Just Keep Running

Chapter 8 Hope running short

TW: Violence, Language 

 When I wake up I hear commotion going on outside. I go to stand up and try and hear it better but I just fall back down onto the cold hard ground coughing up more blood. I lift my shirt up a bit to find bruises all over my ribs and stomach, I just groan and try getting back up again.

After about 10 minutes of trying to stand up I finally get up to my feet and start walking towards the locked door to listen to what's going on. It sounded like John and Chris were talking just a few feet away from the room I was in. When I get to the door I put my ear up to it so I can hear what they're saying but didn't catch much as I heard footsteps coming towards the room I was in. I quickly walked over to the mattress and sat down on it.

John walked in. "Hey kid get up." He said as he walked over to the mattress, I slowly stood up on my feet, "Good girl." He said and I cringed at the nickname I never liked to be called that. He tried to grab my wrist but I pushed him away and he fell down and stared at me with a death stare as I tried my best to run out of the room but just as I was about to reach the doorway John grabbed my wrist hard and I whimpered because now I definitely had a bruise on both my wrists. "You do that again and I will personally kill you!" John said to me through gritted teeth as he dragged me out of the room he looked at me and smirked, "We have someone we want you to meet Maddie." John said to me as he led me out to where I thought the living area was. "Sit down." John said to me as he jerked me to the couch and sat down next to me. I just sat there and waited for someone to say something or at least explain to me what's going on but no one here tells me what's happening. Luke always tells me what's happening if I don't understand it.

We waited in that room for about 5 minutes then a man walked in not, Charlie, James, Chris, Adam, or Luke. I really hoped that it was Luke, but it was a different man, one I feel like I know but I can't put my finger on it. John looked at me and snapped his fingers in front of my face making me pay attention to the conversation that was about to happen. The man came towards me and knelt down in front of me, "Do you remember me honey?" the man asked, I just looked at him confused and shook my head no, he sighed and looked at me, "I'm Daniel." He said pausing for a moment "Daniel Jenkins, your father." The man told me I just sat there with a shocked expression on my face, was he really my father and why is he here now, why wasn't he here for the last 10 years, I thought to myself. "If you're really my father then where have you been for the last 10 years!" I yelled and I was slightly pissed as to why he would come here and now. I went to stand up but Daniel grabbed me by my shoulders and forced me to sit back down on the couch. "Sweetheart, you have to understand why I wasn't there for you and your mother." Daniel told me as he put his hand on my shoulder for a second then stood up to walk behind him to sit on the coffee table that was in front of me. "Then tell me!" I spat making John grab the back of my neck harshly, I saw him look at Daniel, but Daniel just shook his head and John took his hand off my neck. "Maddie I'm gonna tell you but your gonna freak out," He sighed and continued, "I was gone for so long because I had to hide I had to many people looking for me so I had to leave you and your mother for as long as possible for your safety and everything would have worked out if Luke hadn't moved into your complex and messed everything up, I've always hated that guy beca-." I didn't let him finish "Hey don't talk bad about Luke he cares about me and mom more than you ever did!" I yelled at him and I instantly regretted it. Daniel stood up getting off of the coffee table and wrapped his hand around my throat and looked me in the eyes, "Luke is a selfish bastard, he doesn't care about you Maddie it's all an act! I do! I care, okay I've always cared you just don't get that because I wasn't there and Luke was but I need you to understand that I'm here now and I'm not leaving anytime soon." He told me after a moment of just sitting there thinking he let go of my throat. "Oh believe me it's not an act okay! Luke spends time with me everyday, we go to the park and play soccer every single day, he helps me with my homework every single day, we have fun everyday and I don't recall any times we had any fun because you weren't there, you don't care!" I spat back at him causing him to grab my wrist and bring me outside of the house as we walked through the house I could tell he was mad because he would look at me every once in a while with gritted teeth and a threatening expression on his face once we got outside he let go of me for a brief moment to take out a knife then he grabbed me by the back of my neck and cut my arm with the blade of the knife. Then I heard a car door slam shut and I heard "What the fuck is going on here!"

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