Breaking The Cycle

Chapter 2

Sarah's POV

*18 Years Prior*

     Pulling into the bumpy driveway, Melissa, my mom, turned to me and my siblings in the backseat of the old station wagon smiling. "We're here kids!" she says as the 3 of us look from our seats to the large 18 wheeler backing onto the property with our new home. This will be the first stable living environment we have ever lived in. 

    At only 7 years old, I have already bounced around from small shacks, run down motel rooms, and even just the safety of the family car. My family has never lived in one place for longer than a few months before we are forced to move on. My father fails to keep steady employment and is always on the run from the law and my mom struggles to provide for 3 children alone. That was, until one day when my mom was offered an amazing job as an assistant in a large law firm a few towns over. For the first time ever, my mom felt like there was hope for us. 

    As she began working and saving money, she was able to find a modular home that, after a few years of payments, she could one day own. She soon found a small piece of property to rent that would allow her to move her modular home on to it and she got everything set up as fast as possible.

    Eventually the day comes and my family and I are finally moving into our first actual home. The truck driver slowly backs the house in and the workers quickly begin to set the concrete blocks for the house to sit on. Once the house is placed, the driver of the truck tell my mom that we have to wait till tomorrow to be allowed in the house.

    Tonight me, my brother, my sister, and my mom are sleeping in the car outside of our new home. My dad disappeared for the night at the first opening he found, but that is a normal thing with him.

    Waking up to the early morning sun and to my brother, John’s feet jabbing me in the side, I open the car door stepping out and stretching. Looking around, I take in the heavily wooded area and the smell of wildflowers somewhere in the distance. It's early April and everything is in full bloom in Texas, especially the bluebonnets that I now see consuming the small pasture to my right in a sea of bright blue speckled with red from the Indian paintbrush flowers. This is my favorite time of year because I know that for one whole day, everyone in my little family, including my dad, will be happy and get along as we take annual bluebonnet pictures. I look forward to it every year and I really hope this year will be better than any other since the bonnets are right here next to us, so maybe we can have more than one good day.

    As I walk around the small bit of property where our home sits, I hear soft foot steps behind me. Jumping, I turn to find my sister, Abby, behind me grabbing her sides as she curls over laughing at the fear covering my face. I, on the other hand, do not find it very amusing and lung at Abby ready to take her down. Before I can grab hold of her, Abby takes off back towards the car with me hot on her heels. Quickly, we reached the car, tackling my sister to the ground, both of us roll in the loose gravel of the driveway.

    "Abigail Marie and Sarah Ann, if you don't get your rears up off that ground right this second, I'm gonna pull you up by your ears!" mom calls sternly to us. Getting up off the ground, we dust ourselves off still shoving each other softly. Mom makes her way over with the keys to our new home in hand just as John is dragging himself out of the backseat of the car to join us.

    "Come on you 3, it's time to go in! Who's ready to see the inside?" mom sings as she makes her way to the makeshift stairs in front of the house. Unlocking the door and walking in, my eyes widen taking in the room around me. Though the house has no furniture and we own nothing more than the clothes on our backs, I can finally say something feels like home.

    The house has 2 small bedrooms to one side that my siblings and I will be sharing with a bathroom in between and 1 larger bedroom on the other end of the house with its own master bathroom that will be for mom and Dean, my father. In the middle of the house is the living room with 2 windows on the far wall from the front door. Next to the living room is a cute little kitchen with an island right in the middle dividing the room for a dinning area. For our small family of 5, it is absolutely perfect!

    Settling in, Abby, John, and I make pallets on the floor of our rooms and we are just starting to fall asleep, when we hear the front door of the house slam shut. Immediately the screaming begins as my father storms through the house looking for someone to take his rage out on. Stepping to our rooms, he swings open the door to my room on his right where Abby and I are sitting in fear on the floor together. 

    "Abigail get the f**k out now and find that b***h you call mom!" spits my dad. Reaching forward, he pulls me up by the collar of my night shirt speaking only loud enough for me to hear, "Your ass is mine tonight.." An evil grin stretches across his face and he begins dragging me behind him out into the kitchen and then across to the living room. Just as he reaches the living room, my mom comes rushing in, panic clear on her face, begging me dad to let me go.

    "Dean please! She did nothing wrong! Take your anger out on me, please! Just don't hurt our children!" my mom cries out.

    "Shut the f**k up Melissa! I will do whatever the hell I want to this b***h and you won't stop me! Now get the hell out of my way and go take care of your bastard kids down the hall since they are all you f*****g care about!" my dad shouts, bringing the back of his hand across my mom's cheek before she runs to gather up John and Abby and hide.

    I stand trembling while my dad stares at me with a sickening look in his eye's. Still grinning, he lets out a disturbing chuckle and runs his fingers roughly down the side of my face before he slaps me. A loud ring sounds in my ears and I let out a soft cry staying perfectly still. I know that any sudden movement or noise will push him further over the edge, so I hold back the desire to cry out and run. Before I can even recover from the first hit, he proceeds to slap me 3 more times and then gives me a few punches to the chest and stomach. Using all his strength, he takes a final blow to my rib cage and I crumble to the ground at his feet unable to handle anymore. 

    Obviously satisfied with the sight in front of him, he lets out another dark chuckle and walks off towards the main bedroom, laying on the floor and falling straight to sleep. I stay where I am on the living room floor, terrified of moving, not knowing if there will be more abuse to come tonight. Crying softly, I soon fall into a deep sleep.