I walked out of the school gates and looked around. No sign of her. Great! I have to walk home alone!

"Ashleigh is your mum here to pick you up?" Mr luxton asked. He was my favourite teacher unfortuantely he wouldn't be my teacher for another year when I was seven. I didn't mind waiting though, he was cool.

"Yeah she is probably waiting at the shop sir," I lied.

"Okay then Ash. Get home safe," he smiled as I started off on the five mile walk home. I got to the front door and remembered that I couldn't get in without a key so I climbed over the garden fence and walked in through the back door.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE YOU FILTHY LITTLE BITCH!" She screamed at me as I walked into the living room from the kitchen. I flinched instantly looking at my fingers that still haven't healed, waiting for her to break them again. Instead she went into the kitchen and brought out half a loaf of bread and two glasses of water. "FOLLOW ME YOU VILE CREATURE!" I did as I was told.

She led me up the stairs and pulled the ladder out of the spare bedroom just below the attic door thing in the ceiling. He climbed up and undid the locks on it and opened it, she then climbed back down. "UP!" She screamed in my face again. Something I was used to with her, I once again did as I was told. I climbed into the attic and wrinkled my nose at the weird smell that all attics have. She passed up the bread and water before slamming the door, locking it whilst laughing. I looked around and rummaged through a box, I found loads of old books. So I read them. I didn't understand them but that didn't matter. I still liked the characters. I was there for a very long time just reading. I didn't want to make any noise because that got me in more trouble. Last time she hit me with the hot iron.

After a very long time I heard the locks on the attic door click, my stomach flipped. Did I make any noise? Is she going to hurt me? Where can I hide?

The hatch opened and a lady in a police costume popped up, "hello Ashleigh. I am PC Curren. I am a police lady. I am going to make you safe now. Can you come with me?" The school teacher with the big chin said that police officers were nice people that would never hurt you and they help you.

I walked over to her and climbed down the stairs and a nasty smell made me screw my face up. "Where is she?"

"You mean your mummy?" The police lady asked picking me up and carrying me out of the house. I never called her my mummy because that made her angry.

"Yeah, did she forget about me?"

The lady said with a quiet voice, "she didn't forget, she just found life a bit hard. Someone will explain to you when we get you to the school."

"I don't have my uniform!" I jumped down from her arms and ran past a man in a white pyjama suit thing, weirdo! I opened the living room door and looked over at his chair, he was hurt. Blood was all over him, "are you okay?" I said nudging his shoulder.

Someone grabbed me from behind and spun me around and that's when I saw her on the kitchen floor with a big cut on her neck and a lot of blood around her. Her eyes were wide open, looking straight into mine.

I jolted awake screaming. A hand brushed my face shushing me.

I calmed my breathing down a bit looking up at Ashley's concerned face. "It was just a bad dream, a memory."

"Tell me babe," he said hugging me and rocking me gently, soothing me. So I told him everything just before I drifted off again.

Ashley POV

I was horrified, I knew it was bad but I had no idea how nasty someone could be to their own child. I felt like I couldn't leave her now, I had to make sure she was always okay. I didn't want to leave her anyway. I stroked her arm and drifted off with her, never letting her go.

***

Andy's POV

According to Jake Ash wasn't in his bunk so I guessed he got a female at somepoint last night while we were sleeping, whore. I went to leelee's bunk and pulled the curtain back to find Ashley snuggling up to my baby sister.

"WHAT IS THIS FUCKERY!?" I screamed.

Ashleigh jolted awake shaking looking terrified of me, Ash just looked at me. "Dude. The shouting was unnecessary! You've scared leelee now!" He said in a half tired voice rubbing her arm in an attempt to comfort her.

I made a note to lower my voice because of leelee, "what are you doing in my sisters bunk dude!?"

"I had a nightmare," she whispered, her mouth behind her duvet muffling it.

I looked at Ash again, "oh,"

"Didn't you hear her screaming? I was already awake so I checked on her but I am surprised no one actually woke up!" I shrugged, I guess if BVB wanted we could sleep through the biggest natural disaster ever and still have a nice dream.

Ashleigh POV

I was trying not to cry uncontrollably, I upset Andy. I didn't mean to make him mad! "I am sorry for making you mad Pandy."

He blushed when I said his nickname from me, "I'm not angry leelee I was just shocked. I though he was in here for other reasons, you know."

'I wish!' I thought to myself. Looking at Ash out of the corner of my eye made it hard to keep my hands off him. Andy nodded awkwardly and shuffled away, I snuggled closer to ashley and drew the curtains before catching up on the rest of my sleep.