Forgetting you by ninja choco (summer reads txt) 📖

Chapter 3:

The sun streamed through the curtains and onto my face. My throat burned and felt like a barren desert within. I winced as I laid on my stomach and stared at the crumpled photo in my hand, the faces gleaming at me through the white creases. I kissed it gently as I heaved myself up onto my knees, the pain ripping through my back and shocking my senses. Biting my lip and drawing blood, I crawled towards the side table where I fumbled with the handle. My hands finally latched onto the metal bar and I was able to open the wooden cabinet. I felt like screaming when I bent slightly down and peered into the darkness within.

Rolls of bandages, ointments and painkillers sat neatly stacked. My hands slipped through and I grabbed a packet of pain killers and an ointment for the bruises. I swallowed the painkillers in one go, the tablet slipping down my throat. I sat there a moment, just listening to any noises.

When there was nothing, not even a peep I placed the crumpled picture into my bra and slowly slithered to the bathroom next to my room. I shut the door behind me and locked it before heaving myself up and onto the granite bench. Pain shot from my back and I wanted to scream as I pulled my top of and discarded it onto the floor. It fell limply, the faded material looking lifeless and dead. I held my breath as I peered behind me and examined the extensive bruising. It was bad.

There were angry bruises all over my backside and slight red gashes. I placed a dab of the ointment onto my hand and tried to reach all the wounds. It stung horribly and it was like my back was on fire, burning uncontrollably. A single tear slipped out before it was followed by others.

Pain. So much pain that I could hardly breathe

Tears. Tears were falling and damping my bloodied clothes as I screamed.

 Blood.

Amber.

Cold.

Lights.

The tube cluttered onto the floor and I swore under my breath. I signed as I watched it rock back and forth. I was tired.

I hadn’t had a proper rest in ages, and I could feel heavy bags under my eyes, dragging the skin around it under. I wiped my hands around my face and slapped my cheeks as I softly got off the hard cold bench. I bent down and gasped at the pain before quickly snatching my top and the tube before straightening out. I heaved a breath in and wiped the sweat from my forehead at the amount of effort I had to produce.

Stepping out and into the cool interior of the house, I hobbled back into the room where I looked through the clothes in the ancient cupboard. It was a towering thing with plain and washed-out timber. When I found some long black baggy tracksuit pants and a loose red top, I carefully slipped into it, watching out for my wounds. I placed the tube on the table on my way out and walked past the numerous rooms before reaching the kitchen.

It was a classic wooden kitchen with attractive red cupboards and golden doorknobs. The white and steel appliances glinted in the sun and it was a truly stunning sight. I stared at the spot in the center…

The boy held out his hand and handed the little girl a small piece of his chocolate. It was a single cubed size piece and the girl frowned at what she received. She wanted some more and she pursed her lips in annoyance.

“I wanna some more bigga broa” she whined. The boy stared at the girl in affection before laughing at her adorable expression. “You had your share before”, he said lightly, but never the less broke another piece and handed it to her. “But here”. She grinned up at the boy, the chocolate smudging around her face as she ate it messily.

“Thanks broa”

I took out a glass and filled it with water, the clear liquid spraying into the glass. I lifted it to my lips and gulped it, licking my chapped lips and letting it run soothingly down my throat. I signed as I carefully placed the glass down and turned towards the window. It was a cloudless day, the blue sky filling the expanse. The trees swaying gently in the wind and the leaves swirling.

The girl held a leaf in her hand and grinned as she showed her brother. “Look broa I found a petty leafy” she said giggling. The boy gently took it out of her hand. “Good work”.

I walked towards the attached living room and lowered myself down onto the black sofa. It squeaked beneath me as it took my weight, and seizing the remote I flicked the TV on. The screen appeared and focused on a news report.

“The ambulances have just rushed to the scene and it is total chaos” the lady said as she waved her hands around to emphasize a point. “Two people are dead and twelve are missing”, I stared at the screen blankly. Dead.

