Stay Strong

Melanie's POV There is a point in every single person's life, where something life changing happens. That something makes you realize, from that moment on.. things will never be the same. For myself, that moment was on my 16th birthday. A day where most would think it should be a celebratory day.. but I guess that's what you get for thinking. ------Flashback------ SLAM!! INDISTINCT YELLING!! BANG!!! CRASH!! I hear glass shattering along with indistinct yelling in the other room, waking me up out of my deep sleep. I look at the clock that is showing 3am in bright lit up red numbers. Ugh, Happy Birthday to me.. I guess.. I groan getting up slowly trying to let my eyes adjust.. mostly because this just means it's time for me to be the mediator again between my mother and annoying, abusive, drunk of a step father. This happens so often now that I have learned to just get use to it and help calm the situation as much as I can before my little brother and sister wake up from the noise. The problem with my siblings waking up is that they won't go back to sleep if they do wake up. My sister is 2 and my brother 4, it's hard for kids those ages to get back to sleep when they are already woken up. So I have to stop another stupid fight between my mother and step father, just to make sure all the children.. except me, get a good night of sleep. I slip on my slippers scooting out of the room quietly, listening for the sound of yelling to pin point where it is coming from. SLAM! CRASH! I keep following the sounds as they get louder and louder the closer to the living room that I get. I'm suprised we haven't had the cops called on us yet again because of the noises echoing so loudly. I think the people under us finally moved out and it's probably completely our fault. We live in apartments so when these fights happen, the neighbors are quick to call someone to take care of it, especially when it's late at night like this.. So if the cops ever show up I get in trouble from my step father, every single time for not mediating the situation before the cops were alerted. As if it's my job or responsibility to treat my mother and father like children. But if that's what they want, then that's what they will get. I walk out into the front room to see they have shattered some plates and glasses once again, I'm surprised that we even have anymore cups and plates left in the cabinets, just because they keep destroying them all, every fight they have. I'm sure they were just throwing them back and forth at each other, like usual.. The last time they did this I got hit in the head, gaining a huge swollen lump on my forehead. So this time I slowly creep out making sure I'm being aware of my surroundings just in case there is anymore plateware being thrown around the room. I look around and see no one in the front room, but some of the furniture is turned over. I slowly walk past the flipped furniture as I turn into the kitchen, the sight I see before me is so shocking I gasp but cover my mouth quickly hoping I'm not noticed yet by him. My step father is holding my mother to the wall by her neck making her face turn red at the loss of air. I run to them, and use my weight to try to pull his arm away from her neck so she can breathe.. before he kills her or before she blacks out at the loss of air. My plan remotely works because he takes his arm off of my mother's neck but uses it to throw me across the room and off of his arm. I slam on the floor sliding a little bit across it, grunting as I stand up running back to his side in no time at all. I try to push him away from her without realizing he has a knife in his hand. He swipes the knife at me as I jump back I feel some pain. I look down to see my shirt is ripped and he had sliced my stomach slightly. He swipes again as I start to panic just trying to keep avoiding the sharp blade threatening to plundge into my skin. I dodge another swipe jumping out of the way and back. I hit the wall behind me as my step father maliciously grins and my eyes go wide. He had the knife out coming at my now cornered trembling body, until I see my mother stepping in front of the blade, taking the attack for me. I gasp as I watch her freeze in place, then slowly drop to the ground at my feet. My step father is still holding the blade, he is in just as much shock as I am. He takes the blade with him out of the room with a haste in his step. I get down flipping my mother's limp body over and pulling her up onto me, as blood starts to drain from her body, soaking my clothes that are in contact. I look up and my step father has come back into the room.. He looks shocked as if he didn't meant to do that, even though we all know he meant to stab someone maybe just not her but me. He bolts out the front door slamming the door shut behind him. I don't know when the tears started but they are falling endlessly as I hold my mother into my protective frame, hoping everything will be ok with me here holding her now. "Mell Bell?" My mother softly squeaks out gaining my attention as I sniffle and stare down at her waiting for what she has to say. "Mell bell, I need you to stay strong for me ok? I need you to take care of your brother and sister. But you need to be strong for me, since I won't be here to take the brunt of the abuse he is going to go to you. You need to stick it out until you can take them with you.. please." My mother begs this as I gasp for air, squeaking back out to her, "Why can't I just call the police and get his abusive ass sent to jail? I don't know if I could deal with this shitty situation without you mama." I say to her as she shakes her head with panic stating, "No Mel, if you call the cops they will get social services on the case and take all you kids away from each other and sending you to different homes completely separating you all.. if you wait until you can take them, then you can all be together... please Mell Bell, please. That's the only way to make sure they are protected and loved is by you." My mother begs more as I cry nodding to her, agreeing to her terms. I feel her hand gently touch my cheek and I can't help leaning into her gentle touch. I open my eyes staring down at her as she says, "Mell Bell never forget how much I love you.. You're everything to me, remember that. I love you.. tell your brother and sister how much I love them and wish I could be with you all, every single day for me please." I