Prologue. That Night

     The screams coming from that house Rang through the night. The young girls wails penetrated the walls of her neighboors houses as they tried to block them out. No one came to her aid., no one picked up the phone and dialed that number three digits long that could save her. They just turned their lights off, locked their doors and went to bed. They covered their ears, turned their TVs up a little louder, anything to block out her cries for help.

 

      Dominic Terry shoots out of bed as her cries wake him from a sound sleep, His girlfriend Lisa stirs next to him, and opens her eyes.

 

      "What is it Dom?" She asks, her voice thick with sleep.

 

      " I heard something" He says, and just like that another wail reaches him. Lisa jumps and sits up her eyes wide with worry. Dom lurches out of bed and crosses the room, flinging open his bedroom door with a bang.

 

      "Dom its that young girl from across the street!" Lisa says following him. The door across the hall opens and Bryan Freeman, Dom's brother-in-law pokes his head out.

 

      "Dom do you hear that?" He says coming out into the hall, nothing on but a pair of baggy sweatpants. Dom nods and grabs his baseball bat that was just inside his room. "Lisa you and Mia stay here, me and Dom will check things out." Bryan says going back into his room to grab a shirt and kiss his wife. The two men leave the house just as another scream pierces the night.

 

      "NOOOOO STOP PLEASE!" The men quicken their pace and make quick work crossing the street. They hop the chain link fence that surrounded the yard and stride up to the front door. Bryan pounds on the door with no answer. Sounds from inside the home filter to their ears. Whimpers of fear and terror and sounds of things breaking.

 

      "Should we just break the door down?" Bryan asks looking to his Brother in law. Dom mulls it over as a blood curdling scream comes from the house and the sounds of something falling down the stairs follows it, Suddenly the screams stop and all is quite. Dom doesn't hesitate he kicks open the door, the sounds of splintering wood fills the now quiet air. The two men enter the home and flick on a light to a scene so horrifying.

 

      A young girl, beaten and bloody laid on the floor unconscious. She couldn't have been older then 10. A man clearly drunk stood over her, his face red with anger. His beady eyes turn to Dom and Bryan and his face grows a deeper red.

 

      "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE!" He bellows his words sloshing with the liqour in his veins " GET THE F**K OUT OF MY HOUSE!" He screams, his beady eyes glazing over and he takes a stumbling step towards them. In a Flash Bryan is at his side taking him down, putting him in a safe hold,(His cop training kicking in) his hands behind his back. As the Man flails around trying to break free Dom goes over to the young girl who was starting to stir. He kneels down beside her as her bright green eyes open, one of them so swollen she could barely open it. She whimpers and tries to move fear clear on her face.

 

      "It's OK sweety I'm not going to hurt you, I'm going to pick you up and take you away from here OK?" He says in a calm voice like talking to a frightened animal. She nods her head and cries out in pain as he tries to gentle pick her up, Her small hand clutching his shirt and her face burying into his chest she lets out a sob as tears fall from her eyes. Dom walks out of the house without looking back, holding the girl to him as close as he could

 

      "WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY DAUGHTER PUT HER DOWN NOW!" The man screeches trying to get free from Bryan. Bryan puts his face in the mans and looks him dead in the eyes.

 

      "If you EVER come looking for her I Will report you. Do you UNDERSTAND?" He says malice in every word. The man stops his struggles and looks at him, his mouth gaping. Stuttering the man agrees. Bryan lets up and stands up letting the man get shakily to his feet. Giving the man one final look he turns to leave Slamming the door behind him.

 

      "Do you think he will come looking?" Dom asks as the two make their way back to their house.

 

      "Nawh he may be stupid but not that stupid." Bryan says as he opens the door. The girls rush down the stairs to their men.

 

      "What happened? Oh my god look at her, the poor thing, here let me take her." Mia (Dom's sister) says opening her arms for the girl. Dom tries to hand her to her but she just clings to his shirt and whimpers in fear. Dom holds her close again and makes his way upstairs to one of the spare rooms. He gently puts her down on the bed and sits down next to her.

 

      "Can you talk?" He asks her gently. She Just stares up at him with wide frightened eyes. "Can you tell me your name? or how old you are?" Still nothing. He pats her knee and quickly withdraws his hand when he sees her flinch violently. "It's OK sweety you're safe here, You don't have to talk until you're ready OK?" He says and gets up He crosses the room and starts to shut the door.

 

       "Why did you save me?" a small shaky voice says from the darkness of the room. He looks in and sees her eyes reflecting dulling in the light of the moon.

 

      "Because no one deserves to be hurt like that, NO ONE" He says strongly.

 

      "My Name is Katie, Katie Hendricks. Thank you." She says and lays down.

 

      "You are very welcome Katie, Welcome to our little family." He says with a smile she couldn't see and closes the door softly.

Author's Note

Sorry for any and all spelling and grammer mistakes.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

A very strong introduction. I will read what I can. I'm back to work tonight. I like the set-up of this story. You create bad situation and kind ending to the introduction. Thank you for sharing the story.

[ron]

WOW. This is a very strong write. It made me cry for Katie, and want to beat her father.
A strong story that some how tells me this is not just a story, but something that has happened to someone you know.

[Fenix Flight]

I was abused by an ex boyfriend, and I know someoone else who was abused But this scene never acutally happened to anyone I know

[ron]

I cant begin to understand your abuse.
But I do know that abuse does hurt deeper than most know.
I am glade this was not a story that happened to you, but I know it is a story that happens to a lot of people.