A TROUBLED SURVIVOR, A TREANDING DESIRE

Maxine grew up without a father; and a mother that grew out of love for her. How did that happen? Well her father decided one day out of nowhere to leave when she was eleven without an explanation but rather a mystical conclusion he got from his father's story. Leaving them confused and in notion that it was Maxine's fault. Maxine tried to find her way back to her mother's heart but it was impossible she gave up.

One day her mother brought a boyfriend home with her, he would do despicable things to Maxine. Maxine got emotionally unstable and hopeless she wanted to find a pillar to lean on, a way out of the earth. She found her and sports, she trained and became the best in her whole school, including the boy's team. She was unstoppable. The only things that made her sleep at night and wake up in the morning were soothing words from an impossible inhuman, she thought it was her queen until one day she disappeared living her to fend for herself.

She used to love science fiction movies, all those vampires and werewolf's movies but that day she stopped. She started hating anything inhuman people watched, in fact she stopped believing in anything.

Until one day after years of silence she came back to her. It confused her what she meant and what she was but half of her was happy she was back in her dreams, and she didn't care if she didn't exist, in fact it's what she thought and believed. I mean she didn't believe in all those mysteries and theories about those kind of things and people.

When Maxine hit fifteen she started fighting, she punched that bag until she punched her darkness back to its hole. Her relationship with her mother stayed as is until today. Still hope lost and feeling like her existence had no meaning until.....

Maxine's P.O.V

I tossed and turned trying slumber to embrace my godforsaken body but it wouldn't let me. Grumbling I urged myself to sleep but it was no use. The thoughts buried down my mind were haunting me the same way I needed sleep to take me. Away from the feelings that were evoked with every thought that popped up.

'What does one have to do to avoid such void, Lord if it is a sin please forgive me for I have no heart nor strength to stop this feeling' I pleaded as I thought to myself signing.

Thinking about that day made my toes curl. I laughed silently as I went down memory lane.

'My mother is going to skin me alive if she finds out'.

I laughed silently ignoring the pang of pain that was trying to engulf me. I mean that woman hated seeing me happy.

'Wait! What if this is not true' the words uttered to me like sirens. What if they were none other than a plan to destroy my life?

'My mother would be happy seeing me crushed to the core I'm sure' I churned silently not trusting anything anymore.

Suddenly it was silent, like I was not there anymore. I looked at my chest that had been pounding but nothing, no thudding but pain that was growing slowly into hot larva.

Worry engulfed me.

'There we go again'.

It was a familiar feeling. I silently cried wondering why that happened so often.

'What if I'm really sick?'

I mean pain like that with no heart pounding was something I could not fathom, and they happened more often at times when I thought too much.

'I wonder if I should call mother!' but I felt the pain sweeping away giving me breath again. Signing with relief, I face-palmed myself trying to sleep.

'Damn!' It was really hard.

"Argh" I screamed to no one but myself.

'God will you save me from this countless dreadful nights, for once just a peaceful night I seek from you, just one good night from being haunted by the past' I prayed to God but to my dismay I was still up and my mind running thousand miles.

I let out a sad laugh as I wondered. 'Who am I kidding, who would listen to me! A waste, a dreadful sinner. I mean my life is so fucked up my mom literary calls me darkens and demon in her sleep. Wait why does she call me darkness anyways? Maybe I am darkness and demonic!' I continued contemplating, my worry growing.

I knew very well that this were all questions I couldn't get answers to, I mean I had been asking myself from the day my father disappeared; that was the day my mother started calling me darkness even during the day when she felt like it without purpose.

Shaking my head vigorously disapproving the thoughts that wanted to engulf me.

'There I go worrying about what my mother thinks, I mean who cares what that woman says, I mean she hates me so much I'm sure she hated me from birth' I thought sadly as I tried to remove all thoughts about my mother. I mean there were all bad and it gave me grief so yes I had to stop tormenting myself. It made me wonder though, that when the last time I was happy, I mean the torment had gone far too long I couldn't think of any happy moments anymore.

