Rising From the Ashes

A Dark Nightmare

As I open the door, I barely miss a glass vase from splitting against my skull. I hear the crash moments later, and see the remains of the vase and flowers falling to the floor. 

“Whats going on?” 

“This doesn’t concern you girl.” He speaks with venom in his mouth. 

“I told you, they were just from a friend!” My foster mother Tabitha yells at him.

Craig is an insecure possessive drunk. He is insecure about his drinking, along with being overly jealous of others. He has chased door to door salesmen out of the house with a baseball bat, as he felt that they were only there to take his wife from him. He continued to spit doubt, that she would leave him for any other man. 

I slip past them, into my room and breathe a sigh of relief that I made it unscathed. I lie back on my bed staring at the ceiling for a moment. My mind continuing to wander. After a moment, I grab a bag from my closet, and quickly pack everything up. If I'm here, I might as well pack my stuff up for tomorrow. I hadn't planned on coming back. Realistically, there's nothing I care about, if I had to leave it behind. However, since I'm here, I might as well.

It never takes me longer than five minutes. I'm accustomed to living out of a suitcase sort to speak. I don’t have a lot of possessions, and what I do have, I make sure can travel and be packed quickly. Once I’m done, I slip back down the hallway, and make my way to the front door. I’m almost to the door, when I feel my hair yanked back from behind me, pulling me backwards. I try to keep myself on my feet, as I stumble along with my attacker. I look over to see Craig standing above me, holding my head down towards the ground.

“Did you honestly think I wouldn't know you snuck out early this morning?” 

“I'm sorry! I was just so excited to graduate, that I didn't even realize I left early.” I try pleading with him, hoping that he will show mercy. I know that is just ill wishing, as Craig has never shown to be merciful.

“Well it looks like you just want to be punished.” He says, his eyes alight from what he plans on doing next.

 “Kneel!” Comes the order I've grown accustomed to. 

I lower myself to the ground, my hands under my face, my head nearly touching the floor. I hold in a breath as I wait for what will happen next. I hear Craig remove his belt. Suddenly the familiar cracking sound whips through the air, as he begins lashing his belt against my back. I keep holding my breath. Breathing only makes the pain worse. He hears me cry out, which causes him to double the lashings. I can feel blood dripping down my back from the beating. It is both creating new wounds, and opening up old ones. I shut my eyes tight, counting the strokes as he goes. Once he gets to thirteen, I slowly begin to relax. Each beating is thirteen strokes. I don’t know why, he has just always favoured the number thirteen.

Typically after he’s done beating me, he will go to the kitchen, have another beer, then make his way to the couch in the living room where he passes out for a few hours. This time however, I’m not so lucky. He pulls me back into a standing position from the back of my top, nearly strangling me. He eyes me over, not once making a sound as he does so. I follow his gaze, down my body, then once again going upwards to stop at my chest. I immediately step back when he takes a step closer to me. He takes a few more steps closer to me, before I realize he’s backed me up against the wall. After staring at my chest for what seems like forever, he finally blurts out “such a waste.” Afraid to respond, I wait for what he means by that.

“Such a waste that a body like that, was given to such a poor excuse of a girl.” 

He continues to step closer to me. A look of distain spreads across his face. He reaches down, and begins to grope me. He begins to stroke my core through my dress. He then uses both hands to grab onto my chest. I’m frozen in fear. This isn't the first time this has happened to me. When I was nine, his brother Gary cornered me. He refused to let me go until I had done as he pleased.

It was common for Craig to do this, though more common for Gary. I was always too scared about what they would do to me if I tried to escape. His hand reaches my face where he presses his fingers on either side of my mouth, tilting my face left and right, almost as though he is trying to find a specific angle.

He steps even closer to me once again. Before I can even register his movements, he’s lifted my dress off, and is eyeing me like prey. He takes his right hand and begins to play with my core. Twisting up and down, and using his fingers to pull on my clit. With his other hand, he begins to pull and tug on my chest. His head comes down and he begins to suck on one of my t**s.

I feel so disgusted with every second he continues to touch me, along with the gaze he sends over my body. He opens his pants, and removes his member from his underwear. He grabs me by the neck and lowers me to his knees. I can’t move my body. I stay rigid, hoping that eventually he will leave me alone. 

