THE GIRL AFTER

C H A P T E R 1

"Here from her ashes you lay.  A broken girl so lost in despondency that you know that even if she does find her way out of this labyrinth of hell, that she will never see, feel, taste, or touch life the same again."
- Amanda Steele, The Cliff

Light seeped through my closed eyelids, the sun's way of making its presence known in my dark bedroom.  Nothing felt out of the ordinary in those few moments where I got my bearings and fully woke up.  It just seemed like a normal Saturday morning.

There was still the banging of pots and pans downstairs as mom made breakfast.  The sizzling of bacon on the stove, the coffee pot buzzing, the microwave going off.  There was still a slight buzz from dad's basketball game playing downstairs in the living room - Duke was winning by three points.  There was still the snoring escaping Bentley's room across the hall as he and Cameron slept on.

It didn't take long for the memories to come rushing back.  The feeling of his rough lips on mine, his calloused hands holding my arms down, his harsh words escaping his lips as his member entered me.  The feeling of fear covering my body from head to toe.

Fear still devoured my body, capturing me in its claws so tightly there was no way I could escape.  I could see the bruises littering my arms, legs, and stomach from where I was sitting, silently against the headboard.

"Athy!  Come downstairs!  Breakfast is ready!"  My mom's loud voice echoed throughout the house, carrying from downstairs to my room.  Tears pricked at my eyes at the thought of having to go downstairs and act normal when I knew nothing was going to be the same.

"Don't move."

"Don't move."

"They'll never believe you."

"Shut up."

"You'll enjoy it."

The harsh words echoed in my mind, replaying like a broken record. The look in his eyes as he stuffed my mouth with a shirt, gagging me in the process. How there was no remorse as he slammed himself into me or as he pressed his knees against my legs to stop me from moving. The man I once knew, gone, leaving behind someone entirely different.

"Athena! I already called twice! Come downstairs for breakfast!" My mom was now at the door, raping against it, not knowing the thoughts swirling around in my head. I knew I would have to tell them, just didn't have the words to say it.

"Mom." Even my voice sounded like someone else, someone different living the nightmare. Because that's all it was; a bad dream. It didn't happen. There was no possible chance that the person I grew up thinking of as another brother would do that. It wasn't possible.

And yet, the more memories that came rushing back told me differently. The bruises covering my entire body, the burning pain between my thighs, and the blood smeared on the sheets told me the truth.

"Ahena, hurry up!" There was a moment of silence as I realized she had left me alone and gonve back downstairs, downstairs where he was. Where he was acting as if nothing happened.

I just sat there. I felt like I couldn't move. I didn't want to move. I didn't want to see his smug face as he sat in my house, at my table, with my family. He was the intuder. I didn't even want to think about how oblivious everyone was. They had no idea what went down just a few hours prior, but it owuldn't stay like that for long. I knew I had to tell them. I couldn't let it happen to someone else.

But as I stood up, it came crashing back to me. "They'll never believe you. You'll just be a crazy freshman who wanted attention. I'll kill you if you even try." The threat hung over my head as I tried to scrub my legs clear of the blood in the shower.

I tried to scrub his hands off, the feeling of them touching me, holding me down, but nothing helped. The blood may have washed down the drain, but the memory wasn't going to go away as easily, and neither were the bruises. Even after I had scrubbed my body red, they still stood out, black and blue, showing everyone the damage he had done, physically and emotionally, because while there were bruises on my skin there were also bruises on my heart.

"Athena Quinn Martin, if you are not downstairs in the next five minutes you won't be eating." My mom was back at the door, knocking so loud I wouldn't be surprised if the neighbors heard it.

"Mommy." The words slipped through my lips before I had the chance to stop them. "I'll kill you if you even try," rang through my head once more, reminding me that he would be strong enough to do so.

"Athy, darling what's wrong?" My mother slowly opened the door to see me standing in the middle of my room, with only a towel wrapped around me to keep me covered. Tears were still flowing down my face, and I knew some of my bruises were visible.

"Mommy, I-"

"What have I told you about playing that stupid sport of yours! Look at you! All bruised up. I should have made you quit when you first brought up the idea. Doesn't matter, be downstairs in five." She cut me off before I had the opportunity to tell her what happened, to stop him before he had the chance to do it again.

I felt like I couldn't move, like I was nailed to the floor, not even being able to move to get dressed. So many emotions ra through me at the moment, I didn't know which was the strongest.

I felt sad. Sad that my own mom didn't let me tell her, that no one would believe me if I did try to tell them. Sad that I would have to live with that moment for the rest of my life.

I felt anxious. I didn't know if he would do it again, to me or someone else. My door didn't have a lock, giving him the perfect opportunity to try again.

I felt angry. At him and myself. Angry that he actedl like my brother for my entire life, that he came into my house and laughed with me and my family, and then turned around and stabbed me in the back like that. Angry at myself for not being more careful. For not thinking for a second that something could happen. I could've done something the moment I felt him pull back the blankets. I could've screamed before he gagged my mouth with one of my shirts.

The moment I stepped into the dinning room, I could feel the temperature drop, my heart start racing, and my ears ringing. There was nothing else in the room at the moment besides me and him. He sat there, laughing with my brother, his best friend, acting like he didn't do what he did.

"Finally! Mom wouldn't let any of us eat until you came down." Bentley was the first to notice me, dragging my eyes away from him.

    "Yeah, Athens, didn't know you needed that long to get ready." He spoke causing terror to spread through my veins, sweat starting to form on my hands and forehead.

    Looking there at my family sitting down, I realized that none of it was ever going to be the same again and I had him to thank for it; Cameron.