Fan Fiction ❯ From Rags to Happiness ❯ A Glimpse of Tatters ( Chapter 1 )

INFO!! This fic deals with some issues like abuse and even a bit of insanity. These are VERY REAL issues people deal with in the real world all the time. Several things involvign those issues caused this fic to be written. Though nothing like this has happened to me, and hopefuly never will, I felt the need to express my sincere admiration for those who go out and help those in need. Sorry to harp for so long on it, but I think it's important.

Disclaimer: For once, I can say with pride that this is ALL MINE!!! Yay! -^^- I'm very proud of this work, so if you want to archive it, all I ask is that you PLEASE ASK FIRST! I will be more than happy as long as you ask!

Feedback: Extremely important to moi...Pwease gimme otsa input, guys! You the people and all that! I refuse to beg, but if you no review, me no write! Simple, no? -^^- Heh heh heh....

The last rays of golden sunlight were fading fast. Soon, all was bathed in black. So it was difficult to see the huddled figure move. It shuddered into a seemingly upright postition. It's longish hair had been yanked all over, and as a result more hair was hanging in loose strands than in the braid itself. It pulled itself onto the bed, avoiding passing in front of the mirror where the moonlight would reveal it's appearance. It probably wasn't pretty.

It flopped down heavily inot the feathery mattress adn promptly feel inot a deep sleep.

Aruond 6 in the morning, the worst sound in the world shrillled into a quiet bedroom. The owner merely rolled over and buried her head into a pillow. She eventually turned it off as it steadily got louder. Besides, waking the other occupants at this hour could be disastrous. The figure rolled off the bed, still clothed in yessterday's clothes. The smell of blood had soaked into the garmentsl and they were shed as quickly as possible. The now nude figure gathered up the laundry and a new set of clothing and scuried for the bathroom as quick as the carpet would allow.

Reaching the bathroom, the door was closed with a soft snick and the light was flipped on. After dumping the dirtys into the hamper, the early riser squared herself for a look in the mirror. Maybe the swelling would have lessened by now....

A qucik glanced proved her wrong. Maybe the sweeling had gone down, but the color wouldn't allow a very close look. Hair was carefuly brushed aside from a dleicate cheekbone to reveal one of the biggest bruises eever received. She gently took the hair band out of her chestnut locks and let them spill over her body as she turned on the water, adjusted teh temperature, and steppe into the shower. Several places screamed in unison at motions, but they were ignored.

After she had steamed the room as much as she dared, she came out, dried off, and slipped into the outfit for today. She turned off the light and snuck downstairs so as not to wake her father or brothers. Her little sister would be far too deep asleep to wake up until noon. Packing her bag quickly, she began to leave the house, grabbing key and snack on her way out the door. Around 6:30 she was at the bus stop.

She knew there would be lots more funny looks than usual today. Her father hadn't been quite that drunk in ages. She hopped on the bus when it came by and chose an empty seat in the back. After a few more stops with arrivals and departures both, they parked a block from her school.

She was right about teh looks. There were plenty when the doors opened. And there were a few while she waited for the bathroom to empty. When there was nobody left, she slipped in and braced herself for a good long look at her hurts.

She was proud that she didn't even flinch this time.

There was the big dark one spannign the length of her left cheek, and several cuts along her lip. A gash above her eye hadn't closed vey nicely. Her right eye had a dark ring around it and was slightly more closed than the other. At least her jaw wasn't as puffy as she thought it would be. And at least her long-sleeves and blazer covered her arms as well as her super baggy jeans covered her legs. The huge trenchcoat covered anything the rest didn't, so her face was the only visible problem she would have to worry about.

Taking a bag out of a pocket on her bookbag, she began to dab at the bruises and cuts. She was doing a swell job. Now thigns just looked a little puffy instead of grossly disfigured. If her teachers didn't look too closely, no-one would ever notice. She put her supplies away just as a gang of chattering females flooded the bathroom. Shw swam out of the cramped space and headed for first period.

Today was going to be a long day.

By the time she got to second block, she was beginning to get tired and a bit twitchy. She reached inot her bookbag for a pencil and a blank sheet of paper. The best thing she knew to stop the shaking was to write something. She bent over her paper, trying to think of something. her big bruise throbbed with the blood that flowed into her head as she bent over the scrap of paper. It gave her something of an idea. She began to write in the modifyed code she had gotten off the internet.

