Time Capsule

Chapter 2

Time Capsule

Chapter 2

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I groaned as I painfully opened my eyes to the bright light filling the room. My head was pounding, and my limbs hurt as I looked around my surroundings. I recognized the ratty old couch and dirty floors to be the living room. I tried to recollect what happened the previous night. My mind was fuzzy and still unresponsive from just waking up.

Oh yeah...I blacked out on the living room floor again. From another night in hell, and oh how I wish I was referring to getting drunk off my face. But nope! Another pointless beating over absolutely nothing.

That strange feeling I had the day Niall left? Well pretty much after that day, everything in my life did end up taking a huge turn for the worse. My life went downhill so fast that I couldn't keep up and I hated it, and that stupid feeling that nagged me for weeks.

At first, when Niall was gone, we'd write and send each other letters every week. Our parents thought we were still too young to be texting and using Skype, which was stupid considering this day and age. We did obviously talk on the phone though for quite some time. But we did like writing though. It was cool to write a letter rather than a text, and it was fun waiting for the mail man to come pick up and drop off letters. It went on for quite a few months.

My parents ended up getting divorced shortly after Niall left, and it was really comforting to talk to him when I needed him. My mom had cheated, and after the divorce she took off with her boyfriend, leaving me with my angry and heartbroken father. It hurt to watch my mom leave me behind so easily, but at least I had Niall, right?

Wrong.

After the divorce was finalized, and everything settled down, Niall just stopped writing and calling. He just stopped. I told him my mom left and that my dad locked himself in his room, and he just didn't respond. I was so hurt and heartbroken when he didn't respond to me anymore. I had no idea why he stopped, and it hurt. I hadn't talked to him in four years and I missed him so much. I tried to send him more letters asking why, but my dad would find them and rip them up. He didn't want me talking to Niall anymore. 

After my mom left, he was so angry. He got drunk to suppress the pain, and eventually lost his job for poor behavior and missing work all the time. He blamed me, even though it wasn't remotely my fault. He'd drunkenly slap me once in a while. But that was just the beginning. Something inside of him snapped, and it turned more and more violent as time went on. Sometimes it got so bad, I'd be unconscious for days. The anger never left, and even when he's sober he does it. He's just permanently an angry person now, and I have to feel the wrath of it.

I've actually started to believe all the things he says, and that it's my fault. I mean, when you hear someone tell you how worthless, stupid, and how much to blame you are for five years straight, you start to believe it, right?

The only person who knows is my best friend, Melanie. She's practically my sister, and I love her to death. She moved here from London about two months after Niall left. She saw me moping around and sat down at my lunch table. She listened to my story about Niall, and we've been inseparable since then. She would always help me with my injuries and was always there for me. She'd always brings me breakfast too, because my dad usually didn't let me eat, and I found that to be the sweetest thing.

The popular question always was 'why not just go to the police?', and believe me, Mel had tried to push me to it quite a bit. Well, there's a list of reasons why, but the biggest being my Dad was good friends with a lot of cops. I mean, a lot. I was always afraid if I went to the police, it would do more harm than good. Especially since the system is already so corrupt. 

So, I've spent the years counting my lucky stars for Melanie and her help, and for graduation day to finally come. 

We weren't very popular, and I got absolutely tortured at school. Like home wasn't enough! But when I say tortured, I don't mean getting called names and 'bullied'. Oh I wish that was the case. When I say tortured, I mean sexually harassed. Most of the guys at school wanted to sleep with me, and they lusted over me like pervs, which I had no idea why. I was literally the most covered up girl here. Regardless, I got practically molested everyday and made fun of me for not giving in. And because I have so much unwanted boy attention, pretty much all the girls wanted nothing to do with me. 

It would get pretty scary sometimes honestly. All these guys could be so aggressive, it shocks me still. But I guess I have Melanie to thank. She's like a mama bear, and gets crazy if any guy comes near me. Unfortunately, that doesn't help all the time, like when I'm alone.

I just wish Niall was still here. I wish he'd still talk to me. It's like he vanished. 

A small part of me hates him for dropping me so quickly, when he promised not to. But the bigger, and stronger, part of me, loves and misses him so much. If he were to show up, all my anger would just disappear and I'd just be so happy to see him again. I pray everyday that it will happen.

I still often visit our place. Everyday actually. It's my safe place. The place I go to cry and just be by myself and safe. And like I promised Niall, whenever I miss him, I go there and remember all the old memories. The only time I was happy...

I finally felt adjusted to the pain, and bright light, and realized I wandered off to dream land again. Or nightmare land. Reminiscing on my awful life isn't exactly a 'dream'.

Easing myself off the ground, I looked at the clock.

9:00

Great.

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