Darkness Turns To Light by R.J Reagle (top 100 novels of all time .TXT) 📖

came right up behind me and turned me around. “Annie why didn’t you tell us your dad was going to be home?” her voice held a certain tone to it. Was it fear? Why was she scared? It wasn’t like she was going to get beaten when she went home to her loving mom and dad. “I’m sorry Brianna. I didn’t even know he would be home until I got there.” I tried to shrug her off. I didn’t want to think about what would await me when I got home. “Well what is he going to do to you when you get home? Why don’t you ask to stay at my house tonight? My parents wouldn’t mind.” she asked eagerly. I thought that was an extremely good idea. But sadly that would only anger him more. “Thanks but no thanks. I need to go home. I don’t want to suppress his anger. But thanks for being there for me Brianna.” I gave her a hug. She still looked worried. “Okay but I swear to God Annie, if he hits you tonight you better come over and I’ll call social services. Promise me?” Brianna told me. And it made my heart soar to know I had a really good friend. “Thanks Bree. Emily are you done mopping yet? Get out of the damn car and lets shop.” I called over to her.
We cruised the mall for about an hour and laughed. Emily bought hoop earrings at Clare’s and I bought a my chemical romance hoodie at Hot Topic. We were breaking at the food court. I had just finished my sub from subway and got up to through my wrapper out. All of a sudden I found myself back on the floor. I looked up to see Talon again. I laughed, “we have got to stop meeting like this.” He laughed too and helped me up. “Yeah, but I’m getting used to seeing your beautiful face though.” I blushed and turned away quickly so he wouldn’t see. “So what are you doing here anyways?” I asked him turning back to look at him. God he was so cute. “Eh, I’m just browsing. What are you doing here?” he asked back. I turned to look at my friends, Emily and Brianna were chatting and didn’t notice anything had happened. “I’m shopping with some friends that’s all. Um, did you want to hang out with us?” I asked keeping my voice light and casual even though my heart was thumping a mile a minute.
“Well I don’t want to impose on your little group. If its ok with your friends then maybe I will come.” he told me and I smiled. He was thoughtful, I’ll give him that. So I led him back to the table where the girls were sitting. “Hey guys this is Talon. Do you mind if he hangs with us? He’s just wondering the mall alone.” I asked and Brianna looked up at me wide eyed. “Um, sure I guess,. Emily do you mind?” she asked. Emily shook her head no and smiled up at Talon then shot me a look of pleasure. “No, not at all. Come along Talon, we’d love to have you.” The girls got up and we all started walking around the mall. About half way through I lost sight of Brianna and Emily. I think they ditched us on purpose. Talon and I sat next to the fountain. We talked for quite a while and I found we had a lot in common. He was very funny and easy to laugh with.
“Hey Annie, do you mind if I ask you a question?” he asked me. I looked at him and said to go ahead. “Well,” he said “I wanted to know if you would like to go to a movie with me Monday night. If you wanted to that is, no pressure.” And he laughed lightly. I just stared at him. “Um, like a date?” I asked nervous and excited at the same time. He nodded and blushed at my hesitation. “Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.” he said his voice trailing off. “No no its ok. I would love to go on a date with you. I’ll go on Monday if you’d like.” I said and my heart was extremely light. Me, Annie Mallibar, got asked on a date. Could this be real?
All of a sudden I saw Brianna and Emily running up to us. “Annie we have to get going now. Its almost eight thirty. We got to go now.” Brianna said exasperated. I turned and gave Talon my cell phone number. “Give me a call before the date and I’ll tell you where I live.” I told him. He nodded and waved to me. I hurried down to Brianna’s car and we drove off. “So, what happened? What did you guys do?” Brianna asked me eagerly. I looked at her. “Nothing happened. We just sat and talked. Where the hell did you two run off to?” I asked her furiously, but fighting to hide my smirk. I was glad that they left me actually. “Well me and Emily thought it would be a good idea to leave you two alone. So, did he ask you out or not? Come on Anne I’m dying for details here.” she pleaded with me. I laughed and told her that he did indeed ask me out. She screamed a really girly scream that made me plug my ears. I giggled and thought about Talon for a while. Why me? Why would he want to go out with me? The thoughts we circling throughout my head when all of a sudden the car came to a holt. I looked up and saw my house standing in the shadows. Dark and forbidden. All the windows were dark and I breathed a sigh of relief as I saw no car in the drive way. I got out of the car slowly and looked at Brianna. She turned away to hide the worry etched into her face. And I started my long walk up the pavement, to an empty house, where nightmares for me are a reality.

