Never Alone: Part one

1

I don't know who blame for the way mom turned out.Sometimes I think its my fault.I didn't stand up to her.And I guess I should have.She started going on her deranged outbursts when dad died.Just like cancer had taken him madness was stealing my mother.I never told a soul about her rages.Only one other person knew.My younger sister Valorie.Valorie was a skinny bony girl.Very easily frightened.Mom always went after me and her and wouldn't remember a thing when she came back.One time mom lost it so much she shoved me down the stairs.My arm was broken. And it was Valorie who 911. We told everyone that I had fallen. I got always twice the beatings because I would never let Valorie be hit.I was stronger than my mother.I knew that. But I refused to hit back because I also knew it wasn't right. Valorie was to little to understand why mom was this way.She was only eight after all.I was more of a mother to her than our real mom.Valorie loved mom but when she lost it mom scared Valorie and she came to me, always.2

3

"Zane!",Valorie's voice came from the hallway.She entered my room her face was terrified.I stood up and opened my arms to her.She quickly rushed to me.I hugged her to my chest."It's mommy",she choked. Following her words was a loud crash from the other room.She winced and buried her face in my shirt."Okay,"I sighed tiredly."Stay here and close the door.Wait 'til I come back". Again, I thought roughly. Will this nightmare never end? As soon as I stepped into the living room a vase slammed into the side of my head.I fell over biting down on my lip to keep from crying out I stood back up.Mom was there screaming her head off.She ran to me and pushed me into the t.v. The back of my shirt was shredded on the glass and cuts ran along from my shoulder to my waist.Again I gritted my teeth and waited for her to finish."Mommy",I heard a shaky broken voice say. I whirled around to see Valorie at the scene before her. "Go",I ordered her.She turned and ran for my room.Mom grabbed dads prized baseball bat that was on display above the fire place.When the bat made contact with my arm I fell onto the coffee table.It bucked and shook under my weight.I tried to scramble up.I don't think i'll ever forget that night.It was the worst in my entire life.4

5

********************************************************6

7

I limped down the hall to my room about an hour later. Mom had finally passed out on the sofa.Valorie was sitting beside my bed.Tears streamed down her face.Anger and fear clouded her usually peaceful expression.I collapsed next to her and pulled her onto my lap."Don't cry, Val. It'll be okay mom will be back by tomorrow morning", I reassured her. She jumped away from me and I hid the way that hurt my wounds."I'm not a baby",she frowned."I don't know why you always have to take the beatings. I can handle it too. I've been holding pain in too, See?".I stared at her wrist angry as she showed me cuts.I refrained from hitting her.I wouldn't hurt her. "Valorie Ann Waverly",I scolded her."Why did you cut yourself.You know that can kill you?".I knew my eyes showed that I was furious.She seemed shocked as if she'd expected me to be so proud that she'd cut herself on purpose."I'm sorry but I thought that if I trained myself to take pain that you wouldn't have to get hurt."I felt my face soften.How could I stay mad at her when she'd only done it for me."I'll be fine", I smiled. She hesitated on saying something then turned away from me."I-I don't want to",she paused looking up at me.I nodded encouraging her to go on."I don't want to stay here",she finished.I didn't speak.She stood up and pulled open the door to my closet."We need to leave",she demanded.After earlier that night still fresh in my mind I couldn't argue against her.8

"Okay", I sighed in defeat. "But first please go get the first aid kit from the bathroom."She did as I asked.She even bandaged me up herself.I slowly stood up testing my footing.Then I took several suitcases out of the hallway closet and handed half to her. Valorie went and got some trash bags and brought them to our rooms.She gathered all her stuffed animals and clothes as well as her school supplies and books and put them in my car.I did the same with my things.I put my computer in the front seat next to me. The car was old, I had bought it when I turned sixteen two weeks before and now I was glad I had. It was a faded red mustang convertible.I grabbed the checks mom had made out to me but had never given me. Mom had owed me at least two thousand dollars.And I had a bank account with twice that much."Where did you get all that money?",Valorie asked uneasily as I started up the car."I've been working at Dan Dale Sale house every summer since I was fourteen and I babysit a lot.Besides that its just the job at 'The Ring' that you already know about",I replied.She quietly watched the road as I drove.