The Survivor (Book #2)

Chapter 50

(This is a memory) 

We didn't have family come over like everyone else did, it was just us and occasionally uncle's friends. He would insist we dressed nicely although the meal we ate on the couch would be average.

 I wore a red crushed velvet dress that went below my knees and had a tight ribbon on the back. We were talking on the couch about me. I was so excited that he was asking questions about school and my friends. He was curious, he wanted to know more.

I explained in more detail, my words getting faster and faster and stringing together in my excitement when out of the blue, the hit came to my side. I ducked, grabbing at the immediate pain with my hand, and looked up at him in surprise. He laughed as if it were all a joke. To him, maybe it was.

 I stood up stiffly and prayed he wouldn't grab at me as I ran up to my room and cried.

I didn't want uncle anymore. I wanted a mom and a dad like everyone at school had, who would keep me safe at night and love me even when I messed up. Why didn't he love me? The thought hurt so much worse than the pain in my side. 

Did I do something wrong? I was just talking about me. I tried to force the thoughts from my mind and focus on my new goal. I had to get out of here and run away. I could go live at the park and swing on the swings all day and never see my uncle or any of his friends again.

I began pulling clothes out from my drawers and the thin blanket that kept me safe and placed them in a pile on the floor. I grabbed a box of Band-Aids that we kept in the bathroom and the pack of crayons that I had stolen from school along with pencils and paper. 

All I needed was someplace to put them.

I looked up at my closet and saw my red suitcase resting on the shelf at the very top. I wasn't even half as tall as the shelf and there was no way of getting to it. Despite the obvious, I had to try. I tried to climb up the side of the wall and slipped down to the floor. I tried to jump multiple times, my fingers not even scraping the wooden edge. I tried throwing up other items to knock it off, but I only got my other stuff stuck up there too. I heard a knock at my door, and I ignored it, continuing to jump and stretch with all my might. 

The door creaked open, and my uncle walked in and stood behind me. He raised one hand up to the suitcase easily and wrapped the handle in his grip. I held a breath as I waited for him to pull it down. After only seconds, his hand clenched and he pushed it backward out of reach and closed the closet door in front of us.  

My breathing grew faster and faster as he dropped his hands down and picked me up, placing me against his chest. He walked us back to my bed and lied down with me on top of him, shushing me as he stroked my hair.

"Shh, it's alright, it's alright Maya. You're not going anywhere." He whispered in my ear, as my body continued to tremble.