Blue's POV
"Please, don't do this," I pleaded one last time. And just like every other day, they did not listen. Another kick was forced onto my stomach. I jerked forward on the ground, biting my lips fiercely to keep myself from making a sound. I did not want to look weak.
"Tell me, will you do it again?" Draven snarled, grabbing my hair roughly.
I tried to talk, but no sound came out of my mouth. My throat hurt from the agonizing grasp he had there a while ago.
"Tell me!" he yelled, bringing his mouth as close to my ear as possible.
"Leave her alone, brother. She is nothing more than a piece of garbage. There is no reason for us to waste our time here," Maxen stated.
"Speak up, you filthy whore!" Draven hissed once more and slapped me across the face.
It was too much. I hit him back on the chin. I was not a particularly strong person. My punch surely did not have much effect on him, but it, at least, made me feel a lot better.
"Whatever you do, don't touch my face!" I hissed.
"You little cunt!" Draven growled and yanked my hair, forcing me to stand. He kicked me in the stomach once more.
My eyes welled up with tears, but I blinked them away quickly before they fell. I would not give him that satisfaction.
Draven tried to slap me again, but this time Maxen stopped him. He dragged Draven back with difficulty and spoke to him in hushed tones. I could not hear anything. I did not want to either. All I wanted to do was get out of here.
Draven muttered something under his breath and hurriedly left the room. My knees were trembling violently as I struggled to stay on my feet.
"Let's go to your room," Maxen said, a bit soothingly.
"My knees... I can't walk," I mumbled, trying hard not to cry.
Maxen sighed and wrapped his arms around me, guiding me through each step. I was grateful to him for that.
As we reached the door of my room, he elbowed it open and took me inside. He closed the door from inside, being careful so others could not hear anything. Then he took me to my bed.
Maxen went to the bathroom and returned with a bowl of water and a soft white towel. He sat alongside me and began cleaning a cut on my left arm that had been caused when Draven hit me with a belt.
"What did you do today?" he asked, wiping two drops of blood from the wound.
"I didn't bring him any beer today," I replied.
"You know how he reacts when he doesn't get his beer," Maxen said.
"I know. But there... there was this..."
"What?"
"There was that animal on the road. It was bleeding. I could not just walk away. I took it to the vet. I think the animal was shot. It was bleeding badly," I said.
"Where is it now?"
"I just left it a little inside the forest so it could get back to its habitat. It was heavy. I had to tie it up with a rope and pull it inside. Hope it didn't mind."
"All the money went in that?"
"How much do you expect me to earn working in a coffee shop?" I snapped. "I can't even buy any clothes or books for myself. Mother and Father aren't going to buy us anything either. They need to buy drugs, right? That's the only thing they need. I can't understand why they even bothered to bring me into this world if they don't even care for me. And our big brother, Draven- all he can do is yell, fight, drink, smoke, and fuck underage girls. And of course, kick me for not bringing him his beer."
"I know, Blue1. But what can we do?" Maxen said, sympathetically.
"I told you that we should go to the police. But you're too afraid. And you're supposed to be my big brother."