1 Delaney Rowse

I've moved from town to town and as I see it.. 'toured' over twenty different schools. Nothing seems to stay the same except my drunken father. The man can not stay sober long enough to keep a job or stop his abuse. This year though, I'm a senior and if I stay in this hell hole with him until I graduate then I'll receive my mother's inheritance. Only then can I get the hell out of my father's torture house and never look back.

My name is Delaney Rowse. This week is my birthday and I'll be 18. I have my father's green eyes and my late mother's black hair. I've developed into my body well, but no one will ever see it because of the long baggy clothes I wear to cover my cuts and bruises. I usually wear my long hair in a ponytail or bun to avoid giving my father a proper place to hold on to.

Today's my first day at a new school..again. It's early morning and I can hear my father snoring off last night's bender. His snores remind me of a snarling dog. He even growls a bit. His snoring used to scare me but now it's comforting. This sound lets me know when I can move around the house freely. I know his alarm will go off at 5 am so I try to scurry out of the house by 4:30. I'm almost out of the door when I hear the snoring stop. My heart drops and my stomach turns. I should have left by 4. I make a mental note for tomorrow as my body is forced back into the small two-bedroom house.

You fucking bitch. How dare you sneak out of my house like a disgusting little rat. I look into the empty eyes of the man I once called father. His eyes are barely bloodshot. This is actually good news. The beating might not be as bad today. When they are fully red I know it's going to be disastrous. I go through my checklist of what I could have already done to piss this man off but I know I've done nothing wrong.

"You disgusting little slut. Are you sneaking off to meet some boy? Why are you so eager to become a pregnant bitch for, huh?"

A hard punch to my stomach made me piss myself just a little. I staggered as I felt tingly all over like I was about to pass out.

Apparently, he could smell my pee and with a hard slap to the face, he slammed me into the floor, kicking my ribs hard a few times. "You nasty little slut. Go change your pants!" he barked.

This was all he said before putting yesterday's shirt on and heading out to his old, rattley truck. You could hear the sound of him hacking a loogie before starting the engine and disappearing.

Knowing he is gone I feel safe to just lay there in my own piss as my body accepts the beating it just received. It was weird but as I lie thier I hear a light humming in the back of my mind that comforts me. The sound was beautiful and by the time it stopped my body felt slightly better.

Who knows how long later I undress and slowly hop into the shower. I don't feel like smelling of urine on yet another fist day of my senior year.

Unfortunately, I have no more baggy clothes as my father hasn't hooked up our old washer and dryer yet. I slip into a tight long sleeve shirt and pants that haven't fit right since two years prior. I put on a hat to cover the new bruise of my left cheek and let my long hair fall free. My curly hair reaches my butt and I can't help but admire it. My long hair is all I have left of my mother. I've thought of chopping it off since the first time my dad wrapped his hands around it and used it against me but I just can't.

I check myself out in the filthy mirror, I look different today. My overly tight jeans show off my curvy body and I can't help but feel embarrassed. It was better not to be seen but this would have to do. I rush out of the door. its 6 o'clock and school starts at 7. I could wait inside for another 30 minutes now that my dad was gone but I have always felt claustrophobic indoors. Today I take my time walking to school. Luckily we moved into a house just outside of a dense forest that I can't help but feel at home at. I take a long breath and exhale. This was all I needed, fresh air. I've always felt hot my entire life and being outside was like a cure. I've walked this forest for about a week now since we moved here so I know my way to school but today I take a detour to detox the clutter in my mind. This detour leads me to a lake I'm sure ran all the way back into the forest.

This is the spot. I squatted down and just held myself.

I couldn't help but dread going to school. My ribs were bruised and my cheek was sore and swollen. I just wanted to sit here.

But then it was ruined.

"What are you doing in our territory girl?"

"Yeah, rogues aren't welcome here!"

I stood up immediately. I definitely got an unpleasant feeling about these kids. I watched a group of 6 or 7 kids surround me.

There was an aura about them that I couldn't rationalize.

"What are you doing here girl," said a pretty brunette. "I won't ask again nicely!" The girl flipped my hat off my face. I won't allow her to touch me again. "It looks like your a wild one aren't you! You clearly like to fight. Just look at your ugly face."

I decided not to answer which really seemed to piss these people off...but mostly her. I enjoy pissing her off.

"If you cant answer little pup then I'm going to beat your ass until you do."

Delaney's head swarmed with questions. They smell different. Focus Delaney, these people aren't here to make friends. Luckily the one good thing about my dad was he constantly taught me how to fight. I wondered if I could take all of these punks by myself but why do they smell like a pack of dogs so badly. Gross yet oddly comforting. Focus Delaney. But I couldn't, the smell was familiar, almost like the musk my father has undeath the smell of all the booze and tobacco.

"You selected the wrong territory to squat on you filthy creature." I heard someone bark.

I finally focused on hearing an insult my father would have been proud of. And just like my father, abuse after the harsh words we're evident. But with a bunch of losers, I wasn't scared. I took the hand of the female that was about to land her first blow on my already swollen cheek and I ferociously tossed her right on her fat ass. The others were furious and frantically advanced in an attempt to avenge thier sorry excuse of a friend. Unfortunately, the blows I landed on them were not good enough and it wasn't long until they acted together and were all kicking me down into the damp soil.

I was usually quiet during my beatings but today I was swollen and bruised. I couldn't help but yell out in pain. Each hit was excruciating. "Stop," I begged. It hurts!" My cries went unheard as they continued. "Please. Please stop! Why are you even going this?"

"Because your rogue trash and we won't allow you here in our territory! Got that sweetheart?" The brunette beamed down at me smiling a toothy grin.

All I want to do is smash her teeth in.

"Now clean off your blood, " she says to me as she orders one of the boys in the back to toss me into the lake.

I tried to grab on to something, anything but thier was nothing. All i could do was kick and scream for help. My ribs were in excruciating pain. I couldn't make my body do what I needed it to do and then... I sank. My ribs were about to explode. I used the last bit of strength I had to force myself up. I watched the group of kids leaving as I gave my last scream for help before I ultimately sank to the bottom.