2 "the scars"

2001

"no! Please! Give it back" I whimpered as I tried to grab a book beth had snatched out of my hands. "Fine!" She tore a page from the book then tossed it to the ground by the lit fireplace. "That's not mine! That's the schools!" I yelled angrily at her. She released a loud cackle. "Your father has all the money in the world! He can afford it!" She kicked the book as I tried to grasp it. I grabbed her ankle then yanked her off her feet. As Beth hit the floor she she screamed In agony and anger. My small heart began to pound as I noticed the revenge in her eyes. I scurried off my knees to run away from her. Beth charged at me full force. Once she got ahold of me she pinned me down on the cold kitchen floor. "Fuck! you! You! little! shit!" With every punch she threw into my body she spoke. I screamed as I tried to break loose from her. Her nails scratched at my cheeks as she shoved my face around. "How do you like it huh!? How do you like that fucking pain!!" She screamed. I cried out in pain as the salt from my tears burned my scratches. "Bethany! How old are you!" Lee shouted. Lee grabbed beths arm before yanking her off me. "I hate that little shit! I hate her!" She kicked me in my chest after I already stood up. I grunted as I fell back to the ground. "I'm telling daddy!" I cried. "Tell him! See if he cares!! See if I fucking care!" Beth spat. Quickly my tiny fist clenched as I ran outside to find my father. I bolted through the pastures searching for him. There I saw him tagging small cows in the fields. "Daddy!!" I balled. "Daddy! Look what beth did to me!" My father looked over from removing himself from the small calf. "Jesus will. Go clean yourself up" he spoke. I held up my arms for his comfort. "Can't you see I'm busy. Go on. Clean yourself up" he waved his hand. I stepped back as I cried quietly. I was shaken up by the situation I didn't know what to do. Wondering back to the house I cried to myself. I hugged myself. I could feel the small amount of blood on my face trickle down. "Willie?" A soft voice questioned. I looked over at rip who was gathering fencing into a wheel barrow. "You okay?" Rip kneeled down to observe me closer. My small lip curled up as he asked that question. I began to sob some more. He held out his hands before gently taking my tiny fragile body into his arms. "What happened kiddo?" He asked sweetly. "B..b..beth...beat...me..up..d..Daddy doesn't c...care" I stuttered in my tears. Rip shook his head as he laid my head down on his shoulder, then swayed me gently. "It's what big sisters do. It's okay" he rubbed my back gently. I never had affection like this. It warmed my sad innocent heart. "Willie!!" Beth shouted. I flinched at the sound of her voice. "Get off him and go inside!" I pulled away from rip as I wiped my tears with my sleeve. "You'll be okay" rip wiped the blood from my cheek as he spoke. "You wanna help me put up a fence tomorrow? Get you outta the house?" Rip gave me a sweet simple smile. I nodded my head as I sniffled my tears away "okay!" I smiled. Beth's hand placed it's self on my shoulder firmly as she directed my body away from the both of them. "You're still taking me out tonight right?" She says to rip. Rip stood up, dusting his hands on the back of his jeans. "Yeah. I'll come by tonight"

"Good. Come on Willie" Beth's death grip pierced into my callar bone as she stormed me inside. "Don't fucking embarrass me like that! Stay away from him. No one likes a crying bitch" she spoke angrily as she shoved me to the ground of the front porch. "can't you leave me alone!" I whimpered. Beth rolled her eyes. "Grow up would you!? You're such a damn baby! No one likes cry babies" She slammed the front door Infront of me as she went inside to get ready for her date. Sadly I opened the door then glanced up at the chef gator who was prepping our supper that night. Gator looked down at me with his soft gentle smile. "Hey will. What's up?" "Whats that?" I pointed at salmon he had been marinating for hours. "Salmon. Wanna try?" He held out a peice. "Thank you" I said as I stepped away from him. "Yummy!" I said as I didn't take a bite. He nodded proudly before drowning his head back into his work. I had noticed Beth's purse hanging off of the stool at the kitchen counter. I snapped open the button then began dropping salmon into the bag, along with milk and hot sauce, honestly anything I could find. Proudly I stepped away to hide up in my room for the rest of the night, like every night and day.

....

It was around 1am. Everyone was either sleeping or hanging around. It was summer time so I had no school to attend in the morning. So I stayed up and stared out the window all night long. I watched people come and go, laugh and goof around as I stayed stuck and alone. I glanced at the door as I heard my father's boots enter the front door. I quickly hopped off my bed rushing out the bedroom door. There my father was stretching in exhaustion. My father loosened his belt before sitting on the couch infront of the lit fireplace. He grunted as his sore body relaxed into the furniture. "Hi daddy" I spoke as I creeped out from behind the recliner nervously. "What honey" he spoke in a tired tone. "Can I sit with you" I questioned quietly. My father sighed as if it was a big duty. "I guess" he sounded a bit irritated. Slowly I climbed up on the couch beside him. My father was slumped back with his arm covering his eyes. Since he wasn't looking at me I felt comfortable coming forwards. I wiggled my way between his body and his arm. I laid my head on his arm hesitantly. My father didn't move, he began to accept it. I nuzzled my way in as I looked up at him for reassurance. I jumped as My father released a loud snore. He was passed out, I really thought he was enjoying our time together. I guess it was all in my head. I didn't take this moment for granted. I laid my head down then shut my eyes a iI

held his arm. I've never been so close to him. He felt so warm. I felt so happy. In the moment. "Where are you!!?" A voice screamed from across the house. My father jumped causing me to jump, nearly peeing myself. "What the fuck beth! It's 2am!" My father yelled out. In fear I gripped his arm. "Damn it Willie! Get off me!" My father yanked his arm away from me as he stood up. "Come here!! Come here you little shit!! Come here!" Beth screamed. My heart was racing as I ran behind my father. "What's going on?" My father asked still drowsy from his slumber. "This little fuck! You little- come here!" She attempted to reach around my father to get me. I was able to scurry around the coffee table then run straight into my bedroom. Beth screamed angry screams, almost like a bear. She tore my bedroom apart trying to grapple me. Unfortunately she grabbed my pant leg knocking me off my feet. As she dove at me our bodies rammed into a toy chest that used to be hers. The toy chest said "Beth" written in wooden pink letters. She held me down in the spilled over toys. I could feel Legos gouging into my back. "Get off!!" I screamed as her hands held my throat. "You're a fucking accident!! Dad should've thrown you to the fucking wolves!!" She screamed in my face. She then grabbed a plastic robot toy that used to be Casey's. Her shaking angry hands held the leg of that silver sharp toy as she began pounding that said toy as hard as she could into my skull. Over and over the pain of the sharp plastic slicing my skin was unbearable. I screamed in agony for Someone to help me. Beth was so angry. Since our mother died she had become and angry person anything and everything set her off. When she was around everyone walked on eggshells. My father allowed her to act the way she did just so he didn't have to deal with her. I could feel my face getting wet from my own gore. "Enough!! Beth!!" My father had finally returned to break her off. A thud of her body being thrown off me was all I could feel other than pain. I remember curling up in a ball hiding my face from anymore harm. I could hear my father screaming at beth from the other room. I knew she was telling him everything I had done that day. He was for sure going to take her side. I screamed painful cried into my small fingers. "Holy shit" Lee spoke from the doorway. "Will" Casey gasped as he kneeled beside me in his pj's. "She needs help! She needs help!!" Casey yelled out loud. He tilted my face up to look at the damaged that had been caused. "Dad!! She needs help!!" I remember gripping Casey's shirt as I cried. "Dad!! It's really bad!! Dad!! Get in here!!"

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