Written In Blood

Written In Blood

Chapter One

My normal smile remained on my face as I walked the halls of Oak Crest High. People didn't pay much attention to me. They just passed me like I wasn't there. Like I was a ghost.
I licked my lips and pressed on through the halls. "Hey, Lucy!" I heard my best friend, Stephen, shout. I turned around and saw his blond hair bounce up and down.
His blue eyes shone bright underneath his bangs."Hi." I said. I adjusted my sleeve. "Lucy, let me see your wrist." He said eyeing me. My heart skipped a beat.
"Why?" I asked. He gave me a look. One that said I-know-what-you-did-this-morning-and-you're-not-fooling-me. I sighed and hugged my books tighter.
"Lucy, let me see them." He said. I averted my gaze. "No." I mumbled. I felt the weight of his stare. He was eyeing my blue sleeves. He grabbed my left arm.
He pushed the blue sleeve of my thermal shirt up. Underneath was my scars. Up and down my arm you saw red lines. "Lucy! How could you?!" He exclaimed.
I didn't say anything. I've already have been sent down to the counselor because I had cut myself on school grounds. My mind flickered back to that awful memory.
It was sophomore year. Just two years ago. I had been a perky blond cheerleader back then. One day everything went wrong. I bombed the most important test of the year, my mother left my family, my dog, Percy, died, and my best friend, Megan, committed suicide.
I had completely been overwhelmed by sadness. My whole body was wrapped in grief and agony. So, during lunch I had managed to snatch a piece of a broken Chem Lab beaker and waltzed into the girls bathroom and cut.
It was a deep bloody cut. The pink tiled floor was a vivid, disturbing red. I winced at the memory. People looked at me differently after that. They called me a freak and, worst of all, a cutter.
After that I got thrown out of the cheerleading squad and dyed my hair midnight black. I started wearing clothes that one might say was in the group titles emo.
I started to be quiet in class and had very minimal friends. One of them being Stephen. "Lucy, I thought you stopped." He said. "I did. But I started again." I answered.
"You have to stop this. It isn't healthy." He said. I was grateful that he kept his voice. "It's not that easy." I said and walked away. I hated when Stephen told me what to do.

Chapter Two

I walked into my third period math class with little pride. I shared that class with all my old cheerleader friends. They grew silent when I sat down.
I heard them whisper things like,"Yep, there she is." and "I wonder is she still cuts?" I kept my head down. I hated when they whispered about me.
My mind flashed back to being a cheerleader. My dirty blond hair  had gone so perfectly with my blue and yellow cheerleader uniform. Now I have black hair that goes with gray skinny jeans and black tee shirts and band shirts.
Mr. Wells strolled into class. "Class, today we'll be doing calculus." He said and started writing on the bored. A throng of groans came from the class.
After math I headed off to art. I sat down at my table and started working on my latest drawing. It was a sun and a moon combined.
There was a black hole in the back ground and all around it was filled with stars. I smiled as I drew. Drawing and writing became the two things that I love to do ever since I got thrown off the cheerleading squad.
Mrs. Armstrong came up to my table. "Lucy, that is a beautiful piece of work." She said with a loving smile. Mrs. Armstrong was an old lady.
She wore a purple sun dress and had gray hair. She was the most loved teacher in the school. She understood me. "Thank you." I said with a smile.
"I was wondering if you would stay after school tomorrow and help me paint a mural for my wall?" She asked. "I'd love to, Mrs. Armstrong." I replied.
After art I had lunch. I sat with Stephen, Kyle, and Blake. I kept my head down as they all talked to one another. "Hey, Lucy. Are you alright?" Blake asked.
"What? Oh, yeah." I said and glanced at my old table. They all noticed. "You actually miss them?" Kyle asked. "No. I just miss being normal." I said.
"What's so great about being normal? Normal is boring and stupid." Stephen said. He was still eying my sleeves. "You don't know what it's like. I used to be liked by everybody. Now they look at me like I'm a flesh eating disease." I said.
"Not everyone liked you. We didn't like you." Blake said. Good old Blake was always so blunt. "Gee, thanks. That makes me feel so much better." I said sarcastically.
"What I mean is that if you haven't went all hardcore you wouldn't be here with the awesome kids." He said. I smiled. "You're right. I should just forget about those poseurs." I said.
They all smiled. Through out the rest of lunch we discussed the best Tim Burton movie. Nightmare Before Christmas or Edward Scissor Hands.

