Love Lengths

Chapter Three

Maggie

I had to take the bus back into town before I missed the last one, I’d done that before and didn’t get home until an hour after them. They hadn’t texted, or called, but what had greeted me had been so much worse, I wasn’t able to leave the house for a week, and even then only with make-up on.

They weren’t too concerned about whether other people could see or not, but I was. If people saw I’d have to deal with questions and I couldn’t face them.

The bus was quiet, almost empty; only one older man in jogging pants and a sports vest, fresh sweat sheen lined his bare biceps as he took selfies of himself and sent them to his friends on an app on his phone. I sat at the back of the bus, hood up and music on, waiting for my stop in town. The bus could take me all the way home, but I like the walk, so I got off leaving myself an hours’ walk and headed home.

I heard a commotion and a group of teens walking behind me, laughing and joking with each other, drunk no doubt. I hurriedly dipped into the nearest alley and waited, leaning against the wall, for them to leave.

‘Don’t be late sweetie’ the text had come through at lunch time earlier today, ‘We’ll be home just after midnight for dinner, you will be awake and have dinner ready on the table.’ Johnny had said with a wink at the end. She shuddered. It was already 10:30 and I still had an hour to get home, good job I had some frozen meals prepared in the freezer ready to microwave.

How had it come to this? My beautiful Nanna had cared for me so well, until the day she died, and then these two had to step in. My ‘parents’ Johnny and Jade; they had turned up after Nanna had died and wanted the house, the money and everything she had left to me. So now they live in my house, have me slave over them and spend all of my inheritance during the day and then go out drinking every night. For most people, parents take care of them and love them their whole lives, but mine had never been in my life, until they wanted what Nanna had left.

My mother had resented me and Nanna, she hadn’t inherited Nanna’s gift and so hated us both for having it. Johnny had never cared for children and didn’t want one, except for the benefits that the state paid for having one.

They didn’t like the idea that I might be out spending money, not that I had access to any of it, so they make sure I a home when they are and keep a limit on the bank card that I have in my name. Worse than that, they punish me if I don’t follow their rules. I winced as I felt the sting of the poker burn my arm, the latest punishment inflicted, last week, because I’d not prepared the chicken the way they wanted it. I used to love that fireplace in my living room; Nanna and I would curl up on the seat next to it and read for hours. Now it’s only lit when

they want to hurt me. A tear slid down my cheek as I wished, reverently, that the Goddess had taken me too.

I heard it then, someone had stumbled into the alley, breathing heavily and I could smell the blood. I turned to face him, scared and dying to touch his skin.