Morning Star

Morning Star

By: Melissa Stern

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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PUBLISHED BY:

Melissa Stern on Smashwords

Morning Star

Copyright 2012 by Melissa Stern

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Morning Star

By: Melissa Stern

Chapter 1

Arabella crouched in the corner of her room holding her hands heavy against her ears. Eyes squeezed tightly shut. She was trying to drown out the yelling of her foster dad. He was currently beating the girl she shared a room with. She could hear every smack of his hand as it hit her cheek. She didn’t know nor did she care what the girl had done to make him so angry. All she was trying to do was to make herself as small and as invisible as she possibly could in the corner. To stay out of the way was the key. She didn’t want to get in the way of the beating.

Pictures flashed through her head of last week. She was told to go to the store for a couple of things and she had forgotten the milk. She didn’t realize she had or she would have gone back and picked some up. When her foster dad found out she had come back without it he went into a blind rage and started hitting her. He smacked her around and threw her against the wall. Never in the face though. The face would leave too much evidence.

This was not the first time of course but that didn’t mean she was used to it. She tried to push the images out of her head which still had a knot on the top of it from the event. Beatings weren’t the only things her foster parents did. Sure her foster dad was the physical one of the group but her foster mother was more verbally and mentally cruel. Sometimes she preferred to be beaten instead of tormented with words. Her foster mother called her fat and ugly and told her that no one would ever love her. That was why her birth parents had gotten rid of her. They didn’t want her.

She heard her foster dad yell some more of his famous profanities and barge out of the room, slamming the door behind him and locking it. Arabella slowly and cautiously opened her eyes and looked at the girl on the floor. She was painfully picking herself up. She was new, just got here last week. Arabella didn’t even know her name yet.

Are you ok? Arabella asked softly.

The new girl just looked at Arabella and curled up on her cot. Arabella knew how the new girl felt. She had been living with this family for 5yrs. The family she was put with before this one was nice and about to finalize the adoption when the lady became pregnant. They couldn’t afford to have two kids so here she was.

It was Sunday. Arabella couldn’t wait for Monday. There was school on Mondays. She loved going to school because it meant she was out of the house and out of the way. She didn’t have any friends at school and she really didn’t care. She kind of liked it that way. There was no one to let her down in the end. Only two months until graduation and once she graduated she was gone.

‘Out of this house of hell’ she thought.

She often thought of running away but talked herself out of it every time.

‘If you leave now,’ she would think. ‘You won’t be able to graduate. If you go back to the school they will just send you back here and then what do you think they will do to you? If you leave now where will you go? Where would you sleep? How would you eat? No one would help you or even care if you died.’

Arabella often thought of dying. Just giving up sounded so good at times. Her foster mother often told her how ugly she was and that no one would ever love her or want her and that she should just end it.

Arabella, hearing that it had calmed down in the hallway, uncoiled her limbs and drug herself on to her cot. She stared at the sealing and wished for the night to pass calmly and quickly. She pulled her sorry excuse for a blanket up around her shoulders and sighed.

‘Sweet Dreams’ she told herself.

She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Arabella looked all around her. Lush green meadows and trees surrounded her. There was a small brook not too far up the road. She didn’t know where she was but she felt strangely calm, kind of like she belonged here. Like this was her home. She heard someone calling her name and as she whirled around to see who it was, there was a loud piercing scream and the sky went dark. She felt something cold and hard grab her arm. When she looked up there was a man with cold dark eyes smiling an evil smile.

Arabella sat up fast gasping for air. ‘A dream it was only a dream.’

She was wet from sweat. Her hair matted to her head. She looked at the clock. It was time to get up and get ready for school. She jumped out of bed and headed for the shower. She could feel her muscles start to relax in the hot water. She felt her arm stinging where the water hit it. As she looked down at her arm she sucked in a breath and froze for where the man in her dream had grabbed her there was a red hand print starting to fade.

Chapter 2

School was the same old same old and to her dismay ended too soon. She walked along the streets toward home and all the way she secretly wished it had burned down. As she turned the corner she could see it was, unfortunately, still standing.

All well she shrugged to herself.

When she walked in the door she could see her foster dad standing in the hallway leading to the living room. She could smell the stench of beer on him from across the room. Evidently he didn’t go to work today. She knew that if her foster dad was home this early someone was getting beat. Unfortunately from the looks of it she was the only one home which meant she would be the target. She tried to think of anything she had done to make him mad but could come up with nothing.

‘This can’t be good’ she thought.

