Flawed Creatures

Volcano Inside -38-

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

"Ellie, couldn't we get into this later?"

Remaining standing between Cara's thighs she nodded. "But why put off for later what you could accomplish now?"

"That is a question a professional procrastinator would not like posed to them."

Ellie meant to smile yet it came out more as a grimace. "Talk to me."

Cara's mouth opened and shut several times before she shook her head. "I can't."

"Why?"

"Afraid of what I might say. There's this," a bandaged palm touched her chest, "volcano inside. At least feels like it. It's dormant but barely."

"Let it go on and erupt. Maybe that's what needs to happen. Cara, please talk to me."

"How long?"

"Could you be more specific?"

No longer able to maintain eye contact, Cara looked toward the legs positioned between her own. "How long did it go on? When did it start? When did that son of a bitch start," she thickly swallowed, "touching you?"

"After our parents deaths. About five or six weeks."

"Jesus H. Christ." Her eyes spent a few moments tightly shut as that response sank in. That dirty bastard not only took advantage of her, but their parents had barely settled in the ground when he started. "Ellie, why didn't you say anything? Why did it take you three years to fight back?" Shaking her head, she looked up at Ellie. "No, that's not entirely true. If I hadn't been there, if I hadn't seen what I saw you would still be under his thumb. So why?"

Ellie dropped her hands to her sides. "I could ask you the same thing. You minimized what Dennis did to you and since my brother had you investigated I learned from him that your dad thought putting you in a shed was an appropriate punishment. We both concealed the abuse."

"No." Cara stubbornly moved her head from side to side. "No, there is a huge difference."

"Abuse is abuse, Cara."

"No!" She jumped up from the bed so quickly Ellie flinched. Instead of moving toward her, Cara reduced the distance between them, choosing to stand several feet away next to the television atop a long dresser. "My old man was a verified son of a bitch who sometimes used me as an emotional and physical punching bag, but he would never...your brother--that sorry excuse for a human being? He violated you again and again!" She clapped her hands together with enough force to cause her palms to sting. That volcano may not have been so dormant after all. An enraged heat coursing through her, Cara knew it wouldn't take much more for her to explode. "You're fourteen years old and this grown man who's supposed to protect you does the complete opposite. How fucking sick is that?"

Having begun to feel angry though uncertain whom it was directed toward, Ellie walked toward Cara and stood directly in front of her. "I know how sick it is. Don't need you to remind me," she replied sounding calmer than she felt.

"Maybe I do. Someone does because I don't think you fucking get it, Ellie. You're so damn calm. At least you've appeared it these last few hours and you shouldn't be. I'm quietly seething--at least I was until now--and you're talking about baths and shit. Yeah, I'm upset." Left hand raised Cara pretended she held something. "I have this imaginary list with names on it and yours is high on that list because I'm upset with you too.

"I'm upset because you resided alone for three years in that house with that nasty brother of yours. You--no!" She held up the same hand except that time it was open with the palm facing Ellie. "You wanted me to talk so shut up and let me do it." Cara paused until Ellie's lips pressed together though she appeared ready to interrupt again at any second.