The Hardest Part Is Letting Go Of Your Dreams

I struggle against Bert's hold on me, clawing at his hand around my throat before bringing my knee up and kneeing him in the crotch. He steps back, releasing me and cupping his crotch, but my blow wasn't very hard so he recovers quickly. He raises his fist to hit me when the woman comes back into the room saying "Where the fuck is she?" I choke on air as I say "She's not here, she's with her other dad" praying she's hidden somewhere safe. "Where are they?" She snarls at me and I shake my head. "Why would I tell you?" I spit at her and she nods at Bert. My eyes dart to him and he pulls a knife out of his pocket, slamming me into the wall and pressing the knife to my neck. "Where's Frankie Gee? Tell me and I might not kill you just yet." I pant for breath, terrified, but remain silent and Bert presses the blade into my skin, drawing blood. "Where are they Gee?" He snaps and I swallow hard, feeling the blade cut further into my skin as I choke out "I'll never tell you, I'd rather you kill me than to let you fucking animals have her." Bert pulls the knife back before driving it forward into my shoulder, causing me to scream out in pain before he pulls it out and follows me as I sink to the floor, wiping the blade clean across my cheek, cutting me again. He puts the knife back into his pocket, still kneeling over me as he spits "You know Gee you've been a real pain in my ass for a long time now and after my time in jail because of you I think I deserve some pay back." I cower on the floor in pain, terrified of what's coming next when his fist connects with my face, causing my nose to start gushing out blood too. He grabs a fistful of my hair and starts slamming my head into the floor over and over again and the last thing I register before I pass out is the woman telling him that they should get out of here.

When I wake up Frank is kneeling over me crying and screaming my name. My eyes snap open and the pain hits me but my urge to find Ruby and make sure she's safe takes
over and I launch myself off the floor, ignoring the pain that rips through me as I stumble forward, rushing through the apartment screaming out her name. "Ruby baby it's daddy come out, I promise the lady is gone. Ruby...." Frank catches on and starts looking too and I start to panic, thinking that maybe they got her while I was unconscious but as I walk into the bathroom I hear a tiny whimper and I run to the sink, dropping to my knees and ripping open the doors to the cupboard underneath and finding Ruby cowering inside, Billy clutched to her chest. "Baby, oh baby you're ok" I chant out as I reach out and pull her from the cupboard and into my chest, sobbing into her hair as she sobs into my chest and we hold each other, desperate for reassurance that the other is there. Frank runs into the room and drops to his knees beside us and Ruby pulls herself out my arms and launches herself into Franks, still crying. "Bad lady daddy" she sobs to him and I feel the whole room start to spin before it becomes dark and I start falling.

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