away and swiveled in my chair as she walked over to sit down on my bed. I wasn't one of those girls who thought parents were awful, stupid and totally uncool. Yeah, we had our moments, but for the most part we got along. Mom and dad were “safe” when the rest of the world went haywire under the influence of early teenage hormones and the new self-consciousness that comes with acne and periods.
Mom looked nervous, which was unusual for her. She smoothed a wrinkle in her jeans and tucked a hair behind her ear.
“Mom? Is something wrong?”
She looked up at me and smiled. “Oh, no. It's just, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
I wasn't sure how I knew this, but I immediately knew from her tone what “something” was.
“Mom, they already teach us about that in school.”
Mom looked surprised. “How do you know...”
“You look like you did when you talked to me about periods and tampons. Like you might throw up in a minute.”
She had to laugh a little at that. “I know they teach you about sex at school, so I don't have to give you the whole talk. I just wanted to know if you had any questions that the school might not be able to answer, or that you might be too embarrassed to ask of the people there.”
I was surprised that I wasn't feeling as awkward over this as I'd always thought I would. I shrugged. “I don't know.”
“You know that we teach you a different philosophy regarding sex than school does. Any questions about that?”
There it was...the one thing we didn't get along about. My parents were devout Christians, and all that went along with that set of beliefs like no sex until marriage, no cursing, etc...
I sighed. “Not right now, mom. I will definitely let you know if I do though.”
Mom stopped her fidgeting and looked me straight in the eye. “Just remember, no boy and no relationship is worth letting yourself be pressured into something you will regret. Don't give into sex just because you are afraid to lose something.”
Now it was my turn to fidget. “Mom! You know I don't have a boyfriend, and I'm way too young for that stuff anyway!”
Mom laughed and stood up. She kissed me on the forehead then turned to leave. “I know. I wish you would stay too young forever, but I know you won't. Just remember, I'm here if you need to ask anything. Okay?”
“Okay.” Feeling grateful that she hadn't pushed me to talk, I turned back to my homework, for once happy for the drudgery of busywork that let me avoid awkward conversations.
Chapter 5: Violated
I woke with a start to the door at the end of the hall slamming shut. I scrambled upright in my bed, blinking in the sudden light coming through my door. I pulled the blankets tightly around my shoulders, my heart pounding, as heavy boots approached my door in a steady rhythm.
“Tonight,” he'd said. What was tonight? A quick look at my tiny window in the wall revealed darkness outside.
All too soon, that scarred face appeared at my door. Keys clinked, door lock clicked. Door scraped open.
The man filled my doorway, and I shrunk back. As he stepped forward and pulled the chain to turn my light on, I saw that he had a tray of food in his hands. Maybe he's just here to give me food, I thought as I relaxed just little.
But as the man stepped forward and set the tray down, my fears returned full force. He straightened and stared at me with a strange expression on his face. It was an expression I had never noticed or seen before now...but one I would learn to know all too well in the time to come.
“Take it off.”
I clutched the blankets even tighter. “What?”
With a snarl, the man lunged forward and grabbed me by the arm. I shrieked as he pulled me out of the bed, letting the safety of my blankets fall to the
Mom looked nervous, which was unusual for her. She smoothed a wrinkle in her jeans and tucked a hair behind her ear.
“Mom? Is something wrong?”
She looked up at me and smiled. “Oh, no. It's just, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
I wasn't sure how I knew this, but I immediately knew from her tone what “something” was.
“Mom, they already teach us about that in school.”
Mom looked surprised. “How do you know...”
“You look like you did when you talked to me about periods and tampons. Like you might throw up in a minute.”
She had to laugh a little at that. “I know they teach you about sex at school, so I don't have to give you the whole talk. I just wanted to know if you had any questions that the school might not be able to answer, or that you might be too embarrassed to ask of the people there.”
I was surprised that I wasn't feeling as awkward over this as I'd always thought I would. I shrugged. “I don't know.”
“You know that we teach you a different philosophy regarding sex than school does. Any questions about that?”
There it was...the one thing we didn't get along about. My parents were devout Christians, and all that went along with that set of beliefs like no sex until marriage, no cursing, etc...
I sighed. “Not right now, mom. I will definitely let you know if I do though.”
Mom stopped her fidgeting and looked me straight in the eye. “Just remember, no boy and no relationship is worth letting yourself be pressured into something you will regret. Don't give into sex just because you are afraid to lose something.”
Now it was my turn to fidget. “Mom! You know I don't have a boyfriend, and I'm way too young for that stuff anyway!”
Mom laughed and stood up. She kissed me on the forehead then turned to leave. “I know. I wish you would stay too young forever, but I know you won't. Just remember, I'm here if you need to ask anything. Okay?”
“Okay.” Feeling grateful that she hadn't pushed me to talk, I turned back to my homework, for once happy for the drudgery of busywork that let me avoid awkward conversations.
Chapter 5: Violated
I woke with a start to the door at the end of the hall slamming shut. I scrambled upright in my bed, blinking in the sudden light coming through my door. I pulled the blankets tightly around my shoulders, my heart pounding, as heavy boots approached my door in a steady rhythm.
“Tonight,” he'd said. What was tonight? A quick look at my tiny window in the wall revealed darkness outside.
All too soon, that scarred face appeared at my door. Keys clinked, door lock clicked. Door scraped open.
The man filled my doorway, and I shrunk back. As he stepped forward and pulled the chain to turn my light on, I saw that he had a tray of food in his hands. Maybe he's just here to give me food, I thought as I relaxed just little.
But as the man stepped forward and set the tray down, my fears returned full force. He straightened and stared at me with a strange expression on his face. It was an expression I had never noticed or seen before now...but one I would learn to know all too well in the time to come.
“Take it off.”
I clutched the blankets even tighter. “What?”
With a snarl, the man lunged forward and grabbed me by the arm. I shrieked as he pulled me out of the bed, letting the safety of my blankets fall to the
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