Spoiler
I'm not going to post anymore of this unless I get comments because of right now it seems like no one likes because I've gotten no comments.
I force myself to put one foot in front of the other until I'm up the front steps and opening the double doors.
"Excuse me, Ms. Hilth." I knock on the door frame of Jake's first gade class room. "Is Jake still here?"
She looks up at me, a troubled expression in her usually clear blue eyes. Her golden eye brows draw together as if she's thinking real hard and one of her pink lips has been trapped underneath her tooth as gnaws on it nervously. Or worriedly. All in all, it comes down to one thing: This is not good.
"Y-you're father came to get him." She looks away from me, a slender finger twirling around in her white-blonde hair.
Okay, so you should probably know that Ms. Hilth is only about twenty seven and almost every guy at the middle school and high school have like the hugest crush on her. Not that anyone can blame them, since, well she is super gorgeous. Just looking at her gives me an urge to cover my face with a paper bag. Another thing you should know is, her and my father dated.
Well, maybe "dated" isn't the right word, since my father has flings more then relationships. None last more then a week at most. The point is, they were involved. Now, this may not seem like that big of a deal except, if you think Dad treats us kids wrong, you don't even want to know how he treats these women. I don't even want to know how he treats them because it makes me so sick to stomach. And after he's finished smacking them around and getting what he wants from them, sex, drugs, money, alocohol, ect., he has them so intimidated with psychotic threats that they won't go to the police or ever bother with him again. It really makes me sick.
Needless to say, Ms. Hilth and I have an unspoken agreement not to tell anyone and to protect Summer and Jake.
"And you let them go with him?!" I explode with anger, ever muscle in my body stiffening.
She continues to stare out the window as the last students trickle out of the building and onto busses or to awaiting parents, older brothers and sisters, or babysitters.
"I'm sorry Sam, I couldn't stand up to him." She finally whispers, her voice meek and frail.
I nod and leave the room almost as if I'm on autopilot. As I push the heavy, metal doors out of my way and exit the school building, the full impact hits me. My baby brother and baby sister are with someone who has nearly killed us before. My baby brother and baby sister!
I feel my legs beneath me begin to run and my chest heaving with the effort. The world around me blurs into a whirlwind of color just passing me by as I rush to get home. Pedestrians stare at me and give me dirty looks when I push them out of the way but I mumble a barely legible apology without stopping.
It seems like eons before I finally slam into our front door, tossing it open and out of my way, but in reality it's only been about seven minutes. The steps dissappear beneath me two at a time as I heave myself up to the second floor.
"Daddy, what're we doing?" Jake's terrified voice cuts right through me.
I throw myself down the hallway, fear, terror, anxiety, and worry pumping adrenaline through my veins. I stop at the dark brown, oak door, pressing my ear against it after trying the doorknob which turned out to be locked.
"You're going to sit here and play Candy Land with your mother, sister and me." Dad's voice reaches me, slurred and intimidating.
I hear Summer whimpering along with another person sobbing quietly. Jake stays quiet, most likely trying to stay strong for Summer.
I raise a shaking hand, knocking on the door lightly. The hollow sound echoes through the almost silent house, making it seem even more frightening then usual.
"Dad," I call in, my voice shaking with fear. "c-can I come in. I need to speak with M-mom."
Okay, maybe it's a long shot but it's worth a try. I hear someone clamber to their feet clumsily, cross the room, and turn the lock. Tripping over my feet, I stumble backwards as my dad opens the door to reveal a pretty brunette who bears a remarkable resemblance to our mom, Jake, and Summer huddled together around the game board. Our "mom" is hand cuffed to the footboard of Dad's bed, Jake's hand cuffed to her, and Summer's hand cuffed to him. All of their faces are puffy from crying and tears still fall down "Mom's" face.
"Why don't you come in and play with us Sammie." He smiles in what he thinks is an inviting way but it still looks absolutely terrifying to me.
"Sure Dad." I force a smile onto my face.
My heart beats against my rib cage rapidly, making it pretty painfull to breath. As I step through the door frame, he grabs my arm painfully. Dad's dirty fingernails dig into my skin, his large hand almost crushing my delicate wrist. I bite down on my cheek hard so I won't cry out in surprise and pain.
"Sorry Sammie, but you'll have to where your bracelet like the rest of them."
His voice sounds cheerfull and bright, not sorry at all. My heart erupts into a frenzy of beats as he drags me across the room and picks up another pair of cuffs.
"Dad, what's going on? What're you doing?" I ask calmly, trying to keept my voice as even as possible.
"The families going to sit down and have game night, just like we used to. Remember when we'd pick you kids up and come straight home to play a game. Of course you were to young to participate, Jakey. You would sleep while me, your Mama, Summer, and Sammie played games." He explains drunkenly, his eyes heavy lidded and his body looking like dead weight.
I swallow hard and look over at the crying woman as dad cuffs me to Summer. I put my free arm around her tiny shoulders, shushing her quietly.
"What's your name." I whisper to the woman when our dad goes to close the door.
"Sh-shelia." She blubbers just as quietly.
"What happened?"
"H-he keeps c-calling me Hailie and w-won't let me leave. He thinks I'm h-his dead w-wife. I-I-I want to go home." She wails, getting his attention.
My heart stutters as he walks toward us slowly. "You. Are. Home." He announciates each word slowly and deliberately, his dark brown eyes flashing with anger.
Shelia shakes her head vigorously, her dark brown hair flying around her and sticking to her tear stained face. "Please, just let me go. J-just let me go!"
Her howls of fear cause him to slap her across the face. The sound of impact rings around the room.
"Hailie, do you think you can be a good girl now? Do we have to go over the rules again?" He asks in what sounds like a patient tone but is probably just another trick.
Shelia looks at me desperately. My arm tightens around Summer.
"He's going to hurt her." Jake whispers, staring at me unblinkingly.
"Close your eyes." I whisper back.