nod again gasping more as the tears continue. "I love you too mama.. please don't leave me.. please." I say touching her hand that's on my cheek as I watch her eyes glaze over with the light leaving them, looking more dull then I have ever seen. Her hand on my cheek goes limp falling out of my grip and to the ground beside me with a thump, echoing loudly,, being the only sound to hear.. besides my crying. I cry so loudly clutching her into my frame rocking her now limp body with mine.. I can feel my heart break in my chest from the despair exploding from deep within my heart.. I have never felt this type of pain and I never want to feel it again. I cry to myself just feeling my body uncontrollably shake from the trauma. I just keep begging to wake up from this nightmare.. but it just doesn't happen.. no matter how much I beg for it. The front door bursts open as my step father runs in with EMTs in tow as he says. "There she is, please save my wife she slipped and fell on the broken glass, stabbing herself.. you have to save her." He says with such a fake concern, that instantly pisses me off, I want to use the glass to stab him with it. The men pry my dead mother from my arms as they realize there is nothing else they can do for her. They take away her body on a gurney and give me a check up making sure I'm fine before leaving with my mother. My step father feeds the officer a lie about what really happened. So the officer then comes up to me to get my side of the story and I just don't answer him. I don't want to talk to anyone. I don't even care about the threatening glares that are being thrown my way from my step father behind the officer. I don't want to do this so I just decide to not do this at all. The officer knows not to push anything since I'm in such a vulnerable state right now. So he leaves with the information he has collected leaving my step father and I alone in this hell hole which has now turned into my worst nightmare. "Welp I'm headed to bed... clean up this mess then clean yourself up and go to bed before your brother and sister see the blood.. you wouldn't want to scar them for life with your mother's blood would you?" He states as if it isn't just obvious as he turns on his heels walking down the hall and to his room leaving me to survive on my own, in this nightmare. I get up getting rags and cleaner. It takes hours of scrubbing, soaking and cleaning but I finally get it cleaned up. I throw away all the rags and my clothing that are now contaminated with her blood as I slowly get up and head to take a shower. At this point I just feel numb.. I'm definitely not feeling any better, I'm just not feeling anything at all.. especially after having to clean that murder scene all up. I turn the shower on, letting it warm up before I step into the warmth immediately. I let the comforting hot water take over, as it cascades all over my naked body, washing away every last bit of her blood from my body. I wash my hair multiple times because everytime I rinse I see more blood.. so I wash every last inch of my body about 3 times over just scrubbing and scrubbing trying to get rid of the tainted feeling from my body. But no matter how many times I wash it I can't seem to feel any better.. I seem to still somehow feel the blood on my skin even though I can't see it anymore.. so I scrub harder and use multiple soaps and nothing seems to make me feel any better.. so I just give up in defeat. When I get out of the shower I wrap a towel around my body and head back to my room. I lay in my bed for who knows how long until my alarm goes off to start getting ready for school.. This is the worst birthday ever.. I don't know if I could even consciously enjoy my birthday ever again because this night is going to haunt me for the rest of my life to come... -------Flashback Ended-------- 6 years later... Music fills my room as my eyes slowly open, I blink multiple times trying to let my eyes adjust to morning light that is illuminating my room. I sit up in bed, slipping my legs off the side as I grab my phone and turn of my still singing alarm. I turn on my Playlist as I start to get ready for the day just letting the music naturally wake me up as I dance around my room, slightly stretching, waking up more and more. I glide around my room grabbing everything I will need for the day. I put on a bra then thong, I grab my light blue ripped skinny jeans, along with my black work thermal long sleeve shirt.. you know since it's winter time and I need to cover up my new bruises.. the usual.. but I also love the cold weather, I'm a snow bunny for sure. Especially with my thick, long, dark brown hair.. it helps keep me so warm it feels like a blanket attached to my head. I slip on a black crocheted beanie over my long straightened hair that's down covering my back. I lightly apply make up accenting my big baby blue doe eyes, making them pop out since that's the best feature I have in my opinion. I'm not bad looking or anything.. I have porcelain colored skin, but I'm pretty short for my age standing a 5foot 2inches. I have always had hips and a bubble butt, but my boobs aren't that big at all.. I wish I looked more like my mother, besides the skin tone and hair color she was the complete opposite of me.. skinny, tall, big boobs.. my mother was perfection in my eyes and unrealistic standards for myself to live up to.. so I don't even try, because I can't change who I am.. so I just enjoy the one thing I do like about myself and that's my eyes. I slip on my knee high leather boots and head out to the room next door. I open and the lights are still off, so I flip them on saying, "Caleb? Emily? It's time to get up and start getting ready for school.. come on.. wake up!" I say to them and wait until I hear the groaning knowing I succeeded in waking them up. Groaning fills the room as they both start to slowly wake up. I smile in victory as I shut the door behind me, heading to the kitchen. "Well don't you look whorier than normal... What's the occasion? Are you finally going to take my advice and start working on the corner?" My step father asks with a stupid smirk upon his face thinking he is way more clever than he really is.. He is staring up and down my body, obviously checking me out and pissing me off instantly with that one action.. not even his comments.. which is stupid anyways.. The older I get the more I realize how much of an i***t my step