Chapter 6
That night, my great escape plan went to hell.
Mom caught me mid sneak with my duffel bag. What followed was a beating.
Dad was out–which meant Mom had no restraints on her rage.
She used everything she could get her hands on. All while screaming like a banshee.
“Why won’t you just fucking DIE already? DIE!”
Her face was twisted, almost unrecognizable. “I should have aborted you when I had the chance, you worthless piece of shit!”
I lay there on the floor, watching the ceiling spin above me as something cracked inside my ribcage.
The physical pain had become so overwhelming that my brain just… checked out.
Mom’s psychotic episode was loud enough to wake Chelsea and Zoe.
They appeared at the top of the stairs, their faces eerily calm as they observed the bloodbath.
They stood there like anytime before, not lifting a finger to help. Not even calling 911.
I’d given up expecting anything from them years ago.
After so many nights like this, I was beyond exhausted. This time, I didn’t scream or fight back. I just… surrendered.
“Mom,” I whispered through blood–filled lips, “go ahead. Just finish it.”
For a split second, something flickered across her face–surprise. But then the ice returned to her eyes.
As the darkness started creeping in around the edges of my vision, I heard voices–so many voices–cheering her on.
“Yeah, get her! Don’t stop now! Finish her off!”
I was pretty sure this was it–my final exit from this hellhole of a life.
Death had to be better than this.
But when I woke up again–I was lying in a room I didn’t recognize, with more tubes and wires attached to me.
Great. Still alive, Lucky me.
After blinking away the haze, I noticed a woman in uniform sitting beside my bed, typing something on her phone. When she saw my eyes open, she immediately put her phone away.
“Hey there,” she said, her voice surprisingly gentle for someone with a badge.
“You’re safe now. No one’s gonna hurt you here. I’m Officer Kate Ramirez. Think you’re up for a few questions?”
I realized I must be in some kind of police–protected hospital room. Weakly, I nodded.
“How did I get here?”
Officer Kate’s face softened. “Mrs. Peterson from next door called 911. Said she could hear screaming. We’ve documented everything and taken your mother into custody.”
She let out a heavy sigh.
12:49
Burnt Beauty, Family Beasts
11.1%
Chapter 6
“The paramedics said if they’d arrived even twenty minutes later, we’d be investigating a homicide instead of aggravated assault. You’re one tough cookie, Emma.”
I tried to smile, but my split lip made it impossible. This random cop had shown me morg kindness in two minutes than my family had in years.
“Why didn’t you report the abuse before now?” she asked.
Memories rushed back to my mind, I just let out a laugh that hurt my ribs.
“I did report it.”
“But it was all in vain, because no one could–or would–prove what was happening. They all just wanted her to finish the job…”
I told her how I’d first tried to get help from my grandparents. But after they saw the video, they ghosted me completely. Stopped coming our home anymore, changed their phone numbers, the works.
Then there was Adam, my ex. Same deal–saw the video, dumped me, asked my mom to kill me directly, eventually moved to another state.
And finally, I’d tried to save myself. Fat lot of good that did.
Officer Kate listened to everything, her expressions cycling through disbelief, rage, and finally a deep sadness.
When I finished speaking, she took my hand and squeezed it.
“Listen to me, Emma. I promise you, I will make sure justice is served this time.”
Before leaving, she added: “Between us, I’m gonna pull some strings so you can watch when we interrogate her. You deserve to hear her confession firsthand.”
A few days later, a young officer dropped off a tablet with a video file queued up.
“Officer Ramirez wanted you to have this,” he said awkwardly before practically sprinting out of the room.
I pressed play, but what unfolded on that screen was nothing like what Officer Kate had promised.
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