Breaking Point, chapter 1
Callisa walked along the highway in silence. She carried a backpack, a small bag, and her guitar. She hadn't brought much with her, only necessities and a few sentimental items. She wasn't going back, not for anything. No one was ever going to hit her or tell her she was worthless ever again. Callisa turned at the sound of a car approaching from behind her. She moved to the side of the road and put her thumb in the air. The car swerved sharply towards her before speeding its way down the pavement.
"Jerks!" She yelled after the car and sent a rock flying at it. It unfortunately missed by a long shot. Calissa continued on her way. A chill wind swept over her as she walked, causing her to shiver in her sweater. Finally she saw lights up ahead, a gas station it looked like. After walking in the dark, the brightness of the lights hurt her eyes. The man behind the counter didn't see her sneak around the back and put her things down. A fitful sleep slowly fell over Callisa as she lay on the ground. The cold and wetness faded as dreams began to take her back home.
Callisa shut the door as quietly as she could behind her. She wasn't going to take any risk of running into her mother. Seeing as the truck was gone, she knew her dad was gone, probably with his mistress. The stairs creaked when she stepped on them. She was halfway up them when she heard her name being called from the living room. A groan escaped her as she reluctantly turned and headed back down the steps and into the adjoining room.
"Yes mom?" The sickly sweet smell of alcohol hung in the air like a blanket. An assortment of empty or half-empty bottles sat on the coffee table; another was in her mother's hand. Her mom lay sprawled out on the couch, eyes drooping and wearing a dirty nightgown. Dishes and empty coke bottles covered the floor and the TV was set to mute. Two people were arguing on the set, looking very pathetic, as most people in soap operas did. The cigarette in the ashtray was slowly burning out, sending a small spiral of smoke into the air already contaminated by so many other poisons. " I've got a ton of homework, what did you want?"
Her mom tried to sit up but dropped back down to her original position before long. "Where were you yesterday?" She looked at Callisa before picking up her cigarette and taking a long drag. She picked herself up, successfully this time, and walked in front of Callisa. "I thought I told you to come straight home after school." It wasn't a question.
"I was working on my English project with Daniel. I left, like, six messages. Didn't you check the answering machine?" A defiant look had settled into her eyes as Callisa looked at her mother. A chill threatened to move through Callisa when her mom's eyes turned icy and cold.
"Who's this Daniel? What have I said about boys?" Her voice began to rise and she moved closer to Callisa.
"He's just a friend! I've told you that...." Her mother's hand landed cold and hard on the side of Callisa's face. The spot that been struck quickly became heated, losing all cold she had felt from the hand. This wasn't the first time her mother had hit her, but it would definitely be the last. Callisa glared at her mother and backed away from her. "Don't touch me." Her voice was soft, but filled with rage.
"Don't tell me what I can and can't do to you! I'm your mother and if I feel the need to discipline you then by God... "
'I said don't touch me witch!" Callisa's voice was loud enough to wake the dead. " Don't you ever, ever touch me again! Or I swear to God, I'll kill you! I'll kill you with my own hands!" Callisa turned and ran up the stairs to her room. She slammed the door and locked it behind her. Tears fell hot and fluent down her cheeks as she sat against the door. No attempt was made to stop them, she let herself cry. She cried for the pain she felt on her face and she cried for the pain her mother had caused her emotionally. But mostly she cried for the fact of knowing that no one would ever hear her.
The feeling of warmth woke Callisa the next morning. She rolled over to see the sun shining right on her. Shaking her head as she stood, Callisa made her way to the front door of the gas station, carrying her things with her. The man behind the register shot an unkindly look towards her as she moved past rows of bagged chips and other foods to the back of the store. She set her things on the floor of the bathroom and looked at her image in the mirror. Her make-up was smeared, her hair was messed and sticking out, and her clothes were rumpled and damp from sleeping on the ground. "Oh my God." After a moment of reassuring herself that she was doing fine, Callisa washed her face and put her hair up into a messy bun. She brushed her pants off best as she could and changed into a black and red, corset style tank top. A few people waited outside the bathroom door as Callisa left and made her way to the front desk.
