Chapter 60

"Dad! She let the water get cold and she's got more dishes still."

Daniel sighed and stood and came to the kitchen. "Dumb bitch. Change the water." 

I pulled the plug and let the water out. As he watched I filled the sink with new hot water and soap. The water was just a few degrees from boiling again. 

"Please. The water is hot. Please don't make me. My hands hurt." I looked at him and begged.

His face looked like it was carved from stone. "Wash."

Crying I plunged my hands back into the burning water, loudly sobbing as I washed. Suddenly burning pain exploded across my back and the back of my legs. I fell off of the box and looked up. Daniel had hit me with a razor strap. 

"Get up you lazy bitch. Get those dishes done. And while you are doing them you are going to take your punishment for speaking when you weren't spoken to."

I lost track of time and how many dishes I had done as my hands burned and fire rained on my back, my rear, and the back of my legs. Finally, the dishes were done, and he stopped whipping me. I fell to the floor crying and curled up. The back of my nightgown had long ago shredded, and my back was bleeding. I cried out as Charlie poked at my welts with a sharp stick. Daniel said nothing to him to stop him, so he started poking me everywhere. I covered my head with my arms so he wouldn't poke me in the face. He laughed each time I cried out. 

Finally, Daniel spoke. "That's enough Charlie. Look at the mess you made on the floor. Get up and get the bucket and scrub brush from the closet." 

I scrambled on my hands and knees in the direction he had looked. While I got the brush and bucket, he got the cleaning solution. Lye soap.

"Now I want that floor scrubbed. Get your disgusting blood off my floor." He looked at the boy. "Come on, Charlie. It's time for the game."

They left the kitchen, and I sighed in relief. I had no idea where I had come to. It was never like this with Mommy and Daddy. I missed them and I wondered when they would come get me. I took the brush and dipped it into the water and screamed. My hands were raw and bleeding from doing the dishes and when the lye hit them it burned like acid. I heard laughter from the other room. 

"Get it clean girl. Or it's the strap again."

Biting my lip against the pain I dipped the brush and started scrubbing. It took me hours. By the time I was done, my lip was bleeding where I had bitten through it, I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. I started to doze off sitting up when Daniel's boot kicked me hard in the ribs, sending me flying across the floor.

"Lazy girl. If you are going to sleep, back outside with you. You didn't work hard enough to get food. Out!"

I stumbled out the door and, crying, tried to wash myself with the hose again. My back stung but the cold water felt good on my hands. I curled back up in my box and fell into a restless sleep.

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I wanted this over and I knew the following few years were just more of the same, so I did a time skip.

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I was bigger. Around 10 now. I had mastered how to clean to Daniel's satisfaction. So, he stopped finding excuses and just started whipping me and beating me for fun. But one day it got bad. I was washing dishes when Charlie snuck up behind me and pushed my head into the hot water. I couldn't breathe and he wouldn't let my head up. I started to flail my arms and I caught a stack of dishes, knocking them to the floor. Charlie let go and I raised my head coughing out the water I had inhaled. The sound of breaking dishes brought Daniel to the kitchen. When he saw the mess, his face grew red.

"Oh, you worthless bitch! Look at what you did. You are going to wish you hadn't!"

He grabbed a broom that was in the corner that had a wooden handle. He started to hit me with it hard and started to kick me. I fell to the floor in a daze as the handle connected with the side of my head, splitting the skin open. Blood poured down my face. I knew better than to make any noise. I had learned that lesson fast. My arm was stretched out on the floor when he stomped on it several times. This time I screamed and passed out as both bones in my arm snapped like twigs.

I woke up a few hours later by having cold water thrown on me. I sat up and almost screamed. My arm hung at an unnatural angle and hurt. I could hear Daniel and Charlie arguing.

"Dammit. I have to take her to the hospital. I can't set that."

"But Dad. I don't want to miss our show. She'll live.""I don't want to, but I have to. Get up girl. Get your stupid ass into the truck."

I scrambled to my feet, my arm banging the floor, greying out my vision some. I steadied and made my way to the truck. I lost track of time as I was in a pain haze as we drove to the hospital. Once we got there Daniel glared at me. 

"Now you listen girl. You fell down the stairs and landed on your arm wrong. You got that? And that better be all you tell them, or it'll be worse for you."

I nodded and we went into the ER. They took my information and worked to reset my arm. I would be spending at least six weeks in a cast. When we left, Daniel looked at me. 

"You'd better figure out how to do things one-handed then. Just cause your arm is broken doesn't mean you don't work."

I nodded and we made our way home.

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Time skipped again.