TOD4Y I F33L I H4V3 COM3 TO T3RMZ. NO7 WI7H D4DDY, OF COUR53, BU7 PO55IBLY WI7H MY D3MONZ. 7H3Y'V3 B3COM3 MUCH LOUD3R 4Z OF L473 4ND I7 WORRI3Z M3 CON574N7LY. 7HI5 MORNIN9, 7HOU9H, 7H3Y S33MED 7O CL4MOR L355 FOR P4IN. 7H3Y S33M SL33PY 3NOU9H 7O 9R4N7 M3 SOM3 M345UR3 OF P34C3 FOR NOW. 47 L3457 FOR 45 LON9 45 D4DDY IZ CON73N7. 7H3Y 4R3N'7 4Z IN73R3573D IN 7H3 BLOOD OF O7H3RZ 4Z MUCH 4Z IN MY OWN A7 7H3 MOM3N7. I 5UPPOS3 I 5HOULD CON5ID3R 7HI5 4 BL355IN9. 7H33Y NO LON93R CRY FOR 7H3 P4IN OF O7H3RZ, 4ND 5O O7H3RZ 4R3 54F3. I7Z A R3LI3F, BU7 I'M 57ILL W4I7IN9 FOR 7H4T EXPLO5ION. M4YB3 I 5HOULDN'7 B3 LOOKIN9 FORW4RD 7O IT, BU7 7H3R3'S 4LW4YZ 7H47 7INY CH4NC3........

She had to stop there. Mr. Okoli was staring over her shoulder. She hastily stuffed it into her bookbag, not daring to glance into her teacher's face. It was a littl elate for that, though. He had already read a line or two of her scrawl and might have actually understood it. He gave her a troubled look before walking back to the forefront of the room.

He said a few words on homework before the belll cut him off. She had almost escaped the rom before he called her back. He was giving her that same look from before. It was making her nervous and she shuffled back into the room trying to keep as much distance between them as was polite. She stopped in front of him.

"Ms.....Witlox, I believe was your name? I was hoping for a chance to discuss what you were writing in my class earlier. Although I realize it's not my business, I'm interested in my students and I want to help you. Despite that most interesting code you were writing in, I was able to read most of that note. Connect that with some of those bruises I see you sporting, and I'm really getting curious about your home life. Care to let me know what'ss going on?" He finshed his mini speech by leaning against his desk with his arms folded across his chest and that look on his face.

She stopped looking through her bangs and just stared at the ground. He was right it was none of his business. Not that he wuld listen if he told her. Her father had said much the same when the bruises first began appearing on her face and arms. She trusted him more than this teacher, though. "There's nothing out of the ordinary, sir. Really. Things just get a little rough with my brothers. We play football in the evenings and you have to figure on a few bruises when you're trying to tackle guys about twice your size. Sorry if I've bothered you. I have to go before I'm late to class. Can I go now?" This wa all said ina qiet voice. Obviously Mr. Okoli wasn't ready to give up, though.

"If you say so. I believe you. But I think of you really need someone to talk to, you should probably go to the principal or guidance counselors, okay?" He was being perfectly honest. She appreciated it, but she wasn't about to risk anything with her father. She bobbed a ittle bow out and headed for the door. Something made her pause. She turned around a bit to look at her teacher. He looked back levelly.

"But I think I should tell you, Mr. Okoli. Neither of them are really interested. They didn't pay much attentin last time I talked to them." She walked quickly out of the room, ashamed she had said anything. Hopefully her father would never hear of this infraction.

She hurried down the nearly empty hallway, trying not to be late.

It was last period. She was fighting to stay awake now. She had crunched herself into her trenchcoat in the back as soon as she had gotten in. The teacher seemed able to take a hint, he hadn't called on her for anything. Her thoughts were free to wander. They went to her house. Had her father known of the broken rule? Was he now waiting for her, breath reeking, in his chair, watching football? Would he get up slowly when he heard her come in? Would he think she had been bad today, badder than usual? She really didn't want to tend new bruises tonight.

Those thoughts were quickly swept away when Mr. Day called out the homwework for tonight. She wrote it down faithfully in her less-than-mint agenda book. She was anxious to get out of here and sneak into her bedroom so she could catch up on sleep and avoid running into her father or siblings. The bell rang and everyone began the rush to the door. She was just stnding up, however. Mr. Dat saw her and began the trek to her desk. She was hoping he wouldn't want to talk again. She might miss the bus. Then one of her brothers was sure to catch her sneaking in.

