A Light In The Darkness

"SHUT UP w***e!" SLAP! She hits me again. Only this time I see stars. I hate this. I'm not big enough to fight back. So I bite my tongue and hold back tears. I'm not weak. Finally, after her constant beating and screaming at me she leaves. This time she was upset over nothing, as usual. Mollie left her glass on the counter. Unfortunately, I got blamed for it. But I wouldn't dare say it wasn't me. I couldn't. Mollie was eleven years younger than me. I am seventeen, almost eighteen. Mollie came into the foster home about two years ago. I say foster home but there are so many of us it's more like a group home. There are ten of us. Although I hardly ever see the boys. I share a room with the girls. But I only associate with Mollie. The younger girls are in and out so much that I don't even try to remember their names anymore. "Layla?" Mollie's shy voice. I turn around and her eyes are full of tears. "I'm so s-sor-" "No, don't apologize" I cut her off. It wasn't her fault. I knew she felt bad so I sat on the edge of her mat. "Mollie, I'll be eighteen soon and we will get out of here." I say and she smiles as I tuck her in.I love her. She is my sister. Not by blood of course. Being seven is hard. I still lived with my parents then. Before they died. They went to a New Years party and had too much to drink. Dad wrecked into a telephone poll and killed mom instantly. Dad was driven to a nearby hospital but died during surgery. My life wasn't great growing up. My parents were constantly on drugs and I was getting taken by cps. I was an only child. Mom got pregnant and had a little boy but he died from sids a few months after he came home from the hospital. I was eight at the time. They didn't talk about my brother because dad said he wasn't his. "Layla, what are you thinking about?" It's dark and the other girls are already asleep. "Work, I need to pick up an extra shift so I can save up more money." I lie, but now I'm thinking about that as well. I work all the time at the library. Although Kevin and Darbie take almost all the money I make. "Ohh" Mollie whispers. Suddenly the door opens. "It's time for bed, shut up and go to sleep before I wear your asses out!" Darbie hisses. "I'm sorry," Mollie says. Big mistake.. Before Darbie can get to her I jump up. "No, please Darbie! It was my fault I was telling Mollie a story!" I lie. I know she will have no problem beating me instead of Mollie. Also because I know if Darbie finds out I plan on taking Mollie she will flip her s**t. The longer she takes care of us the more she makes off us. She gets a raise from the state every 6 months. Darbie gives me a grin. "We will just wait until Kevin gets home, Layla. I don't have the energy to punish you." When she says this I flinch. Darbie is just a useless waste of space. But Kevin is close to 300 pounds and always smells like sweat and cigarettes.. He has no problem beating me. He hits me hard because he knows I refuse to cry. He has even locked me in the closet until I almost starved to death. I'm scared of him. He likes to torture me. He uses the girls to get to me as well. Like if I don't fess up to things he will throw them around. Even if I didn't do anything I always submit. (a piece of the book was taken or I had to stop writing.) I lost my virginity a year earlier when I was twelve at a birthday party. It wasn't anything special. Me and Mark Renolds from my pre-algebra class were playing seven minutes in heaven. It took maybe forty-five seconds but he asked me to stay the whole time. He really hasn't acknowledged me since. Just awkward glances in the hallway. I think he has a thing for my friend Alyssa anyway. I've kissed a few boys and they wanted to go father but I didn't. I'm not saving myself or anything I just didn't feel like I wanted to go that far with them. Suddenly the door opens. I'm hiding under the covers, praying it looks like I'm sleeping and I'll be left alone. But then I feel something hit my head and I get warm. "Layla!" I hear Mollie scream, I plead in my mind for her to be quiet. I uncover myself. Everything is blurry and I see Kevin grab Mollie by her hair. I can't help myself. "GET OFF OF HER YOU FAT PIECE OF s**t!" I scream. I was hoping this would distract him from her so he will come after me instead. He huffs and throws her across the room by the hair of her head. She starts crying in the corner. He runs at me. I never saw him move so fast. "You stupid little b***h, this is why your parents f*****g killed themselves. You are A USELESS w***e!" He grabs me by my shirt. It would hurt that he said that about my parents but he says it all the time. He hits me in the face. I'm stunned but I don't think anything's broken. "At least I'm not a fat loser that makes all my money off innocent kids!" I knew this was going to cost me time in the closet but I needed to get any heat off Mollie. Who is now hiding in the raggedy pink princess tent. Darbie picked up out of someone's trash. He then lets me go, like he is stunned. Then he starts punching me. I go down and he starts kicking me. He kicks me so hard in the stomach I can't catch my breath. I roll over and he starts stomping on my back. My head is still throbbing. He grabs me by my hair and drags me down the stairs. We pass the boys room and the kitchen then throws me in the closet. I'm bleeding, I can feel the blood pouring from my nose and taste it in my mouth. My right eye I'm sure is blown because I can't see s**t. I pray he leaves Mollie alone. I hear the closet lock click and I feel relieved. At least he is done with me. I press my ear up to the door and I hear him grab a beer out of the fridge and the TV turns on. Good, he is not going back upstairs. Mollie is safe. For now. So I drift off..