BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
(Part 1)
(A/N Sandy and Kirsten Cohen have three biological sons, Seth, age 15, Ryan, age 17 and their oldest, Heath, age 19.)
**WARNING** Child Abuse and other related violence
Kirsten was shopping in the mall with her two adopted daughters; whom she inherited when her best friend since grade school, Alisha, was murdered. Alisha's husband, the girl's biological father, came home one night drunk and in a jealous rage. He shot and killed Alisha then took his own life in front of their two daughters, Quinn and Raven. At the time, Quinn was11 and Raven was five. Six years have passed and the girls are still living in a nightmare; an emotional and physical nightmare.
"Please, oh please can I have it? I really, really, really need it," begged Raven.
Kirsten looked down at the undersized, petite, long brown haired, hazel eyed, adorable, 11 year old girl.
"I bought you a new backpack right before school started, which was three months ago; how could you possibly need a new one now?"
The truth was, Seth, Raven's adopted older brother purposely ripped one of the straps. He did it in a way that proved to be impossible to repair. He was upset that his father wouldn't let him go to a party and he took it out on Raven and her backpack; as it was the only thing she had in her procession at the time. She could not and would not ever tell on her two older adoptive brothers; even when they were abusive to her. Not only would her adoptive father, Sandy punish her for whatever reason it was, he would punish the boys as well; and in turn, they would simply hurt her again and much worse.
"Please mommy, my backpack broke when it got caught on a locker," she lied.
Kirsten sighed and thought for a moment, "alright fine; but this is the last one until next year no matter what happens."
Raven was ecstatic; it was rare to ever get a yes from either of her adoptive parents. Quinn was upset, very upset. She hated for Raven to call Kirsten mommy. She felt her sister should know better as she told her stories of their real mother nightly to keep her memory alive. Kirsten and the two girls were standing at the register.
"Isn't it the coolest backpack ever Quinn?" Raven asked excitedly.
"Mmm yeah, awesome," she answered in a humdrum tone.
Her attitude didn't go unnoticed.
"What's wrong Quinn? You mad cause you didn't get one?" Raven asked concerned.
"No, I'm not mad because of that; just leave me alone right now."
Raven's prior excitement quickly faded to sadness.
Kirsten and the girls arrived home. Raven went directly to her room. She felt heartbroken and abandoned by the only person she thought truly loved her. Sixteen year old Quinn went in the kitchen with Kirsten. Seth and Ryan were sitting at the kitchen island eating a snack.
"Hello boys," said Kirsten.
"Hey Mom," both boys answered.
"Hi Quinn," said Ryan.
Quinn purposely ignored him. He was always rubbing up against her and "accidently" catching her walking out of the shower.
"I said HI QUINN," Ryan repeated.
"Yeah! I FUCKIN HEARD YOU JACK ASS! Leave me alone!"
"Quinn Elizabeth Cohen! That is the last straw. I was hoping you would straighten up on your own; but it's clear now that you aren't." Kirsten lectured.
She grabbed a wooden spoon from a nearby drawer.
"Bend over the bar stool Quinn."
"No way, fuck you!"
Ryan stood up for his mother right away.
"You do NOT talk to our mother that way!" Ryan shouted as he pointed his index finger in her face.
"Get your damn finger away from my face and she isn't my mother!"
Ryan became furious at Quinn's lack of respect. He slapped her hard across the face. She immediately touched her face due to the immense sting, tears started.
"You will show some respect bitch!"
Ryan grabbed Quinn and pulled her towards the nearest bar stool, bent her over, flipped up her skirt and in a flash, pulled down her low cut white panties. Quinn was screaming, crying and struggling but Ryan was strong. He had a tight grip on her.
"Here Mom, give the little bitch what she deserves!"
At this time Raven ran in the kitchen to help her sister.
"Ryan! Leave her alone!" Raven yelled as she ran towards him with her fists closed.
Seth picked her up midway, "Ohh I so don't think so!"
Seth held on to Raven tight.
"Let me go! Let me go!"
Raven tried to kick and punch but Seth held her legs and arms close. She was defenseless. She had the spirit of a lion but the strength of a gazelle. Kirstin hated it for the girls to ever be rough handled but she also knew how stubborn they both could be. She lifted up the spoon and gave Quinn a hard 100 smacks with the spoon. By time she was through Quinn was sobbing as well as Raven. It was only when Kirsten pulled up Quinn's panties did Ryan let her loose. Quinn stood up right away. She wanted to run but knew better. She waited for instruction.
"Go up to your room and don't come down until I give you permission," instructed Kirsten somberly.
"Ye ye yes ma'am," Quinn managed to say before leaving up to her room.
Kirsten looked over at Seth and Raven, "Seth, put Raven down."
"But Mom, she should be spanked too," Seth whined.
"Why?" Kirsten asked now annoyed.
"For not minding her own damn business; that's why."
"Just put her down Seth or YOU will be the next one getting spanked."