Chapter Three

When I got home I locked myself inside my bedroom. I heard my sister, Casey, blast Kelly Clarkson. I remembered I used to love that stuff. Now I hate it.
I opened up my lap top and went to Google. I typed in emo and hit search. What came up was the definition and some photos. Some websites said, "Emo Hair Styles."
I smiled to myself. If emo is just a style of music then why do people call me emo? I thought. People these days got it so wrong.
I scrolled up and started to type in To Write Love On Her Arms in search. It took me to the website. I read the home page. Somehow it made me feel worse.
Worse about myself. To Write Love On Her Arms is an organization to help stop teens from cutting themselves. Reading how terrible cutting yourself is I couldn't bear to read on. I took out a razor from my desk drawer.
I closed my lap top and went to my bathroom. I closed the door and slit my left wrist. I watched the blood fall onto the floor. I began to cry.
The red blood looked different. I tried to stop it but it wouldn't. I started to worry. Then I thought, Maybe this is best. Maybe the world is better off without me.
I sat on the floor and let the blood come out. I just sat there looking at it. A knock came to my bedroom door. I heard it through the thin walls.
"Lucy, time for dinner." I heard my father say. I didn't get up. I sat there. I began to feel dizzy. "Lucy? Darling?" He said. I didn't say anything.
The pool of blood grew bigger. It finally reached my jeans. My pants were blood stained. I dropped my arm into the blood. Now my shirt was blood stained.
"Lucy, come out now!" My father shouted. I still didn't get up. "I'm coming in Lucy." He said and unlocked it with his master key. The key that could open any door in the house.
I heard his foot steps come in radius with the bathroom door. He opened it and looked at me with wide eyes. "Lucy!" He shouted and picked me up.
He ran down stairs and loaded me into the car. He drove off. My sister and two brothers stood n the front step and watched the car roll off.

Chapter Four

My father took me to the hospital. They bandaged up my wound. "Lucy, I am very disappointed in you." My father said. 'Disappointed? That's all you have to say?" I asked.
"No. You are grounded! For three months!" He said. "I'm grounded?!" I exclaimed. My father made no sense. "Yes. Yes you are." He said.
"I'm grounded for being depressed?!" I exclaimed. "You are not depressed! You're a sixteen year old girl looking for attention!" He shouted.
My jaw dropped. Tears flooded my eyes. The nurse came in. "Mr. Stone? The doctor would like to speak with you." The little frail, blond nurse said.
He turned around and walked out of the room. The nurse walked over to my bed. "Lucy, can I ask you something?" She asked. I looked at her.
I blinked away my tears. "Sure. Go ahead." I said."Why did you cut yourself?" She asked. "Because, I'm depressed." I said. The nurse held my hand.
"You lost a lot of blood. Other than that, you're fine." He said. "Thank you." I said. She smiled. "Don't give up hope sweetie." She said and left the room.
The car ride home was quiet and unbearable. My father gripped the wheel tight. "When we get home , you're punishment begins." He said.
I just looked out the window. The sun finally set. I kept thinking about what the nurse said. How can I give up hope when there is none? I thought.
When we got home my father pushed me inside. "Go to your bedroom." He said. I ran upstairs. "Is Lucy alright, daddy?" I heard Casey ask.
"She's fine." My father said. "No she's not. She cut herself again." I heard my older brother, Adam, say. "Again? I think she needs help." I hears my younger brother, William, say.
I sat on my bed and wished for the night to be over with. I heard my fathers foot steps come to the door. He opened it. "Lucy, are you ready for your punishment?" He asked.
I gave him a puzzled look. He pulled out rope and duct tape from his back pocket. He came up to me and taped my mouth. I tried to scream but nothing came out.

Chapter Five

I squirmed. My father took off my clothes. I squirmed. When I scratched him he smacked me and said, "None of that now." He tied me to my bed.
I was completely vulnerable. He raped me. My own father! It was horrible. I was so scared. After it was over I felt nothing. I was paralyzed.
He took the tape off of my mouth and untied me. "Good night, Lucy." He said and left the room. I didn't get any sleep that night. I was too frozen.
In the morning he came in to wake me up. I was still naked and and still in bed. "Get up. Now." He said. I managed to get my body up.
I walked over to my bathroom and took a shower. After I got dressed, did my make up and hair, and ate breakfast, I drove to school.
On my way there I began to cry. Tears came out of my eyes like a river. I was scared to go home. I looked at my scar. It was hidden underneath bandages.
I pressed play on the CD player in the car. The Cure was playing. I bit my lip. Why me? Why am I the one to cut herself or the one to be raped by her father? I thought.
I didn't want to go to school. But I knew the school would call home if I didn't show and my father might "punish" me again. So I drove to school.
I pulled into a spot and got out. I zipped up my sweat shirt. I kept my head down and walked inside the building. Stephen, Blake, and Kyle were all waiting by my locker.
"There she is!" Stephen shouted. I jumped. I was surprised to see them. "Congratulations!" Blake said and gave me a big hug. I stared at them wide eyed.
"W-what are you guys t-t-talking about?" I asked. "We're talking about you art award!" Kyle said with a jump. My mouth dropped. "I won the contest?!" I exclaimed.
A while ago I had entered an art contest at my school. Mrs. Armstrong sent all the art work to the judges in Trenton, New Jersey and they would decide the winner.
They all gave me a big hug. I ran to Mrs. Armstrong's room. "Lucy! You won!" She exclaimed. "I know!" I jumped and gave her a hug.
She turned around and picked up a golden trophy and my drawing. I had drawn an angel in a black dress with her wings getting torn off by a demon in a suit.
I took it from her hands and smiled. I went through the day not even thinking about my bandages or my father. I had been in he greatest mood.

