The Hidden Truth

Ch. 56- Finally free

EDEN'S POV

Shawn's dead. I keep thinking about it. If I could, I would take his place. I would be dead right now and he would be with Sage and Val.

Val. She must be heartbroken. I can't even be there for my friends. Instead, I'm locked up here. Right back where I started. But it's worse.

It was two days ago when my dads friend was here. Two days ago when he raped me. It was deja vu. I went back to that night. That night when they cut me, when I almost died.

I can't believe that night, just two days ago, was real.

I got knocked out, and when I woke up, I was sore, and naked. It was freezing in the room and I was on the uncomfortable bed, my torso covered by a thin sheet.

My dad hasn't been back since then. I haven't heard anything or seen anyone. I've just been alone. And it's terrifying because all I'm doing is thinking and thinking. I get lost in my thoughts and I cry all day. Lately, it's been crying but with no tears. I'm completely and utterly alone.

I'm lost. I don't know where to go or what to do. I don't know if I'll ever see my friends again. I don't know if I ever want to see my friends again.

I'm shaking. I'm constantly shaking. I'm constantly reliving the other night. I was awake for part of it. I tried to fight, I tried to get him off of me. It didn't work. I still have marks on my body and I hate seeing them.

There's a bruise on each of my wrists, a dark and huge bruise across my neck, and various bruises along my body. Some of which, weren't out of anger. They're hickeys. And I hate everything about myself now.

I have no confidence. I have no love for myself or anyone else. I just want to die. I want my mom, and I want to get out of here. And if that isn't an option, I want to die.

I can't live with myself knowing what happened. I can't. It's not possible. I don't want to go back to Sage and deal with more gang shit. I don't want to have to continue to risk my life. I don't want to live like this anymore. I cannot live like this anymore.

My thoughts run wild. I have no control anymore. The floor is hard, but it's better than being in that bed. That bed where everything out of my worst nightmares happened.

I sit on the floor and I count the cracks in the concrete. I zone out completely until I fall asleep. I haven't eaten in forever and I can feel the energy being pulled out of me.

I never look at my wrists. I hide them. I cover them up with the sheet or my clothes. Even when I do fall asleep, I wake up soon after because every time I close my eyes I see him. I see him over me and my dad standing in the corner of the room.

And then I cry more.

I jolt up and stand, my knees shaky. I hear someone outside the door. It's being unlocked. Terror cuts through me like my dads knife. I try to steady myself, I try to stop shaking. I fail. I always fail.

The door swings open and my dad saunters in with his friend. Their eyes bore into mine and I nearly collapse. Mitchel looks at me like I'm a piece of meat and I almost punch him.

"Round 2?" Mitchel snickers at me. I feel bile rise and climb up my throat.

"You're sick." I spit at him, my voice is hoarse. He walks closer to me and I don't have enough energy to move. I don't have enough will to move. What am I going to do? I'm not strong enough right now to take on my dad and Mitchel. So I stand still.