ANASTASIA'S POV:
Attempt.
Making an effort to achieve or complete something.
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Waking up as the sun rises isn't ideal, especially not when you're a teenage girl who wishes she could sleep in. But you don't get what you want all the time, or in my case at all.
Besides you can find peace in the fact of waking up at sun rise. The birds chirp, squirrels squeak, people walk their animals, the moon fades away as the sun rises high into the sky. It's just peaceful, and there's almost nothing that can destroy that peace.
I watch the sun rise every morning around five-thirty in the morning every single morning, sometimes it's earlier, other's it later. But it's a constant in my life, the sun always rises and I look forward to the peace it brings in the mornings.
It's the calm before the storm.
After the sunrise I begin my long, tiring days. I start by getting my room ready. It's as simple as making my bed and picking out a simple pair of clothes to wear. It's mid-September in Wisconsin, which can either make it pants weather or shorts weather. Today happens to be a day where it's only sixty degrees out, which deems pants acceptable.
I grab my clean underwear and bra, one of my few clean sweaters and one of my few clean pairs of pants. The sweater was a dark purple long sleeved sweater. The pants were a pair of comfortable black leggings, and for my shoes they were regular old running shoes. I also had my mother's wedding ring which I had taken when none of my brothers were looking, and my father's wedding ring which I had also taken when none of my brothers were looking.
Nobody had said anything about either of them going missing, so I assume they never realized I took them. I deserved something of my parents, especially after I was told that I was partly to blame for their murder, and so I took their rings. I never took either ring off of my body. My finger eventually grew to fit my mother's ring, so I wear that ring on my hand everyday, but my father's ring is worn on a necklace, as it's still too big for my fingers.
ANASTASIA'S OUTFIT SHOWN ABOVE
I quickly grabbed the towel that was hanging off the end of my small twin size bed, before hurriedly making my way out of the bedroom and towards the bathroom. It was five-forty-five now and I only had until six o'clock in the bathroom. This was a schedule I had to follow in order to get everything ready for my brothers. If I didn't follow the schedule, then I was late, and would get in a heavy amount of trouble.
So as I entered the bathroom and closed the door behind me, I immediately turned the water on and started my morning getting-ready routine. I placed my towel on the towel rack, placed my clothes on the counter, undressed myself, did my business, and then wiped, before getting off the toilet, and washing my hands, then my face, and finally my teeth.
After that I quickly hopped in the shower, knowing that five minutes had gone by at this point, so I only had around ten minutes left in the bathroom. I quickly washed my body off before drying myself off, and then placed my clean clothes on my body, throwing the dirty clothes and dirty towel into the hamper.
Tonight was my night for washing everyone's clothes, so it wouldn't hurt for me to clean my towel. It had been around a week since I had last washed my towel, so it was time that it got cleaned.
That was a problem for future me to deal with though. I quickly threw my hair up into a messy bun, and then ran back to my bedroom.
I entered my room, closing the door behind me, and I checked my clock.
Five-fifty-eight in the morning.
Not bad at all.
I sighed heavily before quickly moving to exit my room. The next task on my to-do list was to pick out clothes for my brothers to wear. They never asked me to do it, but it seemed like it made life easier for them, and they always seemed in a better mood when they didn't have to pick out their clothes themselves.
I started towards James room. The house was still silent, James didn't wake up until six-fifteen on weekdays, so I had to move quickly. As I gently turned the knob of the door, I held my breath hoping that James wouldn't wake up.
He didn't.
I quickly yet silently made my way over to James' closet, making sure to leave James' bedroom door opened with the slightest crack. I skimmed through his closet before grabbing a random pair of his boxers, and a random red tie, then I grabbed a nice white work shirt, along with a thin black blazer, and black slacks. I grabbed a pair of white ankle length socks, and one of the pairs of black leather business shoes that he owned.
My eldest brother, James, is a lawyer. He thoroughly enjoys his job, even though he could become very stressed out at times because of it. When he was stressed it lead to me being hit more often than not, so I always tried to make life as easy as possible for him and my other brothers.
