I woke up alone and naked. I'd
been raped and I could feel the soreness already. I quickly sat up
and took note of my surroundings. I was in an alleyway near my
school. I wasn't sure who had done this to me; I only knew that I
didn't want to live in this town anymore. Phoenix wasn't safe for
me anymore. I found my clothes about ten meters from where I was.
They were torn and covered in my blood. I looked down at my stomach
and sure enough, I remembered where the rapist had cut a long thin
line over my skin and tried to mop up the blood with my uniform. I
put them on anyway and hurried home in tears. I had barely any energy
left in me; after all, I had tried to put up as much a fight as I
could. Kicking and scratching and screaming; all the things you were
told to do. And they didn't help a bit. I ignored all the worried
stares that I got as I ran back to my house in Scottsdale. My face
felt stiff and streaked with tears. I couldn't even begin to
imagine what I looked like to an outsider. I got home finally and
open the door. I slammed it shut behind me and slid down the door in
tears. I was crying violently when my mum, Renee came up to me and
fluttered her hands over me. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw
my uniform.
"Isabella Marie Swan what happened to you!? I've
been trying to reach you! Why didn't you come home last night?"
Mum shrieked in concern. Up until now, my name was Isabella. But not
now… now I was just Bella.
"I-I-I-I… he-he" I sobbed
and stuttered as I tried to steady my breathing.
"Spit it out
Isabella. Come on honey" Mum pleaded her face a mixture of worry
and fright.
"I was…. I-I-I-I was-"I calmed down slightly, I
inhaled then exhaled deeply. "Mum, I was raped" I confessed and
broke into a loud cry. When I finally looked up my mum's face was
frozen in the mask it wore before I told her. Except now her eyes
were wider and her mouth was slightly open. She stood up silently and
exited the room. I heard her dial a three digit number, and only
hoped it was the police.
"Hello, my name is Renee, and my
daughter didn't come home last night?" she asked. I wondered why
she stopped talking until I decided she was listening to the person
on the other end.
"Yes, she is home now, but-"she started and
stopped again. "Yes, it is good news that she's safe. But she has
just informed me that-"she stopped abruptly and took a deep breath.
"She was raped last night and now she is covered in her own blood"
mum said into the phone. I rested my head on my knees and wrapped my
arms around my legs. I could feel the tears filling my eyes and
spilling over but I couldn't bring myself to care. I was broken…
broken beyond repair.
"Isabella" my mum called. I got up
slowly, using the door as a lever. I walked into the kitchen where I
saw mum with a tears streaked face and her arms were wide open. I ran
into her arms eagerly. I needed to feel safe, and they were the place
I felt safest in the world.
Oh, mum I'm so sorry" I cried
into her shoulder, staining her clothes with my tears.
Sorry?
Isabella what on Earth are you sorry for?" she asked, sounding
confused.
"My name isn't Isabella" I whimpered.
"What
is it then?" Mum asked. Her arms tightened around me.
"Just
Bella" I whimpered quieter, almost a whisper.
"Okay Bella. We
have to go down to the station and give a formal report" she
sighed. I nodded solemnly and walked out to the car. I couldn't be
bothered changing my clothes so I thought I'd give them some more
evidence.
I walked into the police station and
every cop in sight froze in their place.
"Yeah get a good look.
It's my blood" I yelled rudely. I've always hated people
staring at me and I especially hated it under these conditions.
"Isab-Bella, their shocked honey" My mum defended them… of
course.
"I know. I just hate people staring at me" I mumbled,
looking down. Mum and I were led into a small room and there was one
cop in there.
"Hello Isabella, my name is Constable Riley and I
am going to help you today" he smiled politely.
"The name's
Bella" I huffed menacingly.
"My apologies Bella" he smiled
and nodded. I nodded stiffly once and looked away with my arms folded
tight across my chest.
"So, Bella, could you tell me what
happened?" Constable Rile pushed.
"I was raped, isn't that
obvious?" I hissed while fluttering my hand over my whole figure.
Constable Riley cleared his throat uneasily.
"Uhm, Bella,
if you could tell me exactly what happened?" He sighed and rubbed
the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. I settled into
my seat for the long story.
