Life's Labyrinth

Chapter One

                        **Warning**
     Very graphic and detailed descriptions. There is abuse in this chapter. You've been warned. If you can't stomach it, that's fine just click out. I don't plan on holding back on details because life doesn't do that; and this story is kind of modeled after that.
                    Good readings! 😘
                     * * * * * * * * * *

     Sobs were wrenched from out of my body, as I sat curled in on myself in the bathroom shower. The hot water was making my skin go an inflamed shade of pink as the steam fogged up the mirrors. New bruises lined my upper arms, toros, and legs; HE would never risk a bruise that wasn't naturally able to be covered with clothing.
Each shuttering breath I drew in caused my ribs to ache and my head to spin. Today had been the worst one in a while. I didn't know what I had done wrong, but as soon as I had walked into the house from school, Liam had made a bee line for me.
Bitting my thumb, I let my mind go back to what had happened next.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
"How was your day, sweet peas?" Liam started, as his eye moved over my half-sister and I; but lingered on me with a gleeful look.
"Nothing much, just the same old," my half-sister, Rowan, sighed out. "Although, I did pass my science test with an 85%!" She bragged out with a grin.
Liam's eyes widened with delight as he tore his gaze from me and swept Rowan into a bear hug. "Good job, Rowan! What do you want to do to celebrate?" He grinned.
"An ice cream and movie night of course," Rowan laughed as she ducked from out of her dad's arms and headed to her room upstairs.
"Sounds good to me, let's do our ice cream party around 6 after you're done studying," Liam called after her. A brilliant white smile spreading across his tan face.
"I'll come down around 6 then," Rowan's voice floated down as the sound of her door closing, echoed--like a death sentence.
The change the came over Liam was extraordinary, the softened gaze that only happened when he had to keep up his fatherly front ripped away. A hard gleam in his eyes narrowed in on me as the air about him turned cold. "How about you?"
My palms automatically began to sweat and my breath started to quicken into short gasps. "Today was a good day. Took notes in all of my classes and am ready for my upcoming tests," I mumbled as I tried to take a step back.
"Oh?" Liam's eyebrow quirked upwards as his hand reached out towards me, grabbing my shoulder he slammed me against the wall, my backpack digging painfully into my spine. "While that's excellent to hear, you know how I am when you act like a scared little mouse around me," Liam growled into my face as his hand closed around my throat firmly.
"I'm sorry, Sir," I gasped out, my hands going to my throat as I automatically tried to dislodge his grip on me.
"My, you being disobedient today," Liam tsked as his green eyes narrowed in on where my nails were digging into his hand and arm. "Do you know what happens when you don't take a discipline lesson?" My eyes widened in fear as my throat closed up all on its own. Really what did I do to make him so mad? "That's right," Liam cooed out as he dragged me downstairs to my room.
Opening the door, Liam threw me on the bed and moved my desk chair under the doorknob, which prevented me from leaving quickly and prevented Rowan (or anyone else) from entering. "Now, let's get started," he grinned as he turned to me while loosening his tie.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
My hands clamped over my ears as I rocked back and forth. Gasps shuttering out from my body and panic filled me, tears crept out and slid down my face, mingling in with the shower water. Despite the hot water my body seized as the panic grew, and my mind zoomed in to the next scene.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
"Earl," Liam snapped out as he pointed to the floor before his feet. It was as if my soul had left my body. The trembling of fear died down, my wide eyes grew vacant as the fear left, and I obeyed. It seemed to me like I was watching what took place from a very numb and distant part of myself; almost like I was watching from outside of my body. Liam ordered me to take off my clothes and kneel as he tied my hands behind my back from where I was at his feet.
     "Bend," Liam spat out as he unbuckled his belt. It was as if I couldn't move fast enough, the way I launched myself over my own knees to rest my forehead on the hard wooden floor, just to please him. The belt snapped and I felt my body naturally flinch. "Still acting like a scared little mouse; when are you going to man up?" Liam demanded as he brought the belt down across my shoulder blades.
     Knowing that he would just hit me harder if I made a noise, I bit my own lip to quite the cry of pain. The belt fell five more times, my eyes squeezing shut in a feeble attempt to block out the agony. "No crying this time," Liam acknowledged reluctantly as he dropped the belt down beside my head. A smile seemed to slid into his voice as he uttered the next sentence. "Seems like you're becoming to use to the belt. It's a good thing that I have a present for you."
     My breath froze in my lungs as I tried to process his words. What is he going to use this time?
     "Earl, remind me about my present after your beating, I don't want to forget," Liam grunted as he hoisted me up and set me on my feet.
     "Yes, Sir," I could only mumble in reply, knowing that if I didn't, the beating would only get worse.
     No later then when I said that, did his fist connect with my stomach. All the air was lost to me and no matter how hard I tried; I couldn't get any oxygen in. My forehead was resting on Liam's chest as I was hunched forward, trying so desperately to breath again. "Do you think that you can just touch me?" He coldly asked as he gripped my hair and wrenched my head back. "You're just like your mother, always so quick to touch someone without a second thought."
     The world blurred as Liam landed punch after punch on me. The pain was almost unbearable in the beginning but quickly grew numb as my nerve ending reached their limit. At one point the world faded out and then I awoke, untied, laying on the cold wooden floor, and in pain. Relief flooded my system, he left because it got to be 6; finally.
     From there I had stumbled into the bathroom and turned on a hot shower, in an attempt to soothe my aching muscles and bruised body.
--     --     --     --     --     --     --     --     --    
     Sighing out, I rested my forehead upon my arms as they settled over my knees. It was hard to remember how long it's been this way with Liam; it definitely wasn't right when mom abandoned me with him. I could still remember happy memories with him for a few years. Maybe it was when I hit the age of ten or twelve. Rubbing my head I tried to remember but ultimately stopped; I didn't want to try and remember happy times with him. He definitely wasn't the same person now as he was then. Standing up, I turned off the shower and toweled off. Whatever age I was when this abusive cycle started, I still lived by Liam's set rules.
     1. No bad grades; must keep a 4.0 gpa
     2. Do all chores that are asked of me, both at home and in school
     3. Must keep up a healthy image, both in body and mind. Exercise was a must, as well as a good diet, and a positive attitude to show everyone
     4. I must not shy away from him in public
     5. I must not tell anyone about what happens behind my closed door
     6. No sports allowed, for fear of to much clothing moving and showing the obvious abuse on my body
     7. I must keep up appearances at all costs

