back. Nona pulls me tighter to her chest as if that's is even possible. "Hank go get the car, Dani is going to be living with us." Grandad nods and leaves. "Dani honey, everything will be ok, I promise." "You are going to stay with us, we will take care of you." "You are ok Dani, you are safe." From what, am I ever safe? I learned long ago that just when you think everything is finally going alright, another detrimental event takes place; squandering what little hope I might have conjured. Father is still out there, my devil is still on the loose. Therefore, I am never truly safe. 



Question of the day: Who is your favorite person in the world? (has to be real person.. ex.. best friend, mom, grandmother, significant other :)

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