Frames Of Blood

CHAPTER 1: SCARLETT

My gaze wandered toward the clock for what felt like the hundredth time that evening. It was getting late—really late—and Papa still hadn’t come home. Mama was worried sick, and I didn’t know how to make her go to bed.

We both knew why he was late again.

What I didn’t understand was why we were still here, in this house, under this man’s roof. We should’ve been far away by now. But Mama... she had always been the dutiful wife, loyal to a fault—even though he beat her senseless.

And when I tried to stop him, he made sure I paid for it.

“Mama, let’s get some sleep. He’s not coming back tonight,” I said gently, wrapping my arms around hers.

As always, she shrugged me off.

“He’ll be here soon, Scar. I just know it. You go ahead and sleep if you want, but I’m staying here until your father comes home.”

Good thing Tiana was already asleep. If she were awake, I might have screamed from frustration. After Mama, my little sister is the one I love the most. She shouldn’t have to live through this.

Just as my thoughts began to spiral again, I heard a door slam outside. My heart dropped to my stomach.

He was drunk. Again.

“Haaaallieeeee…” my father slurred as he stumbled through the door.

“Mama, let’s go inside,” I begged. “He’ll hit you again—I just know it. Please.”

She hesitated, then finally turned to follow me. But just as we moved, his voice thundered behind us.

“Stay right where you are, or I swear to God I’ll blow your f*****g brains out.”

He was holding a gun.

“Harold, what are you doing?”

Mama whispered, barely audible, as tears welled in her eyes.

She was scared—I could feel it. We both knew what this man was capable of.

“Come here, Hallie dear,” he slurred, laughing like a madman. “Let Scarlett go back to bed. She looks tired.”

“No. I’m not leaving Mama with you,” I said, clutching her arm as tightly as I could. I couldn’t leave her. Nothing good ever came from that.

“Scar... where are you?”

Tiana’s soft voice echoed from the stairs as she stumbled down, rubbing her sleepy eyes. She must’ve had another nightmare. But this wasn’t the time—she needed to go back upstairs.

“Tia, I need you to go back upstairs, baby. I’ll be right there with you.”

“Nope... no one leaves. Not until I say so.”

His voice dropped cold, sending chills down my spine.

“Scarlett.”

Mama’s voice cut through the chaos. She never called me by my full name unless I was in trouble.

“Baby,” she said gently, “I need you to take Tia back upstairs. Stay there. Don’t come out until I come get you—okay?”

She wanted me to leave her?

Absolutely not.

Not now. Not ever. What if he did something worse? I couldn’t let that happen.

“Hallie, come here,” Papa said, a strange calmness in his tone.

“No, Mama—you can’t go to him,” I pleaded.

“I’m sorry, pumpkin pie,” she whispered.

Then, before I could stop her, Mama stepped across the room and walked straight toward him.

Papa grabbed her by the neck, pressing the gun to her temple.

I sucked in a sharp breath, trying to steady myself.

You will not cry. You will not cry.

I repeated the words like a mantra in my head.

“Look at us now,” Papa sneered, chuckling bitterly. “One big happy family... aren’t we?”

What happened next felt like a fever dream.

I watched as he leaned in and whispered something in Mama’s ear. Her eyes widened in terror.

She opened her mouth, maybe to scream at us to run—

And then he pulled the trigger.

The sound of the gunshot shattered everything.

I screamed, rushing to her as her lifeless body hit the floor, blood pooling beneath her head.

I cradled her in my arms, numb with shock.

Tiana.

Where was Tia?

Her hand wasn’t in mine—I hadn’t even noticed. I was too consumed by grief to realize she’d let go.

A small whimper snapped me back. I turned—

And saw my father strangling her.

“No!” I screamed, running at him. I clawed at his back, hit him with everything I had—but he wouldn’t stop.

He didn’t budge. He didn’t even flinch.

I watched the light fade from Tiana’s eyes.

Desperate, I grabbed the nearest thing I could—a vase—and smashed it against his skull.

He let go.

Tia’s body collapsed to the ground—cold, still, gone.

This couldn’t be real. It had to be a nightmare.

I held her against my chest, sobbing, heaving.

I didn’t ask for much.

I didn’t want the world.

All I ever wanted was my Mama. My sister.

But they were both gone.

And I was still alive.

Behind me, I heard movement.

Papa groaned as he stirred back to consciousness, blood dripping from his head.

“You worthless piece of s**t,” he spat. “You’re going to pay for that.”

Then he hit me—hard.

Everything went black as I collapsed, face-first, into the blood of the woman who gave me life.