"Argh" I grumbled as I continued to toss and turn.

The thoughts of my mother's resentment came crushing on me like a hurricane as I went down memory lane, a place I had escaped for so long........

FIVE YEARS AGO.....

Walking slowly, kicking stones I approached the door at my house. It was too quiet, it worried me. I touched the door knob slowly and was about to open when I heard cries muffled inside the house.

'What the heck!' I dashed into the house worried something had happened to my mother.

'Yeah I loved and hated her, if you know what I mean'. I reached where the sounds came from, in the kitchen, only to find my mother singing in a high pitched voice, silently crying. I looked at her confused, I turned to the only man I knew had the guts of laying hands on her, Michael!

'Is he retarded or something?' I thought angrily as Michael smirked.

The man I loathed but could not remove for my mother's sake. I mean she was happy with him, or she just wanted him around and I had no right to dismiss him.

'I mean how do you say you're a Christian and have a boyfriend that beats you almost every week, treats you like shit and threatens your daughter. Talk about some Christians' I shook my head in disbelief.

'Lord I don't know you but I'm sure this is definitely not you!' Suppressing the groan evoked in my chest I looked at my mother worryingly but to my surprise she just shouted at me like I had done something wrong.

"Why are you standing there like a retarded person?" she questioned in a high pitched voice baffling me.

'Well you read my mind just shift those words to the ones that deserve them, a little more to the left I mean!' Ignoring her outburst, I rambled in my head.

"Mother I swear if he laid his hands on you again I am..." giving Michael a deadliest look, showing him I was clearly speaking to him and not hiding it one bit.

Before I could utter my whole sentence my mother slapped me so hard I felt my whole body jolting with a thousand volts of electricity. That woman's slap was not only known for its disgraceful effect, but if she hit you hard enough I'm sure your mother which in this case is her, felt it too. I turned to her, giving her a hurtful look but only to be met by an angry piercing look. I gave her a confused look but she shrugged her shoulders. Deciding to let it go, I mean this was how they played with Michael so who cared.

'But why was I slapped again? Agh! Note to self, don't ever try helping your mother if it involved Michael'. I shook my head disapprovingly as I went to my room but not before Michael grabbed my hand. He always wanted to have the last word, an upper hand I called it. I jerked it back forcefully giving him the deadliest look that could split him apart, he just ignored me. I rushed into my room but not before I heard him muttering

"Demon, Darkness"

'Well there goes the choir' I left them as I continued making my way up.

'I mean why I should care if people decide to call me such weird meaningless names' I dreaded the day when I am left alone with him.

Sitting down contemplating, I heard my head's heart beat thudding. I felt my temperature rising, my palms sweating. I didn't even bother to worry why for I knew very well the sadness, hurt and disappointment that was slowly fading with my giving up. I wanted to do something but it was pointless. My head was spinning, I tried to shut down my emotions, a defense mechanism I had come to master after knowing Michael but it was no use, I felt every word cut deep into my soul like razor blades I wanted to hit something, or curse the world for bringing him around.

'When will she realize he is not worth it?' I wondered hating and feeling sad for my mother.

I was so angry I came back to the kitchen to fetch water to calm my nerves only to be met by a hockey stick. As I plopped down I seethed knowing very well who did it, I stood up ready to pounce but Michael bit me to it. He hit me again on the back, I felt my left shoulder going numb. All this time my mother was there acting like I do not exist.

I looked at her, I wondered why her troubles, her unhappiness troubled me more than what Michael was doing to me at that moment. I was disappointed in her. I wanted to scream at her so she wakes up from her dream but her face just took all my strength away.

'Why is her happiness heavy on me? Why can't I just focus on myself and forget about her. Why can't I just let someone else carry her burdens for me?' I wanted so bad not to care but I couldn't. I turned around as I felt another pang of pain in my back.

