Hunted

Protective

Jessie was crying again. I could hear her sobbing and sniffing quietly in the room right off of the living room. I laid in my couch and tried to fall back asleep, but it wasn't happening. It was just the two of us at the house still. Kent and Lucy must have been held up at the town. We got our power back at around ten last night and Jessie and I had both turned in at that time. I had been exhausted, but at three in the morning, Jessie's crying had cut into my blissful sleep. After ten minutes I finally sighed and got up, making my way to Jessie's room. I knocked gently and the crying ceased for a moment. "
"What do you want?" Jessie asked me through the door.
I scratched my neck awkwardly. "Uh, are you, uh okay?" I asked uncertainly.
"I'm fine."
I took a deep breath. "So can I, uh, can I come in?" I held my breath waiting for the pillow to be thrown at the door.
Instead there was silence for a full minute on the other side. When Jessie didn't answer me I knocked gently to remind her I was there.
"Are you really still there?" Jessie snapped at me through the door.
"Still here, Shorty."
Jessie cursed and I heard her walk across the floor. The door opened and Jessie stood there glaring at me in her oversized sweats. "What the hell do you want?" She asked me roughly. Her fade was damp and her eyes were red and puffy from crying.
I shifted nervously. "Are you okay?" I asked again, quite lamely.
Jessie's glare only intensified. "I already told you I was fine." She snapped.
I raised an eyebrow. "No you're not."
If a glare could become colder, it just did on Jessie's face. "Get outta here." She growled at me, grabbed the door, ready to close it in my face.
I pressed against the door, making it impossible for it to close. "Please just let me in." I pleaded with her.
Jessie growled. "Whatever." She turned angrily on her heel and walked over to her bed, sitting on it angrily and giving me a death glare.
I hesitantly entered the room and closed the door behind me, sliding down the door and sitting on the floor. Jessie stared cooly at me for a good ten minutes. I didn't look at her. I stared at my hands or the floor, or anything but her. I didn't even know why I was sitting in here. She obviously didn't want me here. I wrung my hands and shivered. Her room was cold. No wonder she had about eight quilts on her bed.
"I had a brother you know."
I looked up at her. "What?"
"A brother." Jessie wrapped a quilt around her and got off her bed. She handed me a quilt before she slid down on the ground beside me. "I had a little brother. His name was Tristan."
I wrapped the new quilt around my shoulders, grateful for the warmth. I sat there uncertainly. "So you had one?" I asked her carefully. "A brother."
"He was killed." Jessie said simply, staring straight ahead. "By my dad."
I sucked in my breath. "Your dad?" I asked incredulously.

"That's what I said." Jessie said, void of emotion. "My dad came home one day last year, drunk to the moon and back. He gets violent when he's drunk. So when my six year old brother got in his way, he beat him to death." Jessie was shivering, but I knew it wasn't from the cold. "My brother was the last gift my mother gave to me." She whispered, a tear fell from one of her eyes. "After my mom died from childbirth, my dad became a drunk and I practically raised myself and Tristan on my own. I taught him to walk, talk and read. I cooked for him. I got a kjob so I could provide for him. My dad demanded a share of my income for his drinks. If I refused, he would beat Tristan." Jessie laughed bitterly. "I would give in pretty fast after that."
I realized with a start Jessie was clinging tightly to my hand for support. "One night last year," she whispered, "my dad came home drunk like usual. I was in my room with Tristan when he barged in and grabbed me. I had taken self defense all my life, but I wasn't able to keep him off of me." Jessie shivered and her lip trembled.
Instinctively, my arm went around her and pulled her closer to me protectively. Jessie welcomed the warmth and support. "He tried to force himself on me." Jessie told me and closed her eyes painfully. "He had tried before but normally if I screamed and fought him off he would stop. He wouldn't this time. I screamed at Tristan to call the police but he wouldn't. He tried to help me instead." Jessie was shaking violently again. "He tried getting my dad off of me, which only made him turn on him. He started beating Tristan, and no matter what I did, he wouldn't stop. By the time I managed to get him off of Tristan, my brother was unconscious. I hit my dad over the head and knocked him out." Jessie buried her head in my shoulder. "When the police got there they arrested my dad under charges of domestic abuse and rape. He was sent to prison a couple months later. The paramedics rushed Tristan to the hospital. They tried to save him but the head trauma was too much. He died a couple days later."
I stared down at her in disbelief. This little girl, who looks harmless and naive at first glance, had been through more than most people went through their whole life. She had raised her brother, gone through traumatic life experiences, and then I uprooted her when life was finally going right for her.
"It's kinda ironic." Jessie laughed bitterly. "My dad, the man who is supposed to be my supporter, protector and my hero, turned on me. It's because of him I'm solely independent. I don't trust easily anymore."
"But you trusted me." I interrupted her gently.
Jessie shrugged. "You didn't seem like the bad type. When you walked out of your house you looked like the victim. I knew you weren't the problem. It was the other people."
It seemed to make sense to me. I pulled her over to me protectively and she rested her head on her shoulder, exusted. "I have nightmares every night." She whispered. "Reliving from the moment my dad came home to when the police come. I can't wake up until it's over, and when I do, I'm so upset I can't stop the tears."
I suddenly felt very protective over the girl in my arms. "I'll protect you." I muttered to her. "I won't let anything happen to you anymore."
Jessie move her head and up at me. I thought she would at least be happy about that. She wasn't. "Haven't you been listening to anything I've been saying?" She snapped. "I don't want protecting. I don't want people to take care of me. They only end up getting hurt."
"Then what am I supposed to do?" I snapped back at her. "Watch you get hurt? Hell no. My first instinct is also to protect, so like it or not Shorty, you're under my protection for the time."
Jessie grumbled but I knew it was just her stubborn streak. "Whatever." She mumbled. She rested her head on my shoulder again. We were silent for a few minutes and I thought she fell asleep. Suddenly she broke the silence. "Thanks for listening Hunter."
"Anytime Shortcake."
We stayed on the ground for the rest of night, mostly because she fell asleep before I could suggest moving. I didn't want to wake her up and I didn't want to leave her because if she woke up I wanted to be there for her. So I stayed on the wood floor until morning, eventually falling asleep. For her.