“Suck.” My eyes bead open. I just want this nightmare to end. I was so close to freedom. Why did I've to come back?

He holds my head firmly by my hair. He then forces his member into my mouth. He pushes farther and farther until I’m gaging on it. He begins to thrust deep into my throat, not caring that I can barely breathe. 

“YES! Keep going!” He pushes and pulls my head along his shaft harder and harder. He then pushes me aside. I’m hoping this means he has got what he wanted, and will leave me alone. In one swift movement, he is on top of me, straddling me as he pins my arms to the ground above my head. 

"Your mouth was a good start, but now I want the prize."

“NO!” I manage to yell out. I try my best to wriggle from out of his grip. 

Craig punches the side of my head to get me to stop moving.

"Shut up!" He hisses.

He uses his free hand to lower his member closer to my entrance. Once he finds the spot, he immediately thrusts inside. 

“Mhmm… heavenly.” He groans in appreciation. 

“Your body is mine to do with as I please. I've trained your body perfectly for mine. Now stop moving, otherwise I won't be as gentle next round." 

He begins to thrust hard inside me. I feel like vomiting. Why hasn’t he passed out yet? I can feel tears pouring down my face. My vision is partially blurred from the intense pain. 

“Please! Stop! Just let me go!” I yell in a panicked voice. Hoping he will show mercy, and let me go. 

Craig slaps my face with such ferocity that it feels like his hand is permanently engraved into the side of my face. 

“I’m almost there! I’m about to c*m!”

“NO!” I scream at the top of my lungs, hoping anyone will hear my plea for help. I try my hardest to move him off of me. But he is nearly three times my weight, making the attempt futile. I don’t stand a chance, I never did.

Craig reaches over, and places his hand across my mouth. Blocking my airway, and preventing me from screaming any more.

Suddenly I can hear someone knocking on the door. 

“f**k!” Craig yells, upset that someone is bothering him. 

“Come on! I’m almost there!” He yells at me. Wanting me to finish him off. 

My body starts to go limp from the lack of oxygen. I can feel my body shutting down. I no longer have the strength to try and fight him off.

I can hear banging, as if someone is trying to break down the door. It seems whoever is outside, must've heard my screams, and is trying to help. Whoever it is, is successful on the first attempt. Craig doesn’t move. He is focused on finishing inside me. 

Suddenly he is forced off and out of me. I immediately find myself gasping for air.

“NO!” He exclaims.

“I was almost there! I only needed another minute.” He looks at the intruder and begins to size him up.

“How about we share. I’ll finish off now, then you can have her, while I get myself ready for round two.” I nearly throw up upon hearing his suggestion.

"I've a better idea. How about you pick on someone your own size."

I look up at familiar voice. 'Ryker?' I move my hands to clear the tears from my eyes, as I look over at the stranger. Sure enough it is him. I feel like crawling in a hole after how he’s just found me. Before Craig is able to retort, Ryker punches him square across the face. Craig falls to the ground immediately after the impact. Craig sits upward, while holding his jaw. Staring daggers at Ryker.

“Who are you to tell me what to do in my house?” Craig yells at Ryker.

“She's my property, and I'm allowed to do whatever I want with my property, on my property.” Craig says, spitting blood on the floor.

Ryker’s blood begins to boil. His normally bright green eyes are now nearly crimson black. I’m familiar with this look from when I was a kid. Anyone that would bully me, would have my brother seeing red. That is exactly what is happening right now. The only thing Ryker can see is a predator that is attacking his baby sister. If looks could kill, Craig would be ten feet under by now.

Before Craig can continue to justify the rape, my brother lashes out, sending a powerful punch to the side of Craig's head. He then gives him a mean uppercut, followed by another punch to the side of his face, and one to the ribs. Seconds later, Craig is knocked out cold, lying limp on the floor.

I can barely move. I just feel like my will to live has been sucked completely out of me. Ryker grabs a blanket from the couch, wrapping it around me. I feel my brothers arms wrap around me as he picks me up and carries me to his car. He sits me in the passenger side of his car, and buckles me in. He runs around to the other side, and jumps in the driver seat, and steps hard on the accelerator. 

I don’t know where we’re going, or how long it will take us to get there, just as long as I never have to go back to that house again.