Once again while sitting in class I could see that everyone was looking at the bruises on my arms. I tried to hide them, but Carl hasn't exactly been making it easy for me to hide them like he did in the beginning. I don't believe that I could still call him my stepdad because of what he was doing to me. He isn't worth the word dad at all anymore.
He had been beating me since I turned six. I can't remember much from before and the only thing that is still really vivid is the day mum told me that dad had died sometime after my birth. I can't even remember how he looks like anymore. Mum and Carl threw away or hid all the pictures or something because there isn't any around the house. I wouldn't dare ask about one again as that didn't go well with Carl.
The only thing that I have that is remotely linked to dad is the dear John letter that was sent to mum when dad had went missing from his platoon and was assumed dead when he didn't show up in the following three days and was nowhere to be found.
Mum met Carl when I was age two just after dad was gone apparently. They got married when I was age four. I remember because they made sure to buy me a little cute dress and made me up like a pretty doll. This was well before he had turned on me. We used to be the perfect family and go out on family trips and ice-cream trips. This all ended when I turned six. This is when he started beating me in private but berating me in public whenever my mum was not around.
He hasn't stopped. I'm currently seventeen, turning eighteen in three months. I can't wait because then I can go away from them, and they won't have a foot to stand on when they try and get me back like last time. I don't care if I have to live on the streets until I'm on my feet as long as I just got away from him.
After school I got home and went straight to my room to try and avoid him. Unfortunately I didn't have a lock in my door anymore because I had used it once. Carl removed it afterwards and I had to spend a week in ICU which earned me just more punishments as I had cost them "additional money".
I could only close the door for a little freedom at this point. I had just started getting my books out of my backpack to try and do my homework as soon as possible, before I might not be able to do it later, when I heard footsteps approaching my room. Footsteps could and would most probably mean Carl and more hurt coming my way.
Hiding away doesn't help and only makes it worse because then he would just be more mad having had his anger fuelled and that would mean just a harsher and longer beating. I stayed after school once wanting to just finish a project due in the library and forgot to let them know. When I got home all hell had broken out and I remember that I couldn't sit down for the first two weeks after this. He had tested out his new golf set.
Luckily the footsteps moved past my door so I knew that I was safe for at least the time being and that I could quickly try and get this homework done. Might not be able to hand it in on time but at least I would have it done and get it in sometime for at least some marks and credits.
I always wonder whether mum knows and just looks past it so she doesn't get the same treatment or if she really doesn't know and is not observant enough to see me struggling to walk, sit or whatever after a beating.
She never asked about what had happened so either she knew and did nothing in regard to it or Carl had told her a fable of a story of what had happened to me. At least in this way I didn't have to think of any excuses anymore because I honestly don't have any more after having used all the obvious ones at school and with Kyle. I doubt they are needed with Kyle as he sort of figured everything out on his own accord.
It was him and his parents that helped me escape the first time and helped me get out of the house. I was grateful even though it had ended up not working and only making Carl even more mad than he was before. They feel bad but whenever I am with them, I tell them that they couldn't have known and now we know and we won't try it again until he has no legal foot to stand on.
They really have been nothing but good to me. He sneaks me some food whenever Carl has me on an eating strike and makes sure that whenever his clothes are too small that they are passed to me so at least I have somethings to wear because if it was up to Carl, I wouldn't have anything.
It was a lot later that evening when I heard more footsteps coming to my room again. I was already bathed and dressed ready for bed and contemplated "being asleep" but decided against that and went to open the door.
I opened and there stood mum full blown in tears clutching what looked to be a letter and an envelope in her hands. She was in such a state where she couldn't even tell me what the matter was so I took the letter from her hand and started reading the words that had made her so upset that she couldn't even tell me what was going on.
Dear Rose
I have been held captive by enemy forces. My fellow troops have rescued me, and I have been recuperating in the army hospital. I'm coming home soon. I can't wait to see you and our little girl. I know that this may come as a shock to you as you would have gotten a dear john but please I am not dead, and I am returning to you both as soon as possible.
Love
Your Jacob
Jacob? But that was dad's name.
