Broken

Chapter Nine: No Hope

"Oh my god!" Louis' voice shouted right above me. I was sprawled out on soft grass with my knees bent awkwardly and spread apart. Once again, the second time in two days, I saw his face hovering intently above mine. His face was even more frightened than it was before as if he already knew something bad had happened to me. I guess it wasn't hard to tell. I doubted many women took naps in the middle of nowhere in this particular position. That was asking for something, which I unfortunately already got. "Katrina, are you okay?" I could tell this was him in his big-brother-turned-father-figure-tone and I'd known him for less than two days.

    "Where am I?" I moved to sit up but quickly slammed myself down at the sudden rush of pain in my head.

    "You're at the park. I thought you were out getting a job? Or finding your boyfriend? I thought you were planning to come back for dinner?"

    "I was."

    "Why are you here?"

    I looked around as best as I could. It was the place where I first saw the man, around the sidelines of the playground close to the woods. I was near his bench.

    "This man... I don't want to say it in front of Althea." I looked over at the chubby little girl. She was the poster child of innocence. I didn't want to take it away from her too soon. I couldn't.

"Althea needs to know in case this happens to her." he said sternly.

I took a deep breath. "Ok. This man, he followed me into the woods, knocked me out and...and..." I tried to move my legs but it confirmed what I feared. An ache centered at the bottom of my stomach. "Louis I really don't think I can say it," I whispered.

The words felt weird coming out of my mouth. I could barely think the four letter word. Here I was, Katrina Michaels, the famous scientist, indirectly admitting to a rape case in 1955. It was almost unheard of until the sound waves traveled to my ear.

"You were raped?" Louis asked calmly. His eyes were wide and paid attention to my every move. He looked as fragile and broken as I felt.

I nodded.

"What's rape?"

"Something very bad, Althea."

"Has this ever happened to you before?" Louis asked.

"Where I come from it's uncommon. There are laws and programs to make sure that these... incidents are limited and that the bad people are thrown in prison. I always thought I'd be protected. I always thought I'd have Jordan to protect me and..."

"You are clearly a foreigner."

I tried to smile but I think it came across as a wince.

"Can you stand?"

"I haven't tried." He offered me a hand.

"Don't touch me." I snapped. He pulled his hand back. I awkwardly stood. Physically I felt fine. Nothing ached too much and nothing felt broken. I had my balance. I turned around and walked a few steps to make sure. My body was good.

But I still felt dirty. I just let this guy do something no one should've been able to do to me in a million years. I was supposed to fight back. I was supposed to be able to say no. I was supposed to protect myself. This kind of thing didn't just happen to women like me anymore. These people were locked up and put away for years and even when they were put back into society they were under heavy restrictions and their lives would be ruined. I didn't have a name. I barely remembered his face. I couldn't do anything to stop him from getting someone like Althea. And to top it all off I was black? In 1955? I scowled. I felt like he gouged out my heart and squeezed out every ounce of dignity I had put it back completely destroyed. I was unfixable and I would never get back what I lost. I didn't even know what it was but I was different. I was an empty container. I was numb.

I was broken.

Louis waved his hand in front of me eagerly. I blinked and looked at him. "What?"

"Do you mind if I check you? For bruises, I mean. Just in case, it's hard to see them on our skin."

I shook my head. I didn't want anyone near me right now.

"Will you be okay?" Althea tugged on my arm. I immediately pulled away. Even Althea couldn't help me with her cheery, angelic face.

I licked my cracked lips and tried to put on my best impression of her. "I will."

    "Is it often that you are assaulted by white men?" Louis asked.

    "No."

    "If only the girls here could be so lucky." He tried perking up. "My shift is over, and I just got paid. How about I treat everyone to dinner?"

    "Where?"

    Louis grinned. "This really good place by the apartment. Unless you want to go home and rest? I'll make sure that Beverly won't bother you or anything. Whatever you want to do is fine with me."

"Why don't we go to the police?"

He snorted. "The police won't do anything for a black rape case. They barely handle black murders well, let only a live victim. Just, be more careful is all I can tell you. I wish I could do more." he smiled sadly.

    We crossed the street and began walking south far, far away from the park. The sun was lower in the sky than it was when I had left. It was probably five or six in the long summer day. I was out for six hours. The heat was scalding, my brows were glistening with sweat. The dress wasn't the most comfortable in the world now. I was writhing in it. I wanted to change clothes as soon as possible and burn it. I walked stiffly with my hands pressed against my hips as we headed south.

"We're coming up on it now. Trust me, Katrina, it's the best soul food you'll ever eat in Mississippi. My mom..."

Louis kept talking but I zoned out of the rambling. I realized I was the only adult he could talk to, maybe even confide in, but I was distracted. Coming towards us was a group of white adults. Johnny, Karen, the others from Danny's Donuts and some more people were walking down the street. What I wasn't expecting was for Jordan to be with them, walking up front right alongside Johnny. He looked like nothing even happened between us when he saw me. He just smirked and walked a little bit faster than everyone else like he knew I would be there waiting for him.

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HEY EVERYONE!!! I'm thinking of starting another book based off of the ending of Broken. At this point would y'all be down for that?
THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER THOUGH!
Thanks!
-Kal xoxo