Chapter Six

When I got home my father was sitting on the couch drinking a beer. My eyes mouth grew dry. "Lucy, go start dinner." He said not looking from the television.
"But I can't cook." I said in a low voice. "So? Learn how." He said. His eyes were glued to the screen. "Can't we just order tae-out?" I asked.
"Damn it, Lucy! Just do what I tell you to!" He shouted. "Y-y-yes s-sir." I stammered. I ran to the kitchen. I got out a pot and some canned soup.
I read the red label. Chicken Noodle. I opened the can and splashed it into the pot. I turned on the stove and I watched the soup cook.
A few minuets later I called into the living room. "Dinner's ready." I said. I had placed six bowls of soup on the counter. My father came in first.
"Soup? I didn't want soup." He said. "I didn't know what you wanted." I said. He got angry. Anger flared in his blue eyes. He walked up to me and slapped me.
I fell to the floor.
"Can't you do anything right!?" He shouted. I trembled in fear. He stepped closer and picked me up by the throat. I couldn't breathe.
He was strangling me. "You are the worst daughter ever! You cut yourself, you can't cook, and all you care about is your stupid art class!" He shouted in my face.
I fought back. I kicked and scratched but nothing phased him. Then he collapsed to the floor. Adam had hit him on the head with a hammer.
I hit the floor. I caught my breath and stood up. "Lucy, are you alright?" He asked. He was now by my side. "Yeah. I think so." I said.
"Is Lucy alright?" I heard Casey ask. "Yeah. Lucy's fine." Adam answered. "Is dad dead?" I heard William ask. "I don't know." Adam answered.
They all helped me to my feet. "C'mon. We're leaving. We already packed your bags." Adam said. We all grabbed our bags and left the house.
We took the van so we'll have enough room for everything. Adam drove. I sat in the back trembling. Casey held my hand. William was silent for the whole ride.
We drove out of town. I was hoping that my father was dead. A few hours later we stopped. Adam told up to wait in the van until he came back.
He went up a gravel path that lead to a white house. I watched him knock on the door. A short petite woman answered the door. She gave him a big hug.
Adam came back to the car and told us all to get out.

Chapter Seven

We walked into the white house. The foyer was a brilliant red. I looked around. I saw pictures of little boys and girls and  family. I wished my house had pictures like that.
A few seconds later a woman came out of the living room. It was the nurse from the hospital. "Kids, I'm you're mom." She said. My jaw dropped.
My mother? It couldn't be. Casey's face was slapped with a smile. "Mommy! I missed you!" She exclaimed and ran up to her and cave her a hug.
"Mom? Is it really you?" William asked. "Of course it's me. I just dyed my hair and changed my appearance a little." She said. "You're the nurse from the hospital." I said.
"I am." She said. A smile washed over my face. "I thought there was something familiar about you!" I exclaimed and gave her a hug.
She lead us upstairs to our rooms. Adam's room was an ocean green, Casey's room was ballerina pink, William's room was denim blue, and my room was blood red.
"Mom, why did you leave?" I asked her when she was walking out of my new room. "The same reason why you and brothers and sister left." She said.
I nodded my head. "How's that cut of yours?" She asked. I looked down at my bandage. "It hasn't been hurting." I said. She smiled and took a step closer.
"It's time to take the bandages off." She said and unraveled the gauze. Underneath was a big red scar. "Ouch. That must've hurt." She said.
"I love you, mom." I said. "I love you too. Now get some rest." She said and left the room. I changed out of my paint covered overalls and into pajamas.
Finally I was safe. Safe from my father and safe from myself. I was safe from worry and everything close to it. I was free. Adam and my mother set me free.
I slept pleasantly. When I woke up it was twelve p.m. I strolled down stairs and saw a plate of pancakes on the table. My mother, Adam, William, and Casey were all eating them.
"Morning." I said and sat down with them. They all said good morning.







Authors note: This is all I have so far. Enjoy!