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The Preacher's Daughter

Tattoos and Nightmares

Grace's POV
I watch Chris and his bandmates pose for photographs, allowing them to get up close to certain tattoos and answer all the questions the guy running the interview has. They play around a bit and even though I enjoy watching them, the flashback from before still bothers me.

It's getting worse. It started out with just getting lost in a memory. Then the nightmares that keep me awake all night, every night. Now it's a full fledged flashback...and I dread the next symptom...If I start hallucinating, I'm in big trouble...

"Glace just got her first tattoo," Chris says, pulling me from my wandering thoughts, as he starts motioning for me to join them, "Come on, sis. Why don't you show it off?"

"Oh...Okay," I shyly reply, walking over to them and allowing them to see the small tattoo I have running along my left hand.

"Ouch! Tender area," The guy doing the interview states, with a bit of an accent, looking down at my tattoo.

"Really?" I inquire, baffled at his reaction, "I...barely felt it."

"I guess you have a higher pain tolerance than I do," he offers, laughing, though seeming surprised to hear my response. He then asks, "Could we feature it? It's absolutely gorgeous."

"Umm...Sure, thanks," I answer, amazed he actually likes it that much.

He motions for his camera girl to snap a couple photos of my simple tattoo, which she does without question. She has me pose, so she can see my tattoo and face in the same shot, causing me to blush and feel awfully shy.

"Could we get a few with CC and her together?" The young woman asks, then Chris wraps his arms around my shoulders from behind, being considerate of my neck. I feel him remove my hat, passing it to Ashley as his chin rest on top of my head.

"Umm...What should we do?" I inquire, feeling completely out of my element.

"Whatever feels natural for you," She replies kindly.

"Okay," I say with a slight shrug.

Deciding to be a goofball, I reach up with my tattooed hand and poke his nose, causing him to go cross-eyed and playfully swat my hand away with a lighthearted laugh. Reaching up again to repeat the motion, he then grabs my wrist and tickles my palm, making me fall into hysterical laughter.

"Stop!" I call out, pulling my hand back. He releases me, then grabs my waist and pulls me close. Ashley joins in, resting my hat back on my head, before they lift me high into the air and rest me on their shoulders, causing me to squeal.

"Put me down, Chris! You know I don't like high places!" I demand, making everyone around me laugh, so I pretend to pout.

This just makes them laugh harder, then Andy walks up behind me, and asks, "That's too high for you?"

"Yes," I complain.

"Well you're really not going to like this. Going up!" He retorts and suddenly I'm on his shoulders. I scream, leaning forward and grabbing his hands which are on my knees.

"Relax, sis, we won't let you fall," Chris says, holding out a hand to help me balance. I grip it tightly, then Ashley offers me his hand on the other side, both holding one of my hands and their free hands supporting my back.

"Jake! Jinxx! Get in on this one!" Andy calls out, and they stand before him, holding hands, looking ready to catch me, should I fall forward.

"Smile," Ashley tells me, and I look up to see the camera girl snapping photos of us.

Once she's got the pictures she wants, Andy carefully kneels down, while Ashley and Chris help me down the rest of the way. Happily back on the ground, I sigh, turning back to the interviewer.

"So why did you pick that particular song for your first tattoo?" The guy asks me, once she's got all the shots she needed.

"Uhh...I..." I pause, looking back at Chris, unsure of what to say. He smiles, passing me a nod, silently telling me to be honest, so I turn back and nervously say, "I'm really not sure. I just loved the song...It spoke to me in a way that I've never experienced before. Umm...Plus, umm..."

I feel a hand rest on my shoulder, causing me to jump, but when I see it's Ashley, I look down with a deeper blush burning my cheeks.

"Go on," he whispers to me, "Plus...?"

"Umm...Plus, that song...well, it helps me," I add, shrugging uncomfortably. This is not my place. Why would Chris push me into the spotlight like this?

"Helps you? How?" The interviewer presses, while Ashley gently squeezes my shoulder.

"Umm...It...It helps by reminding me to fight through the pain, even when I don't want to. It reminds me of my brother and the rest of the Brides, and the promises I've made to them. All the help and strength that they've offered me, thus far, and well...that I'm not alone anymore. I've felt like I've been living in a nightmare for so long and now it's finally time to wake up," I whisper, tracing the outline of the small tattoo on my hand.