'Bastard hit me again.

"What the flying..."I couldn't finish my sentence as I cried with pain as he hit me hard on my arm making it numb. Before I knew it my mother's backhand met my face.

"You do not curse in a house of God" she burst like it was a new theme.

I froze. I looked at my mother. She looked at me scared like I was going to hit her, but in truth I wasn't. I was just disappointed at her. I touched where she hit me and looked at her again. My eyes were a bit stingy I wanted to cry. Not because I felt pain from their beating but rather the fact that I was disappointed she couldn't realize the damage they were doing.

'Seriously! A house of God?' I mean I wasn't expecting it.

'There are time we call God but this one is none of them' I looked at them both sadly. I felt nothing but sadness for them. They were so hung up on each other they were motivated by obliviousness and stupidity it was saddening for an elder, especially to people I was supposed to look up to. I didn't mind though, I just shook my head and dismiss their doings, it was pointless to speak, they were hopeless.

They would always gang up on me, when she was angry at Michael and could not express it, and Michael angry but not angry enough to be hitting her but me. My mother looked at me angrily ready to pounce again but decided against it.

"You worthless peace...." my mother spat but decided to leave to her room as she shook her head and left me to fend for myself as Michael finished her muttering.

"...peace of shit. Stay down you abomination of a child, that is where you belong". I looked at my mother who had disappeared in her room, then back at Michael with the most threatening look I could muster. In as much as I didn't mind their doings I sure as hell wasn't about to take bullshit from him. I remembered I couldn't do it again, not with my mother in anyways.

Beat him to a pulp I mean! I had done it before when he tried to sexually harass me a month ago while my mother was at work. I finally had a black belt in karate, and my mother's hatred from that day grew stronger after hearing the endeavors of me and Michael. Well not the whole story, but the part where I beat him up. I mean what was she thinking, that I would remain a child forever? I was so embarrassed and had so much hatred for her because one of the neighbors who saw the whole thing decided to tell her and she continued to spread rumors around church members telling them I'm the cause of her unhappiness, and that I wanted Michael.

'Such idiotic way of expressing yourself, without standing up to the real truth' I thought remembering some of her church members cursing at me when I was passing them.

Lifting myself up slowly whiles Michael moved around the table. I looked at my mother who was back in the kitchen flinching at Michael's kisses.

'Why is he still around?' I mean there was practically nothing between them.

Shaking my head strongly, Michael saw my reaction and moved about to hit me again but I ducked and he missed, pissed off he raised his hand again but was stopped by my now unwavering still body. I was fed up of being treated like nothing. He was kind of scared but he got the advantage every time my mother was around, he would continue his assault and extend it to my mother. He was about to grab my neck and I couldn't stop him, or maybe I was going to stop him. I mean I didn't want to disrespect my mother but I sure as hell wasn't about to be a punching bag that night. My mother saw this as time to break the fight knowing very well where it was leading to, she called Michael for dinner.

'Saved by dinner!' last time we went for it the whole house was messed up, when my mother came that day after me beating Michael, she found the whole place trashed. I guess she did not want it to repeat itself.

'Oh and dinner was meant for Michael only now! Talk about hypocritical acts!'

I was ready to pounce no matter what my mother said though. Yes I did not want to disrespect her but I was done playing their sick game. That day I was tired from training, coach had been hard on us, so I was definitely not in the mood for his escapades. I mean the moment Michael stepped into our lives he had been nothing but troublesome.

'A man-child that needed a little bit of discipline' I thought as I looked at him up and down, hating everything he stood for.

I remember how it all started. A year after my father left, Michael moved in with us. Although it took five years of Michaels devil schemes, I had decided to join karate and visit doctors for appointments for therapy, that's another story for another day though!

It was worth it. For a twelve-year-old child during that time I was proud of the person I had become. I survived, that all that mattered to me.

'A whole five years in purgatory of Michael' I thought fixing myself ready to leave them be.

