Keep on whilstling, little bird | Mia
Count to three, close your eyes.
Hold on tight; you'll be alright.
"Mia, I swear to God if you aren't down those stairs in five minutes I'm coming up there and so help me-"
Richard was an impatient man.. he was the type you wouldn't want to keep waiting. Pulling her hair into a loose bun, Mia dragged a jumper over her scrawny frame, practically sprinting down the stairs to her foster parents. She'd been here before; being late for church. She'd payed for it later of course, so the experience was something she'd rather not force upon herself. Holding onto the banister as she missed steps at a time to get to the hallway, her heart dropped into her stomach as she saw Richard waiting for her by the front door. He had a look of cold murder on his face, something Mia rarely saw but sadly knew what to expect when she saw it. He smiled then however, approaching her in what appeared to be a relaxed suit. He smelt clean, not overly scented as he stood before Mia, his hand reaching upward to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. It rested on her head for a few minutes before it fell behind her head, suddenly gripping a fistful as his face returned to rage.
"I warned you, you stupid girl."
Mia didn't scream as he pulled her by the hair towards the kitchen, biting her lip and drawing blood to stop herself because she knew how this would go. If she made any kind of noise, the punishment would double. Practically throwing her toward the floor, Mia stood, turning to face Richard as a thick, calloused face broke flat against her face. Bracing herself against the counter, the blonde's eyes began to water and her head rang like it was filled with church bells, but she didn't cry. She didn't do anything but return to the same position as before. Richard wasn't as bad as her true parents, given that he was actually nice to her the majority of the time. It was days like these however, when she slipped up and made a mistake that she had to pay for what she'd done.
"I'm going to church, Mia. You stay here and clean up your act. You know the verse we're on and I expect you to read it while I'm gone."
As he turned on his heel, the girl allowed herself a solemn tear before sobering herself up, turning to do the dishes while he was absent from the house. The hot soapy water was comforting against her hands, but she knew that it was the cold that her cheek longed for. After stacking the plates and drying the cutlery, Mia pulled a bag of frozen peas from the freezer and slid to the floor of the kitchen, holding them against the rouge swell of a hand-print that had nestled nicely into her skin. She'd read the Bible to herself quickly before he came home; she planned on cleaning the house and starting a dinner before Richard and his wife, Louise, returned home. Mia wasn't forced to cook and clean, but it left her brownie points on the subject and occasionally she'd be allowed amount of money for her efforts. Turning to the stove, she set to work on lighting it, peeling the vegetables ready for what could turn out to be a rather interesting evening.
