Abuse

31st of August 2002.

The baby was squealing with hunger, producing a devasting blow to the ears.

“WAHHHH! WAHHHHHHH!“She continued.

Rachael was trying to produce milk for her hyena of a baby, who never seemed to be full. She could only produce so much milk at a time until the inevitable happened, and she had none left. Desperately hoping to put an end to her misery, Rachael leaped up and ran to the kitchen to find some formula.

There was none left.

Rachael had forgotten to get some milk from the store last time she was there. This. This mistake would lead to both the end and beginning.

“Steven, honey, I can’t cope with it anymore. Please go to the store and get some formula.” Rachael adjured. Steven, also very exhausted from the squeals, gladly embraced her offer and dashed to the car outside. As soon as he stepped outside, Steven felt the consequences of the violent hail, massacring his body. Rapidly, he entered the car, almost stumbling to the floor.

Daniella’s father was a logical man. Although he wanted to go to the store and return as fast as he could, he knew that wouldn’t be safe and so drove at a reasonable pace. After a gruesome half-hour had passed, the frantic mother dialed for her husband. He picked up.

“Hey, honey,” Rachael began. “Almost there!” Exclaimed Steven, before she could even get a word in. What she said next sealed the fate of everyone in the story - once and for all. “Please hurry!”

Without a second thought, Steven switched gears and raced against the timer of his crying child. It was as if all the pressure had diluted his mind, and caused him to forget the fact that there was a turn coming up.

A turn on which he tried to stop. Took his foot off the acceleration. Pressed hard on the brake. Snapped the hand-brake up. Swerved the car. Tried to get back on track. Wiped the sweat.

braced for impact...

Silence. Absolute silence. He could hear nothing. Slow blinks. Eyelashes kissing each other goodbye for one last time. Slow, gentle wheezes. The taste of the dirty, salty sweat, mixed with the just as salty blood. “I’m c-coming h-home baby girl, w-wait,” Steven rasped as his last words.

At this point Rachael was getting seriously frustrated, she was fuming, just as the smoke at the crash site was. Daniella was still squealing at this point, when-

knock. knock. knock.

Rachael was about to release her wrath on her husband as soon as she flung the door open, only to see two policemen standing there. The sorrowful greyness upon their faces made them blend into the dejected scene behind them.

The savage truth beat at her.

She dropped to her knees.

And she wished her daughter dead.