Status: Don't be a silent reader!!

Breaking Free

A Brother's Love

Clutching the knife's handle, I slowly flick the latch on the door.

"H-hi Jack.." I stutter nervously, filled with the fear that he may turn on me at any moment.

"What the fuck took you so long?" he yells angrily, "I swear I was waiting at least ten minutes!"

Once again, I bottle up my feelings and instead back away, muttering to myself that is wasn't even ten seconds.

"Have you packed me footy bag yet?"

"No, I thought training was tomorrow."

I try to disguise the fact I was busy cleaning up after our mother. Jack despises her almost as much as I do, if he found out I was putting her needs first, he would surely flip his lid.

"Well, you thought wrong!"

He pushes me up against the door of the hall cupboard and I feel the handle pressing against my spine. Believe it or not, I'm actually glad to be in this position. Normally, I'd be out cold on the hallway floor by now, so Jack must be in a good mood.

"I'm sorry, I jus-"

"I'm sorry I just," he mimics me with a smirk on his face.

Tormenting me is his favourite past-time.

"I. Don't. Care. Do you ever do anything right?!"

He presses me harder into the cupboard and this time forces my arms closer to my sides, causing the blade of the knife to pierce the skin of my upper leg. Pain surges through me but I remain silent as the blood trickles down to my knee.

"Just pack the bag," he shakes his head, "I've got to be at training in fifteen, if you take any longer, I swear to god I'll kill you!"

I nod slightly and he loosens his grip, giving me a chance to dart around to his back. I know there is a chance this particular motion will set him off, but I can no longer handle the pain in my leg. I'm just not that tough.

"I promise I'll have it done in like, five minutes."

Still shaking from the rush of adrenalin, I rush to the bathroom and pull up the leg of my pants. I grimace at the sight of the wound. It's nowhere near as bad as the usual, but I've never gotten used to the sight of my own blood. I use a face washer to wipe the blood away and examine the fresh wound. My first thought is that it's going to leave a nasty scar and then, that it'll match all the others covering the majority of skin on my limbs. I carelessly wrap it and go to pack Jack's bag.

Annie catches me limping down the hallway and I can see the worry in her eyes. She may be young, but she has the biggest heart out f anyone I know.

"Cate, are you hurt?"

"No, sweetie, I'm fine. Just a little scratch."

Whilst saying this I subconsciously shift my weight onto my sore leg. I cringe at the feeling and in doing so, prove to Annie something's up.

"Yes, you are. Did Jack give you another ouchie?"

Her face has twisted into a pout.

"Shh, don’t let anyone hear you. If they find out you know...anything could happen."

Annie is my only real friend. I tell her everything, even though she doesn’t understand most of it. I've only recently realised what a burden it must be to her. To have all this knowledge about my suffering and not being able to do anything about it. I may sound up myself, but I know she loves me and, in this house, that is the worst possible thing.

"Cate!" Jack yells from his room.

Before rushing off to apologise, once again, for not packing Jack's bag, I turn to Annie and raise a single finger to my pursed lips.
♠ ♠ ♠
Please give me any feedback you have, bad or good, I really want to know what you think.