father really is and I hate him more and more as every single day that passes by. I pass by him retorting, "Nope still not taking your advice, because who really would.. and this is my normal whorey look, nothing different I guess and literally not one person asked for your opinion so don't give it." I say so spitefully as he grabs me by the arm whipping me around to face him. "Don't you talk down to me you w***e. It's not my fault you're past the point of saving." He spats in my face even more spitefully. I roll my eyes at him as I rip my arm out of his grip saying, "How about you pick up a book and maybe learn a new word dumbass." I turn around and start putting together lunch for the kids and something for them to eat for breakfast. My step father groans behind me storming out of the room, mad at me of course because he can't think of anything else to retort with, so he just gets mad and leaves.. which is tradition at this point.. This is our every day since my mother passed. She did guess it right, that he would move his anger directed me and he really did.. I never knew how much my mom went through for us.. it has been a rough 6 years for me.. My only motivations to keep going every single day is my little sister and brother.. and the fact that I get to annoy the s**t out of my step father.. that's always fun, to treat him as shitty as he treats me and everyone else. Giving him a taste of his own medicine because he really deserves it. I get their lunch boxes put together as I set bowls, cereal and milk on the table awaiting for their arrival. I hear their room door opening and my two little siblings dragging themselves to the table. I pour them their cereal, then milk and handing spoons out.. I walk around grabbing their bags, putting their lunch boxes inside each one, then grabbing their jackets and snow boots for them as well, setting them down by the door. When I turn around the kids are done eating so they go clean their dirty dishes and put them away with my help. "Ok guys get your jackets, hats, gloves and boots on. Then grab your backpacks and we will head out." they do what I instruct them to do, as I wander over to the bathroom doing a once over my outfit for the day. I look ok.. I grab my black leather jacket and leather backpack to match, putting both on. Grabbing my phone and apartment keys slipping them into my pockets, I get back out to the kids in no time at all. They open the door and start heading out as I take a look around and realize Caleb forgot his hat and Emily her gloves. I grab them both as I shut the door behind me locking it and running down the stairs to catch up with them. "Caleb? Emily?" I say prancing down the stairs until I see them stopped at the bottom of the stairs staring up at me. I pull them out of the way, to the side, so people can walk freely up the stairs if needed. "Caleb hun you forgot your hat. You have no hair with your new haircut you need it.. and Emily you forgot your gloves Buttercup." I say handing the hat to Caleb and squatting down in front of Emily helping with her gloves. "Why do I have to wear gloves.. why can't I be like you and not wear them." She whines as I answer, "you know why Buttercup." She groans and says, "Only superheros, like you, cannot wear their winter clothes if they don't want to." I nod at her as I finish helping her with her gloves. "Sissy? Hey sissy?" I glance up at Emily as I ask, "What's up Buttercup?" She leans in close to my ear as she whispers to me."That boy is staring at you." My eyebrows furrow as I have confusion evident across my face. I look to where she is pointing, and there stands a gorgeous man glancing at us from the side. He shocks slightly in realization of us seeing that he is staring at us. He has dirty blone hair, long on the top, but short in the sides, with slight stubble along his strong jawline and bright green eyes that almost sparkle and scream mystery. He looks to be a little over 6 foot or so with a muscular stature that says to me, I work out but only a couple times a week nothing too crazy.. which is perfect.. I don't like the crazy meat heads that only think about their bodies. I need someone who looks like they have a thought in their head and this guy looks like his mind is filled with plenty. I would love to pick his brain.. but yea right, like I could ever do that.. I can't do anything like that..ever. I smirk at the man across the room as I stand up and head to the front door opening it for them. "Caleb? Emily? Come on guys I don't want you both to be late for school." I say as they both run my way saying, "Yes sissy." They run past me as I glance back and see the man still staring at us. I smile and turn leaving the building. That guy must be new around here because I'm pretty sure I would remember a handsome guy like that living here. I walk the kids to their schools, Caleb's school first as he smiles and waves leaving for his school. I walk Emily to her school as she reluctantly doesn't want to go in. "Em.. what's wrong?" I ask her curiously awaiting an answer. "Will you make sure to come get me from school so I don't have to walk home from school alone." She asks nervously. "Yea of course, but why? Is your brother not getting you like he is suppose to? or is someone bothering you?" I ask her curiously as she looks confused about her answer. "There is a boy in my class that keeps trying to walk with me and he makes me feel nervous inside." She says so honestly to me. "Is he nice to you or mean?" I ask wanting to know all the details, or at least as much as she will give me. "He is nice and plays with me at recess." She says shyly. I smile so big as I say, "He wants to be around you because I think he likes you Buttercup. You're a fun girl, I don't know why wouldn't he like you.. and there is nothing wrong with those nervous feelings inside of you.. I think those feelings mean you like him too. But I promise I will come get you and walk with you home before I have to head to work." She smiles and nods at my explaination as I put my fist out in front of her, flipping my pinky finger out as she does the same interlocking our pinky fingers together as we kiss our thumbs on each end of our still connected hands confirming our pinky promise. The infamous pinky promise, always makes her feel better. "Have a good day I'll see you soon." She smiles and waves running to the school as I wave. Turning to run to my first job of the day.