Yay, update time! Thank you for all the votes and comments, it makes it easier to keep writing with such supportive readers :)
For this chapter there is the shower scene, so if you can't read it or don't wish too, skip to the *** right after she speaks with her foster parents thanks again and happy reading!
"Sang! Wake up Sang! Wake up, wake up wake u-aaaaah!" The little monster jumping on my bed squeals before collapsing into fits of laughter after I tackle him and tickle his sides. His whole body shakes with peals of precious little boy laughter and my own shoulders start to bounce as I giggle right along with him.
I see the Jamie and Cameron standing in the doorway as they watch their youngest brother try to wiggle free of my tickle attack and I motion them in. They come and sit on the edge of my bed with us as Ollie taking great gasping breaths that are still interspersed with wild giggles, even after I'd stopped my tickle torture.
"What are you guys doing up so early? I usually have to drag your stinky butts out of bed." They all giggle at my use of the word "butt" and I barely keep myself from rolling my eyes, boys.
Cameron answers me, a bright smile as he lifts a box I hadn't noticed before for me to take. "It's your birthday, you always have to wake up to smiles on your birthday." My heart constricts in my chest at their thoughtfulness, that's a tradition I'd started for their birthdays to make their day as special as it could be in this house.
"That's exactly right, Cam. I can't believe you guys remembered." This last part I mumble to myself but I know they heard because they all frown.
"Of course we did, we love you." Jamie says this like it's the simplest thing in the world, but those words mean everything to me. That's just him though, my quiet boy whose words are used sparingly but are all the more meaningful for it.
I feel my eyes start to burn with tears so I turn my attention to the box that Cameron had handed me. They had wrapped it in newspaper, and my heart warmed even further when I saw the overabundance of scotch tape covering nearly every surface of what looks to be an old shoebox. Wrapping presents wasn't a strength of theirs just yet, but the fact that they had tried so hard made it perfect.
"You guys didn't have to get me anything," I say, my voice slightly shaky with suppressed emotion.
Ollie huffs and slaps a tiny, suspiciously sticky hand on each of my cheeks and puts his forehead to mine. "It's your birthday, we gotted you a birthday present. Will ya open it already?"
Nodding my head with a laugh, I gently remove his hands from my face and sit him in my laugh before carefully opening my gift, the first birthday present I'd ever received.
When I see what's inside I have to cover my mouth with a hand before the sob that wants to come out escapes and scares them. The beautiful little monsters got me a small chain bracelet with several different beads, each one with the first initial of their names and a heart shaped piece I assume is for me with an 'S'. It looks like something they made in class but I've never seen anything so beautiful, and a single tear escapes down my cheek, causing Cameron to freak out a little.
"Oh no! Do you hate it? I know it's not super fancy because we made it at the kids center when Ms. Lauren took us to the kid room when the money men took her to that fancy spa. We can get you something else, I-" I grab his hand and shake my head rapidly until I've composed myself enough to speak. How could they even doubt I would love something they'd made for me?
"It's perfect, I'm just so happy that I teared up a little, happy tears I promise. I love it and I'll never take it off," I promise him and see all of their shoulders slump in relief and they smile really big.
Ollie jumps in next, pointing out all the charms on the bracelet and telling me what they me. "These pieces are for us, the 'O' is me, the 'J' is Jamie, the 'C' is Cam and the 'S' is you, it's in the big heart because we love you big just like you love us." Oh god, these boys are going to kill me with their sweetness.
I smile and hug them each in turn, squeezing Cameron extra tight because I know this had to have been his idea. As the oldest he sees and knows a lot more than I'd like about what it's like for me in this house, and he would understand how much something like this would mean to me.
"Thank you," I whisper in his ear and he just holds me tighter, he's almost as tall as me now so his head fits right on my shoulder.
Pulling back I put on my new jewelry and beam at them. "I love my present you guys, thank you for making this the best birthday ever." They all blush and mumble, and I hold back a giggle at their uncharacteristic bashfulness before I save them by changing the subject.
"Since you guys are up so early, I think I'll make us all chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, how does that sound?" They're running out the door before I even finish my sentence and I laugh so hard I fall back on my bed. I shouldn't be surprised, they hardly ever get breakfast other than cereal or oatmeal because they're never awake before Lauren and she doesn't approve of such "indulgent" meals for them.
