You Play My Heart Like Your Guitar

“Well, well, well…what have we got here ey?” Mina heard a masculine voice say and saw the sheer terror that washed on her mother’s face.
“L-L-Lukas” Her mother stuttered, Mina looked at Lukas, he was at least 6’5 blonde hair, mean grey eyes that almost looked black and he had a salacious smirk on his face that made her stomach churn.

“Who are you, you pretty thing?” Lukas made his way to her,
“My name is Emilia” She glared at him,
“Oh feisty, I like that want to have some fun pretty?” He ran a hand down her arm and she flinched away,
“Don’t touch me!” Mina said forcefully, her heart pounded in her chest, this guy was bad news…when she looked at him she realised, he’s the one who is hurting Leah and Annalisa.
“Naww, why? You look so touchable” He cooed and she felt repulsed as he almost pinned her to the wall.

“Lukas!” She heard authority in Annalisa’s voice; Lukas turned a murderous glared at Annalisa.
“Leave her alone! Emilia leave…NOW!” Annalisa growled and Mina saw an opening and darted to the front door all she saw was Leah’s frightened look and the way Lukas looked murderously at Annalisa.

When Mina made it outside, she ran down the road and that's when she knew; she had to get them out of there.

Mina didn’t know what to do, what if Annalisa and Leah were being harmed right now? What could she do? Should she go back? Should she get help? Mina trembled; she stopped running and decided to turn back. Mina gulped as she came into the view of the house, she stood in front of it not knowing whether she should just barge in and to be honest Lukas was huge! While she was tiny! What could she do?

Mina heard a pain filled yelp and she sucked in her breath,
“Oh my God” she whispered when she heard a scream, goose bumps stood on her arms and unable to control herself she ran up the battered steps of the porch and slammed opened the door, to see her mother’s body curled in a foetal position while Lukas hit her with a leather belt. Mina had no idea what to do, so when she heard another scream from Annalisa, Mina threw her body over her mother’s limp form. Mina felt Lukas’s hesitation at first, he painfully clutched her arm to pull her away but Mina would not let go of her mom, then he wasted no time to unleash renewed fury.

Mina felt stinging pain on her back as lashes after lashes were being thrown at her; she gritted her teeth together and was determined not to cry out. Mina felt her mother’s whimpering body underneath her, Mina felt like she was about to pass out and to be honest this pain was so unbearable. More lashes, perhaps 20, Mina felt consciousness slowly slipping away from her. At least her mother was safe… that was the last thing she thought before she heard Lukas curse under his breath and slam out of the house.

Mina felt weak…so weak, she could almost smell the iron smell of blood that was probably oozing from her back, now knowing that Lukas was gone a steady stream of tears rolled down he cheeks. But she never uttered a sound.
“He’s gone, he’s gone, get off me before he comes back!” Annalisa yelled and moved from underneath Mina quickly. Once Annalisa looked back at her daughter, she saw the pale marble like complexion of her skin and the almost vacant look in her eyes.

Annalisa sucked in her breath in fright when she saw Emilia’s bloodied back,
“Emilia, please…Emilia say something!” Annalisa panicked and felt a feeling she thought had died in her heart long ago…concern.
“Emilia!” Annalisa shook Emilia trying to get her to be reawakened before Lukas returns and finished killing her.
“Please oh God,” Annalisa murmured in distress whilst looking at her daughter…her daughter!

“Mommy?” Leah’s little voice whimpered and Annalisa’s gaze turned to her baby who had tears streaming down her face. Leah gasped;
“Sissi!!!” She squealed in horror and ran to Emilia. Leah placed her baby hands on Emilia’s cheeks, and cried. Annalisa looked and felt her gaze harden; Emilia had to leave…NOW!
“Emilia wake up!” Annalisa slapped Emilia’s cheek, resulting in a groan of pain from the younger girl, Annalisa hardened her heart against any emotions…emotions were for the weak.

Mina’s eyes opened and she felt like her back was on fire, she fought the urge to scream.
“Emilia, you have to go…Immediately!” Mina heard her mother say, her blue eyes like ice, Mina shallowed down the urge to cry, oh god it hurt!
“I-I-I” Mina stuttered…her voice thick and laced with pain.

Mina tried to stand up and felt all the blood drain from her face, she let out a yelp. She heard Leah whimper and tried her best to not show the pain anymore, Mina forced out a smile towards Leah.
Mina painstakingly made her way towards the door, while clutching on the walls to support her, she turned around and looked at Annalisa, feeling anger bubble in her heart, she didn’t even thank her for practically saving her life and taking the beating, but no she was kicking her out.

“I’m coming back.” Mina said and clenched her jaw.
“No you’re not” Annalisa glared but Mina’s gazed was just as fierce,
“I’m coming back for my sister, suffer it if you will but I will be back!” Mina said and Leah let out a broken gasp and ran to Mina and threw herself at her, Mina had to choke down the scream of pain she felt as her sister did that.
“Don’t leave me Sissi please!” Leah sobbed,
“I’ll be back, I can’t take you today but here” Mina grabbed a notebook she saw on the table and the bed she painfully scribbled down her number.
“Call me if you’re scared and something happens okay, keep this to yourself, put it somewhere safe, alright angel?” Mina said soothingly to Leah who nodded and clutched the paper like her life depended on it. It broke Mina’s heart to see a 5 year old this way.

Mina went home and stepped into the shower, she almost screamed as the water ran down her back, she sobbed…no one deserved this. Mina placed some disinfectant on the wounds caused by Lukas and grabbed a roll of bandage and wrapped it around her. Mina could not fall asleep, just the slightest movement would kill her, she kept changing the bandage because blood kept seeping through.

The next day she had a phone call and Rian and Cassadee asked her to come over, even though she didn’t want to, she knew she had to act normal. So swallowing her fear of cars she went, when everyone was sitting down Mina caught her reflection, pale alabaster skin from blood loss and dark circles under her eyes from a sleepless night, over all she looked like a train wreck, this not including the huge bruise on her arm from when Lukas tried to yank her from her mother’s form.
Mina caught Rian and Cassadee’s worried gaze, as well as Alex’s and Jack. However she could not for the life of her define the look of Zack’s face.
“Mina, how are you feeling?” Alex asked tentatively, but with genuine concern.
“I’ve felt better” She answered honestly and gave him a small smile.
“Oh okay.” Alex responded and didn’t press the matter further, making everybody return to their conversation, Mina sighed.

She reached for her glass of water, but as she did her sleeved rose up exposing the dark blue bruise on her arm, Mina quickly pulled her sleeve down and prayed no one saw, as she lifted her gaze; her breath caught in her throat as she saw the hazel eyes filled with emotion, horror, confusion and one prominent anger…he saw her bruise.