𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟯, 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵
I sat in my room as my fan blew cool air and I flat ironed my hair. Thankfully I had finished cooking and cleaning for the day so I was free to do whatever I wanted. As long as I didn't mess up what I just cleaned up.
I sung lowly to myself as my old busted up tablet played music.
"Ow!" I hissed as I burned my scalp. "K we're done for the day." I mumbled to myself, placing all of my hair into a low, neat pony. I made sure to turn my flat irons off and unplug them. My dad walked into the house, I could hear him from downstairs.
My heart slowly began to race as I thought of everything I cleaned up making sure I left nothing out of place. He somehow made a big deal out of the smallest things. I learned to deal with it but that doesn't mean I enjoyed hearing him complain and insult me.
"Maddie!" He yelled. I hurried and walked into the living room as he was taking off his work boots.
"Hi dad. What's wrong?"
He looked at me with his head cocked to the side. "What you cook?" He grumbled.
"Just a little something, it's in the kitchen."
"I ain't ask you that. I asked what did you cook. Not where you put it."
"Pork chops and mashed potatoes." I said lowly. He walked into the kitchen while I followed behind him.
"That's it?"
"Isn't that all you see?" I retorted. He chuckled and began to make his plate. As I was turning around to go back into my room I felt him grab my ponytail, yanking me to the ground.
"Who the fuck do you think you talking to?!" He screamed in my face, spit going everywhere.
Out of instinct, I threw my fists at him. He quickly started to grab my hands with his one big one and connected his other fist to my face.
"Daddy please!" I cried. We had argued but he never fought me like this. Not fist to face like this. Not me putting up a fight like this. I was just tired. Tired of being pushed around by him. I'm his daughter for crying out loud. I was finally out of high school and I wasn't going to deal with this anymore.
He continued to hit and bite me as I struggled to get out of his grasp. When I did, I reached my arm up and made the hot potatoes fall on him, burning the back of his bald head and neck. A little got on my leg but I tried to withstand the firey feeling and reach for a knife. I kicked him in his nuts before stabbing him in his thigh. I had enough.
I ran towards my room while he groaned on the kitchen floor. I already a bag packed just in case he pushed me to my limits one day. It had some clothes and my most valuable and important items and paperwork. All I had to pack was my hygiene bag. I quickly did that and threw some shoes on and my purse. I rushed out of my room, grabbing his keys on my way out of the house.
I cried as I drove his truck to the riverside. I wanted to destroy the most precious thing he had. Something he would for sure be hurt over. His truck, over his own daughter. I grabbed my things before placing his truck cane onto the gas pedal and watching it go into the river making a crashing sound.
My heart was broken. I couldn't believe tonight was the night I would be running away from the man who was supposed to be my hero. Instead, he was my first bully.
My face was all busted and bruised. I had food all over my legs. My shirt was ripped up, hair all over the place. Tears kept falling as I walked to the nearest bus stop.
I had put up with this for too long. I was 17 and just graduated two weeks ago. He tried to keep me trapped there with him and I was willing to stay to get my dad the help he needed but I knew that would never work. He was an evil soul. You can't fix evil.
More tears fell from my eyes as the bus approached. It was hitting midnight and I was heading on this bus to get far away from here.
__
Feeling someone tap me, I fluttered my eyes open to this old white woman. I instantly sat up as she spoke to me. "Is this yo' stop baby?" She kindly asked me. I looked at the stop address flashing across the bus.
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱@𝗖𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣𝗕𝗟𝗩𝗗.
"Yes ma'am, thankyou." I said gathering my things and getting off the bus. I held my bag close to me as I walked to a gas station. There were so many people out tonight. It was a Friday night so maybe that's why. People walked down the street and were loitering outside the corner stores. I seen a Exxon right across from the corner store they were all sitting outside of.
Making my way to Exxon, I prayed the whole way. I was new to Memphis and you could obviously tell by how scared I looked.
I walked into the store and instantly the three people who were in line turned to look at me. I moved past them to go to the bathroom. I locked the door then went to look at myself in the mirror. I had bruises literally all over my face and a black eye on my left side. Cuts here and there on my jaw and forehead. A big bite mark on my shoulder as my tank top revealed that.
I broke out of my trance and cleaned myself up as tears started to fall from my eyes.
After what felt like forever of cleaning and getting myself together, I walked out to buy stuff to clean my cuts. Since Exxon's prices were so high, I decided to walk over to the corner store to see what kind of health care items they had.
As I crossed the street, I seen a matte black SRT pull up on the four men who were loitering the front of the store. The driver got out the car along with two other dudes and he looked at me as I slowly walked up on the curb. A few words were exchanged before shots rang out. I instantly ran in the store hoping to hide.
A couple minutes later, the bell on the door chimed indicating someone had just walked in.
__
