One more sip, Lila thought as her mom gulped down the last drop until the bottle was completely dry. Her mom dropped the bottle to her feet and stumbled across the floor. She could barely keep her balance but somehow managed to stay up until she reached the couch, where she sat with a thud. Lila slid back into the hall way which lately seemed like a dark ally from those ‘Halloween’ movies. The light didn’t turn on so it was highly recommended not to go to the bathroom at night, so Lila held it in till the morning came.
Every step she took felt like it shook the house, for once the house was still, settle. Lila knew the sweet serenity wouldn’t last long as she held her breath with every creek the floorboards made, stopping to insure no one was following. Lila reached her room and shut the door as quietly as possible. With her blue eyes, bruised from all the pain they seen, looked into a diary which she wrote in every day with hopes someday someone would read it and understand why there was always sadness in her face. Understand why she was always filled with drought even on cool evenings and cold days. Lila picked up her chewed pen and began a new page, the next chapter of her life. Today was her sixteenth birthday and she planned to start anew, not that she knew how. Lila walked to the window and sat on the ledge which was once covered in bright pink and purple sheets, typical girl. She still had the same sheets from 6 years ago but now they were stained with time. She peaked her head out the torn curtain and and let the sun leak down upon her, wondering if there were actual angels up there. Probably not she thought.
A young girl, no older then six, walked with her mother across the street, reminding Lila of when that used to be her mother and her. They used to live a picture perfect life until Andy came along. That’s when things changed. Put it out of your mind.
The leaves grew a coat of blown and orange as they fell softly to the ground, Lila wished she had a soft landing. Something to catch her, be her carrier. She began to write but the words faded. Her pen ran out of ink. Great. It didn’t matter now, Andy’s car was pulling in the driveway. Lila quickly closed the curtain, hid her diary between the box spring and mattress, and slung the blankets over her head. She hoped Andy would think she was asleep and leave her be but she soon heard the footsteps, her body was sweating and hot from all the heat pouring onto it but she ignored the pain.
The door slid open.
No, she thought to herself. Don’t be him!
Don’t be him! Her eyes began to cry. She tugged on the covers hoping they would make her disappear into a new world. Hoping she could just die then. One crunch, then another and another. They grew closer and louder. Lila’s face was turning as red as a rose, as red as a bloody rose.
Lila felt his breath, felt his presence right beside her, all around her. The blankets flung off her body and soon she was ice cold. She closed her eyes then closed them tighter and tighter. She held back her breath as her sweat dripped down her ice cold neck.
He pushed her over so she was laying on her back and her blue eyes shot open, blood shot. She wanted to close them but the fear had over taken her, she couldn’t close them. She wanted to run but she was too scared to move, too scared to even breath.
“What no goodnight kiss?” Andy grinned devilishly.
“I-I was tired” She stuttered and bit down on her tongue.
“Get up!” He growled her way. Lila couldn’t feel her legs, she was sixteen and still didn’t have the courage to fight back. Her whole body was numb and she begged them to move, pleaded with them. She was paralyzed from her head to her toes. She was fearful and he was fearless.
“I said get up!” Andy pulled her by the arm.
“Leave me alone! Stop it!” The tears rolled down her face as her feet were dragged away from her bed. “Stop it! Stop it!” He slung her into an empty, small room and took a whip from a table near him. “No!” “I didn’t do anything!” Lila called, shouted, screamed but no one heard her, no one listened. He slapped her hard across the face with the black, leather whip. “Stop! please!”
”Get to your knees!” Lila ran to the wall, crawled into a corner and buried her head in her arms. “Get to you knees!” He put his arms around her neck and choked her as he carried her to the center of the room and made her get to her knees. “Put your hands behind your back!” he swapped at her. “I said put your hands behind your back!” She did as he said and with a cut to the head everything went black.
Lila woke up the next morning in her bed, a few blood stains here and there and tattooed bruises covered her body. Lila got up from her bed and walked to the window, peaked out and seen the car was gone. She was determined now. She found a few old bags, packed up some clothes, snacks she hid, along with her 7 diaries. She wrapped a shirt around her hand, broke the window, the only thing blocking her from freedom, and tossed her 3 bags out the window. They were small bags but she didn’t need much where she was going. Wherever she was going. Before diving out Lila grabbed a picture of her dad and her from years ago and a teddy bear he gave her. Lila’s door was locked but she hoped her mom would escape and receive help as well. Lila jumped out the window, cut her hand but it was nothing compared to the pain she felt before. She wrapped an old shirt tightly around it then grabbed her belongings and began to walk freely up the street.
Lila stopped at a church she went to when she was younger, she went up to the altar, got to her knees and thanked God for giving her strength. She cried, “Thank you! Thank you” she exclaimed. she smiled for once since a long time and felt her father around her or was it God? It was a happy feeling, a satisfying feeling. For the first time she felt free, happy.
Lila went on with her journey, night fell. The cars driving by edged her and the sirens ringing in the distance scared her. Lila didn’t have a watch but her eyes grew tired, she needed sleep but wanted to urge on. She seen Saint Lufkin High school, the school she always thought she would attend. Lila walked around the school a few times then wearily found the schools bleachers. She yawned, laid down on them, placed a bag under her head and held on tight to her fathers picture.
Lila woke up with the sound of whistles ringing in her ear. When she opened her eyes she saw a boy, about her age, standing in front of her.
“Hi.” he smiled at her, no one ever smiled at her and she wasn’t sure if she too was suppose to smile. His skin was tan and his hair was black and for some reason she felt light. Maybe it was love. She was never loved how would she knew what it felt like?
“Hi.” Lila said back with a timid smile.
“Do you go to school here?” He sounded concerned. She wasn’t sure how to reply.
“Ah, no.” Lila shook her head and suddenly felt unwelcome.
“Wow, what happened to your arm?” His eyes looked sad, maybe he did care. But what could she say? Lila was so used to being yanked around that she didn’t know what such a soft feeling could feel like. She looked up at him. “What happened to your forehead?” He rubbed her forehead where the cut was and she smiled, she wasn’t even sure why. But it was okay because he smiled back.
Was this freedom? Was this love? Lila didn’t know, but she liked whatever it was. Abd, that was the boy’s name, the boy who saved her. He moved her hair behind her ear. “You are the most beautiful girl iv’e ever seen.” Lila smiled, her face turned red, was she blushing? She had to be.
“So are you.” she replied shyly. He took her hand, placed the stuffed animal on his lap, took her by the other hand and just smiled. They just smiled, it spoke more than words, a smile meant more than any word could.
He helped Lila to her feet, picked up the fallen bags, then slowly walked with her towards the school, Holding her bags, holding her hand.