With having James' clothes picked out for him, I left them on his desk that he had set up in his room, before leaving the room just as quick as I had entered. I made sure to slowly close the door behind me. I didn't dare to slam the door behind me.
I moved from one room to the next, to the next, until eventually I had finished getting my brother's clothes picked out for the day. Matthew was a teacher's assistant, working his way up to becoming a full-time teacher. It was his dream job and I couldn't have been prouder of my older brother for following his dreams and passions, even if he helped set me up to fail in life.
You never really know the true quality of someone's character until the road in front of you gets rocky and they either leave you behind or help you along.
In my case, Matthew left me behind. So did Nathan, but there's no use in holding grudges. They had the chance to stay by my side and help me along, but they didn't, and that's not my fault. I just need to keep moving forward. They'll only hold me back in my life. After I graduate school, I'll be on my own, I'll be able to survive, and eventually I'll be fine.
I'll be just fine without my brothers.
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After my brothers outfits of the day were all picked out, I walked back into my room for another quick breather.
My heart and head felt like they were going to explode, but they always did when I was in this house. It was the anxiety talking, knowing that with one small mis-step, I could receive one of the worst beatings I've ever had. I could breathe too deeply, step too loudly, be one second too late, and I'd get hurt for it.
Living in a house where fear entraps you every single second of every single day is not a way to live a life. But it's how I live mine. I am simply existing, not living. I am surviving, not thriving, and it's killing me from the inside out, to know it could only take a single mis-step and my life might be gone.
Catching my breath, making the bad thoughts go away... It wasn't easy, it never is, but I pushed the thoughts deep inside my head for me to focus on later, and I checked the clock. It was six-thirteen. James' alarm clock would start blaring in two minutes, I had two minutes to get downstairs and begin brewing his coffee, while he woke up and showered.
Then he'd come down for his morning coffee and breakfast. Coffee took longer than food to prepare at this point though, so I knew that I needed to get downstairs now if I didn't want a harsh beating this morning for being only a few minutes late on the schedule.
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Seven-fifty-five in the morning.
My brothers were all showered, dressed, and feed. They were on their way to work and or school, meanwhile I was still at home, doing the dishes.
Something told me today was going to be an exceptionally bad day. I don't know what it was, but we can call it a gut feeling. Something terrible was going to happen today, I just wish I knew what the "something" terrible was.
I quickly finished the dishes and grabbed my backpack. It was thirty minute walk to the high school where I'm forced to learn everyday from. I was going to be late, but I could still try to make it on time.
Luckily, James works as a lawyer, I didn't need to worry about seeing him at school. Matthew is a high school teacher's assistant, he assisted our world history teacher. Jackson and Mason are both Juniors in high school, while Nathan and I are Freshman.
God only knows what's going to happen today, but I just hope I'm prepared enough for whatever it may be.
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Showing up to school at eight-thirty, when school started at eight-fifteen is a terrible way to start your morning, especially when it leads you to being seated in the principle's office being lectured on ways you could be more like your amazingly smart and dedicated brothers.
The things I wish I could say right now...
"Miss Smith, are you even listening to me?" Principle Perkins questioned me, annoyance seeping through his voice.
"No, sir I'm not." I spoke honestly as I rubbed my hand across my face, "I understand that my brothers are perfect in everybody's eyes, and I'm not. But I refuse to be like them. So please just give me my punishment and let me be done with this. This is my first time being late this year, I'm working on my sleeping issues."
It was a lie I told everyone. I had sleeping issues, insomnia. Anyone outside of our family didn't know that I was lying, but my brothers did. They knew what I was required to do everyday before leaving for school, but that didn't stop me from getting in trouble if I was late to school. They just wanted a reasonable excuse so they wouldn't get in trouble.
