Walking home reluctantly , I turn the corner and take the chance to study our house . It isn't a home anymore . The front garden once full of beautiful blooming flowers that my father cherished is now strewn with rubbish and litter . I turn the key into the door and slowly push it open , trying to stop the annoying creak . The last thing I want is to wake the monster . I know Trevor will be fast asleep in the living room by now ... he has the same routine every day . I can hear his heavy breathing and loud snores before I even have a chance to step a foot inside , I imagine him snorting and rolling around in thick mud just like a pig and snigger , slapping a hand over my mouth . He definitely resembles a pig with his pink bald head and round face complete with a stubby nose . I never understood why Mum is attracted to him ... Maybe it was his bank balance . Trevor manages his own building site which was once successful but lately his business took a turn for the worse . Instead of doing something about it, he wallowed in his own self pity by drinking all day . Lucky me . Sometimes he'll get a large paying contract which means he's away from the house for a few weeks at a time which is absolute bliss to my ears . I'd eventually begin to relax and the nightmares would be less frequent but then he'd be back , wanting to blow off steam ... And I'm his punching bag . He started off by hitting Mum until one day I stood in front of her in an attempt to protect her . No child should ever witness their mother being beaten by a red faced stranger . Seeing your mum cry out in pain and whimper in fear causes even the quietest of children to protect their family . Trevor hadn't taken my courage well , his whole face raging with anger . I remember standing my ground stubbornly which annoyed him further hence why he began to abuse me . I'm the inconvenience child who's responsible for the failure of his business . Bullshit . Maybe it's his attitude . I despise violent people , especially the ones who prey on the weak and vulnerable . Trevor has always been a coward who preys on the weak . I know what you're thinking ... Go to the police , they can keep me safe . Well you're wrong . I can't go to the police , Trevor made sure of that . He'd constantly remind me of his police officer acquaintances who were always keeping an eye on me . " If you tell anyone , I'll know straight away . " He'd sneer in my face , eyes shining brightly from my torture . " And then , I'll come for you . " There's no doubt about it ... I'm officially trapped in this hell hole until I turn eighteen . I'll have no money , no family and no roof over my head but that's better than the constant beatings . My breathing hitches in my throat as I see Trevor stir in his arm chair , his hand clutching a can of beer . Please do not wake up . The smell of smoke instantly smacks me in the face causing me to gag . I take a step towards the stairs , quietly creeping past the door before making a run for it . I take the stairs two a time , going as fast as I can . My heart pounds as I slam my bedroom door shut behind me and locked the chain , something I had to install myself . No way am I letting that psycho have access to my room . It's the only room in the house that I can call mine . I've lost everything else so I treasure my bedroom . 1/3 9:00 Tue , Oct 14 Chapter 2 88 It's always presentable and clean , unlike the rest of the house . My walls are painted a crisp white with photo's hung on both sides . I want to keep the memories alive when life was bliss . My bed sits in the corner of the room with a fur blanket over the top and various cushions in different shades of blues . I have a white rug at the foot of my bed where I like to sit and do homework . I kick off my converse and grab a hair tie off the desk , pulling my long dark hair into a high ponytail . I wince as the pain flares through my throbbing scalp . It took me almost ten minutes trying to disguise the bald patch this morning . I quickly change into pyjamas , grateful for the relief of getting out of my clothes . There's something so relieving about taking off your clothes and swapping them for comfort . I walk over to my mirror and take a makeup wipe to get rid of the little I wear . I mainly use it to cover up the occasional cuts and bruise . Trevor doesn't aim for my face usually as he knows I'll have a hard time covering it up ... Sometimes he's accidentally catch me or I'd fall to the floor , hurting my face . As I'm wiping the concealer away , I study my appearance in the mirror , wondering where it all went so wrong . I look exactly like my mother , high cheekbones with full lips and large brown eyes . When I was younger , she'd dress us in matching outfits and I smile at the memory , pain hitting my chest . Somewhere along the way , I lost my mother . I don't think I'm ever going to get her back . ***** My phone begins ringing and I reach over for it , glancing at the screen . I frown at the flashing screen before sliding the answer button and holding the phone up to my ear . " Hello ? " I say uneasily . I don't know what it is about unknown numbers , they always creep me out . A deep low voice answers almost immediately - - " Emily . " His voice is smooth , holding such confidence behind it . It sounds like he was smiling on the other end . I immediately felt my spine tingle and I shudder , a bad feeling settling inside my stomach . " Who is this ? " I ask , my heart picking up pace . I don't recognise the voice at all . " It's your father . " His tone is calm yet cold , rid of any emotion . I stop breathing at his words , the man's chilling voice sending shivers down my body . What the freakin ' hell ? I hold my phone away from me , my hand trembling . Through the speaker , I hear him laugh down the phone . A deep laugh that causes every hair to stand up on the back of my neck . I hold the phone back up to my ear , ready to give this asshole a piece of my mind . " Who is this ? Is this your idea of a sick joke ? " He immediately hangs up , his laughter still echoing in my ear . I stare at the phone in disbelief , my mouth hung open in shock . I've never received such a disturbing phone call in my entire life . I couldn't sleep that night , my father's face appearing in every single dream . He'd be smiling but then his face would contort in fear and pain . He'd reach his hand out , desperately trying to get a grip of mine . I'd hold on as tight as I could , telling him I wouldn't let go . 2/3 9:00 Tue , Oct 14 Chapter 2 ::. No matter how hard I tried , he fell away from me each time before eventually disappearing . All that's left is darkness surrounding me , engulfing me in silence . 88 Hours pass where the nightmares continue over and over again so in the end I give up , lying wide awake in the dark and waiting for the sun to rise . Chapter Comments 8