Chapter 3


I turned on the hall light. Big mistake. I saw my father in the doorway. His arms crossed and his black eyes narrowed into slits. I trembled. Why was he here. And where was his car. “Hi Dad. Um, how was your night?” I asked not looking him directly in his sinister eyes. He breathed in and out. Deeply and even, and I was unable to tell exactly when he would lash out at me. “Interesting enough, heard you talked to Larry. What did you say to him?” he asked me in a voice barely above a whisper. I just looked at him. Did Larry tell him anything? God I hoped not. “I didn’t see anything to him dad. Why the question?” I asked innocently. He shook his head. “How was the mall?” he asked me. This was definitely strange. He was being nice. But why? And am I in trouble?
He moved closer to me. “Um, it was ok. I got a new shirt.” I said. This was weird he never cared before. What the hell was going on? “Why are you looking at me like that, Annie?” he asked me. I paused. If I told him the truth would I get hit? And if I didn’t tell the truth would he figure out I was lying and hit my anyways? It was a toss up. “You never ask me questions about my day. Is something wrong?” I asked in a voice barely above a whisper. I didn’t like the way his eyes grew colder. And now I could see, he was turning back again. Another mood swing. A rage perhaps? “Are you telling me that I am a bad father?” he asked his voice cold and menacing. Oh boy. Here it comes. should’ve known I wasn’t going to get lucky tonight. “N-n-no, dad. I was just wondering, t-t-that’s all.” I said, fear creeping in now. I tried backing up but the door stopped me from going any further. He was advancing now. Coming closer, making me claustrophobic with every step. “If you ever imply another thing like that again, it will be much worse than this,” he said, then he finally snapped. He pulled me into the living room by my hair.
I couldn’t scream. I started to cry. I couldn’t help it the pain was unbearable. The blows came as he pushed me into a fetal position and kicked me and punched me. Then he took is belt and with all his might let the blows come harder, faster, more pain than u could imagine. No blood was drawn. But when he was finished, he stormed upstairs to his room and slammed the door shut. I sat on the living room floor and cried. I cried so hard and the tears stung my eyes, which were red and puffy.

The next morning I was so grateful that school was out for two weeks. There was bruising on my legs and all over my back. It was especially dark around my sides where my father kicked me. I was so sore I couldn’t get myself to get out of bed. So I just stayed there, looking up at my ceiling, wondering why I take this abusive shit from him all the time. My father left the house, so I got up and made myself some food. It hurt to move to much so I only poured myself a bowl of cereal and ate in the living room flicking through the channels on T.V until I came to Charmed, my all time favorite show. It was just at the part when Piper and Leo were standing in the line to get passports and they found out that Piper had a new power when all of a sudden my cell phone rang. I placed my empty bowl on the coffee table and took out my cell phone. The I.D said Talon. My heartbeat quickened. “Hello?” I answered. “Hey gorgeous, what’s up?” said Talon in his beautiful voice. “Not much, um, did you need something?” I asked. I didn’t mean to sound impatient but our date was tomorrow and I wanted to rest before I went out with him, hoping the bruises wouldn’t be so bad. “Take it easy, um, I just wanted to know if you would like to go out tonight? You know just you and me. I have a football game tomorrow and I don’t want to neglect you.” he laughed.
It felt so nice to hear that from someone. He was so sweet and I looked at myself in the mirror, my reflection was smiling. I made my way up to my bedroom. “Awe you don’t have to do that. But yeah I can go out tonight instead its not a problem.” I said wincing as one of my bruised arms brushed the side of my bed. I wonder how I am going to hide this from him, I wondered. I didn’t want Talon to see me so weak, so vulnerable from my abusive fathers attack. I don’t know why I was feeling that all of a sudden but the emotion just hit me. “Great! Um, pick you up at seven?” he asked with such enthusiasm that I giggled. “Seven is just fine. See you then.” I said goodbye and hung up the phone. I was still smiling when I hung up but the smile faded when I looked in the mirror. I glanced at the clock on my bed side table. It was later than I anticipated. It was four o’clock. I couldn’t remember what time I woke up. Oh well I thought. I went into the shower and covered the bruises gently with soap. The warm