***

"Riley, I suggest you leave." My heart raced at the venom in Damien's voice, how much he sounded like a true gang leader. He was cold and desolate, like he could kill half the worlds population and not give a shit.

I mean, so could I, but still.

"Why would I do that? You see, you've been slowly taking over my territory, and I've been trying to find your weakness. Well, it seems like I have." I grit my teeth before touching Damien slightly, feeling his body relax under my fingers.

I slipped my hand under my dress to the small knife clipped to my thigh, pulling it out slowly as Riley blabbed on about how mad he was at Damien and how he ruined him and blah blah blah.

Riley was a huge man, with absolutely no head on the top of his head and a patchy mustache. His eyes were bloodshot and almost completely black in the dark garden lights, with faded tattoos on his arm. He wasn't attractive in the slightest, and was wearing grey sweatpants and a beer stained white shirt.

"You're really annoying." I blurted out, causing his face to redden in anger and embarrassment. I heard Damien chuckle before he pulled out his own gun, cocking it and point it directly to Riley.

"You really are, so, nighty night." Damien shot his gun at exactly the same time Riley did, except Riley was a shitty shot.

His bullet grazed my arm, cutting my upper arm and jolting me into action. I groaned and gripped my knife before throwing it, slamming it into the direct center of his chest since Damien only shot his shoulder.

"Dumbass." I muttered while my fingers touched the long cut, my dress now ruined.

"Fern, I'm so sorry, but we have to get out of here." He gripped my arm and began walking to a small exit in the back corner, the skin where the bullet grazed me on fire.

"Damien, calm down. We can figure this out-"

"No Fern you don't understand! He was going to shoot you!" We reached his car while he fished out his keys, the button unlocking the car as I climbed into the passenger seat.

"I do understand Damien! But that was small compared to other things that happen in your gang, okay, I get it. You're a gang leader, that puts me at risk." He sighed while starting the car and lurching it forward, pulling effortlessly onto the freeway. His hands clenched the steering wheel, his jaw clenched as he didn't bother to answer me.

We pulled into the house, Charles and Joeys car gone from the drive way. I looked up to him with my silent question as we both got out, his arm outstretched to keep the door open for me. "They left to take care of Rileys body."

I nodded as he shut the door behind me, turning when I heard him sigh deeply. "What is it?"

"Go get your bag packed, you can't live with us anymore." My eyebrows furrowed, my stomach practically lurching up to my throat.

"What?"

"I don't want you living here anymore, okay? So go get your fucking bag packed and when Joey gets back he can bring you home." I stared at him for a few moments, looking for any hesitation or doubt, but his face was completely blank and cold.

"Is this because of Riley?"

"GO PACK YOUR BAGS, NOW!"

I spun on my heel and darted up the stairs, pressure building behind my eyes. I went into his room and pushed all my clothes hastily into my duffel bag, running my hands through my hair as I tried to control my emotions.

What the fuck just happened?

Don't get attached. Don't get any feelings.

I broke my fucking rules and looky there, I got hurt.

-

I sat in the car with Joey, my eyes watching as houses passed by us. When I left, Damien didn't even look at me, instead staring at the floor by his feet. I didn't let any tears fall until I was starting to climb into the car, slamming the door shut before silent tears hit my cheeks.

"I'm sorry." I shrugged at Joey, finding the familiar neighborhood come up.

As soon as he pulled into the driveway I hopped out of the car, turning to stare right at Joey. "Don't be. I'm fine, it's my fault anyway."

I shut the door before making my way back up to my door, opening and shutting it as quietly as I could. The house was completely trashed, bottles and cigarette butts littering the floor, the walls stained with, I don't even want to know. I groaned softly as I made my way to the kitchen, takin a trash bag out from underneath the sink.

I began picking up bottles and random trash that was on the ground, scrubbing at the walls until late into the night. I found my mom passed out on the couch about two hours ago, I made sure she was alive before placing a blanket over her and kissing her forehead.

I rubbed my eyes as I sat down at the kitchen table, the numb feeling taking back over my body. I watched as the sun began to finally enter the sky, little tendrils of light swimming through the blue night sky.

"Fern?" I heard my moms groggy voice from the living room, undoubtedly either still drunk or hungover.

"Mom, I'm in the kitchen." She stumbled in, her eyes bloodshot and her hair in a tangled mess.

"You came back!" She stumbled on top of me, the stench of booze and cigarettes overpowering my nose.

"I told you I would mom." She grinned, showing off her straight teeth that were tinged yellow.

"Stay here, I have a surprise." I furrowed my eyebrows as she stood up and left the room, my body slumping back against the seat. I felt myself begin to doze off when I heard shuffling in the room, but I just couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.

-

I woke up not long after I dozed off, to find my arms and legs tied with a rope to the seat. I pulled against them, feeling how they burned and rubbed my skin while I struggled. A gag was over my mouth, constructing my mouth from fully moving as I just grunted and screamed out incoherent words.

There was a kettle on the stove with steam whistling out of the spout, along with soft classical music playing through the house. I furrowed my eyebrows, where the hell was my mother?

I watched as she walked in, her body swaying to the piano keys being spread through the air. I watched her in confusion, her face finally settling on my own. She smiled a lazy smile at me with glossy eyes, obviously proving how high she was. She walked forward and ripped my gag down, a hacking cough leaving my throat.

"Mom? What's going on?" She chuckled as she grabbed the kettle off the stove, walking closer to me. "Mom?"

"You left-"

"But I came back!" I cried out, my eyes watching the kettle in her hands the entire time.

A sharp crack sounded through the room as my head shot to the side, my eyes shutting close. This was the angriest she has ever been since the incident, and it honestly terrified me.

"You have to be punished for leaving in the first place. This is so you won't leave anymore, so you won't even think about it."

She tipped the kettle over my forearms, my eyes widening in horror as the boiling water fell from the white kettle and hit my skin. I screamed in agony, squeezing my eyes shut as my skin burned beneath me. She took a step back and watched my cries and tears escape, a malicious grin on her face.

The sun was fully up in the sky now, do it cast the light halfway over my body. I could see the skin burning bright red, a few pieces peeling back as I sobbed. She had never gone this far before, what had I done?

"Are you going to leave me?" I shook my head furiously, her hand reaching up to replace the gag in my mouth. "This is for your own good."

She poured it right in between my breasts, down the center of my chest and into my stomach. I wheezed as I tried to breathe, the gag making me choke on my own tears and spit. I screamed against the gag as she watched me, my lungs feeling like they were going to explode.

She leaned down and placed a kiss on my forehead, my eyes closing shut involuntary as I struggled to maintain my consciousness. My chest burned beyond recognition, the skin on my forearms now practically charred and pulled apart.

"This is all for you, because I love you. Never leave me, never leave."

***

A/N: sorry for the crappy and really depressing chapter, her mom just kinda finally broke. I had finals for college this week and next so they may not be good/on time? Anyway thank you for reading!