should’ve known it was a lie. Who would want two sessions with you? What would you have to talk about?’
The pressure round her wrist increased. Burning. The memories flooded her mind. Feelings chasing each other round her body until she could feel nothing. Still her voice would not return to her.
‘You fucking little whore, you’ve been drinking. You’re drunk aren’t you? I can smell it. I’ll teach you to lie to me.’
The pain in her wrist was unbearable.
‘And what’s this on your face? Make-up? And a new dress? A new dress! Where d’you get the money for a new dress? And why would you want one?’ The voice went on and on at her; her wrist now numb to the pain. She knew better than to cry out or ask her to stop. She felt the whoosh of air seconds before the hand made contact with her face. Strangely, Sarah registered, it didn’t hurt as much as she thought it should have done. Her face felt slightly numb. It was at that moment her voice chose to return and she cried out. The grip on her wrist relaxed slightly, enough for her to pull at it. At exactly the same moment she pulled away from her mother, her mother stuck one foot between Sarah’s legs and jerked at her ankle.
She was falling. Falling. Falling backwards through darkness. She felt her hips hit wooden stairs. She kept falling and tumbling. Then dull hard pain in her head as it thumped against the brick wall, jerking her neck sideways causing electric shots to pulsate in her shoulder. Her back hit carpet and her head flew sideways, crashing again onto hard brick, causing her teeth to vibrate around her mouth. Her nervous system unable to distinguish any more pain, she came to a halt. Before losing consciousness she heard a small voice call out, ‘Mummy, mummy’, and then heard the sound of her mother’s bedroom door as it slammed shut.
Sarah blinked and blinked but the darkness did not clear away. Her eyes would not focus, white spots danced in front of her. Was she blind? She was sure there was no light on. Yet still a light danced in front for a few seconds more, then faded into the darkness. Where am I? She thought. When she moved her arm the pain caused an involuntary cry, and she bit her lip. Her throat was dry and she couldn’t remember ever being this thirsty. She wanted to get to the kitchen for a drink, but when she tried to move again an image of herself at the top of the stairs and the recall of the pain in her wrist drifted into her consciousness. Slowly the whole scene tramped in technicolor in front of her.
She felt her body all over, searching for any sign of a broken bone. When she was sure there was none, with care she turned onto her stomach, all the time biting her lip trying to absorb the pain. Once she was balanced on all fours, she crawled and pulled herself along the hallway and up to the top of the stairs. The incredible thirst she felt would have to wait. Getting to her bedroom was her first priority, she couldn’t let her mother find her still here. Fear drove her on.
Knowing she could not yet stand she continued on all fours to her bedroom. Inside she pulled herself up on to her bed and there she saw the green luminous light of her clock. It was nearly four o’clock. Her mother had left her lying on the cold hall floor for over three hours. Sarah lay back on her pillow and pulled her duvet over her, welcoming the blackness as it overcame her once more.
.
Chapter Eight
A s the alarm went off Stephanie threw the silk duvet aside, stretched out her body, and swung her legs over the side of the bed to get out.
Saturday at last. No one to see, no one to talk to, all day long. The best day of the week, she smiled to herself. Downstairs the dogs heard her getting dressed and whined. Pulling the curtains she could see it was going to be clear as promised, there was blue sky on the horizon. She would go to her favourite place in the forest, knowing at this time of year there would be no tourists and she may even be
The pressure round her wrist increased. Burning. The memories flooded her mind. Feelings chasing each other round her body until she could feel nothing. Still her voice would not return to her.
‘You fucking little whore, you’ve been drinking. You’re drunk aren’t you? I can smell it. I’ll teach you to lie to me.’
The pain in her wrist was unbearable.
‘And what’s this on your face? Make-up? And a new dress? A new dress! Where d’you get the money for a new dress? And why would you want one?’ The voice went on and on at her; her wrist now numb to the pain. She knew better than to cry out or ask her to stop. She felt the whoosh of air seconds before the hand made contact with her face. Strangely, Sarah registered, it didn’t hurt as much as she thought it should have done. Her face felt slightly numb. It was at that moment her voice chose to return and she cried out. The grip on her wrist relaxed slightly, enough for her to pull at it. At exactly the same moment she pulled away from her mother, her mother stuck one foot between Sarah’s legs and jerked at her ankle.
She was falling. Falling. Falling backwards through darkness. She felt her hips hit wooden stairs. She kept falling and tumbling. Then dull hard pain in her head as it thumped against the brick wall, jerking her neck sideways causing electric shots to pulsate in her shoulder. Her back hit carpet and her head flew sideways, crashing again onto hard brick, causing her teeth to vibrate around her mouth. Her nervous system unable to distinguish any more pain, she came to a halt. Before losing consciousness she heard a small voice call out, ‘Mummy, mummy’, and then heard the sound of her mother’s bedroom door as it slammed shut.
Sarah blinked and blinked but the darkness did not clear away. Her eyes would not focus, white spots danced in front of her. Was she blind? She was sure there was no light on. Yet still a light danced in front for a few seconds more, then faded into the darkness. Where am I? She thought. When she moved her arm the pain caused an involuntary cry, and she bit her lip. Her throat was dry and she couldn’t remember ever being this thirsty. She wanted to get to the kitchen for a drink, but when she tried to move again an image of herself at the top of the stairs and the recall of the pain in her wrist drifted into her consciousness. Slowly the whole scene tramped in technicolor in front of her.
She felt her body all over, searching for any sign of a broken bone. When she was sure there was none, with care she turned onto her stomach, all the time biting her lip trying to absorb the pain. Once she was balanced on all fours, she crawled and pulled herself along the hallway and up to the top of the stairs. The incredible thirst she felt would have to wait. Getting to her bedroom was her first priority, she couldn’t let her mother find her still here. Fear drove her on.
Knowing she could not yet stand she continued on all fours to her bedroom. Inside she pulled herself up on to her bed and there she saw the green luminous light of her clock. It was nearly four o’clock. Her mother had left her lying on the cold hall floor for over three hours. Sarah lay back on her pillow and pulled her duvet over her, welcoming the blackness as it overcame her once more.
.
Chapter Eight
A s the alarm went off Stephanie threw the silk duvet aside, stretched out her body, and swung her legs over the side of the bed to get out.
Saturday at last. No one to see, no one to talk to, all day long. The best day of the week, she smiled to herself. Downstairs the dogs heard her getting dressed and whined. Pulling the curtains she could see it was going to be clear as promised, there was blue sky on the horizon. She would go to her favourite place in the forest, knowing at this time of year there would be no tourists and she may even be
Similar Books