“Why do people die?” the girl asked her friend. Her friend shrugged as she pushed herself higher up the swing. “I don’t know” she answered, “but it doesn’t matter”. The girl’s blonde hair fell into her face as she frowned at her friend. It did matter though, it was a question she was curious about…

“Jonny Black and Dean Wolfe are the ones who have been reported dead…”

How would the family be feeling?

“Wait, there’s news of another body that’s been discovered….” The lady said urgently, her body bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Mike Campbell has just been confirmed dead…”

Mike Campbell…

The man from before….

The man who hurts me…

The man who’s my father….

Was dead.

The girl cowered in fear, her hair sticking to her face as her father came towards her. He spat on her face and pointed an accusing finger at her. “It’s your entire fault”. She whimpered pathetically as he kicked her and grabbed her roughly by her upper arms.

“Please don’t daddy”.

 It is idle to dread what you cannot avoid- Publilius Syrus

Chapter 4:

The afternoon light cast a dim glow around the house as I sat there staring vacantly at the TV. The news had finished hours ago but I hadn’t moved from my spot. It was like I was paralyzed as the cartoons flickered on the screen. Why?

The girl had frozen when she heard the news, her lip quivering as the shock bathed over her. She thought she heard something falling next to her….

The phone was ringing and the noise was echoing around the house, filling the silence. I got up numbly and walked slowly towards the device which was lying on the counter. I pressed the answer button and placed the phone close to my ear. Silence.

I listened and strained for any noise. “B-baby” my mother’s voice cackled. I froze, my lips sealing shut and my mind blanking. “Baby you there…?”

Swallow.

“I-I’m here” I replied. I heard a sign of relief and then some background noise. Laughing and squealing filled the silence and I winced as my mum whispered too someone seductively. I sat on the stool from under the counter, being careful not to hurt my bruises. “I’m sure you heard” my mother’s voice rang out clearly after a moment. I nodded mutely and wanted to cry when I heard the way my mother began talking so lifelessly about him. Like he was a stranger and not the man she was, no is, married too.

“Mike knew the dangers about working in that mine. It was only a matter of time before he died…” more background whispering.

“Dad, where do you work?” the girl asked as she chewed on her pen lid and glanced at her dad from the corner of her eye. He smiled at her and gently took the pen from her mouth. “He works in a mine” her brother answered as he walked from his room and came towards them. In his hand he held a basketball. “Want to come play little sis?” he asked as he came to stand in front of her. She looked up from her spot on the stool and grinned, the smile filling up her whole face and sending alight her eyes. “Sure”.

“Now the question is what to do about you…”

I could just picture her holding her head and rubbing her temples. Her brown hair falling into her green eyes and her delicate frame slumping in thought. “You can’t stay there by yourself” she muttered to herself. I opened my mouth to suggest that she come home for once but she had already butted in. “I’ll figure things out. I got to go now—Jon stop!” she squealed.

I shut my mouth when the dial tone came on and let my shoulders sag. She hung up…again…

“Bye mum” the blonde girl said for the thirteenth time. She tapped her foot impatiently on the floor and huffed her breath when her mother repeated once again, “I love you Winter, but please be safe and don’t be afraid to call”. The girl laughed as her mother kept rambling on. “Mum stop please!” she said and her mother chuckled nervously.

I leaned my back against the stool and winced as stray tears slipped out and fell onto my lap. Wrapping my arms around my body I cried to myself. I cried because no one was here. I cried because I was alone and scared and I cried in self-pity. All the pain just came out and I let the sobs rake through my body, heaving it harshly and filling it with darkness.

“...you know that a good, long session of weeping can often make you feel better, even if your circumstances have not changed one bit.” ― Lem

Chapter 5:

I stood in front of my parent’s door. I half expected to hear his snores or him moving heavily around but all I heard was nothing. I slowly lifted my hands up to clasp the knob and took a deep fortifying breath in.

It had been three days. Three days since my dad was discovered dead. Three days since my mum called and three days since I had cried like that. I remember letting myself be consumed by the tears and falling to the ground in a crumpled heap. I remember the stool clashing to the ground and chucking the phone at the wall in