I stand up from my bed, slowly, because I'm still healing from the beating my ribs took last week and they protest any sudden movement. Walking over to my closet, I pick out a ratty old pink t-shirt and blue jeans riddled with holes from age and quickly dress. That task done I make a quick pit stop in the bathroom to brush my teeth, wash my face, and otherwise getting ready for the rest of today.
After I've take care of everything, I watch myself in the mirror for a few moments, trying to see any visible signs or changes that occurred to show I've become a legal adult. As expected, I see nothing different, nothing that screams "18." All I notice is tired green eyes looking far older and more shadowed than is usual for someone my age, along with high protruding cheekbones, and a small upturned nose above a too wide mouth. I see a mass of wavy dirty blonde hair long overdue for a trim falling over shoulders that are too thin. They match a body that is all sharp points and pale skin rather than the curves and natural color I should have, and would have if life were different.
Realizing I'm wasting time thinking about things I can't change right now, I head downstairs to take care of my little monsters whose happy laughter I hear all the way from the kitchen.
***
Two hours later, the boys are off at school and I'm cleaning around the house as per my lady's wishes...can you hear the sarcasm?
The house is always so quiet when they're gone, and today especially that makes me nervous. Normally, I receive special birthday wishes from Lauren, but I have yet to see her which is the source of my growing anxiousness. Not seeing her is worse than getting whatever punishment is coming my way over with before the boys get home. Maybe she won't do anything now that I'm 18? I think to myself, before quickly ridding my brain of such wishful, foolish thinking.
A door slams somewhere in the house and two sets of footsteps sound on the staircase. That's strange, normally it's only Lauren, I guess Paul is staying to observe the festivities today.
Tensing in anticipation of a confrontation I wait for the air shift that will alert me to their presence within the living room. It comes and they simply stand to the side, watching as I sweep the feather duster across the enormous bookshelf they only have for appearances. These books have been one of my only escapes from the world I live in, and I dust it daily so they don't notice that I take them on occasion.
Mr. Sorenson's voice ends my internal musings. "Song, we need to speak with you."
I turn to look at him, and I see that as per usual his face holds no emotion and I find myself wondering yet again if he even feels any. He motions for me to take a seat on the couch and I do so, but only after both he and Lauren do so first, something else I'd learned after years of surprise bearings from above.
"It has been brought to my attention that as of today you are no longer a ward of the state-"translation: he got an email notifying him to my age and that he would not be receiving further compensation for fostering me, "-and that means you will no longer be allowed to live in this house." I almost gasp at this, I really get to leave? They're not trying to force me to stay?
I'm almost too afraid to hope. "Pardon my asking, but what exactly does that entail?"
I see the boredom on his face, but his wife jumps in with a sneer before he can answer the question. "It means you ungrateful whore, that we're kicking your sorry ass out of our house. It's no longer of benefit to us to keep your filth here."
Is it wrong that her words bring me such relief? If she's so angry that must mean it's true. "So I can leave?" I ask once more, needing to have it confirmed by the "man" of the house.
He sighs. "Yes, you have three days to vacate the premises and never return, on one condition." He pauses, though I don't know why, nor do I care. "You are not to speak to anyone of the events that have transpired under our roof, not to the police, social workers, or anyone else." I nod, I suspected as much.
"I'll agree to that, but with a condition of my own."
"Why you little-" Lauren makes to attack me, but Paul surprisingly stops her with a harsh grip on her arm.
"You've done enough, woman. Sit and let me finish this, it's your fault I have to worry about these things anyway so don't make it worse." She glares at him hatefully before returning to her seat to stare me down once more.
He turns to me, uncaring and unamused. "Your condition?"
I wipe my sweaty palms against my thighs nervously. "I want the boys. You sign over your rights as guardian to me and promise never to come after any of us or contact us ever again. They're mine and I'll be leaving with them or not at all."
He scowls, although the resignation in his eyes leads me to believe he expected me to do something like this. "Is that all?" Comes the final question, in his signature bored tone.
"Yes, I only want them and to never see or hear from either of you ever again, and then I promise never to go to the police."
Lauren is turning purple, she's so furious, but she surprises me by staying quiet. Paul on the other hand, has obviously dismissed the entire conversation already, standing to leave the room.
"I'll have the paperwork drawn up." I nod and he walks out of the room, leaving me alone with his wife, but rather than feeling terror at being left with her, I feel happier than I've ever been. Nothing can bring me down from this moment but I know she'll give it her best shot.
"Come with me." She says, her voice deceptively soft.
I stand to follow her, only because I know that soon she will never touch me again, that whatever she has in store for me will be worth it in the end because the boys will be officially mine in a matter of days.
