To Err Is Human

Fortify

"Hide Anna!"

Everything turned to static after Veronica yelled her name. She could still remember, she could remember how her heart raced as she ran down the small hallway, bumping into walls and bruising her arm as she tried to run far from the living room. Her little legs that could barely run a mile, felt heavy all that running. She could remember how many stairs she had climbed to get to where she thought she'd be safe.

Where was safe?

She couldn't think of anywhere else even with Veronica's voice finding her at every corner of the house.

She was terrified. Terrified of what could happen to her if she let him find her, if she let him get to her. She wiped the tears that had trailed down her eyes with the back of her palms as she took a quick scan around the empty hallway, unable to think about anything else but a safe space. She wasn't going to let him hurt her again.

Just like three days before, and a week before that, she found herself running in the direction of her room, this time, the idea of closing the door right after and making sure it got locked after her clouded her memory.

"What on earth is wrong with you!"
She barely had the time to take notice of the sudden pitch in Veronica's voice but she could tell immediately who she had been talking to; Billy.

"How could you bring them in here you bastard?"

With the way she could barely hear any words after Veronica, it was obvious Billy was barely paying any attention to her or anything she had to say.

Anna closed the door after her immediately, legs trembling, hands shaking too. She placed her hand over her ears to put her concentration in one place. She had to block it all out, the yelling, the whole idea that just like the other days, he was going to get his way again.

"What on earth are you trying to prove huh? Think about this carefully Billy, think about what the government would do if they ever find out. This ain't right, this ain't right at all Billy."

"The government?" His voice was barely audible from where she stood but Anna tried to listen. "The government can choke on the taxes that we pay to keep those monsters comfortable in our own land. Why do I need to care about what the government thinks when they barely give us enough to do all the hard work that we do, taking care of her ass. I'm not a freaking charity giver! She owes me, she owes us, and I am going to make sure I collect every dime and every penny my way! At least she can be good for something-"

"You have to think this through Billy. Billy she's just a child!"

"Well she's not my child. Stay away from this!"

With the way Veronica let out a high-pitched moan, Anna could almost guess that he had pushed her out of his way and he and those he came with were making their way to her.

She turned immediately, her eyes scanning her little room for a safety spot as their loud footsteps and discerning laughters filled the hallway.

There it was, The tiny computer table close to her bed. She rushed to it and tried to fit right under it just as the footsteps got closer.

Anna held her breath, clenching her fists at the same time. She hated it, she hated how she had become a freak show for him and his friends. She hated the thought of always letting them get away with what they wanted, and just like before, she hoped that that day was going to be different.

Her heart raced the moment her thoughts were followed by abrupt silence. She could hear her own heart beat.

"Bang!"
She could hear a loud bang on the door, and then another. She placed a hand over her mouth to stop herself from making as much as a sound. He was hitting the door as hard as he could get while his friends encouraged it and cheered on. With the way he kept persisting, she was just sure that the door wasn't going to hold for long, it was just as weak as her pulse was getting.