Protecting Cecilia

Darkness surrounds me

Song: Daddy did you know by Machaela Sullivan

My moma never glances back over at us. When we finish Mrs. Banks takes me home.

"You sure you're going to be alright?"

"Yes ma'am I will be fine. Oh! Thanks for everything tonight; this was like the best day ever."

"Any time...I will see you tomorrow around five alright. If you need me before then don't hesitate to call me alright."

I don't say anything but surely she knows we don't have a phone. I watch as she leaves and then I head inside the house. It's after ten and I know my moma is still at work. I go into the house and all the lights are off. I head to the bathroom and look into the mirror. My mind plays back the whole day. I don't have many good days in my life but today was one of the best ever. Well it would have been perfect if Weston wasn't with that Miranda girl.

I step out into the hallway to a dark figure standing in front of me. You know that saying that things usually get worse before they get better....well...

"Cecilia...Cecilia...Cecilia...you thought I wouldn't get out did you."

My heart skips several beats. My body shuts down just by the sound of his voice. My brain is screaming at my body to move, run, get the hell out of there but I am paralyzed. I know better. I know I shouldn't dare move an inch.

I'm pushed back by the force of his hands, falling against the sink. A hand grabs the back of my head along with a hand full of my silk clean hair. Grasping so hard, he shoves my face forcefully into the mirror. Shards of glass dig deep into my cheek, while blood spatters all over the mirror's surface. I don't have time to yell and why would I no one is coming to save me.

My face comes in contact with the mirror again breaking more glass; more pieces slice into my skin before jerking me backwards. I fall hard to the floor, gasping in pain. I try to get up and he knocks me down again.

"I lost my job because of you." He is practically spitting in my face with his drunken ass beer breath. I barely hear his belt whip through the air. However I feel the intensity of it against my back. "You want to tell people about us. I will give you something to talk about." The belt rips into my flesh. I can feel the skin ripping apart. I bite my bottom lip to hold in the pain as much as I can.

He reaches down and grabs a whole hand full of my hair and drags me to my room. My backside drags along the floor as I hold my hair to help out with the pain. He shoves me down. "Don't worry I won't kill you tonight. I will make you suffer dearly for turning me in." His fist strikes the side of my face and I swear I see a million stars float all around me. The shards of glass dig deeper into my skin.

He rarely ever hits my face afraid what others will say but now that he has been arrested I guess he doesn't care who sees. I look and feel like a Raggedy Ann doll the way my arms, legs and whole body flops around with each blow. He has beaten me down so bad that I don't know if I will ever be able to get back up. He kicks me a few more times; I'm sure he either broke or cracked a rib maybe two. I close my eyes and pray for this torture to be over soon. Kill me now just get it over with.

But he doesn't grant me my death wish, instead he leaves locking the door behind him.

When I wake up the sun is shining in my face. Dried blood is caked on my face and on the floor where I passed out. I had hoped that this was all a nightmare but I was so wrong my body proves it. Tears fill my eyes and I try to move the pain is unbearable. I just lay there, forget moving.

I hear my door unlock and he opens it. "Get up!"

I keep trying to get up and I have to hold my rib cage from the ache that shoots through. I manage to stand up and I'm limping badly. I know my leg is not broke however I do believe that it has to be fractured. I follow him to the bathroom.

"You see this shit...clean it up and you better hope you get every damn little piece because if I step on any of it so help me I'll make sure you can't sit down for a week."

He walks out leaving me there to the mess he created last night. I look into the mirror but the girl looking back at me is not the Cecilia I know. This girl is broken. The whole right side of my face is black with shades of purples and blues. I can't open up my right eye because it is swollen shut. I have a good size cut by my eyebrow and there is dried up blood all over my face.

I pick up a wash cloth and try to wash it off. As I look in the mirror, I notice I have shards of the mirror still stuck in my skin. I use my fingernails to try to dig it out and more blood oozes out. I clench my teeth hard so I don't scream out. I'm able to get most of them out but there are a few I can't get a hold of so I have to just leave them there.

I start cleaning before he finds out that I haven't even started. I clean the sink out first then I have to get down on my knees to pick up all the pieces off of the floor. I don't know how many times I cut myself. The more I clean the more blood gets on everything. I have to go back and clean again just to wipe up the blood.

I managed to get a few pieces in my knee and then one in my foot. I dig it out before he comes back. I am sitting on the floor and see a nice size piece under the sink. I stare at it for a long time, thinking what I could do with it. It has a nice sharp edge perfect for cutting flesh. Wicked thoughts flood my mind. I grab the roll of toilet paper. I place the piece so easily on the paper and start wrapping it up. Why? I should throw it away with the rest of the shattered glass. I should. But I don't.

I use the bathroom before I head back to my room. Of course he comes right behind me and shuts the door and locks it. I'm a prisoner for the whole weekend. Hell he might never let me out of this room again.

I know it's got to be going on late in the evening and Mrs. Banks will be looking for me. I throw the clothes she gave me into a bag. I decide to wear the Nike's though. I open up my bedroom window and climb out landing on my bottom. Pain radiates through my body.

I don't bother shutting it back. I don't care if he finds me gone. Why because I am never coming back.

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Authors Note: Sorry I brought dad back into the story but I wanted it to be reality...parents get thrown in jail all the time only to get out days later. I hate that he hates her this much and I created him.