Wild life

Birthday party 2

I was in shock.

I stumbled, trying to pick myself up before another blow. She watched me struggle with an evil grin on her face.

“What did I tell you about making it seem like you’re a charity case?!” Her voice got louder.

“Get up.”

She backed up a bit so that I could get my footing. As soon as I was up she grabbed me by my hair and pulled me to my bedroom. She slammed my face on the bed and said “Bend over” I did as she said, knowing what was coming next. My instant reaction was to Put my hands behind my back.

“Move your hands” I complied as I could hear the tingling of her belt in her hands.

SMACK

I cried out as the belt connected with my lower back.

“MOVE YOUR HANDS” I had put my hands back to try to catch the belt again. It was an instant response. I couldn’t help it.

“And shut up before someone hears you!”

SMACK SMACK

I cried out in pain.

She pushed my head further into my bed as to muffle my cries.

“You know what? Take your pants off.”

Oh no.

“NOW”

Shaking and out of breath, I slowly started taking my pants off as she said. But I wasn’t quick enough. She threw me on the bed and climbed on top of me. Sitting on my head with her legs towards my back as she ripped my pants and panties off.

“This will teach you to keep your damned mouth shut.”

SMACK

I screamed as the belt hit my bare bottom. My body thrashing with the pain and trying to wiggle my way out from under her, she continued.

“Sit the f*** still. Or it’ll get worse”

She continued to beat me. With every lash I became dizzy, as she was also sitting on my head trying to muffle my screams so that no one would know what was going on. She used all of her strength to keep me down, and to swing the belt on my bare bottom. I was in agony.

At some point she started getting tired and got up. I immediately went to grab my clothes to try to put them back on. This made her mad and seemed to give her more energy.

“Did I say you could do that?”

“N-no” I said through the tears

“Get on the bed. Lie face down.” I did as she said, lied down with my face buried in the pillow and stayed still.

SMACK

I cried out again, accidentally lifting my head from the pillow. Which caused her to get on top of my and push my face down yet again telling me “Shut the f*** up”

She got off of me and whipped me one more time. As I lied there crying she said “Keep your f***ing mouth shut and this won’t happen. It’s all your fault” she started to put her belt back on.

“And don’t you dare say a word. Get your clothes on and clean your face.”

She finished putting her belt on and I refused to look at her as I put my clothes back on. Wincing as I pulled my pants over my newly formed, many welts. I continued to cry softly.

“What did I say?”

I looked up through the tears, she was looking at me in anger.

“I’m putting them on.” I said weakly.

“Hurry up and go clean your face before dad gets back. And come back and sit in your room”

She left my room and turned into my brothers. I sighed in relief as the aura in the room changed. I was safe. For now. I didn’t understand what had just happened. All of this because of some nail polish?

I finished buttoning my pants, which were slightly too small; and ran to the bathroom. It was on the other side of the house. I quickly washed the sweat and tears off my face. Trying to calm myself down as I let the cool water run down my face. I dried my face off and hurried back to my room.

I knew I’d be in trouble again if I just sat there. So I started cleaning. I remade the bed, where it had been messed up. I reorganized the few things I was allowed to have in my room. I had a very bland room. One couldn’t tell that a child had lived there.

I had a very plain room in fact, a dresser, a bed, and an old black trunk that was supposed to hold blankets, but was empty. I rearranged the few things I had on my dresser and wiped any dust away. There wasn’t much to clean. I opened my drawers and begin to refold everything, I put my school clothes together in one drawer, outside/home clothes together, socks together, etc. this brought me some sense of relief as I let my mild OCD take over and was consumed in what I was doing.

I was doing this for maybe half an hour before my sister came in the room as I was finishing up.

“Mom said fix your face and come out”

She turned and exited. Mom never came back after what she did. Every time we were “punished” she would send one of our siblings to fetch us.

“Fix your face” meant to be sure no one would know I was crying or that anything had happened. I had a very small mirror hanging on my wall. I hadn’t been crying for at least half an hour, so it looked like I had just been sent to my room to clean. I adjusted my hair a bit, my bangs covering the side of my face where I had taken a blow. And hurried outside where everyone was.

My eyes took a minute to adjust, they always have been very sensitive to light. It often caused migraines and crying beforehand made it worse. The sun felt nice on my face. It was a warm day, not too hot. The sun always gave me a sense of relief, and I had almost forgotten what had just happened.

I turn to step off the back porch, and I see my parents both sitting on the pavilion my dad and brothers had built together.

“Why don’t you go pick us some flowers?” My mom asked. It’s meant to just keep me away from everyone, which was fine with me.

As I go to walk down the road, my sister-in-law at the time shouts at me “happy late birthday!”

I turned around with a sweet smile and said “Thank you” and walked away to go find wild flowers. Thinking I’ll surely be in trouble for this later.

I went off to pick flowers as told. I actually enjoyed this. There was something comforting about finding the unique flowers that bloomed around in the alfalfa fields, and picking them before they were cut into hay. I was mesmerized by their beauty and smells. There was such a vast variety. I took to the wild daisies and yellow buttercups the most, they had such a fragrant smell. I would often pick them and save the petals, put them in a glass jar of water to sit in my bedroom. It was amazing how they would make my bedroom smell cozy and warm.

Sometimes I would be allowed to pick up the fallen rose petals from the bushes that would bloom annually, which were planted years ago before I arrived. I was myself when I could be by myself, alone with my flowers.