Chapter 2 - Consequences

I braced myself for the slap. My mother had found out I’d snuck out last night. She’d ran out of alcohol and had wanted me to go get more for her. My grandmother was too old to drive, so she couldn’t go. My mother was impaired, so she couldn’t go. I’m underage and I wouldn’t have been able to buy any alcohol, so I couldn’t go. But my mother had apparently burst into my room to find me gone last night, so now I was going to pay the price. Her hand came down hard on my cheek, harder than any other time. I winced and let a few tears slip out, but stayed silent. She hit me again and this time I let out a yelp.

 

“Shut up!” my mother screamed. She didn’t like it when I made noise.

 

So I steeled myself again and waited for the next slap. But instead got a kick in the gut. I had not been prepared for that. I screamed and sank to my knees, gasping for air.

 

“No noise!” my mother bellowed and kicked me again. Her foot hit my gut again, and I vomited all over the carpet of my room. “Ew!” she squealed and ran out of my room.

 

I stood up and rushed to the bathroom. I threw up the rest of the contents in my stomach, which wasn’t much. I’d had eggs and bacon so far. And now it was all over my floor and toilet. I laid on the cool tile flooring of the bathroom for a long time. My face burned, and my gut screamed in agony. Eventually, there was a faint knock on the bathroom door.

 

“Andrea, honey? Are you okay?” My grandmother. At least she cared.

 

“No,” I moaned.

 

“Have a warm bath, sweetie. It’ll make you feel better.”

 

“I doubt it,” I replied, but picked myself and headed for the tub. I turned it on and watched the water pour out of the faucet. When I was little, my mother and father would bathe me in the very tub I was filling up.

 

Tears filled my eyes and I blinked, hard, to keep them at bay. Before my father died, everything was fine. My mother never hit me, and she never drank, except on special occasions. But then he died and the drinking began at small stages. Everyday she’d have a drink or two, just to numb the pain. Five months later and she was okay again. Then we found out I was a ghombie whisperer, like her, like my grandma, and she began drinking again.

 

The tub filled. I stripped off my stiff-with-dried-sweat clothes and hopped in. The heat of the water was magical. My aches and pains shriveled away, and I was left in a soothing place. I pushed all sad thoughts away and just let myself enjoy the serenity of the bathtub. I even closed my eyes and sighed contently.

 

A loud, obnoxious bang on the bathroom door made my eyes fly back open.

 

“Andrea, let me in, d****t! I need to pee!” My mother tried to push open the door, but I had locked it.

 

“Pee outside because I’m not letting you in.”

 

It was rather sad that I only stood up to my mom when a sturdy, locked door separated us, when it didn’t matter as much.

 

“Andrea Paige Landry, let me in, or so help me God, I will"”

 

“Or you’ll do what? Beat me? Been there, done that.” I was a bit taken aback that she remembered my full name. She really must be sober.

 

“Andrea.” I could feel that she was gritting her teeth.

 

“Shut up and leave me alone.” Whoa. I’d never said anything like that to her before.

 

There was silence on her side of the door. Then I heard her footsteps and a door slam. I’d done it. I’d chased her away. It felt like a time for celebration, but I began to cry.

 

“Why has it come to this?” I wondered out loud. “Why does my life revolve around pain? Why can’t I be that innocent little girl again, with both of her parents and a perfect life?” I was shouting now, and sobs racked through me. I put my head in my hands and sank into the warm water of the tub, wanting nothing more than to disappear.

 

 

 

I nervously unlocked the bathroom door. I poked my head out and didn’t spot anyone, so I rushed to my bedroom. I locked the door behind me, and leaned against it, breathing heavily. I had no idea how my mother was going to act the next time she saw me. Maybe she’d hit me, or maybe she wouldn’t care. Maybe she’d scold me, or maybe she’d kill me. I shuddered. I did not put it past my mother to murder me over telling her to shut up.

 

I flopped onto my bed and curled up in the heavy, purple sheets. Warmth spread over me as I got comfortable in the familiar bed. I closed my eyes and sighed, letting myself drift away from all my problems.

 

“Andrea you had better let me in right now, or I’m going to break down your door!”

 

I broke out into a cold sweat. I pretended to be asleep.

 

“Andrea! Open the damn door now!” My mother still sounded sober. Oh, hell.

 

I covered my face with my pillow and tried to drown out her angry shouts and knocking. It didn’t work.

 

“An. Dre. A!” My mother wailed.

 

“Leave me alone, mom!” I tried to hide my fear, but I feel as though I did an awful job.

 

“Andrea, don’t let her in,” my grandmother’s frail voice said.

 

I sobbed, “Grandma?”

 

“Shut up, old woman!”

 

I heard the worst, most God-awful noise possible. The slap of skin on skin, then a pained yelp from my grandmother.

 

“Grandma!” I screamed and burst into the hallway.

 

There she was, lying on the ground, a large welt already forming on her cheek. I looked up at my mother, angry tears in my eyes, and screamed so loud my ears rang.

 

“You monster! She’s your mother!”

 

My mother’s face twisted from blind anger to remorse of some kind. “Oh, Andrea"”

 

“I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!” I squeezed my eyes closed so I wouldn’t have to look at her.

 

“Baby"”

 

“I am not your baby! Not anymore. I hate you so much right now.” I paused to take a breath. “Call 911. Now.”

 

And so she took off, tears glistening on her cheeks. But I could care less. She’d slapped her own mother, my grandma, the only person I had left to care for me.

 

And I would never forgive her for that. 

Author's Note

Sorry the chapters so short....

Reviews

[selkietales]

Okay, so even though the mom is more up front about her.. um.. bad-ness? and everyone seems to hate her but not the grandma, I still can't stand the grandma. It seemed like to Andrea the way her mom hurt her was normal, so the grandma should've seen the signs and booted Andrea's mom out the door but instead she only helped her find her "special drinks". Anyyyway, great chapter, once again!

[Jasmine Thousand]

That mom is kind of evil, but I think she really does love Andrea, even though Andrea doesn't know it. Also, I feel like everything happens a bit too fast (more downtime?) but I really like it! Great chapter!
~jasmine thousand~

[Eversea]

I dislike this mother. Am sad now. Describing really good!

[TheKaylaPup]

This is the saddest, most horrible. It's hard to read, Emma.

[Aka.Hipster]

Im hooked!

[BloodyMary]

"AN.DRE.A I HAVE TO PEE!"

[Death Girl]

I am so into this story right now. I cannot wait to read more.

[Ness of Love]

I hate her mother, but at the same time I love her mother because she helps with the story so far, as it seems like. But I can relate to Andrea on the hating her mother part. I really love this story!!!!

[Sarah E. Pearson]

Oh. My. God.
I fawking love this chapter.
Excellent work.

[halflives]

"I hate you so bad right now" -- "I hate you so much right now"

MUSTKILLHERMOTHER. MOTHERMUSTDIE.