My name is Aria and I don't talk. I haven't said a word since I was six.

Since my mum left, my Dad blamed me and that is when he changed.

He used to be a loving father. I was his little princess and he loved me.

But my mum left us, he changed and now my life is very different.

Chapter 1

Aria's POV

I stared into the river just feeling the wind in my hair and the water rushing through my fingers.

I felt calm. A feeling which I don't feel often.

Suddenly, from the trees there came a breath taking brown wolf, he was beautiful.

I should have been scared but I wasn't. Something about it just felt right.

The wolf padded over to me and silently joined me staring into the river.

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BLIP BLIP BLIP.

The sound of my alarm had me flinching up in bed so fast I whacked my head on the sloping roof of my little attic room,

if I wanted to I could reach out and touch both walls for my small, lumpy mattress.My room is very plain and bare with just a mattress on the floor with an alarm clock next to it.

That's about all I have room for, but its my room, my safe place, a place where they will never come, where I can be free from the almost constant physical and verbal abuse my family dishes out like chocolate, not that I have had chocolate for years, chocolate is too good for me.

I rolled over and turned off my alarm clock, blinking away sleep.

I stared at the ceiling for as long as I dared, remembering my dream.

But before long I dragged myself out of my bed and went downstairs to make my brother and dad breakfast.

I look at the notepad on the table which my dad has written my morning to-do list on.

1. Make us seven pancakes each for breakfast.

2. Do the dishes

3. Clean the kitchen

4. Make your brother's lunch for school

I stare at the list. I will have to work fast if I want to make it to school in time.

I quickly threw together the pancake batter and heated up the pan, doing my washing up as the pancakes cook. Multitasking is a skill I have mastered over the years as a way to please my dad and get everything done in time.

Once the pancakes were cooked I put them on the plates and got started on cleaning the kitchen and making Tyler's lunch.

Once I was finished, I quickly ran up stairs before throwing on my clothes. It didn't take me long to decide on what to wear since I only have a few clothes. Tyler has a whole wardrobe full of designer labels but my dad decided long ago he would only buy me clothes when necessary.

I ran a brush through my tangled hair and looked at my reflection in the cracked mirror, my plain brown hair, limply drooped down my back, my dull blue eyes that used to shine with life, the shine beaten out of them years ago.

I wasn't tall, but I wasn't small ever and I would have a nice figure if I wasn't unhealthily thin, my dad says I only got food if i'm good. Nothing is good enough for him.

I left my room, grabbing an apple on the way out, I could grab more but if they noticed I would be beaten. I don't deserve food any way. Then I started the long walk to school.

It was still early but my dad would wake up soon and I didn't want to give him another opportunity to beat me.

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Once I reached school I went straight to class.

I didn't have any friends to hang out with and my dad decided I didn't deserve a locker so I carry my books around with me all day.

Just as I was about to reach my class room someone stuck their leg out in front of me, making me trip and drop my books. I could hear the laughter echo around the corridor. Since I don't talk people think it is ok to trip me up.

Everyone at this school either ignores me or hates me. I don't know why but I guess it has something to do with my brother spreading all kinds of lies about me.

My brother blames me for my mum leaving as well and me uses me as his slave or his punching bag, depending on his mood.

I gathered my books together and made my way into the classroom, sitting at the back, alone, like always.

I stared off into the distance waiting for the rest of my class to come in, thinking about my dream.

Would be nice to feel safe, to feel calm, but I suppose i will have to make do with the memory of a dream for now. Maybe one day....

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts I didn't realise someone has sat next to me until they started to introduce them selves.

"Hi I'm new here. My names Forest, What's your name?"

I turn my head to look at the boy sitting next to me. He has short brown hair and piercing green eyes, he was well built and totally not the kind of person who even should glance in my direction.

I point at my book and he reads my name.

"Aria, that's a lovely name," Forest says holding out his hand to shake.

I grasped his hand when electricity courses through my veins. Its not a bad feeling, in fact it makes me feel safe and calm, I gasp and look up to see if Forest felt it too. He's staring right back at me, a smile tugging at his lips,

"Its you!" He gasped.

What does he mean, yes its me but i'm nothing special, except maybe especially stupid. I'm unwanted, unloved and unworthy of anything.

Just as I was going to ask him what he meant Tasha, aka the biggest flirt and bully to me, strutted over to where we were sat.

