This came to me when I was self-diagnosing myself on the Internet. Please note, that it is not healthy and furthermore harmful. I seriously thought I had OCD for a moment; though it’s highly unlikely. Anyways, read the fruit of my fear... lol,
Chapter One
It was all a game. It was their favourite game. It was fun, and it passed time. While they were dwindling their time away doing God knows what, she was stuck cleaning up all their messes. When they drudged in hung-over and tired, she nursed their headaches and took care of them.
She was only ten when IT happened. Her mother and brother came in again, drunk, as usual. She ignored them, preferring to read her Biology books she got from the nice librarian lady. They made jabs at her, called her names, and poked her in the side with their dirty fingers. They grew agitated that she wasn’t reacting, why wasn’t she crying? Why wasn’t she doing anything?
Becoming a bit sober, they decided they needed a new way to torture her, a new way to have fun. Decidedly, her elder brother, Greg, picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. She knew better than to scream or even make a noise. Her head bounced every time Greg’s drinks kicked in and he stumbled. She muffled“Oomph” when he abruptly stopped at the basement door.
He kicked open the door and Anne, imagined the splinters flying in the air. Her mother giggled behind them , slurring encouragement at her brother.
Greg stumbled a little ways down the long stairs and soon became bored. He threw her the rickety staircase and she fell with her teddy bear limply next to her. This erupted a large booming laugh from his diaphragm. Anne made a loud shriek as she landed on the hard cement floor. Greg suddenly found energy to go down also, with her mother who was still laughing hysterically.
They kicked at her and picked her up and threw her around the dark room which inhabited years old dust bunnies in every corner. She kept her mouth shut as they took out their hidden anger on her. They took everything she said and took it offensively. She was cautious with her silence. But she made a few attempts to show them that they’d hurt her, if not, the abuse would continue the whole night long.
Growing bored, they left her alone to wallow in the dark abyss.
Days passed and they hadn’t returned, surprisingly, she was content. They were leaving her alone...Finally.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar fear ran up her spine. It planted a seed and grew; feeding off the anxiety she gave off. The walls began to close in on her and she began to breathe erratically. Her body gave off signals to her brain, telling it to panic. She clutched to her teddy bear and rocked it like a newborn baby.
The dust mites began to crawl over her body, playing gleefully on the dead components on her skin.
That’s what she was... Dead to the world.
Her body vibrated with a gnawing hunger that erupted from within. She felt like her insides were being eaten and devoured by an animal born from the deficiency that she lacked.
Four weeks passed since she was thrown down and a loud rapping was heard at the basement door. Crawling into an inconspicuous corner, she shuddered with hungry and shook with fear. They’d left her alone for the longest time in her entire life and they were coming to get her.
Her teeth chattered and she rocked back and forth, unsure of what lie ahead. Her eyes dilated and adjusted to the dark she was consumed by. Though being able to see dimly, it still terrified her that she could not see anything in front of her.
The loud rapping returned and a large ultrasonic sound was heard. A cavity of light entered and she shrank further into her corner; blissfully ignoring the spider web that flew across her back.
A hefty figure emerged from the light. Anne struggled to figure out what or who he was but was drawn up to a blank. Being left down there so long caused her to have a lapse in her efficiency in education. The man said words and Anne could only catch two, “...found....her...”
He scooped up Anne and carried her up the misshapen wooden stairs.
Woozy from all the confusion, Anna mumbled to the man and instructed him to carry her back. She could only form incoherent sentences.
“They ...come...”
“Look...me...for...”
“Angry.... me”
The hefty man shushed her and mumbled nonsense in her ears. He brought her outside to a whole new world. She hadn’t been outside in so long, she’d almost forgotten what grass looked like, let alone normal human beings.
She winced from the sudden flow of light reaching her retina...or fovea... She couldn’t remember. Closing her eyes, she formed images from the sounds she heard flying around her. She could hear the pretty Asian woman who did the news. She could hear the furious snapping of cameras and the buzz of busy adults. She heard the frantic whir of police cars and ambulances.
But she was missing one sound. One sound that she was afraid to miss. She missed the sound of her brother and mother smashing furniture. She missed the sound of them shouting foul words.
She surprised herself. She almost felt nostalgic at the absence of the clink of beer bottles on a Saturday night. She didn’t even know what day it was.
She didn’t even register that she was free.
*~*
Anne straightened her jacket for the fourth time. Walking in front of her mirror she picked up her brush and proceeded to brush her hair for four long strokes. She resisted that morning and basked in her small feat. She brushed her teeth once and only cleaned her room two times the night before.
Her parents didn’t really put up with her quirks. They merely tolerated them. Sending her to the best psychiatrists in the country, they tried to find out why their adopted daughter couldn’t wash her hands less than four times or sleep without four pillows on her bed and still slept with the light on.
Tapping the door handle four times, she exited her bedroom and walked down the stairs, skipping every fourth step and refusing to use the hand rail.
She was completely petrified of the germs and bacteria lying on the single piece of green wood. She went to a normal school; one of the best ones in the county. Moving to Tatum County meant a whole new life to Anne. Her adoptive parents adopted her without even looking at her case file; without even questioning why an ten year old girl couldn’t go anywhere without her old teddy bear.
Seven years and counting, she spent the rest of her days with the Isles family. Consisting of her adoptive mother and father and her adoptive brother, they made up her entire world. Thought they weren’t that appreciative of how she reacted and acted towards certain things, they grew on her and became her real family.
She hadn’t seen her biological siblings in years and was content like that.
Her adoptive brother, Scott, knocked into her and sloshed coffee on her entire front. Panicking, she frantically shook and ran feverishly to the bathroom. She disposed of the possible germs and took four distinct showers. She never did like the smell of coffee, it reminded her too much of the basement. The basement smelt like old coffee and dusty furniture.
Running her fingers through her hair four more times, she took a breath and proceeded back down stairs.
Her parents barely glanced at her when she returned. They’d gone through the shock phase when she had her first “quirk”. But now, they barely noticed her fall-backs and reactions to any form of dirt.
Kissing her father, she wished him good morning. Smiling, he closed his newspaper and folded it into half.
“So, Annie, how do you feel about... going somewhere for... help?”
“What do you mean Daddy?” He smiled at her use of the endearment that stuck since she arrived.
“How would you feel if we sent you to get help for your-” He paused looking for the right word to call it, “- problem?”
“Whatever you want Daddy,” She hugged him and grabbed her bag for school. Rushing outside, she yelled goodbye to the rest of her family.
“Bye Scott! Bye Martha!”
As rushed outside, to brave not only the world, but also the school.
Anne attended the prestigious Tatum Academy. It was the most expensive school in the state and most likely the best. However, it was like a personal prison for Anne. She was shoved, pushed and ignored by most. She tried to make herself small, but some just liked to prey on the weak.
Anne was bending. She had to make sure she didn't break.
Author’s Note:
O.M.G! This is one of my personal favourite of stories, I’m in my psychological disorder phase. Please excuse any inaccurate information, I am basing everything from Google research.
Peace, Love & Unfathomable Crushes <3