"I was walking home from school
and I heard a woman's scream come from inside this alley. I went to
go and check it out. Then, I remember someone covering my mouth and
putting something over my eyes. I tried to run but I think there was
more than one of them, so they had my arms and legs in their grip. I
was kicking and screaming, but they would- they wouldn't le-"I
cut of sobbing… again. I leant into my mum for support and she
rubbed my arms soothingly.
"Bella… they wouldn't what?"
Constable Riley pushed.
"They wouldn't let me go, and then I
felt them ripping off my clothes and I tried to scream, but I was
gagged by something. And then, I felt something n my stomach." I
stopped again and lifted my shirt to reveal the cut that was still
seeping with small amounts of my blood. Constable Riley was on his
feet and examining my cut closely.
"That'll need at least
twenty stitches" he said, clicking his tongue against his teeth.
"Stitches?" I squeaked. He nodded slowly and returned to his
sit.
"Go on Bella" he said, using his hand to motion for me
to begin.
"He tried to mop up the blood with my uniform. I
don't know what he looked like, because I was blindfolded. Then I
felt something hit me really hard in the head and then I remember
waking up alone and naked in the alley, drenched in my blood" I
whimpered, sniffling.
"Well Bella, if you were unconscious, how
do you know you were raped?" Constable Riley questioned.
"Because
I can still feel the pain of the guy being inside of me" I
screeched. I broke down again and slammed my fists down on the table.
"WHY ME!?" I shrieked while sobbing and banging my fists
repeatedly on the table.
In the end, it took for police officers
to restrain me so I could calm down and that was degrading.
"Mum, I don't want to live in
Phoenix anymore" I confessed. I had been raped a whole week ago,
and I'd always bear the scars as prove.
"Okay baby, do you
want me to call your dad?" she asked kindly. I could see in her
eyes that she was conflicted with letting me go. I didn't want to
leave her, but I couldn't stand being in Phoenix, not when I felt
so unsafe.
"No, it's okay, I can do it. It'll make it easier
on me" I sighed. She nodded and I headed to the phone. I dialed
Charlie's number and put the receiver to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Dad?"
"Isabella, is that you?"
"Yeah
Dad, hi"
"Well, hey there's Isabella. How you been?"
"Not
so great Dad. And it's Bella now"
"Is-Bella… what's
wrong?" I could hear the concern in his voice.
"I'll
explain later. Hey Dad, I have a favor to ask you"
"Anything
Bella" he said earnestly.
"Can I come and live with you?" I
choked.
"Why? Is there something wrong with your mum?" he
asked urgently.
"No, mum is fine. I just really want to live
with you. I can't live in Phoenix anymore, I'll explain why when
I come… home" I whispered.
"Okay Bella. When did you want
to come?" he asked comfortingly, because I had begun to cry.
"Is
tomorrow okay?" I asked, jumping to get there quicker.
"Tomorrow
sounds great, see you then honey"
"Thank you Dad, I love you"
I cried and hung up the phone. I immediately got onto the phone to
the airport and booked my flight to Forks, Washington… my new home.
"Goodbye honey, call me anytime. I
love you" mum cried as the over voice called for me to board my
flight.
"I love you too Mum, thanks for everything, and I'm
sorry" I whimpered as I hugged her tightly.
"Don't
apologize honey, I'll see you later okay? Bye" she smiled and
sniffed away her tears before kissing my forehead. I then boarded the
flight and had nothing to think about but my tortured week for the
next three hours. I fell asleep and woke up screaming as I remembered
what had happened to me.
"Ma'am I need you to calm down" a
stewardess begged me.
I stopped screaming and started crying
again, but I only had ten minutes left of the flight so I relaxed and
tried not to think, period.
"Bella" My Dad greeted me and
got me in an awkward one armed hug.
"Dad" I sighed as I
snuggled closer to him and squeezed my arms tightly around his waist
and he automatically tightened his grip on me too.
"I missed
you" he sighed into my hair.
"Me too, it's good to be home"
I smiled into his chest.
We got into the police cruiser and
headed to our house. It was raining which was no surprise to me.
"I
enrolled you at Forks high school, you start tomorrow" Charlie
smiled at me.
"Thanks Dad" I smiled back at him and headed to
my room with my things.
My room is simple. It has purple walls
and a double bed at the east wall. A small desk held a computer and a
phone and there was a small built in wardrobe next to the large
window that looked over into the forest that surrounded the house. I
smiled to myself. This is it. This is the start of my new life.
