Okay, I wrote this songfic after hearing the song a week ago. The song is Alyssa Lies, by Jason Michael Caroll, and it's another tearjerker. So enjoy, and don't forget to review.
Disclaimer: They ain't mine... Dang it...
This story is for every child who has survived being abused, and for the memory of every child who hasn't. For those without a voice, and for those whose voice isn't heard, I dedicate this story.
Bobby Goren smiled as he walked through the door of his apartment. "Hey, baby," Alex greeted him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing a quick kiss to his lips. He returned the kiss, then looked around the living room, one dark eyebrow raised in disappointed surprise.
"Where's Jessie?" he asked, and her face fell immediately as she answered, "She's in her room. I know something's wrong, but she won't tell me what it is, Bobby." He nodded and kissed her forehead, then walked down the hall and softly tapped on his daughter's bedroom door.
"Jessie?" he called quietly, edging into her room. She was laying on the bed with her face hidden in a pillow, and as he came closer, he could hear her soft sobs.
"Aw, baby, what's wrong?" he murmured as he sat on the bed and laid one hand on her back. Jessica slowly raised her head from her pillow, and Bobby heard her whisper hoarsely, "Daddy, Alyssa lies."
My little girl made a new friend
Just the other day
On the playground at school
Between the tires and the swings
But she came home the other day with tear-filled eyes
And she said to me, "Daddy, Alyssa lies"
At first, Bobby thought she meant about a doll or toy, and he smiled and brushed her tears away with his thumb. "Come here, Jess," he said softly, and she quickly climbed into his lap and wrapped her small arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned back against the wooden headboard.
Once her tears subsided, he rubbed her back slowly and said, "Now, why don't you tell me what Alyssa lied about, sweetheart?" She sniffled quietly and buried her face in Bobby's chest.
Well I just brushed it off at first
Cause I didn't know how much my little girl had been hurt
Or the things that she had seen
I wasn't ready when I said, "You can tell me"
He continued to rub circles on her back, humming lowly into her ear. Finally she slowly raised her dark brown head and wiped her nose, and she said, "Alyssa lies every day at school, Daddy."
"What does she lie about, Jessie?" She lowered her head again and crossed her arms over her chest, and the knot in Bobby's stomach tightened.
"Cause she says that she falls down all the time, but she just says that cause she doesn't want her daddy to be in trouble." Bobby's breath hitched in his throat as she looked up at him and asked, "Daddy, why does Alyssa's daddy hurt her? Aren't daddies s'posed to love their little girls?" He couldn't make his voice work to answer her question.
"Alyssa lies to the classroom
Alyssa lies every day at school
Alyssa lies to the teacher
As she tries to cover every bruise"
After dinner and her bath, Bobby carried Jessica up to her room and tucked her into bed and read her a bedtime story. "And they all lived happily ever after," he recited as he closed the book, then returned it to her bookshelf.
"Night, Daddy," she murmured as he leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Good night, baby girl. Sweet dreams," he whispered, then he walked to the door and out of the room. But as he started to close the door, he heard her speak softly, and he leaned against the wall as he listened to her whispered prayer.
"Dear God, please bless Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Mike and Aunt 'Lyn, Grandpa John and Grandma Helen, and Grandpa Jimmy." He felt a tear roll down his cheek, and he quickly wiped it away as he heard her say, "And God, please bless Alyssa, too. I know she needs you bad. Amen."
Bobby scrubbed at his tear filled eyes, then slowly shut the door and walked into the living room.
My little girl laid her head down that night
To go to sleep
And as I stepped out of the room
I heard her say a prayer so soft and sweet
"God bless my mom and my dad
And my new friend Alyssa, I know she needs you bad
Because Alyssa lies to the classroom
Alyssa lies every day at school
Alyssa lies to the teachers
As she tries to cover every bruise"
"Bobby, are you okay?" Alex asked as they climbed into bed, and he sighed and slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her back flush against his front. He told her what Jessica had told him, and by the time he was finished, he was shaking slightly.
"Oh, come here, baby," she murmured, rolling over in his arms to face him. He exhaled deeply and let her pull him close to her, closing his eyes as he laid his head in the hollow of her neck. For the rest of the night, he tossed and turned as he tried to think of a way to calm his daughter's fears. But as the hours passed, he realized what he needed to do.
Monday morning, Bobby held his daughter's small hand as they walked into her classroom. Immediately he knew something was wrong as Jessica's teacher approached him slowly, and he released Jessica's hand.
"What's wrong?" he whispered discreetly, and the teacher dabbed her eyes and murmured, "One of the children, Alyssa Parker, died this weekend."
I had the worst night of sleep in years
As I tried to think of a way to calm her fears
I knew just what it was I had to do
But when we got to school on Monday, I heard the news
Bobby struggled to swallow the lump that had risen in his throat. "Daddy, why does everybody look so said?" Jessica asked innocently. "Where's Alyssa? Why isn't Alyssa at school today?" He felt a tear slide down his cheek, and he slowly lowered himself to his knee in front of Jessica, until their eyes were level, and he could see the fear in her hazel eyes.
"Jess, baby," he choked out. "Alyssa isn't at school today… because she's with Jesus now." Understanding came over her features, and she let out a sob and flung herself into her father's arms.
"It's okay, baby," he crooned, kissing her dark, curly hair. "It'll be okay. I promise, it'll be okay." She clung to him tighter, and they both rocked back and forth.
My little girl asked me
Why everybody looked so sad
The lump in my throat grew bigger
With every question that she asked
Until I felt the tears run down my face
And I told her that Alyssa wouldn't be at school today
He could feel her little body shaking as he held her, and he continued to rock her in his arms. Finally her sobs subsided, and she looked up at him and said, "Daddy, is Alyssa in heaven now?"
He kissed her forehead and hugged her tightly, murmuring, "Yes, baby. Alyssa is in heaven now."
Cause she doesn't lie in the classroom
She doesn't lie anymore at school
Alyssa lies with Jesus
Because there's nothing anyone would do
That night, after tucking Jessica into bed, Bobby walked back out of her bedroom. But he froze in his steps when he heard Jessica begin to pray, and he leaned against the wall and listened.
"Dear God, please bless my Mommy and my Daddy. And please tell Alyssa that I miss her, and I hope that she has her dolly in heaven. Amen." The innocence of her prayer brought tears to his eyes again, and he slid to the floor, dropping to his knees and bowing his head. He thought for a moment before speaking quietly.
"God, thank you for my daughter, and give me the strength to help her through this. Amen." Rising slowly to his feet, Bobby poked his head into Jessica's bedroom, smiling as he realized that she was asleep.
"I love you, baby girl," he whispered, quietly shutting the door.
Tears filled my eyes
When my little girl asked me why
Alyssa lies
Oh daddy, oh daddy
Tell me why
Alyssa lies
The End
A/N: I wrote this after thinking about the song, and I realized how few stories we have about the horrors of child abuse. This is a very real danger, and it needs to be stopped. If you or someone you know is being abused, tell someone. Don't wait until it's too late.