Concrete Angel

Concrete Angel

Beth Rainheart followed the cement tiles to her 5th grade elementary School. Every step she took it made another tear fall down. The pain she was feeling now was the aftermath of last night's events. She displeased her stepmother so her stepmother dealt with it the only way she knew how to.

As she got closer to the school she saw Dudley Dursley with his cousin Harry about 7 feet behind him. She felt bad for Harry because she knew he had to put up with a lot of stuff like she did. But at least he didn't have to wear the marks for all to see. She never spoke to him nor him to her but she hoped that sometime they could exchange a few words. She only lived 3 houses away from him and they had been in class together since Kindergarten. "Well maybe someday," she thought and walked on into the building.

***She walks to school with the lunch she packed
Nobody knows what she's holdin' back
Wearin' the same dress she wore yesterday
She hides the bruises with linen and lace

Lunch time had never been a pleasant time for Beth because nobody spoke to her. The only people she ever spoke to in this sanitary were the teachers. She wondered how they didn't know what was going on. Were they that absent minded? She wanted them to come and rescues her. She wanted to be away from all the pain that was put upon her every night. She wondered if it was truly her fault. If god was punishing her for her mother dying when bringing her into this world. Her mother deserved to live more then she did.

While Beth was deep in thought she felt someone tap her shoulder. It scared her and she immediately covered her face.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," said the person behind her. She looked up amazed that someone had let his or her vocal cords vibrate for her. They were speaking to her. When she looked to see who had done the unthinkable she almost fell out of her seat. It was Harry Potter.

She didn't know what to say so she simply smiled. A smile. That was something she hardly ever did. In fact she couldn't ever remember smiling.

"May I set down?" he asked.

She nodded her head. Harry talked with her for the whole lunchtime. She never thought that such happiness could be found on this earth. He told her how he had always noticed her and that he knew she lived 3 houses down from him. He told her how the Dursleys' where so mean to him then he set patiently for her to tell him her big secret.

Once she let the words start to roll off he tongue she felt she couldn't stop. Before it was over she was crying and Harry was hugging her.

"How about I come to your house tonight. So that way you won't get beaten," said Harry after she had stopped sobbing.

"No Harry I wouldn't want you there. She could beat you to and I just don't want you involved. I'm sorry I ever told you," she said and got up and walked back to class. Harry tried to talk to her to let him come and well practically save her but she knew he couldn't do it. It was something bigger then both of them could handle.

***
The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask
It's hard to see the pain behind the mask
Bearing the burden of a secret storm
Sometimes she wishes she was never born

She wished she had kept her mouth shut. Harry had enough problems; he didn't need hers to. She would get out of this life and have people that loved her one-day. She looked at all of this stuff as if it was just a test to see if she was worthy of love. But now she blew it and love would not come. It was all over and could not be undone.

***Through the wind and the rain
She stands hard as a stone
In a world that she can't rise above
But her dreams give her wings
And she flies to a place where she's loved
Concrete angel

It was now 9o'clock and her stepmother hadn't even said one thing to her. She was going to have a night with no pain. No sorrow. She stood next to her window and looked at the Dursley's house. Some where behind those walls was a little boy wishing the same thing she was wishing to be with his parents. Beth wanted her mom just as much as he wanted his parents but if she had the choose to get her mom back or his parents she would give Harry his parents. He deserved a better life. It was stolen from him and Beth wished she could give it back to him. Then she watched as the lights went off in the house. They must have gone to bed.

The night was quite out and it seemed peaceful but then she heard the heavy steps of the person approaching her room. It was the sound that Beth remembers hearing as she would hind under her bed praying that they would never find her. Beth turned around to look out side and she noticed a little boy walking on the road. It was Harry. He was coming towards her house. He looked up and smiled at her. For a second she thought about smiling back but then the bed room door swung open and her step mother walk in.

As quick as she could she looked back out the window at Harry then swung the curtains closed. She didn't want him to see it.

