The Façade

Chapter 1- Leaving

I laid on my twin mattress anxious. The bed felt like cardboard and my sheets had more holes than Swiss cheese. It was the dead of winter, January 25th, and the slum landlords couldn't even grant us with one hour of heat. Each minute that passed I grew more irritable. 11:34 PM. Where was Chester? Chester was my boyfriend of three months. Around 10 PM every night I would hear his raspy voice calling my name from outside and we would hang out all night. Even in snow storms and heavy rain showers I would go out, not equipped for the weather. I owned only a light jean jacket and I had umbrellas only as often as I could steal them. I mainly ventured out to stay away from my step dad Rob. Most nights when he came home from work he would creep into my tiny room and release his perverted ways onto me. I dealt with molestation just two weeks after my mom let him move in when I was twelve. He took my virginity when I was fourteen. I was now sixteen and his perversion didn't subside, so I stayed out. But tonight Chester was late. And Rob was due home any minute. Two light knocks on my bedroom door confirmed my fear, he was home,

"Come in," I sighed and mentally prepared myself for the torturous ordeal

As soon as he stepped foot in, the room was filled with the smell of thick musk. Rob was an unattractive man in his late fifties. He was overweight but not obese and his cubby face was usually stained with dirt from his honest work as a mechanic. His thin black hair fell to his shoulders and his body was marked up with satanic tattoos. I'm sure he was a biker back in his younger days. He and my mom married when I was twelve. But she died two years later of a drug overdose. The state granted him custody of me and he couldn't have been more thrilled.

"Mmm my baby is finally home," He breathed heavily as he sat on my bed. I kept my eyes glued to the floor as a stripped naked and laid flat on my back. His sweaty dirty body hovering over me always made me nauseous, but over the year's I've learned how to numb myself. I studied the cracks on the ceiling as a felt him ejaculate inside of me. He had a vasectomy years before he met my mother, if not I would've been pregnant years ago. The entire episode lasted seven minutes; he never takes longer than ten. I laid still feeling dirty and violated as usual,

"Still gotta get that Viagra baby so I can last longer for you," He said as he put back on his clothes

I say nothing. Just then I heard Chester yelling my name,

"Annie!"

Just a little too late Chester. A little too late.

"Oh I guess your boyfriend's here. Well be safe" Then he left

As if he cared about my well being. I poked my head out the window. Snowflakes fell on my jet black hair and pale smooth skin in thick clumps, the air was icy,

"Ten minutes," I yelled back to him

After a hasty shower I dressed in an oversized black paramore shirt and ripped up black jeans. I slipped on my vans sneakers and my worn out jean jacket and headed for the door.

A big gust of icy wind hit me like a million pin needles as soon as I stepped onto the snowy ground. The snow had just begun to stick so it wasn't very deep, but it made the ground slippery. Chester grabbed me by my waist and lifted me up in a super tight hug. I hugged him back lightly; not feeling nearly has enthusiastic as he. After a few minutes of walking in silence, he sensed that something was wrong,

"Annie you ok?"

"A little too late Chester,"

He stared at me dumbfounded for a moment until he finally understood,

"I'm so sorry," His face truly looked pained

"Why were you late?"

"Can't you tell?"