WEEK

, yanking on my head until my neck screamed in protest. A cracking sensation, and burning pain, as his knuckles connected with my jaw, splitting my lip, the metallic taste of bl

torn sob. "Please, Uncle! Stop this, stop hurting me!"

ERED HER!" He bellowed, the voice a raw yell, pr

ame trembling unmercifully. But the word "her" echoed, a discordant note in my terror. Her? My scream dried on my lips, to be

naked terror, a premonition of something worse than the threat of

my Aurora, before she was ever yours. We had an existence, a clandestine one, as she played house with your 'father.'" The words were a toxic bitter pill, a betrayal from the beyond, and my stomach knotted up with a new, nauseating type of sickness. The vision of my mother, the woman I lo

ke that from me!" I wept, the pain of betrayal a fresh wound

not realize she actually meant; I guess she was planning to tell you about your biological father then. You will never find out who he was now!" He cackled maniacally, the sound which grated on my raw nerves, as hi

he pain in my side, the thudding in my jaw, faded to a dull buzz at the far end of my mind as a new, hollow violation moved in. His hand was violation, a searing brand that took the last shred of childhood and left me with

shockingly still, explosive silence. He was gone, and I was left standing in

gony. My trembling right hand strayed under my clothing, the contours of my broken ribs traced on my flesh, but the body's pain was swallowed up by the far greater, far m

attire. The house was vacant, Luke most likely passed out in some boozy stupor. I pulled my hoodie up over my head, a poor shie

. I begged my teachers not to call Uncle Luke. My teachers did not believe me when I told them that I am clumsy and fell down the stairs. I have

drive off the track in the direction away from the road when it approaches, following the longer path to work, through the woods. I enjoy my job and my coworkers. My boss Jasper is rea

I had left my bag on a stool, spilling my hoodie onto it and opening my jumper to cool me down. It is twenty minutes since Jasper shows up to start prepar

on't have to go back home if you don't feel safe. I've got som

wn the stairs. I'll be okay," I

thing last time A

m, sobbing, and beating my fists on the prep table. Jasper moves ove

ra," he says. I move b

stand, I can't a

ot?" h

would kill anybody who attempts to rescue me. And even so, I

to be beaten and a

for a punishment. If it's disturbing you to have a couple of bruises, perhaps I should work elsew

ply don't like seeing humans treating our people lik

owning, an

at kind of human you think me to be, but we are all simply human," I t

sk him what his issue is this time. He just stands there loo

Are you having a heart attack?" I a

fore I step back and away from him. I know Jasper would nev

mean to frighte

ust not used to the niceness," I

s, poised on the edge of telling me so

getting at. I am what we all are. Human,"

ference, can you?" H

is place is food burning in the f

ve to turn it off and remove

while after that, and focus on ge

wouldn't wish for you to blame yourself for killing them. I'm sure they'd n

e," I co

hought–" he says

as my mother's secret partner. My real father die

y." He so

re. Maybe it would be better for me that he is no

t door for a very important meeting. It would be great if I could actually be in att

sk, but if it's extra beer money for

rk always gets deposited into his account anyway. I never get to see any

the few extra hours," I report t

breathes

ood to the customers who have come

what about this mee

uh, problems in Mo

before; I've heard that there are just lots of rude individuals

do live there. Am I hostile? Do I run

you do not run around like a crazy animal. Not th

knew, Auror