Aurora Costello.

Monday 3rd January 2023. 4am.

After 2 hours of dreamless sleep my stupid alarm blares in the silence of my room. That's funny, I've never had my own room, this is more a basement, a mattress for a bed and not one window around. The door was ripped off its hinges years ago and i have a bucket for a shower. My "parents" graced me with a toilet and sink and they never failed to remind me of how thankful I should be for that.

I stared aimlessly at my ceiling, it's currently 4am and this is how my day starts and has started every day for the past 15 years. I try to sit up to head to my toilet and get ready for the day.
Key word try.

My body is in agonising pain from my bonding session with my parents last night. I came home at 10pm last night from a shift at work and my parents weren't happy about it. They spent 3 whole hours kicking punching whipping and carving.

I didn't cry, I didn't scream I didn't even make a sound, I'm used to the pain and the torture now and making noise only motivates them more because they're freaking psychos.
I finally pried myself from my bed sheets and walked to my makeshift bathroom, I did my business and I looked into my small mirror to look at my reflection. I hated what I saw. Not one part of my body was clear of cuts or bruises. What looked back at me was a shell of the women I wanted to be. My blue and green eyes were lifeless, body thin, my long dark black hair cascaded down my body and reached just below my waist but I hadn't brushed it in a while. Shakily I combed my hands through my hair as a traitorous tear dropped from my eye. Harshly wiping my face to rid the tears, I chucked on a tracksuit, tied my hair up into a tight plait, quickly chucked on a pair of shoes and made my way up to the kitchen.

Every morning I have to make the devils breakfast because they're incapable. It's about 6am now and they always wake up about 8am I leave for school at 7am so normally I don't have to start my day off dealing with them.
I made them some eggs and toast with bacon and contemplated mixing some bleach in with their orange juice but chose not to. I put the food and drinks on the table, grabbed my keys and left the hellhole I'm forced to call home.

As I began my walk to school I dreamt of the day I'd be able to rid myself of the chains I'm held down by. I thought about the happiness I'll feel when I leave this small town that's always raining and thought about where I'd be moving to, maybe Hawaii or Greece, or maybe America.

I've never really thought about what I wanted to be when I was older but that's because I never thought I'd get past the age of 13. Now I'm 17 and in 10 months I'll be free of this hell whole and I need to start thinking about my future. Through my deep thoughts of my future I didn't realise I had reached school.

Where most people my age hate school, I love it! This is where I escape my own personal hell but also where 2 of my most favourite people in this world are.

I reach the school gate and my eyes scan for the two idiots I call my best friends. I see their cars parked next to each other and can't help the smile that creeps its way onto my face. I walk over to them with a glint in my eye and as they see me their faces light up from where they're leaning on their cars.
Lucas and leonardo my loo and Leo. These boys are my brothers from different mothers and my saving graces.

"Hey Rory how are you this splendid morning my sunshine?" Leo smiles as he wrapped his tattooed arm around me. "Leo you ask her the same question every morning and it never changes" Lucas answers for me as he passes me a coffee and a croissant.

They know the outlines of what I go through at home but I've never had the heart to tell them about the daily abuse these boys have enough going on in their own lives they don't need to worry about me.

"Hey boys, I'm okay, thanks for breakfast loo!" I say with a big smile on my face. "What have you guys got first?" I ask them taking a sip of my coffee "I have double English with mr k" Lucas says with his normal gruff voice and emotionless face. "I was supposed to have science with mrs smith but coach said he wants to meet with me before the big game tomorrow so I get to miss it" Leo says with his giant smiley face. "Well I have math with mr B and I do not want to face his wrath this early in the morning so I'm gonna get going, see you losers at lunch" I say with a mouthful of croissant and a stupid smile as I make my way to class.