Caged In

Chapter 1

Darkness. Everything was shrouded in darkness as she sat at the table, staring down her task with narrowed eyes. She couldn’t do it. It was a simple task, but if she did it, it showed weakness.

            Her thoughts were quickly interrupted as everything flashed and suddenly there was color. The sound of the light switch made Alyce slightly jump in her seat. “I’m home”, her mother said in monotone as the sound of her steps carried across the room.

            “Great”, Alyce bit out. Rolling her eyes, she let her head drop to the table.

            “I see you still haven’t done the dishes like I told you to.”

            Alyce lifted her head and propped her feet up on the table, which was something she knew her mom hated. “Why? Why should I do them? So you can have control over me?” She laughed. “No, I’m not going to let that happen.”

            “I see how it has to be”, her mother spat as she walked over to the table, each step as slow as the next. She stopped. Alyce saw a flash of light the color of skin and felt a burning sensation on her cheek seconds later. “You’re sixteen years old. Act like it.” She held her finger out, pointing to the dishes.

            Alyce rose to her full height, which had her towering over her mother by at least four inches. Flicking her long, black, curly hair behind her shoulder, she walked over to the dishes and began to scrub them. This was just a normal Monday in the Kade household for her. Refuse to do things and then get hit by her mother until she did them. The only reason she never did them was because she had seen it all happen before. Her mother gained control over her father, and maintained it until he died.

His life ended three years ago when Alyce was 13. He was on his way to work when a truck jerked into his lane and killed him. That was the end of her father, Jasper Kade’s, life.

Alyce heard the garage door close, which could only mean that her mother was leaving to pick Blake, Alyce’s younger brother, up from school. She finished the dishes with record speed, not caring if they were that clean or not, and sprinted up the stairs to her room.

Today had been a sick day for Alyce. She wasn’t exactly sick, though. Refusing to go to school was what had gotten her a day to stay home and relax. Well, for the most part anyway.

Alyce pulled back the curtain and looked out the window beside her bed, revealing her mom’s blue Subaru Brat pulling in at a slow pace. Sitting down on her bed, Alyce groaned. She didn’t get much time to herself at all.

The front door creaked open. “We’re home!” Blake shouted. Alyce heard him running up the stairs already and soon after, her door was jerked open, his tiny hand holding onto the doorknob tightly.

“Hey Alyce! Look what my teacher gave me today.” He pulled out from behind his back a cherry lollipop, smiling from ear to ear. It was Alyce’s favorite candy. “I was student of the week. I thought of you though, and I wanted you to have it.” Alyce watched as her 10-year-old brother’s sticky fingers came closer and closer to her face while they were grasping the cherry lollipop.

“Thanks Blake,” Alyce said as she took the lollipop from his hand and placed it on the black dresser beside her. “You’re so sweet.” She pulled his small body towards her and hugged him.

Blake jerked away. “Eww, but you’re sick!” He wiped his hands on his pants, and then walked towards the door. “I’m going outside.” She heard his booming footsteps all the way down to the last step.

Alyce sighed. Her brother was a nice little kid, and he always had been. He was nothing to complain about, and he rarely got himself into trouble. Even their mom had never hurt Blake. Blake was the favorite kid. Alyce just sat back and watched as Blake was given dessert, while she was given an extra serving of spinach. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, but sometimes it felt that severe.

She heard another pair of feet trudge up the stairs. It was her mother. Alyce lay down and covered herself with the comforter. The door opened once again, and Alyce felt the comforter get jerked from her hands. “Came up her to check on you,” her mother grumbled.

“I’m fine,” Alyce muttered. “I feel much better.”

“Well, that’s great,” Betty said with a tone of sarcasm in her voice. “Here’s your school work.” Her mom practically threw the books onto Alyce’s lap. “It’s all due tomorrow, except for that green paper right there,” her mom pointed. Without another word, her mother closed the door and walked back downstairs.

Alyce wanted to leave home. She would run away, but she wasn’t stupid. There was no way she could survive with the 70 dollars she had been saving up in her piggy bank. She sighed, grabbed her homework, and began.