□ Harry Anderson □
~~~~~~~~~~
□ Aches and Pains □

The beating from last night still hurts. Noah gets into a right old temper when he's drunk. The blood on my face is dry now, having turned to crust. My body is stiff, and it's somewhat difficult to move. I groan and wince as I try to stretch my arms and legs, regretting it immediately.

My chest is littered with fresh bruises from last night when I slide my shirt off to wash it along with my other bloodstained clothes. I take in a shaky breath as I gaze at my reflection in the mirror. My arms are covered with scars from being "punished," in Noah's words. Some of the reasons why he did were some of the most stupid I ever heard. But he never let me voice my opinion on the matter because that would result in a beating.

That's one of the many stupid reasons why Noah punishes me: Speaking out of turn. He also beats me whenever I talk to anyone without his permission. He freaks whenever I look at anyone. He drinks after he gets off work for the day, stumbles into the house, and flies into a drunken rage, taking it out on me. I'm his punching bag, but I'm too afraid to ever leave.

He's threatened to kill me if I ever packed my bags to go to a hotel or something. In his twisted little mind, he reaches the conclusion that I'm walking out on him. I'm too frightened of what he could do to even consider leaving. Besides, I have no other place to go. Noah is probably the only person who can take care of me in this whole damn town.

I take my laundry to the washing machine, making sure that every bit of clothing makes it in. I grabbed a robe from the bathroom I shared with Noah and put it on after I put my old clothes into the washing machine. I set up the dials and leave the laundry room after I know the clothes are being washed. I go to take a shower and get the dry blood off. It's a bad idea because of the washing machine running, but it's the best idea I have right now.

The warm water helps me relax as I use some body wash to clean myself up. The recent scars smart and hate the soapy bubbles, but this will help me out. I think a shower is what I needed. I shut my eyes and take a deep breath. I just need to focus on the good memories of Noah, and I'll be able to get through the day.

"You know you're one of my favorite people, Harry?" Noah asked me as I sewed up a scar on his left forearm. I nod in response to his question, too focused to answer immediately. Noah placed his right hand underneath my chin, making me look at him. His smile was dazzling, never losing light or hope. I smiled back, finishing the stitches and placing a gauze bandage over his wound.

"You know I really hate your father?" I questioned Noah as I put the first aid kit away. Noah nodded, being careful of his arm, and I slipped on a pair of white gloves. Noah narrowed his eyebrows at me. I tilted my head, perplexed at his sudden change in mood. He knew that I wore gloves most of the time he was at my house. Why did he look so irritated now?

"You don't need those, you know that?" Noah asked me as I sat down in my desk chair. I fiddle with my fingers nervously. "You can gain control without becoming emotionless," he continues. "All it takes is love," he adds. I look into his electric blue eyes, confused about his statement.

"How is love going to help me?" I inquired as Noah beamed at me. He stood up and kneeled in front of me. "Tell me, Noah Edward Carter, how?" I repeated. Noah grabbed my shirt collar and kissed me deeply. I froze for a few minutes, unsure of what to say or do.

A blush appeared on his cheeks as he pulled away. "That's how," he whispered. I bit my lip as Noah grinned slightly. I ran my hands through his hair and pulled him in for a kiss. He kissed back, using a bit of force to prevent me from pulling away; at the time, I didn't think about it, but I wish I did.

I come back to earth when the water gets cold. Oh, shit, I wasted water again. How many times does that make it now? Five or six? I lost count.

Noah's going to kill me if he ever finds out. He runs a tight ship in this house. He wants me to stay in line. He constantly says that staying in line will keep me safe from the town and their hatred of the unknown, what they won't understand. The sad thing is that I still believe him after almost four years.

I change into a long-sleeved gray shirt and black jeans. I put on white socks and black sneakers with gray accents. I dry my hair and comb it back. Some cuts on my face show a bit. I cover them up with women's foundation.

Noah is gone when I headed downstairs. That makes sense. He would've burst into the room as soon as I had gotten up. I'm not sure how he knows, but he just does. I know his routines by now.

I make myself some coffee and eat an egg and hashbrown. I fried the egg and hashbrown in a frying pan with a small amount of oil. I sip the coffee slowly, lost in another memory. It was after we graduated from high school, Noah from the local high school, me from my homeschooling. He and I just moved the last of our boxes into his new house.

I would've gotten a job if I had known what was going to happen. I would've gone to college because of my scholarship funds in my savings account. My parents wanted me to go to Harvard or Stanford. My desired majors was creative writing and philosophy, and I was saving the money ever since I was seven years old. Surprising, but my parents had set it up for me, which didn't seem odd to me.

When I woke up after unpacking for most of the night, Noah was awake, gazing at me. A small smile was on his face, and he was laying on his side. His eyes were full of love. I turned over onto my back and grinned at him. We kissed each other softly, and Noah ran a hand through my hair.

"I love you," said Noah. I blushed a bit. Noah booped my nose and cuddled me, wrapping one arm around my waist. I blushed more. He kissed me again, and I kissed him back.

"I love you too," I say. Noah smiled, and we stayed in bed most of the morning. Eventually, Noah had to go to work. I cleaned the house and prepared dinner. There was more cuddling that night.

I walk to Noah's office. He's a manager assistant store leader at Kwik Trip Inc. He constantly gets raises because of his work. I go inside and ask for him. Noah asks for me up in his office, and I go up there.

I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. For more information about the main characters, check out my OC book. If you have any questions, ask me in the comments, on my message board, or in my PMs.