It was something I did not want to go through ever again. Of course he would come from time to time back then when I was still in training but it was better, I could fight him off and sometimes I was able to stop him, with the help of my mother being around of course. I would shriek and fight him off but when she wasn't we would fight to a point he would beat me so bad to get way with his monstrosity.

'I will get better, I will grow' I therupitized myself from time to time when I remembered what I was going through.

I sat down in my bedroom carpet trying to control my anger as my mind went further down memory lane, I did not want to remember but once my mind had a glimpse it was hard to stop.

ONE YEAR AGO BEFORE FIVE YEARS HAD PAST.....

"Hey Maxine can you come to the kitchen" My father requested mischievously.

I, an eleven-year-old daughter, the only child of my mother and father, I rushed into the kitchen skipping along the way. I was so loved by both my parents so much so that they couldn't afford seeing me cry. I got everything I wanted. I was an angel to their eyes. My father would sometimes say I was the God's gift. I don't know why he had to add the, but he did, I always thought it was lame.

"Hey daddy" I murmured lovingly as I moved to sit to his lap.

"Hello sunshine" he whispered back lovingly matching my enthusiasm as he picked me up and placed me on his lap.

"How was your day at school" he continued.

"Oh daddy it was amazing; Miss Johnson gave us lollipops every time we got answers right" I chipped.

"Wait! You have a new teacher now?" he asked smiling to me as I was making faces and giggling.

"Yeah! She is sooo nice. I Love Her!" I blushed and closed my face with my palms.

My father made faces with me, and laughed at me as I continued to blush more.

"My queen has a queen" he stated lovingly. He always referred me as his Queen.

"Daddy stop!" I babbled laughing so hard and probably enjoying the feeling too much.

My father looked at me confused "when did you learn about love all of a sudden?" he muttered.

"I have something for you" he said whiles still giggling with me not waiting for me to answer.

Taking out a bracelet. Of course I was their first child, I wasn't a boy as it was expected but to him I deserved it nonetheless. I had been told the stories of the bracelet, it didn't make any sense then and it's still not even now. In as much as he knew the meaning of giving me the bracelet, to him it was just a gift, a gift that had been passed down from his first generation. He thought its story was funny, every now and then his father would tell him, and him in turn tell me.

"The bracelets protect you and the people around you, my father said" he whispered softly thinking of his words laughing and shaking his head.

"It's just a bracelet" he continued looking weird whilst saying that.

"I mean it is just a bracelet, right!" he questioned himself and the importance of the bracelet.

"Anyways" he shrugged his shoulders.

He looked at me as I had a confused smirk on my face whiles I looked at him battle with his thoughts.

"Ready?" he asked lovingly.

"Yesssss" I chipped clapping my hands ready to wear the bracelet.

I was so happy at that time. He looked at me lovingly and said a small wish that I could be that age forever, happy and innocent and never grow. I smiled back at him and continued staring at the bracelet.

"Hey Will did you see my....... Jesus Christ" my mother screamed as she entered the kitchen looking at me dead in the eyes with sadness and fright.

"What?" my father inquired as he turned around looking at my mother, he jumped up with worry seeing her shy away, placed me down on a chair and rushed to see what had scared her.

He brushed her face lovingly wondering and worried giving her reassurance to speak freely.

"Th......tha.... thaaaaat" my mother purred pointing at me as she looked scared at me.

I on the other hand I was so lost in my own world I was watching them embrace each other with love. My father turned his gaze to me and his eyes bulged.

"I....I have to.... go.........make sure she wears that bracelet all the time" he stated hysterically moving away to their room.

I could hear him shuffling in their bedroom. He came back to the kitchen carrying his duffel bag, only to find my mother and me still in one position. He went to her, placed his bag down next to them and touched her face lovingly his eyes watery with a knowing look. I don't know what was going on but I could sense it was good, my father had a big bag and he looked sad, like wanted to cry sad.

