Victim to Victor: The rise to Love

Chapter 3

All too soon Storm's father's words rang true, in the following months, Scott became a shell of a man. Withering to the bone, he grew weak and lost weight. The once divine creature was nearing the image of a corpse slowly decaying. Helena's world took a turn as well as she found friendship in a bottle. As fewer and fewer families stopped by each month, it had now become Storm's responsibility between school and chores to take care of her father. On good days, Helena would pitch in, treating Storm like a nuisance, an incompetent baby. On those few days, Storm could spend just enough time on her schoolwork. She'd gone from straight A's to barely scraping by. Still, Storm would do it all over again if it meant helping her father. Storm couldn't help but feel the burden placed upon her, her mother's anger and the abandonment of family members. Her life of love and kindness had turned into a life of sadness and an impossible workload.

Another month passed, it was now five months since Storm's father had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Helena had fallen deeper into the bottle and the family completely ignored their struggles. Storm kept a strong front, she'd built a wall to protect herself from the icy chill of her mother's gaze and bitter words. Storm was not prepared for what happened next. She had spent the entire weekend cleaning and caring for her father and even managed to cook a few meals to be frozen and stored for the coming week.

It was well after midnight when Storm finally made it to bed, just as she lay her head down and slowly drifted her mother crashed through her bedroom door, a drunken mess. Storm's eyes shot open as she jumped out of bed. A tear-streaked face laced with rage unknown to Storm approached her. Light bounced off an object in Helena's hand as she closed in like a predator approaching prey.

“What are you doing, Mom?!” Storm cried out into a deafening silence.

A growl escaped Helena's lips as she pushed forward still.

“Mom!! You're scaring me! Please stop this!” Storm pleaded.

Instinct kicked in as Storm attempted to bypass her mother and run for the door. In an instant, she was grabbed and pulled into her mother's hold, a cool steel resting on her neck.

“You must think you're God's gift to mankind? You're not!” Helena forced through clenched teeth.

Storm struggled to free herself, her pleas ignored. Helena continued,

“The day you were born you stole your father's love for me! You greedy, useless child! You're just a thief! Not only that, but you're a failure!”

Storm was paralyzed now, the knife against her neck threatening to break the barriers of her delicate skin.

“Mom, please!” Storm whimpered.

“Shut up, brat!” Spat Helena.

Helena yanked at Storm's hair causing Storm to scream in pain.

“You ruined my life! The one man I have given my life to has left me hanging in the wind like a used-up rag! We had it all before you! Pushed away for an i***t child, over and over again! May you burn in hell for what precious love you've stolen from me!” Angry words continue to fly out of Helena's mouth.

That was it! Helena had said what she needed to. The only thing left was to remove the light from her child's eyes. As Helena held Storm in her grip and started dragging the knife across Storm's throat, there in the distance on the top floor was a loud thud and an agonizing shriek.

“Help me! Somebody, help please!”

Helena dropped the knife and ran towards Scott's helpless cries, almost stumbling over her own feet. The liquor is still in full effect. Storm's legs finally gave out, and she hit the floor her head knocking the corner of her bedside table on the way down. Conscious thoughts left her as darkness took over.

When Storm awoke next, she was completely out of it. Her head swam in intense pain. Dazed and confused she took in her surroundings, she found herself on her bedroom floor. All the events of the midnight hours flooded Storm's head. “Why?” Was the question replaying itself over and over. Her mother was cold, but did she just try to kill her? Storm struggled to summon the strength to find her feet, although exhausted from the battle she had fought with her mother, Storm's eyes grew heavy once more and sleep set into place.

In those moments across town, Scott was rushed into surgery. Surrounded by medical staff, fighting his own battles. In his frail state, falling off his bed had led to breaking a rib which in return punctured his cancer-riddled lung. Suffocated by his own body, denied the strength to carry on. Scott lay in his hospital bed praying for his daughter. He had heard the foul words of hatred spat at his child, his princess, the one who had carried him through the hardest parts of treatment. Tears streamed down his face as he recalled all the times his daughter had sat up with him, reading to him, soothing the pain away with delicate words that painted the sights of adventure. Scott was a man blessed with a daughter who had carried him through tougher times than his family or wife had even attempted to. “We got this dad.” Almost becoming a motto to their daily routine. Scott knew that he was losing the battle, every checkup, and every test just confirmed that the cancer was spreading. Chemo and radiation, assaulting his weak body and in the end only prolonging his ultimate fate.

Scott had written letters to his daughter. Day by day as he grew weaker, all Scott could do was to put ink on paper explaining to his daughter what awaited him. Not only did he explain to her his fate, but he wrote to her about the world and what awaited her when she came of age. He could only hope that she would find these letters once he was gone. Slipping away under anaesthetic Scott's visions and hopes for Storm all combined into a whirlpool slowly fading into the background until he was completely taken under.

