She Was His First

10

The floorboards creaked slightly as Amy tip-toed across them. Charlie stared as a bit of dust trickled down from the basement ceiling when Amy stepped on a loose board above. Jack's menacing face shifted to worry. Something about Amy's presence has caused him to panic. But Charlie was too scared to realize what that could possibly mean.

"We're going to hide, because I don't want to deal with her right now," he whispered. "You better stay quiet, or I'll kill you both."

He jerked Charlie up and dragged her to the darkest part of the basement behind a water heater. Charlie tried to focus on the sounds of Amy above and not the way that Jack smelled. Like sour milk and dirt. No matter how he shifted, he could not stay in the dark with her. He had to move away.

"Stay here, stay hid, or I swear to God you'll be sorry," he whispered, holding the knife against her side so that the sharp tip stuck into her.

Blood seeped from the knife wound. It soaked her shorts, then ran down her leg. She was just glad when he wasn't touching her anymore. As soon as Jack settled himself in a dark place across the room, the basement door opened.

"Charlie? Are you down here?" Amy asked.

Charlie felt the fear filling her up, curling into every crevice of her insides, wrapping around her organs. Not only was she afraid that Amy would find her, she was also afraid that Amy wouldn't see her. She shifted uneasily, looking at Amy's sneaker clad feet as they descended the stairs. Charlie checked the dark area where Jack had gone. Was he watching her? Did he see her move? His face came out of the blackness and he flashed the knife, hatefully mouthing a threat that Charlie couldn't understand. She could guess though.

I'm watching you, and I'll use this.

"Charlie?" Amy asked.

She looked below and saw the shirt. Charlie's shirt. She looked around, but didn't see Charlie. Something was very wrong. She knew it as soon as she glimpsed Charlie with Jack earlier. Amy knew Charlie was here somewhere. She had to be. And she's with Jack. Amy had to get her out of there. Sarah was upstairs, waiting to scream for help at the slightest cue. Amy found some comfort in that as she braved on down into the chilly basement. She needed to find Charlie and get her out of there.

"I saw you come in this house," she lied. "Why are you hiding?" She was working hard to keep her voice steady even though she was a bit afraid. "I told my mom that I was going to come get you."

She said the last part hoping that Jack would get the idea that a parent knew where to find her. Just in case he tried something. She didn't trust him. Amy bent down and picked up Charlie's little shirt with a cartoon mermaid on it. She saw the smeared red spot and her heartbeat picked up. She turned her head just in time to see Jack, his arm raised high above her with the knife blade down.

Charlie was finally able to move. She didn't care what he did to her, she wasn't going to let him hurt Amy, too. Charlie rammed him hard in the side, the way she did when she played football with the neighborhood boys back home.