"Melissa.... Melissa" my father mumbled seeking attention from my mother but she was still looking at me with worry and fright I was making me uncomfortable. I wanted to ask but I did not pry.

I never understood what she meant by saying that pointing at me. She turned her gaze to him startled.

"Wha...what is happening William?" my mother asked shortly without giving my father the chance to speak, looking at him and the bag as her eyes filled with more tears understanding a bit.

"Melissa I do not have time to explain. I have to go. I have to see my grandfather...no I need to see him!" my father shuddered as he tried to make my mother understand he had to leave and that he had no time.

"What is happening to our daughter?" my mother continued ignoring his words turning her gaze back at me shuddering at the sight.

I on the other hand was busy looking at my bracelet smiling mischievously sitting on a chair rocking it back and forth with happiness. I was oblivious as to what was happening at that moment. I could see my mother crying demanding for answers and my father trying to tell her he had to go. I thought it was because she was happy he gave me a bracelet. My father turned his head back to me and then to my mother worryingly and skeptically. He moved his face away from me giving my mother a worried look.

"Listen I have to go, NOW!" my father emphasized as a matter of fact, like he was in a rush for something.

"William what is going on?" my mother pleaded confused a bit sobbing silently.

"Daddy, what is happening?" I asked with worry.

"Not now my queen!" he fake smiled at me, I dismissed it and went back to my bracelet.

"I don't know or should I say I'm not sure yet but I have to find out.... Melissa!...Melissa!... take care of her ok!...make sure she wears that bracelet, and if she does take it off make sure it's not for long. No more than a month" My father half yelled emphasizing his statement whiles picking up his bag, he kissed my mother and went to me as I was still sitting back-facing them playing with new my bracelet.

My mother looked at my father confused still crying her eyes out.

"What do you mean a month, are you not going to be around then.... William what are you saying?" My mother screamed softly but my father ignored her.

"I'm sorry but time is running out" he emphasized ignoring her cries as he approached me and embraced me for a second inhaling sharply.

My mother continued sobbing softly and a tad bit angry and confused looking at my father and me with her palms on her face.

"Daddy" I chipped with enthusiasm but the moment I saw my father's watery eyes I started to worry.

"Hey my queen.... I need you to take care of your mother for me whiles I'm gone Ok Munchkin?" My father said as he kneeled in front of me, his right palm brushing my face lovingly.

"I thought girls were not susceptible to our family's inheritance and it been what...eons since the last one, why my daughter?" He wondered sniffing brushing my face.

"She has grown so fast yet she is still young" he continued worry written all over his face as he looked at my facial impressions. I was starting to understand that it was about me, I didn't know what I had done but I kind of knew it was.

"Daddy did I do something wrong?" I asked contemplating starting to sob softly realizing he was leaving because of me.

"No...no...no...my pumpkin. I just need to find my grandfather that is all" my father assured me lovingly removing his gaze.

"Why daddy, but you're crying and mother too"? I asked about to cry too.

He ignored my question. I could tell it was hard looking at me, not just because of the person I had become so my mother said but because of my sobbing sad face. He always hated seeing me cry and at that moment I could have made him think otherwise. He seemed adamant to go.

"I have to go before they locate us" he said emphasizing his hurry.

"My love...my queen...my moon and the sun...I want you to know that daddy did not mean for all of this. I want you to know that you did not do anything wrong, ok! I want you to know that daddy loves you, he will always love you and look out for you, ALWAYS!..." he emphasized as he kissed me gentle on the cheek rubbing both my hands softly.

He took the bracelet and put it on my wrist, and kissed my hand as my heart beat came down. I hadn't even realized it was moving fast. He gave me a confused look as he cried some more the moment realization hit him.

"I need to find a way to reverse it, I cannot lose you, I need to, just like my grandfather did with me, I need to!" he cried making a promise to himself not accepting the situation.