Mum and I just stood there crying together. I don't know if mums’ tears are of joy or what but mine is definitely joy and relief. If dad is alive, he can come and save me from Carl and this horrible place I am finding myself in. I couldn't wait for him to come back.I didn't notice the time and Carl found us crying about the letter. He was the nicest and had the softest tone of voice when he took mum to their room to help her to bed. After a while he returned with that look on his face. He closed the door and started stalking towards me while I started walking backwards to try and avoid him coming towards me. I knew whatever I do he would be hurting me again.He grabbed me by the hair and pulled me to him. Sitting me down on the floor like a little girl he started kicking and punching me. I tried to crawl to my bed to get under it but before I could fully make it, he had pulled me back by my hair and just kept on hitting and kicking me everywhere he c
I felt that this time Carl had went too far and I would not stop until they had heard my story and believed me to be telling the truth. I would not be going back to that house after this. The nurse from before came and told me that the police was here and asked if she could let them in. I smiled and nodded my head yes. She left and a moment later the door opened and in walked three men. I didn't think that was really necessary but what did I know anyways. The first two introduced themselves as Chief Inspector Van Niekerk and detective Black. They both shook my hand and got their notebooks out. I looked to the other man that had come into the room with them but hadn't introduced himself and wondered who he could be. They didn't let me ponder on the identity of this man any longer and the two detectives started asking their questions and writing down my answers. Most of the questions were centred around what had happened before the time that I was beat as they had wanted to get the
One month later I was finally being discharged today and could finally get out of here. I am grateful for everything they have done for me but I definitely miss sleeping in a bed where you are not awoken at five thirty in the morning asking you whether you would like coffee or tea and taking your blood pressure each and every two hours during the night. I waited after I had signed the documentation releasing me from the hospital and with some final care instructions from the doctor and the nurses, I stood outside the hospital with no one waiting to pick me up and take me home. Not dad like he promised. Hell not even mum not that I would have gone with her if she was here but still. I decided to see if Kyle would be able to have someone come and get me and if his parents would mind me staying with them for a while until I found dad. It was probably my own fault because I don't have an address or a phone number or anything of him because I never asked and didn't see the need to hav
I woke up in Kyle's arms. Last night's events flooded into my mind. Kyle said a lot of things but what caught my attention the most was that last sentence that he would kill for me. He could have just said that he loves me because someone won't kill for someone else if it's not a love connection or a close friend. The other thing could also be that he had just said it so that I would calm down enough to go to sleep so that he could go back to sleep. So the question now is if he had really meant it or if he had just said it to calm me down. Wondering and thinking about this will just consume time and that is something that I unfortunately do not have the luxury of as I still need to get a way to find out where dad lives and get there before tonight. I don't think I will be able to survive another night sleeping over at Kyle's house, especially not if he will be saying stuff like last night to me. I tried to get up and out of bed but his arm that was holding me cuddling to him was ju
Never thought I would have the privilege to have a birthday party again. Especially after everything with Carl and mum. Dad said that if I had wanted to I could hold a small get-together for my friends and anyone else that I would want to come and celebrate my birthday with me. At first, I was skeptical about who to ask because friends wise I only have Kyle and nobody else. I didn't want to invite mom because she would be bringing Carl along with her and I wanted him as far away from me as was physically possible. After thinking it over and debating it in my head with myself, like a crazy person yes, I decided that I would invite everyone close to me that knows and helped me with everything before dad came home because ever since the war hero was back everyone wanted to suddenly become my friend. After all, my dad was a hero. I didn't want any one of those fakes at my party and if it ended up only being the four of us then so be it. At least I will hopefully have a wonderful time an
As I was limping toward the house my dad came to help me as soon as he had noticed me limping. He wanted to know what happened while he was helping me to get to his car. "Can I just please go and drop my stuff in the house before I let you take me to the hospital as I know that is what you want to do now?" I asked my dad. I just wanted to get away from the man if he was still chasing after me. I didn't know and I certainly couldn't check now. "No, give me everything you want to put in the house. Once I have you in the car I will drop it in the house coming back to take you to the hospital." I sighed. Dad led me towards his car and helped me into the passenger side before taking my bookbag and backpack I held out to him to drop off in the house. He wasn't even gone a minute before he was back pulling the car out of the driveway into the street. He looked mad and wanted to know what had happened and why and how I had gotten hurt. He looked angry but he assured me that he wasn't mad
When I heard the door opening I opened my eyes thinking it was Kyle that was leaving my room but when I had them open I saw that Kyle was inches away from touching his lips to mine. Knowing this the only explanation for who is at the door could be that it was my dad. I swear I have never seen anyone move as fast as Kyle did when my dad cleared his throat to announce his presence in the room. He was up, off of my bed, and out the door with a rushed goodbye in like three seconds. This had me laughing and I didn't even know what was funnier. Kyle's rushed leaving or my dad's face at what he had caught us doing in my room. After this dad has been acting funny and weirder than normal. What I didn't expect was that he and Kyle would be arranging behind my back to get my dress made and everything else arranged so that I would be ready to go to prom with him. The dress was the most perfect one I have ever seen and I fell in love with it almost immediately when I fit it for the first time
Kyle's P.O.V I got out of that suit as fast as I could with the prospect of cuddling with Clara, alone on the couch was something that I definitely was looking forward to. I had wanted to do so much more than the little goodnight peck I left on her cheek but I feared that her dad was home and he would cut off my you know what if he caught me kissing her on the mouth. He had warned me that he would do as much if he did see me getting cozy with his daughter. That alone would scare any young man from doing anything with her but adding the fact that he survived captivity for as long as he had and was in the military for so long had my legs shaking properly. This was also the reason that I looked up to him and admired him. You would think that someone like that would not be able to be as loving and gentle as he is with Clara. She has told me that she hears him some nights screaming when he wakes up from a nightmare and then crying before he is finally resting again. She doesn't know ho