Seth was furious and put Raven down harshly.
"OW!" Raven complained, "that hurt!"
"You think that hurt?" Seth raised his hand, "I can really show you what hurts!"
Raven flinched then quickly ran out of the kitchen and up to Quinn's room.
Kirsten sighed, "Seth, why must you be so rough with her? She is just a little girl."
"She's a rotten little brat! I'm surprised dad doesn't whip her ass every single day."
"Seth, that's enough!"
"But Mom!"
"I mean it!" Kirsten said with a rise of her eyebrow.
Seth quieted and went back to eating his snack. Kirsten felt immediately depressed and went up to her own room to cry. She despised having to ever spank any of the kids. She spanked hard out of love. She knew if her husband, Sandy, ever found out any of the kids got in trouble on her watch, especially the girls, they would be severely spanked unless she could prove she handled it. The only way she could prove it was by spanking the kids hard enough to leave marks that would last several hours if not a day. Compared to Sandy, his marks would always last a week if not a bit longer; but, as long as they had marks left from a spanking he would usually leave them alone and accept that Kirsten handled it.
Quinn was lying on her bed, sobbing into her pillow. Raven walked in crying for her sister's pain. She got on the bed next to Quinn and held her hand. Quinn looked up to make sure it was her little sister. Once she confirmed it was she went back to sobbing in the pillow; however, she held onto Raven's hand a bit tighter.
A good ten minutes pass before Quinn settles down enough to speak.
"Why did you call Kirsten mommy? You know she isn't our mom," Quinn asked Raven teary eyed.
"I don't know, I just think of her a mom, I'm sorry."
"Well if you care about how I feel you will NEVER call Kirsten Mom again."
"Bu but Quinn, that's not fair."
"Fine! If you want to have her as your fuckin mother then so be it but I'm not! Now get the hell out of my room! I just want to be left alone!"
Raven looked shocked and was deeply hurt.
"Quinn, please, please don't be mad at me."
"Get out!"
Raven's lip quivered as she stared at her older sister with her big hazel eyes for a good long moment. Then just like that she jumped off Quinn's bed and ran out of the room.
Three hours pass and Kirsten walked into Quinn's bedroom.
"Quinn, it's time for dinner; get your sister and hurry up. You know Sandy doesn't like to be kept waiting."
"Yes Ma'am," she answered solemnly.
Ten minutes pass and there is still no sign of Quinn and Raven. Sandy was furious.
"Where in the hell are those girls!?" He bellowed.
"I, I'm sorry sweetie. I'll go and check right now," said Kirsten meekly as she started to get up.
"No! I'll do it. You're obviously useless at it!" He snapped.
He threw down his napkin from his lap onto his plate and the chair fell backwards when he got up in a huff. He ran upstairs.
"QUINN! RAVEN! YOU HAVE EXACTLY 30 SECONDS TO SHOW YOUR SELVES RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF ME OR YOU ARE GOING TO DEEPLY, DEEPLY REGRET IT!"
Quinn ran out from one of the rooms and stood in front of Sandy and looked up at him with huge, tearful, panic stricken eyes.
"Sandy! I can't find Raven anywhere! I looked in every possible spot she has ever hidden before and I can't find her!"
"FUCK!" Sandy snapped.
Quinn flinched but Sandy didn't lay a hand on her, not yet anyway. Sandy turned about face and began yelling towards the rest of the family as he trotted downstairs and grabbed his keys.
"RYAN, SETH, KIRSTEN, LIVING ROOM, NOW!"
Quinn was already standing by Sandy as she followed him down. Kirsten and the boys were quickly standing in front of Sandy waiting for direction.
"Raven is missing. I'm going to drive around. Kirsten, call everyone you can possibly think of as to where she might be. Ryan, Seth and Quinn, search the entire neighborhood by foot. Look in every hiding spot. Alright, go! Go! Go!"
Two hours pass and still no sign of Raven.
"Quinn, did you look in the pool house?" Ryan asked angrily.
"Umm, no, I don't think she would ever go in there, that's your space."
"So you just fucking assumed? God damn it!" Ryan said in a huff.
The three of them go in his room and find Raven hiding in the closet. Seth jerked her up and out.
"What in the fucking hell is WRONG WITH YOU?! Seth asked as he shook her.
"I'm sorry!" Raven cried, "I'm sorry. I was just upset."
Quinn ran over to help Raven escape from his grip but no luck. Ryan grabbed her and held her back. Seth stopped shaking the little girl.
"You were upset!? Ohhh booo hooo hooo. Do you have any fucking idea what you just put all of us through!? Not only is dad going to totally beat your ass but Quinn's too. It's all your fault!"
"It's not Quinn's fault!" Raven pleaded.
"You made it her fault!" Ryan boasted.