"Oh, you don't want to sit next to her," she gasped, "She's a mute. Good for nothing slut," I just hung my head, ignoring her words, I'm used to them. I hear a slight growl coming from Forest.

"Don't talk to her like that, she's better that you'll ever be," I gasped up at him and saw his eyes glowing a bright blue.

Almost as soon as it came though, it went and his eyes went back to normal. Strange.

Before I had time to question it my teacher starts the lesson, talking all about quadratic equations. I sit and listen and before I know it the lesson is over.

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I didn't see Forest for the rest of the day so I never got a chance to ask him what he meant.

I was lost in thought as I reached home. Mistake number 1, I let my guard down. As soon as I opened the door I knew something was wrong.

Something in the air was off, before I could figure out what it was my dad called me from the Kitchen. I walked in and looked around. It was a mess. It looked as if a bomb had gone off and this was the rubble.

"I ASKED YOU TO CLEAN THE KITCHEN THIS MORNING YOU FUCKING MORON AND WHAT DO YOU DO YOU GO AND MESS IT UP!!"

I know I cleaned the kitchen this morning. I also can guess who messed it up. Tyler.

"YOU LITTLE SLUT. I'LL TEACH YOU NOT TO DO AS YOU'RE TOLD," He screamed at me while striding forwards.

I turned on my heels and fled. Mistake number 2, I ran from a predator. I heard his stomping foot steps as he came after me, just before he reached me I turned and hit him in the face.

I shouldn't have, I have been doing this for long enough to know that but i still did, my natural instinct to get away, mistake number 3, I poked at an already angry volcano, and when he erupted I was sure to get burned.

He glared at me from across the room, I could see the rage burning in his eyes. He lifted up his hand and slapped me, hard.

I cowered away from him but he grabbed me by my hair, pulling me to my feet, making it impossible to run. Before I had a chance to brace myself, I was thrown across the room, into the kitchen counters.

I could feel my back click as I moved, but he wasn't done there. He started kicking me, stomach, back, face, anywhere he could reach, I could feel my nose start to bleed but still he didn't stop. Just before I was going to pass out he stopped. Glancing down at me with a sneer on his face he walked away.

"Get this cleared up," he said and then walked out the room.

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I pulled my self up the stairs, wincing at every step.

I had cleaned the kitchen from top till bottom until it shined. My fingers were run raw from scrubbing at the floor but at least I finally got it good enough for him to let me go to my attic room and tend to my injuries.

That's another skill I have mastered over the years, patching myself back up again. I grab the bandages from the bathroom and take them to my room.

Suddenly I heard yelling from down stairs, "ARIA, GET YOUR BUTT DOWN HERE,"

My brother was home. After quickly patching my self up as best I could I went down stairs and saw my brother and my dad at the bottom.

This can't be good. My dad usually hates the sight of me, so for him to see me twice a day can never be a good thing.

"Aria," My dad says in a softly sweet voice, "Tyler tells me you made a friend today."

I shook my head, please no, please no. Last time this happened I couldn't leave the house for three days, I could barely move for three days.

"No? DON'T LIE TO ME YOU FUCKING BITCH!"

He grabbed my shirt, pulling me off the floor so I was face to face with the monster. Tyler stood to the side grinning, his fault, its all his fault.

He often does this. As soon as a nice person says hi, suddenly I've made a new friend and I get a beating for it.

He threw me to the ground and grabbed something from his pocket, Before I had a chance to find out what it was I felt pain, lots of pain, I looked at where the pain was from to find Tyler running a pocket knife all over my leg, creating small shallow cuts.

My dad started doing the same to my arms. That's what it was, a pocket knife, a new form of torture. The pain and blood loss soon get too much and I pass out on the floor in a pile of my own blood.

The last thing I hear before my world goes black was my brother voice,

"This is what happens when you don't learn Aria, and you just NEVER learn."

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When I finally woke up my brother and father were gone and I was alone, covered in my own blood.

I looked at the clock on the wall, 9 AM. I slept right through the day and now I was late for school, then again I was in so much pain I don't think I could even make it up the stairs let alone make it to lessons.

I dragged my self upstairs into the bathroom where I turned on the shower, hissing as the water touched my cuts. Once I was all clean I grabbed some bandages and wrapped them around my cuts.

I pulled my tired and aching body and cleaned up the kitchen to save myself from more abuse then settled into bed, I should be at school but I was too tired, in too much pain. No one will miss me anyway, no one ever misses me.