"Always wear this, do not ever take it off....Ok!" he said worryingly to me, I just shrugged it off and continued sobbing lightly, me facing the floor with my palms on my face.

"God she is so young though and a girl, why her after all our generation?" he wondered sadly mumbling

Although I couldn't give him the answers he was looking for, I was a child. To him it happened when he reached his twenty first birthday. I don't know what but I have heard them talking about him changing when he was at that age.

"How am I to spend time with my family now?" he asked no one but himself confused and angry.

"I have to go now love!" he picked up his bag.

"You're coming back right, soon!" I asked crying not wanting him to leave.

"Yes honey, yes I am!" he reassured me but his eyes were saying otherwise. I know I was a child back then but I saw it all. He wasn't coming back anytime soon.

He pulled me with him to my mother who was now sitting on a sofa. He kissed me on the fore head, and placed his hand on my mother's shoulder for reassurance but she moved away from him angrily, slightly shifting to the left away from him.

"William you said it was over, you said it will not find us, you said we will never have to go through what you went through, I mean she is girl for goodness sake, that's just impossible and abnormal!" my mother spat angrily standing up moving away from my father.

He tried to hold her hand but she jerked it off crying loudly; she got close to him and started hitting him on his chest screaming angrily....

"You lied to me, you lied to me, I want my life back!" over and over again she continued to scream.

My father tried to hold her close to calm her down but she was adamant on hitting him, he took that as a queue to leave.

"It is better they hate me and never look for me that them holding on to hope that may never come" he softly said solemnly whilst moving towards the door. He looked at me one last time as I was making my way to embrace my mother.

"I hope they can live together happily with this, maybe without me!" he mumbled shaking his head and wiping away the tears on his face as he disappeared after closing the door, leaving them crying.

After hearing his words both me and my mother cried so hard I'm sure the neighbors heard.

"William....dad" both me and my mother yelled crying.

He never wanted to leave but it looked like he had to.

"Times of darkness are coming soon; God give her strength because the worst is yet to come!" he mumbled his last words as he looked up at the sky saying a silent prayer. He left not looking back leaving his car on the driveway and everything he ever loved behind. I ran after him to the street but he was nowhere to be found. It was like he was taken by something. I gave up and went back inside the house sobbing silently.

He left us crying and me confused of what he meant by his prayer.

INSIDE THE HOUSE....

"Mommy" I cried to my mother as I tried to embrace her, seeing her cry too.

"Do not touch me you abomination, darkness, home wrecker" she spat giving me names angrily moving away from me, pushing me along the way as she went to her room.

"...and do not follow me" she continued as she spat with so much venom in her voice giving me one last deadly yet skeptical look with so much resentment.

My family was right. "you will never be happy in your entire life" I heard her mumble.

"Okay..." I muttered shyly with a little bit of hiccup and went to my room too, sobbing silently, and that was the last time I experienced love in my life.

I didn't know what I was supposed to do. I just sat there on my room and cried for days. Sadly that was the beginning of my misery.

SEVEN MONTHS LATER AFTER MY FATHER'S DISSAPEARANCE....

It had been a month since Michael moved in with us. He wasn't the father I had hoped for but he was loving; so I thought. I had been in my room playing alone as usual. It had been a routine I was used to, something I was comfortable with other than my mother constantly cursing and ignoring me like I was a disease. Sometimes I would lay down facing the roof, looking up at the stars my father painted for me on my room ceiling, wondering why he really he left us. I would sometimes think it was my fault but remembering my father's words like it was yesterday giving me hope, and I was able to ignore what my mother's rants about me being the home wrecker. I laid there thinking about my mother's words and the misery I was facing.

"It is your fault your father left me" my mother would say furiously. "Her", it was all "her" what about me! Wasn't I part of the family, I mean he left me too!

Michael wasn't at all that bad, he would make my mother happy by bringing her flowers but that's all he was good at, no groceries nor safety just a broken home. They would sometimes get lost in their conversations if not arguing or having meaningless sex, ignore me; and when I tried to join in my mother would just hush me telling me to go to sleep, full or hungry she didn't care.