The girls were sent upstairs and ordered to wait. An hour and a half later after Sandy finished his dinner he went upstairs to deal with Quinn and Raven. He had sent them up to Quinn's room without supper and they were to be waiting for him completely undressed. Punishing the girls' nude was his way of humiliating them further. He walked in the room and they were both standing in their corners.
"Both of you front and center!"
Neither Quinn nor Raven hesitated and were quickly standing directly in front of their adoptive father. He looked at them both, towering over them by several inches of height and brute.
"Raven, you are a selfish, ungrateful little screw up! Do you have ANY idea how worried you made your mother?"
"She's not our mother," Quinn stubbornly mumbled.
SMACK!
Sandy hit Quinn quick and hard across her face.
"YOU WILL NOT SAY A GOD DAMN WORD WHEN I AM SPEAKING! YOU WILL SHOW RESPECT AND SHE IS THE ONLY REAL MOTHER YOU EVER HAD SO FUCKING GET OVER YOURSELF!"
Quinn held her face and felt her nose beginning to bleed. Raven stood their crying. Sandy lifted his hand.
"STOP your damn crying Raven or I'll really give you something to cry about!"
"It's okay Raven," Quinn tried to sooth.
Once Raven settled down a bit Sandy began once again with his lecture.
"Raven, you cost us time and you cost the police time! Do you think they don't have anything better to do then to look for pathetic, useless, selfish little girls?"
Raven stayed quiet as she figured it was a rhetorical question.
"I ASKED YOU A QUESTION YOU LITTLE BITCH! ANSWER ME!"
Raven looked up with huge wide eyes, "No sir, sorry sir!"
"Go lean over the bed and don't move a damn muscle!"
"Ye yes sir."
Raven ran over to the bed and did as she was told.
"Quinn! It's YOUR fault Raven ran away in the first place."
"I'm so sorry, I…"
SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! Right on the back of her upper thigh.
"DID I ASK YOU A DAMN QUESTION!?"
"N n no sir."
"You know, FUCK THIS. Just get over the damn bed; I have had it with you."
Quinn obeyed and was across the bed next to her sister. Sandy took off his belt.
"Now you both know the rules. IF either of you try to help the other, I will simply PUNISH whomever it is THAT much harder and longer, do you BOTH understand?"
"Yes Sir!" They both answered in unison.
Sandy began with Quinn. He brought the belt down hard and fast for a good solid 10 minutes. Raven held Quinn's hand and cried with her out of empathy. Quinn was sobbing in agonizing pain. It took all of the love for her sister to not move; as she would be the one to receive worse punishment. Once Sandy felt satisfied he pulled Quinn up by her hair.
"Alright you little whore, go stand in that corner until I tell you to move."
He pushed Quinn towards the corner and she walked the rest of the way sobbing in true agony. Sandy now focused his attention onto Raven.
"Raven, if you try and cover your pathetic little ass with your hands I'm going to not only punish you longer but I will then use the cane on Quinn, understood?"
"Yes sir," Raven answered timidly.
Sandy brought up his belt and it came down hard onto Raven's vulnerable little bottom. She screamed, it was the first of many. The beating continued for some time. Sandy brought the leather belt down hard on her bottom, the back of her thighs, the middle of her thighs. He did not pause for a second. Raven was screaming bloody murder but no one outside the home could hear anything. Sandy had made the house sound proof years earlier. He had no intention of giving up his way of punishing his children.
"Sandy I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'll never ever, ever, ever runaway or hide from you again! I PROMISE! Please stop! Please stop!"
Quinn continued to sob but it wasn't for herself, it was for her baby sister. She told herself that this was going to be the last time Sandy ever did this to either of them.
After a total of 20 minutes Sandy finally stopped. Raven's backside looked like it had been run over by a truck. Her bottom and a good area of her back thighs were covered in black and blue bruises with bleeding marks throughout. The pain she was in was immeasurable. She just lay there, not daring to move without further instruction. Sandy put his belt back on and as he did he gave instruction to both girls.
"You will both remain in this room until morning. You will NOT leave under ANY circumstances. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!?"
"Yes Sir!" Both girls answered through their sobs.
"Quinn, you can leave the corner now. Both of you are damn lucky I'm in a good mood or this would have been a lot worse!"
That was the last thing Sandy said before leaving the room. Quinn ran over to Raven and threw a blanket over her and then one over herself. She went to her bedside drawer and pulled out some aloe and vitamin A ointment she purposely kept at all times. She held her little sister in her arms and rubbed the ointment all over her backside as gently as she could.
"Shhhhh baby girl, I know it hurts, I know. Shhhh," Quinn did her best to sooth Raven.
She rubbed the ointment on her own wounds then covered herself and little sister up. She then rocked Raven until she fell asleep. Quinn put her down on the bed and propped her head on one of her pillows. She took her cell phone and sent a text to a girl that just moved into town and was in Quinn's English class. The girl knew about Quinn's situation and told her to let her know if she ever wanted help.
"Santana, it's Quinn, I need your help."
TO BE CONTINUED…