Annie's Room by Amy Cross Read Free Book Online Page A

onto the boards outside my door.
    Shaken a little by what I just saw, I can't help noticing that there's blood on the sandpaper's rough surface.
    Down on the floor, Mother is sobbing as she clutches her face, and more blood is running onto her wrists and then down her arms. As she tries to sit up, I get a glimpse of the skin to one side of her eyes, and I can see scores of little scratches caused by the sandpaper. Still moaning with agony, Mother gets onto her knees and holds her hands a short way out, as if she's trying to look at something.
    “I can't see!” she shouts, her voice filled with horror. “Help me! I can't see anything!”
     
    ***
     
    “Won't be needing this, then,” Father mutters as he drops the envelope onto the fire that's burning in the hearth. It's the same envelope Mr. Clement brought over this morning, but it's unopened, which I guess means he never gave it to Mother. “She can't read a letter if she can't see.”
    Turning back to Mother, I dip the cloth in a bowl of warm water and get back to work, dabbing at the cuts all around her eyes and the bridge of her nose. Even though Father's punishment was much harsher this time, I know deep down that Mother deserved it, and I also feel that Father wouldn't have gone so far if she hadn't provoked him. Her whole body is trembling, and her damaged eyes are open. I feel as if I can help with the cuts and scrapes around her eyes, but when it comes to the ones on the eyeballs... I shudder as I see the thin scratches that criss-cross her pupils. It's no wonder she's blind, and her eyes are watering a lot too, thanks to the small pieces that came off the sandpaper and got lodged in the white parts.
    “It'll be okay,” I tell her, even though that's a lie. The pale scratches on her pupils are too deep and large to ever heal, I'm sure of that.
    She blinks, and more clear fluid runs down the side of her face. I'm not sure if she's crying, or if her damaged eyes are just leaking, or a little of both.
    “Did you learn your lesson?” Father asks, making his way across the room and standing over her. He waits for a moment. “Well? Did you?”
    She nods.
    “Hold still,” I tell her.
    “Seeing as how I carved it into the wood,” Father continues, “I don't see how being blind ought to stop you from reading what I wrote. It's Annie's room, and if you need reminding, just run your fingers across the wood in every frame in the house to check you don't go in there by accident. Do you understand?”
    “Yes,” she whimpers. “Do you think -”
    She pauses.
    “Do I think what?” he asks.
    Her lips tremble, but no words come out.
    “I think she wants to see a doctor,” I tell Father. “She mentioned it earlier when you were out of the -”
    Mother grabs my hand, squeezing it tight as if to keep me from saying too much.
    “There's no doctor coming to this house,” Father mutters, “and there's no-one from this house going to see a doctor either. I don't have the money to be paying for anything like that, so you'll just have to get by.” He turns to walk away, before stopping and looking back down at Mother and then turning to me. “Do you think she's learned her lesson, Annie?”
    “I...” Pausing, I stare into Mother's scratched eyes. “I think so,” I say after a moment. “I mean... she certainly should have.”
    “I'm not convinced,” he replies, “but we'll give her the benefit of the doubt.” Reaching down, he puts a hand on my shoulder. “I'll be sleeping in your room tonight, Annie.”
    “Should I go in with Mother?” I ask.
    “No, you can be in with me. Mother can sleep alone for a bit, until she's calmed down. Maybe that way she'll have time to think about what she's done. She can get that whimpering under control too, because there's no way in hell I'm putting up with it.”
    As he heads out of the room, I turn back to look at Mother's terrified face.
    “I know this must be hard for you,” I say after a moment, keeping my voice