Battle To Be Free (z.m) ✔️

Chapter 13

She was angry. I could because her left eye was twitching I tried to warn Daniel, but he didn’t listen. She smacked Daniel and he fell to the floor with a thump.

I stared at my best friend in shock, but I knew better than to go and help him. Mother stood there looking at Daniel with an expression that could be only described as pure delight on her face.

She was on the phone to father. I panicked. What would happen if father knew that Daniel had gone outside? I couldn’t stand the thought.

So I did the only thing that made sense to my six year old self.

Quickly I snatched the phone from her hands and smashed in on the floor, grinding it beneath my feet. Even then, phones didn’t last long around me. Mother glared at me, but I managed to hold her gaze, and she grabbed me by the neck until her fingers were getting unbearably tight and then released me.

I fell to the floor convulsing. I could tell she wasn’t done with me yet.  Daniel looked at me with pain in his eyes, he always hated it when I got beaten because of him.

She got up looking more evil than I had ever seen her. I was rarely scared, even then, but something about the feral look in her eyes had me cowering away in fear.

Her eyes softened and I felt immediate relief flood through me.

“Oh it’s alright darling,” She was almost hissing the words, but I didn’t notice it. “Just make me a cup of tea and we’ll forget all about it, yeah?”

I nodded wiping away the tears that had formed. I made her a cup of tea, nearly burning myself on the kettle, but I didn’t.

She gave me a smile I thought was real. She took the cup from my hands and just as I was about to turn around she poured the hot liquid all over me. I fell to the floor in shock my eyes meeting Daniels which looked horrified.

The liquid was scorching through my long sleeved shirt and creating burn marks on my arms, it needed water but I knew she would never allow it.

She laughed victoriously. Grabbing my arm, she dragged me up from the floor, slapping my face repeatedly.

“Stop crying you little bitch! No wonder you’re mother hit you. You’re nothing. Absoloutely nothing.” She spat at me, literally.

“Now,” She continued. “Make me some tea. Mine seems to have disappeared.”

I nodded helplessly, following her every order like the pathetic, weak little girl I was. I made her another cup of tea my hands shaking violently while she watched me like a hawk.

Mother turned her back for a second, but it was long enough for me and Daniel’s eyes to meet and he gestured to something beside me.

The jar of peanut butter.

I picked it up and he nodded. I was confused, but I didn’t question him, I didn’t question anybody. I grabbed a spoon and plonked some in before she could notice and then stirred it to make it look a more natural colour.

Hesitantly, I gave her the cup as she was looking through the newspaper. Daniel had got up and was studying her with watchful eyes while I was just confused. Why was Daniel looking at her like she was going to blow up or something?

Suddenly, I understood. She was writhing in her chair and her fingers were clawing at her neck. She was allergic to nuts, severely judging by her reaction.

I looked over at Daniel who looked like he was enjoying this way too much, but my six year old self understood because she was a bitch. But still.