I sense Ashley and Chris momentarily tense at my words, then I'm engulfed in a hug that nearly knocks me over. If Ashley hadn't caught me, I probably would have, but now I'm sandwiched between them.

"Uhh...Chris?" I inquire, my eyes darting between the two of them, confused by his sudden attack.

"That's awesome, Graceland," Chris whispers to me, "Thank you so much."

"For...what?" I ask, taken aback by his thanks, but returning his hug, while the camera girl snaps a few pictures of the spontaneous scene before her.

I feel him shake his head, but he makes no attempt to answer beyond that. He holds me in a tight bear hug for a few moments longer, then finally releasing, I see him wipe a few tears away. He was crying just now? What for?

"I'm sorry," he murmurs, "It just means a lot. I had no clue. I...I just thought...Then again, knowing you, I'm not surprised that it has that much meaning behind it."

Okay? Chris has always been a really sensitive person, for as long as I can remember, but this...I've never seen him actually breakdown in tears like this before. Especially over something so...well, small.

After that disruption, the rest of the interview goes off without a hitch, and I continue to watch from the sidelines. They laugh and joke, having fun as they usually do, but again I can’t seem to get my mind off the flashback I had earlier.

-Flashback-

It was right after I'd decided I would become the ultimate shame of the family, the black sheep. They already convinced me I was the worst thing on the face of the Earth, compared to my gospel-loving step brothers, who always dressed the part and got everything their cold hearts desired.

I was 16 at the time and had a part time job, working my ass off, cleaning at a tattoo/piercing parlor. I would also work the front desk on occasion, setting up appointments, signing people in and selling the jewelry and aftercare stuff.

Most of the people I worked with dressed like my brother's band, Lzzy Hale or Amy Lee. That was just the style of the place and kind of our uniform, so it was no surprise when they asked me to go to the mall and pick up some clothing that matched their styles.

On this particular night I had come home late, after going to the mall with Tay. She had drove and helped me pick out my new clothes. I had just gotten paid, so it all worked out well. Or so I thought.

My father and step mother were waiting for me when I walked in. When they saw the Spencers and Hot Topic bags, they looked ready to kill me.

My father yelled at me, and when I tried to tell him it was for work, he grabbed me around my throat and held me a foot or so off the ground.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I froze until I nearly passed out. As if someone had flicked a switch inside me though, I suddenly kicked, not even aiming. I just wanted to hit him to get him off of me. I ended up hitting him in the family jewels.

He dropped me to the hard marble floor, where I choked out, "Don't you ever touch me again! You're not my family! Family doesn't do this to each other! I got those clothes for work and if you have a problem with it, take it up with my boss!"

As soon as I could, I scrambled up the stairs to my bedroom and locked myself inside. I sobbed for hours, on the phone with Tay, who told me I could stay with her and her family for a week, if I wanted. I happily took her up on that offer, packing all the 'acceptable clothing' from my closet in a duffle bag and snuck out to meet her outside.

I threw the duffle bag and shopping bags in the truck, then got in the passengers side. We drove to her place, where we had a bonfire with the clothes my father approved of.

When I returned home, I had to deal with my father's wrath again, but this time I knew to fight back. He ended up sending me to juvie that night for assault. The police didn't even question how the bruises on my neck got there.

-End flashback-

Far as I'm concerned, there's a special place in hell for people like him. The last two years I lived with him, the abuse got worse, until he kicked me out. I was happy to leave. I couldn't stand living like that any longer.

Looking down at my tattoo, I turn away from the group and whisper to myself, "Wake up. You're no longer in that nightmare. Your brother and his friends are here now, they saved you. It's okay to wake up."

"You okay?" Jinxx asks from behind me, making me jump.

"Oh, yeah," I reply with a nervous laugh, "Just giving myself a little peptalk."

"Alright," he says, a curious look in his eyes, but thankfully he doesn't press me anymore than that.

I'll be okay. This will pass, just like everything else. Time heals all wounds...Right?

Notes

Comments

Awesome new chapters! I know you put a lot of hard work into this and I hope everything goes alright with your health. Love this :)

This is amazing!! Please finish it if you can! I can't wait to find out what happens next!!

AWWWWWW!

IzzieDeadnow IzzieDeadnow
4/21/18

<3

IzzieDeadnow IzzieDeadnow
3/7/18