His collateral

Pov; Ivy “You don't tell me what to do, woman " Dad's voice roars, shaking the walls of the house. “She is my daughter, Marco. I won't let you do that to my daughter," Mum's voice cracked; I held on to my blanket, praying he would let it go. It was a typical sound from my family. It was always noisy. I always wished for a day without the noise that my dad could just change and let things slide without causing anyone to bleed. People say that most average families are always happy, but mine was the opposite. A controlling and manipulative dad who couldn't even shoulder the whole family's needs but preferred gambling. “ I won't sell my daughter off; you pay what you owe to anyone, you monster,” Mum's voice came again. A thud, followed by Mum's pained gasp, made my heart skip a bit. I knew it. The air felt heavy in my lungs, my palms damp as I tried to block out the noise. “Please stop,” I murmured to myself, praying Dad would do that. Dad's voice came again “ Monster huh, you signed the paper too, w***e" Then a loud smack followed. I winced, feeling the impact on my skin. “Dad stop, I screamed” not knowing how I got out of my room, tears rolled down my eyes. His eyes turned towards me and my leg seemed to be made of jelly as he drew closer. And I felt an instant act of stupidity I wouldn't have stepped out. Mum came rushing to me before he could reach me, shielding me away from him. “Hit me all you want, Marco, stay away from my daughter," her voice trembling. He let out a little laughter as the doorbell rang saving us from the moment he nodded his head while pointing at me before going for the door. Mum grabbed my arm, Her nails digging into my skin. “ Ivy, listen to me, “she whispered, each word filled with fear. “There is no time. In your room — my credit cards – take them and go anywhere.” “Why?" The word slipped out before I could stop it. “You just have to listen to me, sweetheart’. Tears ran down her cheeks, which happened to meet her bloody lips, Guilt, and pain missing up in her eyes. My legs still couldn't move. “He signed…… Ivy, he signed you away,” she tried communicating, but a noise came from the door, almost like a grunt. Mom's eyes flickered with fear. “Go, Ivy, leave," Mum said, pushing me a little bit with her eyes fixed on the direction of the door with pure fear. I ran up to my room, my heart beating in fear. I scanned the room, trying to find the credit card, but my brain seemed not to be communicating, and my hands couldn't stop shaking. I could hear voices downstairs, very much not belonging to Mom or Dad. “Where is it? I murmured to myself, scattering everything and my eyes landed on it lying on the table like what any human would have seen earlier. A loud, piercing bang echoed through the air, jolting me upright; it sounded like a gunshot. A cold sweat broke out across my skin. “Where is she, you w***e”, Dad's voice came through. “Keep my daughter out of this Marco, please I beg you” I exhaled slowly, the tightness in my chest easing, “ she is still alive" I mumbled “Get Out of my way, let me fetch her myself.” Dad's voice came again. I felt bad for not helping out, for being too weak to protect her. Then the c***k of footsteps on the stairs followed, pulling my nerves tighter. I stood still for a moment, not knowing what to do next; the footsteps became nearer. I opened the window and jumped through it, the fastest decision I ever made. I hated myself for running, but I needed to get help; the night air bit into my skin as I ran, my thoughts everywhere. What was happening? Why did Mum ask me to leave? Who was at the door? “Ivy, what are you doing out here?" Bella asked, tugging at her strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Bella has been my comforter since grade one; she was the only one who knew about my parents. I always envied her because she had everything I couldn't. Our world was like two opposite universe her's the better version. “Come in,” she pulled me into her apartment; hugging me. I felt a little bit safe away from everything. " What happened Ivy ?” Tears run down my eyes as my mouth runs dry and my hands tremble. " I don't know, Bella, I have no idea, but whatever it was, it was serious; never seen my mum so scared and…,” I stammered as I was trying to explain in tears. “Calm down Ivy, we will get through this.” Hugging and patting my back. That was why I loved her. She was always good at comforting me or will I say she got used to it because of me. “There was a loud piercing bang. It was a gun, Bella. “ I completed what I had to say. She stiffened, her eyes widening, blood seemed to drain from her face, leaving her pale and shaken. “Are you sure it's a gunshot?” she asked, her voice steady, though I could see the fear flicker in her eyes. She knew it was capable of happening. “Did you hear any screams or your mom screaming?” she asked, her face twisted in concern. She was pleading that it wasn't a gunshot, too. “Nope, I still heard them arguing, and there were other voices down there.” She patted my back. “She is fine; it's just their normal fight," she said, touching my hair and trying every possible way to believe it wasn't a gunshot. “Ivy, you have to stop crying. It's your Dad; he can do a lot of things, but he can't kill your mum,” she said for the last time when she saw that my tears wouldn’t stop flowing. She was right. It was always a routine, the shouting, and the beating. Mum has always respected him, and she has endured each pain, but this night, the fear in her eyes was different. She was willing to give anything to avoid whatever it was she wanted to protect. "Have you ever thought of staying with me?” she asked, her voice pulling me out of my mind struggles. “You should know my Dad by now Bella," I replied. That idea would be the most ridiculous thing for a person like my Dad. I wondered what must have happened when I ran out of the house and what mum was so afraid of; I would have stayed; I felt bad for not helping out, for being too weak to protect her. Or maybe I needed to be protected too and I have never felt safe all my life. “Join me for the movie night; I was about to watch a show," Bella said, stretching a bowl of popcorn toward me, dragging my mind back to reality. But it wasn't long for me to drift back to them. What if he killed her? He could go that far. And the soft laughter from Bella drew my attention back again. I stared at her, how she was so free-minded, and wished I could be as happy as she was. It was already morning, I sat down at the counter, my mind filled with guilt so heavy that I could barely breathe. “ Miss Ivy, When was the last time you said you saw your Parents?” one of the policemen parading around asked for the hundredth time his eyebrows knitted with curiosity. “Yesterday” I replied., not knowing if it would be of help. My eyes darted to the stain of blood on the wall which was horrifying and created a lot of horrifying possibilities. I wondered what had happened when I left the house and ran away. Now, coming back to an empty house filled with blood stains, I just don’t know what to think. When the police finally left, the house was silent. Dragging myself upstairs, I collapsed onto the floor of my room, buried my face in my bed, and let the tears flow. “I am sorry, Mom, it was my fault. I would have called the police earlier or maybe defended you”. I muttered my voice cracking. But she wasn't there. I was talking to myself, Hoping the empty room could somehow carry my words to her wherever she was; worst of all, what if she was dead? A noise interrupted my thoughts, it came from downstairs and I felt a surge of hope “Mum?" I muttered, making my way downstairs. I froze as I stood face to face with a man with tinted glass and a well-tailored black suit. Who are you? I asked, fear tightening my chest, not knowing if I should be scared. His polished shoes clicked softly on the floor as he drew close, and I drew back in response; a faint cologne mixed with the metallic tang of blood made my stomach churn. My back hit a hard surface from behind before I could turn, a sharp sensation pressed against my nose from behind. Panic surged through me as I struggled, but my body gave up in a beat. My vision blurred, and the last thing I saw was the man standing in front of me motionless.