She slipped by and headed toward her room when she heard him calling her.

Hey you come here! Just who do you think you are coming into my house and not saying hello. You little bitch.

He was angry and she was the only one there he could take it out on. Not a good combination. Just then he grabbed her by the back of the shirt and whirled her around pinning her against the wall. He grabbed her by the throat. She could smell the alcohol on his breath and it made her want to gag. It was obvious by the smell and look of him that he had been drinking all day again which was not good for anyone. Not even her step mother.

It’s ok though you’re not my problem anymore. He smirked.

Arabella looked confused. ‘Not his problem? Is he going to kill me?’

I was down at the bar telling everyone what a pain you are and a man came and offered to get rid of you for me. Naturally I wondered what he would want with you, but when he offered me the money I agreed. Who cares what he needs you for, right? Who knew you would be worth so much.

He raised his hand as if he were going to smack her in the face. She squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for the impact but before he could work up enough force behind his large hand there was a knock at the door.

Good he is here. Pack your shit. You will be leaving with him.

Her foster dad grabbed her hair and threw her into the room, shut the door and locked it. She could hear the front door open and someone come in. It sounded like a man with a low, deep creepy voice. She could only hear muffled voices at first but then as they got closer and closer to the door she could start to make out some of it. It sounded like they were standing right outside the door.

So she is in there? the mystery voice said.

Yeah the little bitch just got home. You’re just in time. What exactly did you want with her again? She’s not anything special. You could pick up something better off the street.

Not to you, the voice sounded closer. But to me she is valuable.

Well you can do whatever you want with her as long as you got my money. I’ll be happy to get rid of her.

Arabella starting to panic; grabbed the bag she kept under the cot. It was her emergency bag. She kept a few pairs of cloths and the notebook she kept as a diary as well as some other important things she treasured in there and some cash she had been stashing away just in case she ever needed to run.

‘I thought selling people was illegal.’

She slipped to the window and opened it slowly so that it didn’t make any noise. There was no screen. All she had to do was climb out. She dropped the bag on the ground and hulled herself over and out. She reached back up and lowered the window and jumped over the hedges and started down the street just as the bedroom door opened. She could hear yelling coming from the house.

‘Run Ara, run,’ the voice in her head screamed.

She started to run. She ran towards the school at full speed. It was beginning to get dark outside and she knew she had to find somewhere to stay the night. As Arabella reached the school she slowed her pace. Breathing heavily like the air was being sucked out of her.

‘Ok so running is so not my thing. Got… to… rest.’

Arabella sat down with her back against the wall facing the bus terminal. The cool brick wall against her made the sweat on her neck cold.

‘Keep moving. Maybe they saw you leave. They could be right behind you.’

Arabella hauled herself up and started for the road ahead. It wasn’t the best neighborhood and she knew it but she didn’t have a choice at the moment. She picked up her pace heading towards Sunshine Rd. From there she would be able to decide which way to go. As she reached the end of the road she remembered hearing about a private shelter that had just opened on Glenstone. It was only three miles away and since it was getting darker she decided not to argue with herself and just go.

When she arrived at the iron front gate of the shelter the lady in the security booth motioned her over.

Looking for a place to stay Hun? the plump sweet sounding lady asked.

Yeah…ummm….I… Arabella didn’t know exactly what to tell the lady. She was so focused on getting to the shelter before it got too late that she forgot to come up with a story.

It’s ok Hun we don’t ask many questions here. The only thing I need to know is if you are staying the night. You don’t even have to give me your name if you don’t want to.

Oh, yes I need to spend the night. Arabella could feel the tears finally starting to swell in her eyes.

Oh Hun calm down you will be safe here. Do you want to call the police? I could call them for you.

NO! I mean no please don’t it will just make things worse. Arabella was in a panic now. She should have just found a small hotel room to stay in.

Ok Hun, no need to yell. I want you to go to room A212. You can stay there as long as you would like. Here is the key.

The lady handed her a small brown key and pointed to the building right behind her. Have a good night’s sleep Hun.

Thanks

Arabella took the key and headed toward the building. It didn’t take long before she found room A212 and she sighed in relief. She couldn’t help but to be paranoid though. She looked up and down the hall making sure no one was following her. She opened the door and stepped in closing and locking it behind her.

In the small room there was a bed with an ugly salmon colored bed spread and a night stand as well as a bathroom with a shower. The shower looked so inviting but she was so tired. So tired in fact that she knew as soon as she plopped down on the bed she would fall asleep. She knew she could not