BANG! I hear one of the kitchen chairs hit the wall. Dad’s home. He's probably going to start looking for me soon. As I'm thinking this, I hear him scream "Margret Rose! Get down here now and say hello to Daddy!" I don't move. My older brother, Sam comes into my room looking concerned.

"You should go down and see him. He will only get madder." He whispers.

"I don't want to see him in this mood." Sam gives me a look that I know says that I should go down, but I can't. I'm too scared of my father. He's already broken my arm once and three ribs. Sam doesn't know what it's like. Dad doesn't hit him. Sam has never had to live with the fact that the bright red hand print on his cheek matches his father’s perfectly.

I hear my father pounding up the stairs. He's coming up for me. I look around frantically, searching for an escape. Too late, he barges into my room and a horrible cat shire grin spreads across his face when he sees my panic. Then it morphs into a disgustingly sugary sweet smile.
"No hugs for Daddy? Come here and say hello. Tell me how much you missed me." he takes a few steps towards me. I can smell the alcohol on his breath. I know he had been out late last night at the bar. I back up away from him and right into Sam. I can't get away.

My dad can see that I am not going to come over to him. His false sweetness transforms into pure rage.He raises his arm. I know what he's going to do but there's nothing that I can do to stop him besides flinch.

SMACK! The blow almost knocks me off my feet.

My cheek burns a bright red as I run out of the room and straight into Ryan. He tries to stop me, but he doesn't catch me in time. 

I run out of the house and down the street until I reach the beach but I don't stop there. I keep running until I can't breathe. I sit down to catch my breath and as soon as I move to get up, a firm hand pushes me hard back to the ground. He's found me.

"You think running will help?! Stupid girl! Why can't you stay put and do as I say?!" 
He pulls out a knife and grabs my arm. 

"Tell me you love me and that you missed me."

"Just leave me alone!" I scream thrashing around.

"Or what? What can you possibly do to me? Remember which one of us is holding the knife." 

To prove his point, he presses the knife into my skin, producing a small red sliver of blood.

"Help! Help me! Please! Anybody!" I scream.

"Shut up! Shut the He** up!"

I continue screaming until I feel the rusty metal break my skin. The cut is almost to the bone. Dark red blood oozes out of my arm. My last conscious memory is of two fuzzy figures running towards me as the rest of the world fades to black and I fall to the sand, suddenly weighing hundreds of pounds.