CHAPTER THIRTEEN

                                    

                                          
Flashback
TW : mentions of throwing up and child abuse ‼️
- - - 
"Reece, please come to bed." 
Autumn sobbed as she watched her older brother be rooted to the spot in fear, his large portion of dinner cold infront of him. 
Salty tears were streaming down Reece's face, falling and drowning into the dark gravy on his plate, his appetite lost. He had been given way too much food for a boy as young as himself, yet his father expected him to eat all of it.
To be "big and strong", he was told. 
Reece shook his head, using the back of his shaky hand to wipe his sodden cheeks dry, "I haven't finished. And if Dad finds out he'll..he'll-" 
Neither of the siblings wanted to think what the punishment could be, knowing that the force of the punch that their father would throw would easily force them into eating all their dinner. Until every last crumb was scrapped off of their plate, shadowing their frail bones and flesh from another purple bruise that Roger would sketch on them.
Autumn clasped the glass of water in her quivering hands, watching Reece scrape his fork over the food, forcing a mouthful down his throat. 
He was obviously full, but Roger had put an irrational rule in place that meant that the children couldn't get down from the table until they had finished their food, meaning Reece would often be sat there for hours, head in hands. 
Autumn listened to the heavy snoring from coming from upstairs, slowly drifting from the bedroom where their father slept. 
She watched Reece as he wept, shovelling more food into his mouth until he heaved and it came tumbling out back onto his plate. 
Autumn grimaced, watching as more tears streamed down his face, his nose and cheeks tinted rose. He couldn't go on like this. 
"Reece, please." She begged, laying her bony hand on his shoulder, "You need to go to bed." 
"But..but.." His voice trembled as he hiccuped, staring down at the food and then back at his sister, pain evident in both of their eyes. He simply nodded, Autumn gently helping him up before guiding him across the dining room and to the door. 
During the struggle, turning around to move out of the way, she accidentally nudged the glass of water, sending it crashing to the floor with a loud shatter.
They both gasped in fear as the water seeped out from the broken shards, coating the floorboards in a slippery puddle. Reece jerked backwards as Roger shuffled furiously down the stairs, tripping over a pair of shoes in the process. The fall only added to his fury as he stumbled to his feet, his eyes set on Reece and his full plate of food.
Roger's voice was thick with sleep as he yanked Reece towards him, Autumn's screams and pleading shouts coating over her brother's cries. Her throat grew hoarse and her eyes swollen as her father hauled Reece's bleeding body away, his frail structure limp as he was dragged along the wet floor. 
Autumn felt sick at the sight. 
It was her that knocked the glass over.
It was her fault.
It was her fault.
It was her fault.
                               * * * 
Autumn jerked awake, her brow sweaty and wet as she shuffled in confusion. 
Where was she? 
Shaking the sleep from her eyes, she struggled to sit upwards as she saw the sleeping man next to her; Winter.