Across the hospital, in the waiting room well known to Helena, she paced frantically up and down. Had she been willing to take the life of her child? What would Scott think of her? Maybe that's why he withdrew his love. Helena had become the monster she had steered away from all her life. Monsters didn't deserve love, they didn't deserve a family. Maybe if Helena left, Scott would survive and Storm could be happy. After hours of waiting, thinking, tearing her mind and heart into two. Helena finally decided she was leaving. Scott was a strong man and Storm was surely following in his footsteps, they'd be better off without her. Collecting her belongings, Helena decided that it was for the better and started her journey to the exit.

“Mrs Haven!” A doctor called out.

Helena ignored this and pressed forward.

“Mrs Haven! Please!” The doctor called again.

The urgency in her voice sent cold shivers down Helena's spine. Turning to face the voice, the doctor closed the distance.

“Ma'am, I'm sorry to inform you, with the puncture wound to the lung and the vast amount of cancer, Mr Haven's body was too weak to survive the surgery. Despite our best efforts, Mr Haven died half an hour ago. Our sincere condolences to you and your family.”

The doctor placing a hand of comfort on Helena's shoulder suddenly felt like the weight of the world. Helena crashed to her knees as she processed the words that left the doctor's lips.

“He didn't make it...” Helena whispered.

Her heart finally shattered, her world was empty, and her hopes to flee were destroyed. Tears flowed down Helena's cheeks as she openly sobbed. Not caring about what anyone saw or thought. How was she supposed to return to a house where she wouldn't see Scott? His glorious smile stole her heart. What was she supposed to do with that child? She looked so much like him, and yet she hated her for it. Too many questions filled Helena's mind. The doctor had left, and she was left a mess on the hospital floor.

A nurse appeared at Helena's side,

“Ma'am I need you to follow me please, I'm going to take you to our office. We need you to sign a few documents releasing Mr Haven's personal belongings and also to contact your funeral director. We know this is a difficult time, and we aren't rushing you, Ma'am. At the very least you'll have some privacy to mourn.”

As the nurse finished, she offered a hand to Helena. Taking the nurse's hand, Helena slowly followed the woman to a nearby office. Once in the office, the nurse produced the required documents.

“If you need anything else I'll be down the hall Ma'am, please take your time.”

With that, the nurse left closing the door behind her. Helena's world froze, she was overwhelmed, breaking down once more. Her tears were like rivers down her face.

Storm's eyes slowly fluttered open to the bright sunlight cascading against her face, a dull buzz still filling her head and her body ached. Suddenly Storm jumped up.

“Oh no! I missed school! What time is it?!”

Searching her room for the clock, the time was now 12:30 pm. Storm had slept through most of the school day. Storm got on her bed and curled herself into one big ball of pity.

“My mother hates me, I've missed school. Dad...”

Her head shot up in fear. She remembered the loud thud last night and her father's call for help. Jumping out of bed, Storm ran out of her room up the stairs and into his bedroom. Storm's heart sank, he wasn't there, only his scent lingered in the room filling Storm with some comfort. Storm climbed on his bed, taking a book that she had often read to her father. Opening the book, Storm started reading out loud as if her father were there. Willing him home with the words of his favourite book. Teardrops fell on the well-worn pages, uncertainty could have certainly strangled Storm at that point. As Storm neared the middle of the book an envelope fell out, Storm looked at the writing in front of the envelope. It was her father's handwriting, addressed to her. Opening the envelope slowly and gently, to not damage it, Storm retrieved the letter inside and started reading.

“To the princess of my heart,

You have made the hardship of this battle I've been fighting so much lighter, your love and light have eased many aches. Your soothing words ease my mind away from all the troubles I've faced. As I have not been able to move around, I've often spent time writing letters to you, I fear I may not recover from this, the cancer has spread too far and treatments have made me so weak. You have been my pillar of strength in this time, I cannot begin to fathom my life without you. I must thank you for being the beautiful soul that you are, always putting others before yourself my dear princess. My need to apologize trumps my gratitude, as it is no place for a young girl to take on so much responsibility. You are a much stronger child than I was at your age. I am proud to be your father. I know your mother has changed over the years and has become bitter and cold. Furthermore, I hope in time she too can forgive me. My child, if you have found this letter then surely I am no longer around. Scattered around the room are many more letters written to you. Though my heart aches at the thought of saying goodbye, life has left me no other choice. I hope you keep blossoming into the Queen you were meant to be. That you love sincerely, that you forgive others so that your life can move forward without bearing grudges. Life has been truly beautiful for me, I met your mother, lost my heart and brought a wonderful baby girl into the world who has shown me nothing less than unconditional love. My wish for you, a beautiful life that treats you well. I love you, Princess.”

Storm's throat constricted, and her head spun in confusion. She felt anguished, how could this be happening? Was this true?!

Suddenly a door in the distance slammed shut and a drunken slur filled the air.

“Yer dads dead, you rotten child!”