New Story – With new ideas and directions to hand. I’m writing this and posting it straight onto Steemit – You can’t get more exclusive than that! Episode 5

Mum saw I was fighting back the tears and she swiped me another one to match the one she’d just given me. Mum was clever, you see, she’d hit where any marks wouldn’t be immediately noticeable.

My ear still rang with the one dad had given me, and because I really didn’t want them to see me cry, I turned and ran out of the living room and out into the garden.

I hopped over the fence – I could hop over that one – and ran off toward the fields at the back.

What a fucking life!

Across the field, down the back lane and across two more fields, dodging cows and cow shit, I reached my favourite place in the world, well, one of two. In the middle of the field, a copse of trees stood and I knew, if I let them know I was coming, the horses would stay where they were sheltered from the drizzle.

I went for this field rather than the other, because this one actually had a bit of shelter and the other field didn’t.

The horses whickered when I called to them. I had no idea of their names, but they recognised me, I visited every day.

The two were magnificent, both way taller than me and their coats usually shone – the drizzle had taken the shine off a little. Regular grooming and riding, good food and good care. These beautiful creatures were better cared for than I was.

I gave way to my tears then. The horses wouldn’t tell anyone I’d been crying.

I stayed with them for a while but it was starting to get dark and I was hungry.

I guessed mum and dad would be calmed-down enough for me to go home, I hoped so, anyway.

I opened the back door as quietly as I could and snuck into the kitchen. Nothing left for my tea, no meal set out for me to re-heat.

Bread and jam for supper – again.

I went upstairs, ignoring the living room and the sound of the television. Teeth brushed, a wet flannel wiped across my face to get rid of the tear-streaks and pony-dust.

I set my alarm clock for half an hour earlier and pushed my sister across to ‘her’ side of the bed.

She was already asleep and I couldn’t resist putting my cold feet on her warm legs.

I didn’t need the alarm clock again, my mind was tuned-in to the time and I woke up just before it went off and for once, just before she pissed the bed. What a great morning, already!

Splashing my face with water, I winced as I touched the side of my face where I’d got clobbered by my dad. It hurt when I brushed my teeth too. I inspected the side of my face and couldn’t really tell if there were any marks or not.

I took the steps down the stairs two at a time and helped myself to TWO Weetabix and PLENTY of milk, loaded with lots of sugar. I swigged coke from the bottle and put it in my pocket.

Mum’s purse was on the side and I was tempted to have a look see if there was any money lying around. A moment of second-thought and I dismissed the idea.

It would probably be missed and I’d just get another walloping. If I didn’t steal, I could at least take comfort in knowing I didn’t deserve it for stealing – even if I deserved it for everything else.

I put the milk in the fridge, the little there was left, unlocked the front door and closed it quietly behind me.

The sun was shining when I got to Justin’s and though it was a cold morning, at least it was dry.

I took a look around the garden while I waited for Robin to arrive.

“Hey, what are you doing out there?” Robin called.

“Nothing, just looking,” I said, returning to the back door from the wilderness of weds.

“Don’t be stealing from him. I’m not having that,” he said.

“I don’t steal and besides, there’s nothing to take!”

I looked at his face and realised he was joking. He knew there was nothing to take.

He looked puzzled, then concerned. “What have you done to your face?” he said. He turned my face to the sun to check it out better. “You been fighting?”

“Nope. My dad is a bit ‘handy’, that’s all.

“You’d best tell Justin you were fighting if he notices.”

“Are you joking?” I asked.

“Nope. If he asks what happened, you’d best tell him you were fighting cos he hates adults hitting kids.”

“but it’s ok for adults to grope kids though?” I said.

Robin laughed at the irony. “Yeah, I suppose so.”

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