Harry 's smile faded when he seen her look behind herself at something in her room then when she turned back around and looked into his eyes she had pure fear in them. Then she closed the curtains assuming she had blocked him out but he could she her shadow.

Beth looked at her stepmother and gave no sign of fear. Her stepmother did not like that so she grabbed the back of Beth's hair and banded her head against the wall. Beth staggered back a bit on to the window seal. Cold but stinging hot liquid ran down her face in little trickles. Then you would have thought that would have been enough but no her stepmom wasn't satisfied yet. Beth had not made any crying sounds. So she grabbed hold of her chin and punched her in the face. She continued to this until Beth's face was so slippery with blood she could no longer get a strong hold on her face so she let Beth fall to the floor. Beth could only see out one eye and even it was blurry. Beth had figured her step mom would have stopped by now and she thought she had left the room when she felt a sharp and sudden blow to the head. Her stepmother had stomped on her face with all her strength. After that kick she moved down to Beth's ribs and continued to draw her foot back and thrust it so hard into Beth's ribcage that Beth's body would be moved a little each time. She did this about 12 times then topped to catch her breath.

Harry had seen all the movements in the shadows. As soon as Beth had fell to the ground her had made a mad run to get to the side of Beth's house. He climbed up the drainpipe and jumped into the window pushing the curtains aside.

The sight he saw was Beth in a bloody mess on the floor. Her stepmother was just about to start kicking her again when she saw Harry there. Harry started at the mother in disbelief. He could not believe someone could be so cruel. The stepmother turned around and walked out to call the ambulance. She knew she had gone to far this time.

***Somebody cries in the middle of the night
The neighbors hear, but they turn out the lights
A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate
When morning comes it'll be too late

Harry tried to touch Beth but he couldn't find a place on her body that didn't looked injured. Her head was busted open in several places and her body was twisted in ways they it should not have been able to bind. Her eyes were bruised shut and her mouth was an opening for a small stream of blood that streamed out on to the floor. Harry knelt down next to her but he knew he had been too late.

She was carried out in a black bag and put in the back of the ambulance. Harry stood outside of her house and watched as the police took her step mom away. They said her dad worked nights and was called to come home. All the neighbors are outside too. They where in their nightclothes watching as if they were shocked. But Harry hated them for they knew this was happening and did nothing to stop it.

Then the Dursleys came over and grabbed Harry home trying not to be seen. They yelled at him for getting involved. Harry said nothing back to them just stayed silent. For that's what Beth was now, forever silent.

***A statue stands in a shaded place
An angel girl with an upturned face
A name is written on a polished rock
A broken heart that the world forgot

Beth watched as they lowered her body into the ground. Everyone walked away but a little boy stayed behind. He held a Pink Tiger Lily. It was her favorite flower but she wondered how he knew that.

He looked up like her could see her standing there. Pulling a little green book out of his pocket the golden letters sparkled in the light. It was Beth's diary. Harry softly tossed the book and lily down onto her new bed.

"Beth if only I would have new,

what was always troubling you.

Then maybe I could have be a friend,

and let you come to me for help in the end.

But know you will be in a place where your heart is free,

from all the pain caused by other's people's glee.

I would have liked to keep you for a much longer time,

to bad it seems our lives where never meant to intertwine.

I love you now and forever more,

Don't feel bad for getting to walk trough that door."

Beth was now crying. Harry always lost the people he loved. She once again was mad at her self and wished Harry could get what his heart desired. But taking a deep breath she knew for a fact that he wouldn't have to wait that long before they would meet again.

"Beth where are you? Are friends are here." It was Beth's mother.

"I'm over here," yelled Beth and she turned around to find her mother. Her mother appeared with 2 people that looked very nice. One with black messy hair and glasses and the other with fiery red hair and brilliant green eyes.

Beth let her breath out and sighed "Ah Mr. and Mrs. Potter..."

("Concrete Angel"by Martina McBride)