Her hopes were cast away, though. Mr. Day was walking right owards her with a genial smile on his face. "Ah! Ms. Witlox! I was hoping for a word! I have a paper here from you," he said, putting the paper on her desk, "that was assigned two days ago. I only now have been able to get to grading them, and I was most fascinated with something you wrote. Here it is," he siad, reaching his arm around to point out a line on the paper that caused her to have to sit back down in her seat. He moved around so he could lean on the chair from behind her. "It talks in depth about how Hamlet felt at this point in the play. It was very true to what Shakespeare was trying to get across to th audience, but I'm afraid I don't understand this phrase here," he said, pointing to a spot closer to her. He had placed a hand on her shoulder to reach it. It was a little uncomfortable. "It says that his demon was just waiting to seize its chance. What did you mean by that exactly?" She inwardly cursed herself. She had been half asleep when she was writingf that! Shye hadn't realized she mentioned demons, even if they were someone else's.

"Uhm, nothing really. I heard it somewhere and thought it sounded okay. So I out it in there. Is it okay?" she asked a littel nervously. His hand had drifted lower when he had been talking. It was laying against her collarbone now, his fingers brushign the top of her shirt.

"Yeah! It's great. It's a good paper. You're a very gifted student, even if you don't realize it. But that was really only half the reason I asked you to stay behind. There was something else I wasnted to ask you." She was beginning to squirm now. She thought distantly that the bus had probably jsut opened its doors now, but mostly she was trying to get Mr.Day to tyake his hand off. It had been sliding lower and he was scaring her with this new diversion.

"Uhm, actually I think I need to go c-catch my bus now, so if you don't mind," she blurted, raising herself out of her seat...

Only to be pushed back against the desk. Mr. Day was now standing above her, a very strange look in his eye. "Actually, Ms. Witlox, I do mind. You see, I needed to get something...taken care of. Do you have any idea how frustrating it's been lately, trying not to look at you? do you have any idea at all how infuriatingly beautiful you are?" he asked somewhat roughly, grabbing ahold of her wrists in one hand and pushing her bac further with the other.

She was stark terrified. Not only was Mr. Day much heavier than she, but he was obviously not completely sane. Beautiful? Her?? She doubted seriously this was something he should be trying with her.

Hiis face had gotten much closer to hers and he was breathing heavily. She could smell the mints he usually had in class on his breath. He was staring piercingly through her eyes, trying to scan her mind itself. She was frozen in place, vvulnerable. Mr. Day was getting closer and closer until he was pressed alomst entirely against her. Then he put his lips on top of hers.

He world ceased to spin. She was beyond the terror. Her mind went entirely numbingly blank for a moment. She stopped breathing in that one instant. Mr. Day was not right! He was all wrong wrong wrong wrong!!!!

Then she kicked back into reality. She lett out a rather muffled scream and jerked her hands violently from his heavy grasp and managed to shove him off her while he was somewhat stunned from the kiss. She was lettign out a low sort of noise that wasn't quite a whimper as she ran as fast as she could away from the awful Mr. Day. She skidded around the corner of the stairs, almost falling down them in her haste to escape. In her frightened state of mind, she was sure his heavy footsteps were crashing down right behind her. She flew from the building and made a beeline for the bus pickup. She got there in just enough time to choke on the dust of the yellow vehicle speeding off with its load of teens. She plunked down in the dust, trying to gather her wits.

Her bus had left without her. Now she would be in trouble when she got home late. If she found a way to get home at all. Today was definetly not shaping up.

Hello, all. Been a while. I know I'm nowhere near done w/ my InuYasha story, but I can't think of anything for it. Seriously. Gomen! As for this fic, It is an all original work. And it actually has a plot line! Yay! So I'll be working on thins for quite a while, maybe until I'm entirely done!! I already started planning the next chap. So ya'll can be happy with me! Especially when ya see what I have planned!

Tris: Shut up, please. Your speaking hurts my ears...

Chibi: Grumpy muse = no fun....but at least she listens to me these days!

Tris: Stupid Chibi. If you hadn't stolen my pocky I would hurt you.

Chibi: Which is why ransom is a wonderful word!

Tris: Ebil....