Running from yesterday

Chapter 14

10 years earlier

One evening, as the sky turned shades of orange and pink, I heard the familiar sound of my dads heavy footsteps approaching the front door. My heart sank, and I could feel the tension in the air growing thicker by the second. I held my breath, praying that maybe this time would be different.

But as soon as my dad entered the house, his anger exploded like a volcano. The walls shook with his booming voice, and fear gripped my heart. Clair and I scurried to my room, trying to hide from the darkness that had engulfed our home.

From the safety of the room, I could hear my mom's soft voice, trying desperately to calm my dad down. I wished I could help, but I was too small and powerless. Tears streamed down my face as I longed for the happy times when my dad would come home with a smile on his face.

In that moment, I realized that my mom and clair was my hero. They shielded me from the storm. .Clair held me close, whispering words of love and reassurance, reminding me that we were safe.

A loud thud startles me as something slams into the wall. Before I can react, my dad bangs on our door trying to open it. But its locked thank goodness.

He bangs on the door and shouts my name. "Maria! Open this damn door right now!" He sounds furious. He sounds scary.

I don't answer. I don't move. I don't breathe. I hope he thinks I'm not here. I hope he goes away.

But he doesn't. He kicks the door with all his force. I hear the wood splinter and crack. He kicks it again and again, until it breaks off its hinges. He bursts into our room, making the door fall to the ground, with a deafening noise.

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As he walks into my room, he spots me on my bed, curled up in fear. I am paralyzed with terror, unable to move or speak. He reaches for my hair and yanks it hard, dragging me to the floor with a loud thump. Tears stream down my face as I feel a sharp pain in my scalp.

Clair rushes to intervene, but he slaps her across the face with such force that she falls back. I see her cheek turn crimson, bearing the imprint of his hand. I muster all my strength and kick him in the ankle, hoping to distract him from hurting Clair any further. He groans in pain and turns his angry gaze to me. He comes closer and spits out, "You're a f*****g mistake, you know that? You've been worthless since the day you were born. You're the cause of my damn misery!" He raises his fist again, ready to strike.

I shut my eyes tight, praying for it to end, praying for someone to rescue me.

But no one ever does.

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