Now come to think of it, it was better than the days when she would be alone, no Michael around. She would get crossed over nothing, I would ignore her, do not bother her with even a slightest conversation but she would sometimes find reason to beat me up.

There was this onetime I tried interacting with her but she just ignored me like I had said nothing, not even when it was time for dinner. She sometimes called me once for dinner, either I heard or not it was not a problem to her. I did not dare go to the kitchen for food if she did not call me, and if I did not hear whiles she called, I would stay in my room until morning comes for school. It was a routine I knew all too well and it never phased me, well at least I had a friend around the neighborhood I could visit to go eat from back from school.

The first time I went into the kitchen to eat after she had called me an hour before and I did not hear her; I got beaten up so bad I had to sleep with a hungry stomach and a throbbing body. Although, truthfully sometimes I would just intentionally ignore her, just so I do not deal with her attitude and mood swings.

"Maxine...."my mother shrieked from the kitchen.

I came to the kitchen after being called by her only to find her standing in the kitchen in-front of Michael, holding hands with him and making faces. I squirmed at the sight thinking about my father.

'I wish he was my father' I gave Michael a glare.

"Tomorrow I am going to work; you will be left alone with Michael. I want you to listen and take all instructions from him" my mother alleged not giving me the chance to speak or disapprove.

I mean it had been like that ever since my father left and I was comfortable ignoring her although this time I wanted to protest, I don't know why but I felt like rebelling. She saw my disapproving look and ordered harshly.

"Take instruction and do not argue with me" she spat with ignorance and spite, and if I were to disapprove further then it was going to be the death of me.

Sometimes if I was able to land a word she would hit me, it was like I had to act like a slave, take orders, nod and go do them nothing more nothing less. It was boring for me but better that being beaten for nothing. For instance, saying I do not know about something that went wrong or saying I had homework.

Michael shifted his gaze from my mother to me, and gave a wicked smile. I wondered what it meant but I shook the thought and went back to my room. As I was about to open the door I heard my mother muttering...

"Be careful of her" she warned Michael.

"Why would I need to be careful with her" Michael obliviously asked laughing at my mother's warning.

"Argh just be, ok! She's weird" she stated boringly.

I got inside my room and slept waiting for tomorrow. I couldn't wait for a day off, a day where I was away from my mother, a night without her constant deadly stares and resentment. Morning came, I went to school leaving my mother asleep as always. School wasn't much because it was our first day back. We only prepared our classes and chilled around until it was noon, they had given us a half day off and we were all happy about it. I went to my friends place until it was late around five, and I went home. When I came back I found Michael sitting in the kitchen reading a newspaper, he turned his gaze to me when he saw me appearing from the door and smiled mischievously.

"You're back" he said with a lot of interest. I learned to ignore his stupid remarks.

"How was school?" he vigorously continued to annoy me more.

Remembering how my father would ask me about my day at school, it pissed me off to the core, and the way Michael was acting; like a father figure to me, it filled me with so much hatred I wanted to curl up and cry. I wanted my father back not a father figure.

My mind started to go down memory lane remembering the last day I saw him; my eyes started to get watery, my heart ponded faster than normal. I decided I had had enough of him so I dashed into my room without uttering any words or showing any interest or remorse. Michael looked at me confused.

"Hey I am speaking to you" he shouted as he stood up following me.

I ignored him and treaded faster but was not fast enough, he got into my room pushing me with the door and sat down with me when he saw me sitting on my bed crying. He looked at me with no emotion.

"Hey...hey hush now child I'm here for you" he sarcastically said acting like he cared one bit as he moved to embrace me but not before I moved away from him.

I felt angry and threatened, I hated having him around; worse him touching me.