     If I didn't follow all of these rules, then he would go after Rowan. I gripped the edge of the sink and I took a deep breath, I must not ever let that happen. Rowan, even though she's my half-sister, growing closer with her friends, and not home as much because of that. I couldn't let her--or anyone--go through this.
     Wiping the fog from off of the mirror, I stared at myself. I stared at the light grey eyes with small bags underneath from the lack of sleep and stress, tanned and freckled skin that held a slight paleness to it as the blood rushed to the freshly bruised areas, and the chestnut hair that was pushed off from my forehead as I let it air dry.
     I've heard myself being called attractive by a few of the girls in my school, but it's because of these looks of mine that I've somehow gained popularity. When you're popular it's hard to maintain appearances. Everyone's eyes are on you and if you don't keep up appearances well enough, everyone is asking you why. All the teachers are concerned and pull you aside to talk. Everyone notices, because for some reason everyone cares, even though they don't actually know you; they just know your name and that your popular.
     Turning off the bathroom light, I slowly got dressed, and laid in my bed. It wasn't until I finally found a spot were I wasn't laying on a too bruised of an area that I remembered. I didn't remind Liam about his present. Hunkering down under the blankets I realized that it would be too late now to remind him. Dread filled me and I realized that tomorrow--on my 16th birthday--he would definitely remember my present.