Chapter One-part one.

"Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twen-"
"SOPH-" her brother shouted. She spun around instantly and saw her little brother get hit by a car. She was in complete shock; she froze, and her breath slowed to a complete stop. Sophie's mother saw what had happened from the kitchen window, and dropped the dish in her hand to run outside. With tears pouring down her face, she hoped that her precious son was alive. The man that hit him sped off; only his black tire marks remained of him. Sophie's mom turned around after falling to her knees and her son's body. "This is all your fault!" she screamed at Sophie. This was the beginning of a downward spiral that would be known as Sophie's life. Sophie predicted that everything would only get worse day by day.

Sophie didn't know what to do. She had never experienced the death of someone so close to her before, let alone before her own eyes. She was like dirt under an old rug to her mother. She was despised by her own mother, and her father, James, was at war; overseas in Iraq. Her mother, Rachel, had abused her and done everything she could do to harm her. Sophie came to the realization that it was because her father loved Sophie so much, and they had a true bond; while Rachel and James didn't. Sophie was afraid to approach her mother. Rachel was now convinced this fifteen-years-old girl had killed her son. Sophie has a guy feeling that her mother would make this the most traumatic night of her life.

Sophie and Rachel went to the hospital in the ambulance with Matthew, knowing the odds for him recovering were slim. On occasion, when Rachel wasn't mourning over her son, she would glare at Sophie with bloodshot-tear filled eyes. The glaring continued when they reached the hospital. She made phone calls while waiting next to Matthew's bed, though it wasn't allowed. That only proved her selfishness to the doctors.

One by one the hours passed by slowly, and Sophie had fallen asleep. She woke up to the heart monitor beeping like mad, then suddenly breaking into a deadly tone. Matthew's heart had stopped. Rachel began sobbing, while Sophie remained speechless' she had just witnessed the last breaths of her seven-years-old brother. Her eyes watered, and she felt completely isolated from love.

The car ride home was quiet. Sophie found it different to be alone in the car without Matthew to talk to. Her mom didn't say anything, which only made Sophie worry more. Was her mother planning something? Sophie went to her room while Rachel started to cook dinner.



After Sophie finished her meal, she went back to upstairs to clean up and get ready for bed. As Sophie brushed her hair, she didn't pay attention to the reflection behind her in the mirror. Rachel stood quietly behind her with a small, skinny belt and suddenly whipped Sophie's back. When she was whipped, she straightened up and held in a scream. She continued receiving a whip until she couldn't take it anymore, and fell to the ground. Rachel grabbed her knife, brought it to Sophie's neck and said, "get up, my little angel, Mommy has a game to play. The rules are simple, and I know you know them. Let me refresh your memory though; listen to me, and face the wall. Go." This was what Sophie was used to; orders and abuse; of a morbid stand point. She couldn't argue back, she wouldn't dare. It happened frequently, ever since Daddy left. She began sobbing to herself silently. She wanted her dad back; her life. She knew if her father was here, she wouldn't be harmed.

Sophie gasped every time the belt hit her. She knew that if she moved, even an inch, the pain would become worse. She couldn't stand it. Suddenly her knees began to weaken beneath her, and she collapsed to the ground. When Rachel finally got her own pain out, from beating Sophie, Sophie took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. This wasn't the usual beating. Normally it would only last approximately thirty minutes, this was twice as long. She was even beaten after falling to the ground.

"This is only the beginning," Sophie thought to herself. Rachel chuckled and left the room. Sophie wept on the floor, curled into herself, with her knees pressed tight into her chest. She was calling for her father in whispers, and the room was taken over by darkness. That's when Sophie found the house was quiet. The darkness provided coldness as well, and with that Sophie's thoughts were taken over by her perfect life before her father left. She was just a few feet away from the corner of the room, so she crawled over to it and cried herself to sleep.

Prologue

Sophie sat on her bed reading a journal entry from two years ago. She though of how everything was so perfect until this day:

Dear Diary,
09/12/2006

My brother Matthew turned five today. I love him so much. He does get on my nerves occasionally, but that doesn't change how much I love him. My dad is leaving for work in a month; since he told us that, my mom has been getting drunk and screams at him about it. It terrifies Matthew because he has no clue what's going on. My mom hasn't really talked to me for quite sometime. She clings to Matthew, and if I say something wrong, she just slaps me.I think it's the alcohol...I think she's mad at me because I had a fight with Elezabeth- my EX-best friend. My mom loves her, I don't really know why though. The only thing Elezabeth cares about is her popularity. Which I hate because when you are popular people are only friends with you for the material things. They won't be true friends that last a lifetime...Back to my mom; I thought my mom's sudden hate in me was because of Elezabeth, but my dad says that's not it. He says Mommy is taking her anger out on his favorite little girl. I hate this.
-Sophie.

As Sophie read, she realized that that was the beginning of the worst. Her eyes began to water; her father was still gone and her mom punished her for everything. Sophie was tired of it, but before her thoughts could carry her further into madness, her brother called for her.
"Sophie! Come play hide-and-seek with me outside!"
"Alright Matthew! Give me a minute." Sophie closed her old journal while the last tear fell from her cheek, and put it under her bed-the secret spot. Sophie ran downstairs and joined Matthew under the warmth of the sun on an autumn day.