Disclaimer: I don't own Nikita or any of the characters.
Chapter 1: The Beginning
A small female laid in bed quietly, her breathing barely audible in the dark. She held the comforter tight to her body, as if the torn sheet offered a layer of comfort and protection. The room contained a musky scent, which radiated from a pile of dirty clothes in the far corner. They should have been washed three days ago, but instead the pile had been growing larger and larger each evening. The t-shirt and shorts that remained stuck to the girl's skin were damp with perspiration, causing her to shift positions every few minutes out of pure discomfort. She wanted to wash the small amount of clothes that she possessed, but every second of her day was consumed by a rather unpleasant man, leaving little time for her own needs.
A small whimper escaped through her chapped lips when the door to her room busted open, hitting the wall so hard that a hole was made by the doorknob. The bedroom was suddenly flooded with light, forcing the young girl to shut her eyes tight and draw the comforter over her head. Heavy footsteps quickly made their way towards the bed and the comforter was yanked away within seconds and thrown across the small room. The bulky figure that loomed over the bed reached forward and grabbed a large section of the girl's hair, yanking her up into a sitting position with his face inches from her own.
"Nikita, what they hell were you thinking?" he questioned roughly, gripping the strands of her hair even tighter. A second whimper escaped her lips, this time from pain and fear combined. The smell of alcohol littered his disgusting breath.
"What are you talking about, Gary?" she asked honestly while trying to gain some personal space. Her struggle did no good. Her foster father was much stronger, although very out of shape. As he forced himself closer out of rage, his beer belly jammed against Nikita's abdomen.
"Have you lost your mind? You go to bed and leave me to wash the dishes!" he spat out, the words coming through as an enraged statement rather than a question.
"I washed mine!" she shot back. She regretted her tone as soon as the words left her mouth. Gary yanked Nikita's head back roughly, causing it to slam against the headboard of the bed. Her head spun and small stars invaded her vision.
"You know to wash all of the dishes! Including mine!" he snarled.
"You weren't home. I left your dinner on the table. I didn't know I had to stay up and wait for you!" she defended herself in a small voice. Nikita's dark eyes were filled with recognizable fear and pain.
"I don't wash dishes! You are the woman! You belong in the kitchen, Nikita! You wash the dishes and you do as I say!" he voiced loudly, shoving her down onto the bed. Nikita quickly scooted away from him once he let her go, holding a quivering hand to the back of her pounding head. Gary clenched his fists at his sides, clearly debating whether to punish the young girl for her stupidity further.
"I-I'm sorry…" Nikita trailed off, at a loss for words. Gary was beyond drunk and in this state, there was no calming him down. She simply had to take what he dealt.
He gave her a disbelieving look and stalked forward, shoving her off the bed and onto the splinted wood below. Nikita landed with a loud thud, but recovered quickly. She forced her back against the bed as Gary stalked over and grabbed the collar of her stained shirt, pulling her roughly to her feet.
"Get your a** out there and clean the dishes! Once you're finished, leave. You can sleep outside tonight!" he snarled as he shoved her though the door.
Nikita's eyes widened at his words. She had only been forced to sleep outside once before and it wasn't pleasant. They lived in a bad neighborhood where disgusting people stalked the streets. Many carried guns and she could easily be killed.
"Gary, please! I'm sorry! I won't do it again! Just…"
Nikita was cut off with a hard blow to her right cheek. The punch sent her sailing a few feet away before she hit the ground. The air left Nikita's lungs when she fell. She tried to catch her breath, but barely could because of the intense pain in her jaw.
"Do as I say!" he yelled again. His voice seemed to echo through the house, pounding against Nikita's eardrums.
Nikita nodded meekly and crawled to her feet before jogging into the kitchen. After she finished washing Gary's dishes, he ran her out of the house and locked the door behind her. She stood with her back pressed against the brick, fear swarming through ever fiber in her body. The pain in Nikita's head and jaw made her sick to her stomach.
Momentarily forgetting the dangers that lurked in dark streets, Nikita ran into a nearby alley across the street and relieved her stomach of the few bites of food she had stolen while Gary was out earlier that evening. She rarely received food and her protruding ribs and hipbones confirmed that fact.
Nikita composed herself after the nausea went away and stumbled over to a nearby dumpster, where she squeezed herself behind the putrid object. She tried not to think about the bugs and rodents that made themselves comfortable around her.
Trembling slightly, she slid down into a sideways fetal position, her arms wrapped tightly around her bare legs. The wind offered a chilly breeze that sent chill bumps over Nikita's tanned skin. She closed her eyes tight and pictured herself somewhere better, somewhere safe. The imaginary places eventually lulled the young girl into a restless sleep. The pain had to stop. She had make it stop.
Well, I hope you liked it! Sorry this chapter is short. The next will be longer. Please review and tell me what you think. Thanks!