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~ Day Dreams ~
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~ Chapter Five ~
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~ Broken Window ~
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~ Ten-Years-Old ~
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~ Hazel's POV ~
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~ Authors Note ~
{{Trigger Warnings}}
{{Child Abuse}}
{{Neglect}}
{{Mental Illness}}
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"Hazel, get over it! It's already been a day since... What's his name again?" my stepmother Fiona asked, contempt clear in her voice as she began dragging me off of the uncomfortable bed.

I spoke angrily, the words slipping through my teeth, "Jake."

"Ugh, I don't really care! Since 'Jake' left, then," Fiona muttered. "Get up and clean this damn house, you lazy kid—" Fiona continued to yell, before a loud knock on the screen door interrupted her scolding.

"Really, now what?!" Fiona muttered under her breath. "If they wake up your father, you're in trouble!"

She walked slowly out of the storage room that had been appointed as my bedroom, locking the door behind her.

I glanced slowly around the room that I have slept in for the past ten years; it was very clear that it was never supposed to be used as a bedroom, as it looked much more like a cupboard or storage room rather than an actual bedroom.

The walls of the house were thin as paper, allowing me to overhear Fiona's clunky steps before I heard her throw the front door open angrily.

A deep voice boomed suddenly through the house, breaking the silence.

"Excuse me, ma'am. I'm from Child Protective Services; I am responding to a few complaints that have been filed, and as this is the third time we have attended this premises due to similar complaints in the past, unfortunately we are going to have to take your daughter into our custody this time."

After he finished speaking, I dashed to the chipped window that faced the front door, doing my best to try to get a better look; the commotion of their conversation was palpable in the air, though only their dark shadows were visible from afar.

"I'm sorry, what? That's ridiculous! Hazel's fine, who told you this nonsense?" Fiona asked tensely.

"Our records show numerous anonymous calls, all of which describe Hazel as having exhibited strange behavior and an appearance that indicates she is not being cared for," a softer, clearly female voice stated.

I realized with a jolt that there was another person present as I noticed a smaller shadow next to the large one I assumed belonged to the deep voice I had heard earlier.

"What?!" Fiona asked, clearly affronted. "That's absurd! Well, Hazel isn't even here right now, so I want you to get off my property right now!" Fiona spat. Still looking out the window, I saw Fiona try to close the door to no avail.

"Ma'am, we have a warrant to search the premises; we need to make sure Hazel is living in a safe environment," the deep voice sounded again, a little more firm this time.

"No! I'm going to call the police!" Fiona yelled, beginning to sound panicked.

"Ma'am, please. We are the police. Please step aside and let us in, or the social worker and myself will have no other choice but to force our entry," the deep voice stated, clear and firm.

"I'm here!" I heard myself yelling suddenly through the chipped window. "Please, I'm here! Help me please, the door is locked!" I continued, panic clear in my voice as tears brimmed in my eyes.

"That was Hazel, wasn't it? Where is she?" the female voice said in a shocked tone.

"No... T-this isn't what it looked like!" Fiona said in a shaky voice. Even in the dim light, I could see her shadow shrink; Fiona was an addict, and any stress meant that she was suddenly in desperate need of her cigarettes, alcohol or drugs.

"Ma'am, please step aside or we will have to enter by force," the female voice stated in a stern yet professional manner, clearly out of patience.

"No!" Fiona yelled, her figure shifting into the house; I heard her begin shuffling through multiple drawers.

"Ma'am, put that knife down right now!" the deep voice yelled, clearly startled. "Put it down now! For the safety of us all, please put the knife down or we will have to retaliate," the deep voice continued.

"Put the knife down slowly; we don't want any trouble, we just want to see Hazel," the female voice said softly, trying her best to calm the situation.

"Hazel is fine! She loves me, but there must be punishment; leave my property NOW!" Fiona spat, the threat clear in her voice.

Never in my life have I ever said I love her... That awful woman is a cold-hearted liar.

I could hear the wailing of sirens in the distance, coming closer by the minute until the red and blue lights were visible, the sirens screaming as the cars came into view on the street outside.

"This is your final warning! Please put the knife down and back away slowly," the deep voice yelled over the sirens.

I heard my father's voice add to the commotion as his speech slurred as he yelled, "What's all the fuss out here?! I'm trying to sleep!"

My father is a very angry man, which is the reason I did my best to steer clear of him as often as I could, not that I always succeeded.

"Excuse me sir, are you Hazel's father?" the deep voice asked, clearing his throat as my father ignored the question completely.

"We're going to have to take action. We need to take you in for questioning, ma'am. My team will escort you from the property now," the deep voice stated, the authority clear in his voice as he handcuffed Fiona and escorted her out of the house and through the front door.

I saw the large shadow guide Fiona into the back of a police car, the siren still flashing.

"Who the hell do you think you are, speaking to my wife like that?!" I heard my father's voice yelling.

"Sir, you need to calm down. I am a social worker here from Child Protective Services, with police escort. We have been called to the premises to evaluate that Hazel is in a safe and loving environment," the soft female voice stated in response, trying to de-escalate the situation.

"Are you assuming I hit my own DAUGHTER?!" my father's voice yelled angrily. I heard a shuffle, and some thuds as my father continued to yell unintelligibly.

Shadows shifted outside, until I saw a figure run out, limbs flailing with what looked like a knife in their hand. I realized that my father now held the knife that Fiona had been brandishing earlier.

"Sir, put it down now!" the deep voice echoed in the night air.

I watched as my father's figure pounced on the shadow of an officer, covering my eyes just as I heard the loud BANG of a gunshot reverberate through the trees causing nearby wildlife to descend from the trees and bushes.

After what felt like an eternity, I peered through the gaps in my fingers. I saw an officer tackle my father to the ground as a female officer pressed a hard knee into the back of his spine, proceeding to handcuff him, the blood from my father's leg wound mixing with the dirt beneath him.

"Get off of me!" my father yelled, squirming on the dirt below.

"You are under arrest; you have the right to remain silent, and anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney; if you cannot afford an attorney, then one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?" a female police officer's voice said, clearly establishing my father's miranda rights.

"Get off of me!" my father yelled, continuing to buck under the female officer's weight.

Two officers escorted my father into the backseat of a police car, their sirens still illuminating the night.

I heard footsteps approach, echoing throughout the small house until I heard them stop outside my bedroom door. Suddenly, the door busted open with such force it slammed into the wall behind it.

The female social worker walked towards me before reaching out and gently helping me to my feet.

"Are you okay, Hazel?" Her soft words were kind and gentle, her brown hand lingering on my shoulder with sympathy in her eyes. I nodded my head, causing my loose hair to bounce around my face.

"Don't be frightened, you're safe now. We'll make sure you find a good home," the woman continued, before guiding me out the front door and what I hoped would be a better life...

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~ Cheers ~
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Please, tell me in the comments what you thought about Chapter Five? 🙈 I'll be greatly appreciated, thank you, you very kind soul!
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~ Chapter Five ~
~ Dedications ~
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HeliiBoh
DebMorey
PeterPetruzzella
CaitlinWoodward9
DaniJones_14
ChloeMayerhofer
savvvy1998
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You guys should totally check out PeterPetruzzella short story! Lighthouse. It's amazing! Please also go check out Peter's YouTube account pure56 for awesome content on movies, tv-shows, and game reviews!
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You guys should totally check out ChloeMayerhofer story! Fallen! It's awesome!
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C.Morey 🥕 xoxo
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