Blown Away

AN: Yes, this is a songfic to Carrie Underwood's Blown Away. I do not in any way own this song, and if I did I would be a lot richer than I am. This is the first in a series that really won't connect that much, but will all be based on songs.

Dry lightning crashed across the skies.

Those storm-clouds gathered in her eyes.

I was sitting at the table and doing my homework when I heard the crash. Standing up, I walked over to the kitchen sink to look out of the small window that rested over it. And when I noticed the lightning cutting a brilliant white streak across the background of the black sky, I rapidly stepped back, nearly crashing into the counter.

Her daddy was a mean old mister,
Mama was an angel in the ground.

"Heather!" I heard him shout. "Bring me another beer! Now!" I sighed quietly, but complied, opening the fridge to retrieve the fourth? fifth? beer of the day. I hate it when he drinks. He's angrier when he does. As I walked into the living room, I glanced at the photograph sitting on the fireplace. You thought he would change, Mamma. You thought he would, and so you stayed. Worked yourself to death for him and his habits, and left me here alone. But how can I blame you? I could have left. I still can leave. But I don't. And I don't know why. I handed him the bottle, stopping myself from smashing it over his head. See how you like it.

The weather man called for a twister
She prayed blow it down

"You kept me waiting again, girl." he said quietly, dangerously. "I bout missed the weather program, cause I was gonna check on you. I don't like to have to check on you." He sat up from his place on the couch, eyes twitching, hand tensing. I knew what was coming. I'm sick of this. "Yer lazy, girl. Just like your good fer nothing Ma! Can't get nothing done round here!" He swung, and I braced myself.

SMACK!

I barely felt it when I hit the floor.

She heard those sirens screaming out
Her daddy laid there passed out on the couch

It felt like hours before he stopped, but I knew that it had only been a few minutes. He laid back down on his seat and stared at the wall. I hate you daddy. I love you, but I hate you. You're supposed to love me, and you don't. All you do is hurt me. Like always, I only moved once she knew that he was asleep. That's the only time it's safe. I stood carefully, wiping away the tears of helpless anger, terrified that one false move would wake him. My eyes flickered to the television set, where I saw the local weatherman informing people that the sirens were about to go off.

Sure enough, a minute later I heard them. A faint, distant screaming sound that was coming from the nearest town, a few miles down the south road. I looked down. Loud enough for me to hear, but not loud enough to wake him up. The sleeping drunk didn't see my eyes blaze. No more daddy. You're done hurting me.

She locked herself in the cellar
Listened to the screaming of the wind

No one was around to hear my footsteps, to see my figure move slowly to the door under the staircase. I opened it, and without a single glance backward, stepped through it and bolted it behind me, ignoring the sounds of the approaching whirlwind. And he continued to snore, not waking even as the twister drifted closer. I'm sorry Mamma. But you look me in the eye and tell me that you wouldn't have done the exact same thing. Oh wait. You can't. All thanks to him.

God forgive me.

Some people call it taking shelter
She called it sweet revenge

My eyes were dry when the rescue teams told me that my father was dead and that there was nothing I could have done. They told me that I had done a good job of getting myself to the shelter by myself, and offered me condolences for my tragic loss.

If only they knew......

Shatter every window 'til it's all blown away,
Every brick, every board, every slamming door blown away
'Til there's nothing left standing, nothing left of yesterday
Every tear-soaked whiskey memory blown away,
Blown away

No matter what I tell people, I remember every detail of that day. I remember the damp darkness of the cellar when the lights finally went out, the howl of the wind as it grew closer, and closer, the creaking of the foundation and frame above me, and finally the cracking and shattering of my childhood home breaking apart. The tears streaked down my face as the realization of what I had done hit me.

I reveled in it.

There's not enough rain in Oklahoma
To wash the sins out of that house
There's not enough wind in Oklahoma
To rip the nails out of the past

The rain and the wind don't wash the memories of the pain, the begging, or the bruises away.

No daddy!

They don't take away the tears.

Please daddy, please, please stop!

They don't give me back my innocence.

I love you daddy, why are you doing this to me?

Nothing ever will. But they washed away the evidence, and ripped away the cause. That's enough for me. No one will ever know what went on in that hell. That's the way my mother would have wanted it. The way I wanted it. He's gone, and he can't kill anyone else. That's all that matters.

Shatter every window 'til it's all blown away
Every brick, every board, every slamming door blown away
'Til there's nothing left standing, nothing left of yesterday
Every tear-soaked whiskey memory blown away,

Blown away, blown away, blown away, blown away, blown away

And when I climbed out of the wreckage, I was surprised to see the fireplace still standing, with her picture still hanging over it. A miracle, some people called it. Others say it was a form of witchcraft. But for me, it was a promise of a new beginning. My mother's blessing to start a new life, without anything or anyone holding me back.

And I did.

Finis.