"Jerks!" She yelled after the car and sent a rock flying at it. It unfortunately missed by a long shot. Calissa continued on her way. A chill wind swept over her as she walked, causing her to shiver in her sweater. Finally she saw lights up ahead, a gas station it looked like. After walking in the dark, the brightness of the lights hurt her eyes. The man behind the counter didn't see her sneak around the back and put her things down. A fitful sleep slowly fell over Callisa as she lay on the ground. The cold and wetness faded as dreams began to take her back home.
Callisa shut the door as quietly as she could behind her. She wasn't going to take any risk of running into her mother. Seeing as the truck was gone, she knew her dad was gone, probably with his mistress. The stairs creaked when she stepped on them. She was halfway up them when she heard her name being called from the living room. A groan escaped her as she reluctantly turned and headed back down the steps and into the adjoining room.
"Yes mom?" The sickly sweet smell of alcohol hung in the air like a blanket. An assortment of empty or half-empty bottles sat on the coffee table; another was in her mother's hand. Her mom lay sprawled out on the couch, eyes drooping and wearing a dirty nightgown. Dishes and empty coke bottles covered the floor and the TV was set to mute. Two people were arguing on the set, looking very pathetic, as most people in soap operas did. The cigarette in the ashtray was slowly burning out, sending a small spiral of smoke into the air already contaminated by so many other poisons. " I've got a ton of homework, what did you want?"
Her mom tried to sit up but dropped back down to her original position before long. "Where were you yesterday?" She looked at Callisa before picking up her cigarette and taking a long drag. She picked herself up, successfully this time, and walked in front of Callisa. "I thought I told you to come straight home after school." It wasn't a question.
"I was working on my English project with Daniel. I left, like, six messages. Didn't you check the answering machine?" A defiant look had settled into her eyes as Callisa looked at her mother. A chill threatened to move through Callisa when her mom's eyes turned icy and cold.
"Who's this Daniel? What have I said about boys?" Her voice began to rise and she moved closer to Callisa.
"He's just a friend! I've told you that...." Her mother's hand landed cold and hard on the side of Callisa's face. The spot that been struck quickly became heated, losing all cold she had felt from the hand. This wasn't the first time her mother had hit her, but it would definitely be the last. Callisa glared at her mother and backed away from her. "Don't touch me." Her voice was soft, but filled with rage.
"Don't tell me what I can and can't do to you! I'm your mother and if I feel the need to discipline you then by God... "
'I said don't touch me witch!" Callisa's voice was loud enough to wake the dead. " Don't you ever, ever touch me again! Or I swear to God, I'll kill you! I'll kill you with my own hands!" Callisa turned and ran up the stairs to her room. She slammed the door and locked it behind her. Tears fell hot and fluent down her cheeks as she sat against the door. No attempt was made to stop them, she let herself cry. She cried for the pain she felt on her face and she cried for the pain her mother had caused her emotionally. But mostly she cried for the fact of knowing that no one would ever hear her.
The feeling of warmth woke Callisa the next morning. She rolled over to see the sun shining right on her. Shaking her head as she stood, Callisa made her way to the front door of the gas station, carrying her things with her. The man behind the register shot an unkindly look towards her as she moved past rows of bagged chips and other foods to the back of the store. She set her things on the floor of the bathroom and looked at her image in the mirror. Her make-up was smeared, her hair was messed and sticking out, and her clothes were rumpled and damp from sleeping on the ground. "Oh my God." After a moment of reassuring herself that she was doing fine, Callisa washed her face and put her hair up into a messy bun. She brushed her pants off best as she could and changed into a black and red, corset style tank top. A few people waited outside the bathroom door as Callisa left and made her way to the front desk.
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