Brotherly Instinct

Chapter One

          "Stop! Get off me!" I was screaming at my brothers. They weren't letting me go. Grayson was holding me down and Ethan took his turn to slap me. I was already covered in bruises, why do they keep doing this to me?

          "And this is for just being you!" Ethan chuckled as he threw another punch at my stomach. I started coughing, and blood came out of my mouth. I started screaming even more and started to black out.

          I woke up with a jolt. I was sweating and could barely breath. My bedroom door burst open, my mom's face just recognizable due to the early morning light pouring in. Once I saw her face, I couldn't help but break into tears.

         "Oh honey, it's okay. You're okay. It was just a bad dream." My mother tried to comfort me. I was leaning on her shoulder as she sat next to me on my bed. My breathing was starting to slow down to a normal pace. "What was it this time?" My mom asked me cautiously. Ever since the incident, I've had bad dreams about my brothers hurting me again. 

         "It was just the same as usual." I calmly respond. 

          "Callie, sweetheart, I know what they did was horrible, and you have every right to be upset with them. But one thing I can assure you, is they are beating themselves up over it. They never meant to hurt you that day. All they wanted to do was protect you, which still does not excuse their actions, nothing will. They are letting this eat them alive. They love you more than anything in their lives. You are their little sister and they'd take a bullet for you in a heartbeat. I'm not saying you have to forgive them or speak to them yet, that's up to you, but what I'm saying is they will never hurt you again. Ever. Now, its pretty early, why don't you get some more sleep. It is summer, after all. I have to get going to work. Will you be okay? Or do you want to go to your grandparents?" Once everything had been sorted that night, I had stayed with my grandparents and pretty much lived at their house for a good two weeks until I could come back here and be in the same house as them.

          "I think I'll be okay, thanks mom. Have a good day at work, I love you." I tell her as I lay back against the headboard of my bed. 

          "Alright, call me if you change your mind, I love you too, bug." She calls me the name she'd call me when I was little. I nod my head and sleepily watch her walk out my door. When she closed it, I swore I heard her whisper something, but it was confirmed she did when I heard two sighs followed by doors shutting before she made it downstairs. I know Ethan and Grayson were standing outside my door. They were always the first ones in my room to comfort me when I had nightmares. I know they still wake up and instinctively run to my door before remembering why they can't come in and getting our mom instead.

          Once I realized that I wouldn't be able to fully go back to sleep, I got up and went into my bathroom to pee and brush my teeth. One thing I can't stand is morning breath. I have to brush my teeth the second I wake up or I'll go insane. Coming out of the bathroom, I grabbed my laptop off my desk and opened my balcony doors to sit and do some school work. Even though it is summer, I wanted to get ahead and get my diploma as soon as possible. When I was younger, my parents had gotten worried when I wasn't doing well in my classes, so once middle school came, they had me try online schooling, which ended up being amazing. I'm now technically a sophomore, but according to my online classes, if I keep working a bit everyday, I should finish in about two months, which makes me incredibly proud of myself.