Page 9 of Scar

“Hey, beautiful,” I state.

“Oh god.” She sniffs. “I’m so happy you’re okay.”

“I’m good. I told you not to worry,” I remind her.

“Yeah well, we all still fucking worry and that won’t stop until we get you home,” Acid adds.

“Fuck, it’s good to hear all your voices,” I rasp, fighting back the emotion in my chest.

“We will get you back brother, you have my word. We have not stopped fighting for you, and we never fucking will,” Ghost states.

“I know,” I answer, knowing him and my brother. I know they won’t stop until I’m home.

“There is someone new for you to meet when you get home,” Beast yells out in the background. It takes me a moment to realise. “Belle had the baby.”

“Fuck brother, what did you guys have?” I ask.

“We had a little boy, called him River,” Beast answers, a proud tone in his voice. I pause, and that ache in my heart is almost painful, knowing I’m missing this. Missing them.

“Congratulations, brother,” I say softly.

“Don’t give up. We are coming for you, and it will be soon. I fucking promise,” Ghost states firmly.

“I know. Listen, I’ve got to go before Elsie gets caught,” I say, not wanting her to be at risk any longer.

“Okay, go. We will see you real fucking soon,” Acid adds. Before I disconnect, I rub my palm over my chest.

Elsie walks towards me, the torch in her hand and the dim light highlighting the soft look in her eyes. “Are you okay?” she asks.

I swallow and nod. “Yeah, it was good to hear them,” I answer and hand her back her phone. “Listen, you better get up to bed before someone finds you,” I tell her, wanting to be alone and keep her safe.

She nods. “Yeah, I’m tired,” she says quietly. She steps forward, pausing for a minute before quickly reaching up on her tiptoes and placing a soft kiss to my cheek. “Good night,” she whispers, handing me the torch before she leaves and locking the door behind her.

I lay down on the mattress and switch the torch off, wanting the darkness to engulf me.

“You thinkthat we don’t see you sneaking out? Do you think we are stupid?” my father bellows. I stay where I am, on my knees with my head bowed. I don’t lift my head, not daring to look at him. If I do, then it will be extra strikes with the cane. I don’t even look to my mother, who is sat in the corner praying. Not praying for me, no. She’s praying for my soul, all because I wanted to go to my friend’s Halloween party.

My mother rambles words from the sacred book over and over, like she’s creating a spell. My father paces back and forth before me. Without even looking, I know his eyes are fixated on me, daring me to look up. I make the mistake, and the too tight rope around my wrists shift, pinching my skin. A whimper escapes me before I can clamp my mouth shut.

“You dare fight the restraints of our one true saviour, our almighty?!” my father roars. The sound of air whooshes past my ear as he cracks the cane across my bare back. I bite down on my bottom lip to stifle my cries. “You are evil!” he yells before the whoosh of the cane slaps across my back again. “Vile! Spawn! Sent here to corrupt us, to corrupt the innocent! Be gone evil spirits, be gone!” he preaches again. My back feels like it is on fire. The pain is unbearable, and as the metallic taste fills my mouth, I know I’ve drawn blood from biting my lip too hard. The whoosh comes past me again, the cane splitting the skin on my back. I don’t cry out, I don’t whimper, I don’t move. I am frozen to the spot, unable to run or fight back.

Darkness flickers, and suddenly the sacred families stood around, some crying, others praying as my father delivers the almighty’s word. I notice people stood in a line next to him; 5 of them. I push through the crowd of people until I get to the front and see it’s my friend, Edward. He’s stood on a raised step with his family. He looks scared.

“They have been corrupted by evil, and it is flowing through their veins. The only way to save their souls is to sacrifice theirvessels. Their bodies will release their souls to the beyond, to our almighty,” my father preaches. Ropes are placed over their necks, and Edward’s mom is sobbing, begging them to stop. His father is void of any emotion. My stomach drops and my eyes go wide as my father signals. The stools they were stood on are kicked out from under them, and they hang, their bodies jerking. Edward kicks his legs out, gripping the rope around his neck as he tries to fight it.

“NO!” I scream, pushing past the crowd. I run up on to the stage and grab Edward’s legs, trying to lift him up, to help him breathe. I’m grabbed from behind, but I don’t let go. I try to hold on to keep him up, keep him alive, but my small 10 year old frame is no match for the two men that are grabbing me. They haul me back, pinning me to the floor. I scream, scratch and kick as I watch my friend and his family die.

I jolt upright,sweat dripping down my back. Panting, it takes me a few moments to realise where I am. I squeeze my eyes shut. “I’m okay, just a fucking dream,” I say to myself. I grab the bottle of water and drink the last few sips that’s left, trying my best to push that nightmare, the memories I’ve worked so hard to forget to the back of my mind where it belongs.

CHAPTER FIVE

ELSIE

It’s beendays since I’ve been able to go down there and see him. I’m not sure if they’ve fed him or given him water. I can’t even ask, as I’m not supposed to know anything. Either my father thinks I’m that stupid that I don’t know what goes on in our own home, or he knows I wouldn’t dare step out of line and ask.

“Eugene, you promised me a break. I want a bloody break,” my mother snaps. My father may be the scary villain in most people’s lives, but my mother has a tongue that is as poisonous as a viper.

“It’s just not safe,” my father sighs back.

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