Chapter 18-01

My back ached when I woke up in the middle of the night, still buckled in the car, the driver and his passenger long gone. Slowly, as to not irritate my muscles, I unbuckled myself and sat up. The stars were bright in the sky as I stared up through the window. I slid over and opened the door, crawling out into the night. I staggered over to the door, luckily finding it unlocked. That was about the only thing that went right today. Silently, I entered the house, surprisingly finding it completely quiet except for the snoring of my father. I didn't dare check in his room for fear of what I might find, so I made my way up the stairs and into my room. Tears still stained my cheeks as I sneaked in and climbed into bed. Once again, I curled myself up under the blankets and cried until I fell asleep. The next morning, the soft pitter-patter of rain on my window woke me up and had me cowering under the covers as soon as I stirred. Often, the beating of po