She leads me to the upstairs bathroom and pushes me in before slamming the door shut and locking me in there. My body begins to shake, and even though I know this will all be over soon, I'm still undeniable terrified of that woman. Her very breathing serves to strike fear in my heart. Every time I hear her voice I cringe, and being near her induces a panic that no person should ever have to feel in their own home, where they're supposed to be safe.
Nine agonizingly long minutes tick by in silence as I stand heir shaking in the bathroom. Nine minutes when every horrible possibility of what she's about to do running through my head as I try to prepare myself, body and mind.
When I reach 60 seconds on the ninth minute the door creaks back open and Lauren steps in. Her eyes are glazed and a maniacal grin has overtaken her face, causing me to instinctively step back as my body kicks into fight or flight mode, leaning strongly towards flight.
"Get into the shower," she says and after a moment's hesitation I do.
She takes the kitchen stool she brought up and places it behind me before forcing me down onto it.
"Hands behind your back." The calm, quiet of her countenance scares me more than anything else at the moment...a calm Lauren is a dangerous thing.
After I do as told, she grabs the bungee cords from behind her and she goes about securing me to the stool, so tightly I can't move a muscle without grating against the exposed skin.
Satisfied I'm in pain and unable to move, she grabs one last thing from her bag of tricks...a glass full of a strange yellow liquid that smells like cleaning solution. I swallow thickly, I know what's in that glass, and I also know what it will do to me.
Holding it to me mouth she grins evilly once more. "Drink."
I can't force myself to comply, and my silence angers her further. "I said...drink." On the last word she yanks back my hair, which I'd stupidly tied back in an easy-to-grab ponytail, and I gasp, allowing her to pour the acidic cocktail down my throat. It burns like hellfire all the way down and I can't hold back a scream, which comes out as a quiet croaking sound after the lemon-vinegar assault.
She cackles, thoroughly enjoying herself before she flips on the water, set to boiling hot and I jerk to avoid the spray. Unfortunately, this only cause the stool to teeter backwards so my only option is to let the spray burn my skin.
Lauren laughs like a genuine movie villainess, hands on her hips as she observes her masterpiece. Finally done with her setup she leans in to whisper at my ear.
"Drown, whore."
With that she leaves me to my pain. Unbeknownst to her, however, this is an ideal punishment for me. Unlike when she beats me using fists, feet or other instruments, this torture I can get out of.
Calling upon my gifts I send power to the spray and the devil hot water cuts off in an instant, and I sag in relief. Next I send power to the cords and the metal ends bend back enough to allow me to wiggle free. It's times like these I'm most grateful to not be like other people, when my gifts may possibly keep me from crossing that final line between life and death.
I sit in that bathroom for several hours so I know Lauren won't suspect foul play. Then I leave to pack up my room, as well as the boys' room, smiling and humming to myself the entire time.
Looks like Ms. Olivia was right. I was kind and good in a life that was harsh and cruel to me and everything seems to be working itself out. I get the boys, I get myself, and I get a life back.
An hour later I hear the front door open and close before the boys' happy, excited giggles reach my ears.
I can't wait to tell them.
***
That night, after finally getting the boys to settle down after hours of listening to them talk excitedly about our new life, my blood seems to freeze in my veins. I feel inexplicable cold, a deep chill settles itself into my bones as if my entire body has been frozen in a stasis of some kind. I try to move from my bed only to find my limbs immobile and stiff. Looking down I see frost actually gathering on my skin, the frozen crystals melting and reforming as my hair stands on end and I'm covered in goosebumps.
Shivering I try to control my breathing, only to gasp in shock as I my breath comes out as a visible cloud of air in the warm room. What is happening to me?
Suddenly, I can no longer feel the cold of my body as a burning sensation stabs at my heart. Croaking out a scream of pain I tear at the shirt covering my torso to try to see what could be causing such a sensation.
A shocked, mangled cry escapes me when I see ink lines forming over my heart. A black swirl appears, soon covered in white circles, shrinking in size as each one forms, creating a target like image on the skin. Then, an explosion of pain blanks my vision for a few seconds and then everything is gone, the pain, the cold, the fire, everything.
I look back down to the marking and see a bright pink flare has overtaken the image, surrounding the nine circles and encompassing the shadows like swirl beneath. All of a sudden all of the energy and adrenaline leaches from my body.
What on Earth just happened? Is my final thought before I fall unconscious.