House Of The Fallen

Chapter 1~ Sitting Duck

I felt the burn of tears streaming down my cheeks, but I made no sound. The police officer grabbed my forearm and pulled me away from my mothers limp body, in a pointless attempt to shield her from view. I made no effort to escape his grip. My senses had gone numb and I stared at the blood that engulfed her corpse, as he dragged me on my heels away from my mother's  dead body.

I jolted awake, sweat running down the side of my face. I held my breath in the fear of screaming. I hadn't had that dream in months so I thought it had decided to finally leave me.

The loud-ass morning bell went off. The other girls started getting out of their beds, and one-by-one the girls left the room. I remained in my lumpy bed, still stunned. Less than a minute later, Mistress came into the small room that all twenty of us girls shared.

"Anna get your ass out of that bed! There is work to be done!" So I dragged my numb legs out from under the itchy blanket. "Yes ma'am."

I took my share of the stale food leftover from the hotel, and I sat at one of the wooden tables, in our small living quarters, under the dirtiest inn that Louisiana had to offer. I knew what was coming as soon as I heard footsteps behind me, but it always caught me by surprise.

"Flea-bag! Get yer ass up!" I slightly winced but managed to stay seated. Bertha Sue, the biggest, toughest, not to mention ugliest and most feared girl in this hell hole, was standing over me. Her vile breath poured down on me like acid rain.  "Can I help you?" I asked in a tone much nicer than she deserved.

"You know the drill, you piece o' shit! Gimme yer food." She roared down at me, spraying saliva with every word. She was so close that her foul breath almost nauseated me. "I'm afraid I can't do that Bertha" I said, while clenching my spoon. "I have given you my food for the last four days. I can't give it to you today or I'll starve." I added, trying to be brave, even though I knew it would do no good.

"What did you say to me city-slicker? I can't understand no words that escape yer dirty mouth."

"You heard me Bertha, and I will not say it again!" I stood up and screamed In her face. "I will not be a sitting duck, waiting for you to come and bully me out of m-" she had bashed my eye with her fist before I could finish my little speech. I fell to the floor holding the eye that she hit. She began to kick me in the stomach, and I could almost hear my ribs breaking. I didn't cry. I just curled under the kicks. She soon invited her friends to kick away at me as well, which really just made my day.

The kicks stopped abruptly. I opened my one unharmed eye to see Mistress' ruby red heels on the floor in front of me. "Clear out girls!" She yelled. She yanked me up by my elbow but I liquified back down to my knees, unable to stand. "Get up you rat!" She spat down at me in disgust. I tried to stand but failed again. "Get up or I will be forced to punish you, you sleazy little ugh!"

I found myself staring at her shoes, they were so perfect, they didn't have a single scuff on them. I just stared at them until I was lost in their bloody color. "Fine you little bitch! You ain't gettin any food tonight."

Like I was going to anyway, my beaten brain decided to point out.

***

The hoard of girls at the shower entrance seemed massive, even though there were only twenty of us. I always stayed at the back and waited until everyone else was done so I could be alone because I preferred it that way. Once all the girls were gone, I took my turn. I slipped the mud colored dress from my burning body. I leered at the huge, dark purple and black bruises that covered my torso and arms in a mirror that hung on the wall. I sighed and stepped into the shower. The water had long since the tenth girl's shower been cold. I didn't mind though because it soothed my bruises.

I thought I heard the door squeek, and I managed a breathy, "who's there?" I waited long moments for an answer because I could feel the warm air of the hallway seeping into the bathroom. I turned off the water and reached for my towel but before my hand could touch the small peice of fabric, a surge of pain shot up my arm. I dropped to my knees as blood began to run down my forearm.

I dared to look up and I stared horrified at Bertha. She was holding a long knife from the cooks cutlery set. "B-Berth" I stuttered.

"Save it you peice o' shit. Because of you I have tuh clean the kitchen tonight, so I just decided I would pay you a little visit." She fingered the blood on the knife. My eyes widened even more after seeing this, and my stomach clenched as questions aimlessly fled into my mind. What was this girl capable of? Was she going to kill me?

As if answering my silent questions, "don't ya worry about that there arm of yers. I'm sure that once I start cutting you open you'll hardly notice it." And a huge, devilish smile made it's way across her ugly face. My mind told me to get away from her but I couldn't move.

Perhaps this is what's for the best, perhaps I can finally see my mom again.

"Bertha!" Bertha dropped the knife when she heard that voice, almost landing it blade down on my leg. Instead it pinned into the tile floor, vibrating from the drop. The look on Bertha's face was sheer horror.

Mistress stood at the entrance to the door, her gaze made it's way to me and her eyes betrayed the panic in her heart. "Bertha get the nurse." She said as she squatted down next to the naked heap of girl on the floor. I felt pathetic and stunned, but I was still conscious enough to hear the bullshit flood out of Bertha's mouth. "I'm so sorry Mistress, I don't know what came over me. I just-" Bertha was cut off by an angry Mistress. "Now Bertha!"

I felt hands wrapping something warm around me, but my eyes were glued at the shower head, it was rusty, red, and mesmerizing. Before I knew it, I was out cold.

***

When I opened my eyes, it was to the open road. My sore eyes flitted from the passenger seat to the driver. Looking at Mistress in such a peaceful state was shocking. She usually had a scowl on her face but as she stared ahead at the road, she looked as if she had not a care in the world. I opened my mouth to speak but she started talking first.

"Analiese I'm sorry for what happened to you, I should have been around to prevent it." I just rolled my eyes at her. She was unbelievable. "You don't give a damn about me so don't apologize," I retorted, rubbing my arm where it was sore and quickly pulling it away when I realized how sore it was.

"You're right, I don't care. So I'm taking you to live with this nice old lady that requested a foster child, and unlike me, she will care." She spat out the window and drummed her thumbs on the steering wheel. Her scowl returned and was present for the rest of the ride, apart from the time we passed a small graveyard. Her gaze softened momentarily as tears bulged in her eyes, then she was back to her old self again.

"Great."

***

I felt an alien heat plant itself on my arm, and it jolted me awake from the deep slumber I had fell into. I looked up and saw an unfamiliar ice blue ceiling with lavender walls.

"H-help, my arm is-" I started rambling, without sitting up. "Shh hush my dear, you are safe now." I didn't know this voice but it was the most trustworthy voice I had heard in a very long time, since my mom's. I let the thought of my mothers voice send me to sleep.