Chapter12

Someone came into the stable. I looked up. It was Sawyer. "S– Sawyer, please. Can you bring me something to eat??" I begged weakly through my tears. She didn't move but just stared at me. "Please..." "And why should I do that?" she asked coldly, folding her arms. "Please," I cried, "I– I haven't eaten since the day before yesterday." "That's cuz mom punished you. It isn't my fault if you didn't do the laundry properly. My clothes weren't properly washed." How could a nine year old be so wicked? "Sawyer, please." I crawled to her feet weakly. I managed to grab her ankle. "Aaaah!!" she screamed all of a sudden, "LET ME GO! You're dirty!" I didn't let her go. I was starving and I kept on begging. I was only 12 years old and I hadn't eaten for three days. I was desperate. "Please..." I cried weakly. "MOOM!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Fear took over me and I let her go. Too late. Aunt Christina appeared angrily with a leather belt in her hand. Sawyer reported everything. Aunt Christina turned to me, as furious as ever. "Why you dirty little bastard! How dare you???" she growled raising the belt high above her head. "Noo! Please!" I begged but the belt came down hard on me, hitting across my face and head. I screamed at the unbearable pain. "Pleeaase!!" I cried painfully. She didn't stop. She started flogging me with the hard leather belt, on every part of my body. Everywhere. I couldn't open my eyes or see anything as she flogged me in total rage. I screamed and screamed for help. She didn't stop. Sawyer stood watching with a satisfied look. "Aunt Christinaaa! PLEASE! STOP! HELP!" "SHUT UP!" she growled angrily. "Mom! Mommy, nooo!!" I heard Heather's voice beg. Aunt Christina stopped flogging me and turned to Heather. I managed to open my eyes, though they were as swollen as the rest of my face. I saw Heather with a painful look in her eyes. She was sobbing as she looked at me, her hand covering her mouth in shock at my sight. She was only ten years old and had just seen what her own mother was capable of. "M– mommy, what are you doing to him?!" she cried out. "Didn't I tell you to stay in the house?? Didn't I?!" her mother asked angrily. "Mommy, he doesn't look okay! What have you been doing to him?! The last time I saw him he was fine!" she screamed painfully. "Heather, how dare you shout at me??" "Mom, you are wicked!!" she cried. Aunt Christina's eyes widened in shock. Her daughter had called her wicked. Her favorite. "Did you just call me wicked?? Heather did you?" Aunt Christina growled. Heather stepped back. "Because of this bastard?!" "It's because she likes him, mommy!" Sawyer quickly reported, "They like each other!" "Oh, I see." Aunt Christina turned to me, "So you've turned my daughter against me??" I shook my head in fear. "N– noo." I trembled. "LIAR!" she screamed and the next thing I felt was the hard belt across my face again. I screamed in pain. "Nooo!" Heather screamed and ran towards her mother, trying her best to pull her away from me. "Mommy! No!" "Get out!" she pushed Heather aside, causing her to fall hard on the floor. And that was when Heather for the first time, had an asthma crisis. Aunt Christina panicked. "Heather!" she dropped the belt and carried her daughter, "Follow me with the belt!" she told Sawyer as she quickly ran out of the barn with Heather in her arms. I cried continuously. I was red, black and blue. She'd hit me so hard. My legs, arms and face had swollen. I lay on the hay crying in pain. Sawyer picked up the belt and looked down at me. No remorse or pity in her expression. She only gave me a little smirk before running out of the stable. That's how I remained, crying till evening. My whole body on fire. By night I was done crying. I lay silently on the hay, thinking. Praying for Heather to be okay. I was only twelve but I believed I loved her. I wasn't sure though if I could call it love. But what I was sure of was that I really liked her. She was the only one who smiled at me in a very very long time. Yet I was unable to see her. * It was 10pm and the ranch was silent apart from the little noise the horses in the stable with me did. Everyone had gone to sleep. I thought of going to look for left over carrots from the horses' manger but I was too weak to move. I closed my eyes. For the first time in my life, I prayed for death to come get me. I still had my eyes shut when I felt a soft hand caress my cheek. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Heather sitting by my side. "He– Heather?" I called weakly. "Yes..." I slowly sat up. "What are you doing here?" I asked, looking straight into her shiny eyes. "I came to see how you were doing." "Won't you be caught?" "Everyone's asleep. I– I sneaked out." I looked at her speechless. "I– I also brought you my dinner." She picked up a little bowl that I hadn't noticed by  her side. She opened it. There was rice and tomato sauce in it. "You must be hungry." She muttered. I nodded, speechless. I couldn't believe she was here with me. She'd sacrificed her sleep and dinner for me. "C– can I feed you?" she asked nervously, her face reddening. I managed a little smile. "Yes. Please." She picked up her spoon and mixed the food. Then slowly, she put the first spoon of rice in my mouth. I ate. It'd been long since I'd eaten good food. She fed me continuously. My eyes never leaving her beautiful face.