Read Online Defenseless by Adrianne Byrd - Free Book Online Page B

a few times Sonya caught herself jumping at the sounds of broken glass being shattered against the walls downstairs.
    Suddenly the room flooded with light. Sonya watched in horror as their mother stumbled toward them. Laura grabbed Sonya’s arm so tightly, she could feel her tiny nails digging into her skin.
    â€œCome on, babies,” their mother gestured.
    Neither girl moved. They were too scared to even breathe.
    â€œCome on, babies. Please, come to Mama. We’re leaving.”
    At the thought of being able to leave, Sonya inched her way toward her mother. She flinched slightly at the sight of her mother’s bruised face.
    Laura’s grip wasn’t easing up any, either, but she didn’t want to pry her sister’s fingers loose. It was important to keep Laura calm, she kept telling herself. She looked back at Laura and then to her mother, who was frantically waving for her daughters to hurry.
    Once they were in arm’s reach, she could feel Laura being snatched up by their mother, who also grabbed her hand to ensure that Sonya followed her.
    They all raced down the stairs and headed toward the door. But before they could reach the knob, Sonya heard the familiar bellow from her father.
    â€œJust where in the hell do you think you’re going?”
    Sonya knew they were in trouble. She could feel her mother’s fingers tremble madly in her hand as Laura began to cry.
    â€œNowhere,” she heard her mother lie. Laura was placed beside her once again as her mother took a protective stand in front of them. Yet, Sonya realized, there was no one there to protect her mother from her father.
    â€œDorothy, don’t you lie to me, damn it! Where are you going?”
    Sonya peeked around her mother’s leg to look at her father’s snarling face. He was going to hit her mother again, she could tell. She felt her mother’s body vibrate with fear in front of her. Sonya quietly pulled her sister closer to her.
    Before she knew what happened, her mother was being dragged off by her hair into the living room, kicking and screaming the entire way….
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    Sonya closed her eyes to the painful memory. Her entire body shook as she turned away from the mirror. Why couldn’t she forget? she asked herself, but her troubled thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door. “Who is it?”
    â€œIt’s me. Laura.”
    â€œCome in.” Sonya turned to face her sister. When she saw Laura still dressed in her house robe, Sonya became suspicious.
    â€œI don’t think I’m going,” Laura said, looking down at her feet.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Sonya’s voice rose an octave.
    â€œI…I just don’t think I’m up to it,” came her excuse.
    Sonya tried to calm down. She did, after all, expect this from Laura. “It’s your husband’s funeral,” Sonya said reasonably.
    â€œI know. I just don’t think that I can go through with this.”
    â€œWhat will it look like if you don’t attend the funeral? Have you thought about that?”
    â€œI don’t care what it looks like, Sonya. I said I’m not going!” Laura declared, then thrust her chin upward.
    Sonya knew she couldn’t make Laura attend the funeral. Yet she wished that she could make Laura see that she was only hurting her case by not attending.
    â€œLaura,” Sonya began patiently, but she held her tongue the moment she noticed Laura’s eyes take on a glossy sheen. She turned away and shook her head wearily. “I’ll make your apologies at the funeral.”
    â€œThank you.”
    Sonya heard the door close behind Laura, and she turned to stare at the door. “Great,” she mumbled to herself. “Just great.” She closed her eyes as she felt the beginnings of a major migraine.
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    â€œIt was a beautiful service,” Sharon complimented, patting Sonya on the back.
    â€œDon’t thank me. Richard