Their Angel

Chapter 16

Three months I think.

I think I'd been here for a little bit too long. I was starting to get concerned.I was getting a little too skinny and a little too weak. I hadn't had any mush or water in a long time either. Every time I got close to earning it, father took it away. I was tired and my stomach felt like it was just eating itself for me to stay alive. I wish I hadn't taken my time with my brothers for granted. I wish I had enjoyed my last meal a little more. I had let my guard down and in the end, that's what allowed my father to take me. It was all my fault.

I hear the footsteps coming down the the hall. This was weird because father hadn't been coming into my room recently. He mostly just sends someone else to deal with me. I'm not really much to deal with, he just always seems to be planning something.

The door swings open and my father walks in.

"Get up."

I do. He had become a lot meaner than usual. He never asked me questions anymore. If i took more than three seconds to do something he got angry. When he got angry, I got beaten. It was scary.

Since I've been getting so much weaker, I struggle to stay on my feet. He huffs and grabs my hair to drag me out of the room.

It hurt so bad.

He was bringing me to the bathroom. That's where the tub is so maybe it was tub day. I didn't get tub day very often, so when I do it's a nice treat. He threw me in the room and shut the door behind him. The tub was already filled with water and a little bit of bubbles. He picked me up and put me into the tub before putting some water on my head and quickly trying to wash my hair. He used to be gentle but now he just scrubs harshly. I try my best to stay still even though it hurts my scalp. He hits a sensitive spot on my head and I whimper. I wasn't supposed to do that.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

"Did I tell you to make noise? Did I say you could talk?You useless bitch. You can't even remember one simple rule," he says.

He dunks me under the water and holds me there. I didn't have time to take a breath so I accidentally take one under the water. I feel the water go inside me and I panic. I was surrounded by water instead of air and I didn't know what to do. I start to struggle and he brings my head back up. I cough up the water I swallowed. He dunks me under again before I had time to catch my breath. I'm once again surrounded by water. My eyes burn and I weakly scratch the hand holding me under. He holds me down for longer and I think I might die. Maybe it was time. It would be better than staying here my whole life.

He pulls me up and I immediately start coughing again. I blink rapidly to try and see a bit more as well.

"Maybe you'll think twice about breaking a rule. What's the rule?"

I don't answer. I'm too busy coughing and trying to get the water out of my eyes. He shakes my head by the hair he's holding.

"What's the god damn rule?" he shouts.

"Don't speak unless asked a question!" I cry.

"Stop crying. Big girls don't cry do they? And you're a big girl."

I try to stop my crying. Unfortunately I had started to cry a lot more often since I got here. I hated how emotional I was. It usually got me punished.

My tears were flowing the entire time I was in the tub.

He finished washing me and took me out of the tub. I wasn't allowed to have a towel here so I had to air dry in my room. It made my skin itch.

My room didn't have anything in it. It was just a cement floor with cement walls and my blanket. I was grateful that I was allowed to have a blanket. I didn't have on before.