The Hidden World

"You weakling of a daughter..." Miriam cursed.

Erica fluttered her eyes standing with her legs shaking constantly.

"I asked you to wash the dishes, what did you do?" Miriam yelled smashing the ceramic plates on the floor.

Erica was startled.

Joan, Miriam's child from her previous marriage whom was three years older than Erica ran into the kitchen on hearing the noise.

It was still very early in the morning and the noise was quite unusual.

Joan gasped on seeing the broken plates on the floor.

"What is going on here mum?" Joan asked.

"Ask this good for nothing you call a sister" Miriam yelled dragging Erica by the ear and pinching it very hard.

Erica let out a loud cry, she felt this burning sensation on her ear.

"Mum stop it!" Joan yelled running to her.

Miriam pushed her away" would you shut your mouth up Joan and don't ever ask me to stop!"

She dragged Erica harder by the ear, she had a burning cigarette stick at the end of her mouth.

Miriam got it out of her mouth and plunged it on Erica's shoulder.

Poor Erica let out a loud cry.

"I asked you to wash the dishes and not to play with them, look at how dirty and disgusting they are!" Miriam pushed Erica away.

Erica fell on the floor with her bleeding shoulder.

"Mum I washed it well" she said in between tears.

"One more word from you girl and I would stitch your mouth up!" Miriam threatened.

Erica stood up and ran out of the kitchen.

"Come back here you little rat and wash these dishes!" Miriam yelled.

"Mum that's enough, I would wash the dishes" Joan said.

"No you won't! I painted those nails of yours yesterday and you aren't staining them" Miriam said.

Joan gaped.

"Mum why do you treat Erica like your slave? remember that she is your daughter too and we are sisters, she's only nine" Joan said feeling sorry for Erica.

Miriam dragged Joan by the arm out of the kitchen and pushed her to the couch.

"Don't you ever question me in this house Joan, I am your mother and I treat neither of you differently" she said sitting opposite Joan.

Joan shook her head "Mum I am not stupid neither am I blind, you treat Erica like rubbish, hit her and even damage her skin with burning cigarettes yet you do non of that to me, why???"

Miriam smiled "your sister behaves like a fool most times and that's why I punish her."

Joan scoffed "what do you think dad would do if he finds out?"

Miriam laughed "what do you think he would do? Hit me or what? Now listen carefully to me Joan neither you or Erica would say a word to your father, I am your mother and whatever I do is for the best, I don't want my daughters to grow up behaving like cows."

Joan gasped on hearing what her mother said but she was afraid of saying another word.

Erica sat outside crying her heart out.

Her white night wear was already stained with blood by the shoulder.

"Erica...." she heard a male voice call out.

She turned around and leaped for joy, it was her father dressed in his military uniform.

"You're back dad..." she cried out hugging him tightly.

But Andrew didn't look pleased to see Erica, especially with the blood stains on her shoulder, her swollen eyes and wet face.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked.

Erica shook her head wiping her tears quickly.

"Nothing dad..." she answered.

She could vividly remember the warnings of her mother about telling her father anything, she had threatened to hate her forever if she does that.

Erica didn't want to get hated by her mother forever, she wanted her mother to love her and show her so much affection just like she does to Joan.

"Erica you are lying to me, what? Is this not a blood stains on your shoulder" he takes off the clothe covering her shoulder and yelled.

"Erica what is this!" He cried out.

She shook her head in fear bursting into tears "it's nothing dad..."

He turned her around at once and opened her back, he could see red marks all over.

"Who hit you Erica? Who did this to you?" He cried out.

Erica was shaking, she was afraid of telling her father the truth and at the same time she was afraid of what her mother might do to her if she finds out that she told her father anything.

"Erica talk to me this minute, who did this to you?" He asked again looking straight into her eyes.

Erica broke down in tears.

She had no other choice than to say the truth.

"Mum did it" she said.

Andrew gasped letting go of Erica's arms "what are you saying?"

Andrew couldn't believe that his beloved wife could do this to their own daughter.

"What are you saying Erica?" He asked.

Erica swallowed hard, she knew her father would find it so hard to believe her.

"Dad is the truth..." she said crying.

He covered his mouth with his hand "Oh! My God! Since when have this been happening?"

Erica sobbed "since I was a child or maybe a baby."

Andrew who was squatting stood up at once running his hands through his hair.

"How could something like this be happening for years and I didn't know?" He thought aloud.