"You're not my father!" I spat crying softly but Michael was now starting to turn red with anger. He had anger issues. If you did not do as he pleased, he would snap and I knew I had poked a lion on its den.

"Here I was thinking me and you will be good friends" he stood up grabbing me harshly by my hand.

"Kids like you need discipline!" he muttered with venom as he took out his belt like I had done something wrong.

I shrieked at his grip, trying to pull away but it was no use. Michael left my hand and thrashed my room angrily giving me a death glare.

"I have been nice to you all this while and now you just made me angry" he got a hold of me and tossed me on my bed.

He dragged me by my foot. I on the other hand I was trying so hard to retrieve my foot and not to shriek too much. I knew he loved that I was affected by him but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction, although it was no use I just kept struggling. He saw this and started hitting me with his belt over and over everywhere, not caring where it landed. I cried and begged for mercy but he continued, he was so ruthless and aggressive. I was so beat up and hurting I couldn't move anymore. Seeing that he was not getting any reaction from me anymore he tossed the belt aside and started hitting me with his fists. I cried some more the moment his hands met my face trying to move away but he dragged me with my foot, and when I tried moving away more I ended up falling hard on the floor. As I was trying to stand up Michael pinned me down with his foot. He kicked me four times on my stomach, I started coughing blood.

"You peace of crap...." he muttered with rage out of breath. He huffed whiles moving around the room, he looked at my unmoving body that was laying on the floor breathing hard, crying lightly and sweating he shook his head looking around the room.

He looked at me with so much spite, kicked me again on the stomach gaining little whines for me as I was weak and couldn't move.

"Please Michael I'm sorry" I tried begging, my pain was too much; raising my head but only gaining another kick on her chest.

It felt like I couldn't breathe, the world went hazy as I saw him grinning mischievously.

"I am going to teach you a lesson you, pathetic loser, I want you to answer when spoken to, do as elders say" Michael kneeled down next to me.

I was so tired and hurting I couldn't see clearly, my eyes were getting hazier with tears and blood from Michaels fists. He dragged my body close to him, but I cried against it begging him to stop. I tried pushing him away but he stood his ground.

"Oh you still have power left in you!" he hit me on the face with a fist. At that time I just lost subconsciousness, it was too much for my little body.

What followed after, I don't know. I was woken up the next morning by my mother's voice calling out for me to come eat.

"Maxine food!" my mother shrieked.

How I survived that I don't know. I tried standing up but I felt pain all over my body. I tried standing up again but only to be met by another shockwave of pain down on my private area. I looked at where the pain was coming from and saw lots of blood on the floor. I sobbed silently not wanting to alarm my mother, I mean she was obviously going to think I started it all. I tried standing up, picking my clothes along the way and moved around the room.

My room was so messed up it was like there was a house robbery. I shook my head and started fixing it. I cleaned the blood on the floor and went to the bathroom to take a shower. I cried softly as water dripped down my hurting body. I looked at myself in the mirror and cried at the sight. I noticed an excruciating blue eye where Michael hit me last night, a bruised lip, and a huge lump on my head. I took out some make up I had stolen long ago from my mother's room and applied it on my face. I looked at my stomach and saw purple bruises. I thought of telling my mother but I feared the worst she could do to me. I started crying softly feeling sorry for myself washing myself slowly making sure I do not hurt myself.

'What did I do to deserve this?' I wondered as I finished bathing still sobbing softly.

As I was just about to get out of the bathroom I heard small mumbling in my room.

'Michael, oh no!' the thought of him brought terror.

I did not know he could be this bad. Michael opened the bathroom uninvited, looked at me dead in the eyes like he didn't remember nor see what he did to me. I looked at him shyly and scared, ready for I thought he was there to finish me off.

"I am taking you to school, be ready in twenty minutes. Understand!" he commanded with content and spite.

'I wish you could die' I shook my head looking at his reaction when he was looking at me disgustingly. It was scary.

"Yes" I said softly knowing very well I did not want to do anything to piss him off.