"During your free period, you'll be expected to study with Dane Murrow. I know you know who he is, considering the fact that he's best friends with your older brothers, Jackson and Mason. Dane needs extra credit, and you need someone to catch you up from the class you missed this morning. If you can pass the quiz the teacher will give you tomorrow I won't call home. Is that clear, Miss Smith?"
"Yes sir, Mr. Perkins."
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My free period class was my third period class, the class directly before lunch, which was perfectly fine for me. The reason why I was partnered with Dane Murrow was because of the fact that we shared the same free period class.
I met with Dane by himself, not thinking anything of it. We weren't in the free period classroom, because Dane said he'd be able to teach me more if we were in a more secluded area. We weren't going to be completely by ourselves. We'd be in the classroom nearest to the bathrooms.
If anything out of the ordinary happened, I'd be able to scream and people would hear me. Not that anything should or would happen, but it's better to be prepared. I don't need my Heaven, my home away from home to turn into the worst nightmare imaginable.
"Hey, how you doing, Ana?" Dane asked, walking up to me.
"Eh, okay." I shrugged, "You?"
"Pretty good, besides the whole need extra credit thing. But hey we can have a good time, right?" Dane laughed, a different type of a look passing through his eyes.
Though I'm sure I was imagining it, because as quick as I thought I seen it, it was already gone.
"After you?" Dane opened the door, and I walked passed him into the empty classroom. My stomach began churning nervously.
"So what do you need help in?"
"Uh, well. I was late to world history, and I-uh need to get the homework, do it, and understand the topic for tomorrow's quiz that the principle is going to give me."
The whole time I spoke, Dane continued to walk closer to me, until he was too close.
"Uh-Dane? What are you doing?" I questioned, as I scooted away from him.
"Relax, Ana." he whispered, his fingers pushing a loose strand of hair behind me ear, "I'll help you."
"Um-I feel really uncomfortable." I spoke rapidly, my anxiety was spiking.
"Don't. You'll enjoy this." Dane said, as pushed my backpack and his away from us.
"You'll be thanking me for this after."
And then he pushed my body down on the desk, so I was lying flat.
Confused and sort of dazed, he was able to easily overpower me.
"W-What are you doing?"
"Shh." he soothed, "Nobody will ever need to know."
His hands began roaming my body and tears filled my eyes as I began to realize what Dane was thinking.
"Dane, stop. I don't want this. Let me go." I tried pushing him away, but he only grabbed my hands.
"Stop fighting it, Anastasia." he told me roughly, "No one will believe you, so you better just let me do what I want, and then I'll leave you alone."
"No." I whimpered as his hands went inside of my sweater and he gripped my chest roughly.
"Yes." he smirked.
He moved his hands from my boobs down to my waistband as I was frozen in fear. He pulled my pants down. I felt like I was paralyzed, and nothing seemed to fix that feeling.
In that moment I was fearful, I was scared, and I let my guard down.
But then it was as if every single sense came back in one small second, as his hands began traveling inside of my pants, I realized I could move, I just had to move quick enough.
Without another second to wait, I threw my knee up and listened to the sudden groan of pain from the man in front of me, who was now kneeled on the floor in a fetal position. I yanked my pants back up and then quickly fixed my shirt as I hopped of the desk.
I tried to move away from Dane and get out of the classroom, but Dane stuck his hand out, grabbing my ankle at the same time, and suddenly we were in an all out fist fight. He was on top of me, throwing punches at my face, as I cried out and blindly swung back at him.
I was able to poke him in the eyes a couple different times with my fingers, and then buck my hips in order to use his body weight against him and throw him off of me. I took one final look at him as I raced to stand back up. Dane was glaring at me from his spot on the floor.
I picked up my backpack and ran, not bothering to look behind me.
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Author's Note -
Here's the second chapter of "Run-Away Little Sister: Hurting". It's different from the original, but I think it's better than the original. Let me know what you think about this chapter. Make sure you all comment, vote (by clicking the star), and share this story with those who might like it.
Thanks for reading!
-michaelaloveswriting
Original Version Published: March 29th. 2019
Edited Version Published: June 24th. 2022