Chapter 2
The darkness pours around them, standing in the doorway in fixed positions. Stef isn't sure if she is seeing right, she stares ahead but the darkness makes her squint, she lowers her gun to her side slowly, reaches to her right flicking on the outside porch lights. The darkness from around her goes away, but she chokes on her breath, her body freezes, the darkness has gone from around her to inside of her, emotionally. She tries to speak but something stops the words from leaving her lips. Her mouth is open as if she is talking, but nothing sounds. The person in front of her collapses to the ground, but not loud enough to wake anyone.
Stef steps out onto the porch of the house, scooping up the person in front of her. The person, the figure, no – the girl, the broken girl, the child, it was Callie.
She quietly gets them inside, scanning their surroundings before shutting the door and locking it. She isn't sure what to do first, call 911, or try and talk to Callie. She was in rough shape, her physical appearance was what made her second guess who was standing in the doorway – she looked like someone else. Or maybe it was Stef's mind hoping this was someone else.
She gently lays her on the couch, gets on her knees beside the couch, "Callie?" she whispers. She stares into her eyes to find them blank. How did she get here, how did she make it here? She needed to get her to a hospital, now.
Callie says nothing, stares ahead, blank as an unwritten book.
Stef reaches to her pocket and pulls out her cellphone, dialing 911 and quickly explaining the situation and to notify everyone that she was with her and they needed a police presence, as she was unsure where the person who did this to her baby was. As the call ends, her mind jumps to Lena, the kids, she needs to inform them. Instead of waking everyone, she dials Lena's personal cell number.
"Stef? Where are you?" Lena sounds groggy on the line.
"Downstairs…" Stef says, not knowing how to put this. "It's Callie. She's here." She says, and can hear Lena stirring upstairs, "come quietly." With that, she ends the call. She looks in front of her, to her daughter, lying still, "Callie? Please, give me a sign you are okay. Help is on the way." Stef begins to feel the tears slide down her face, unwillingly of course. "You're safe, I'm here, I'm not going to let anyone, ever, hurt you. I'm never going to leave your side."
"M-" Callie chokes out, just a slight sound, her voice cracks and her stomach threatens to come up her throat, she doesn't care, "Mom." She gets it out, feeling proud, she hasn't spoke in what seems like years. Her fight or flight kicks in suddenly, hearing someone coming down the steps, as her eyes dart around the room, and her body jolts into an up-right position. Stef can see the fear in her eyes, and tries to sooth her, telling her she is safe. Lena slowly approaches the two of them.
Lena stands just seconds away, taking in the state and condition of Callie, their oldest daughter. Disheveled, bruised, dirt coating her visible skin, torn clothes, shaky limbs, wide eyes. Lena steps closer, trying not to startle Callie. She leans down next to Stef, her breath quietly shaking. Lena looks at Stef searching for answers. Stef looks back to Callie.
"The ambulance should be here soon, baby," Stef says, trying to soothe her and assure she will be taken care of. "I'm going to stay with you, every step of the way, I promise," she reaches her hand towards Callie's knee, and gently places it on Callie. All she wants to do is save her baby and to kill whoever did this to her.
"No cops," Callie blurts out, feeling the panic rise in her chest. She could not have the police knowing this, but wait, Stef is the police. She feels her breath stumble over and her body beginning to shiver with sweat, her hands shake even more than they have just minutes before, as if that were possible. His words echo in her head, 'If you tell anyone, you and your family are as good as dead.' She hears his laughter, feels his hands climbing and studying every inch of her body. She snaps back as the window lights up with blue, red and white lights. Her heart jumps into over-drive. Trying to figure out what she has done, she feels as though she has just killed her family, the police would know in seconds, and then he would know, and then, they were doomed. Her mind raced, trying to think of an excuse. It came with nothing, she couldn't cover this up.
Stef brought herself to the door, unlocked it as two uniformed cops stepped in, Stef's eyes meeting their gaze as she brought their eyes to Callie. They look at Stef for answers, but Stef says nothing, she ushers the paramedics in as they come in with their kits and a stretcher.
Lena looks at Callie who is panicking with all of this. She hears the other teenagers who have woke up with this noise and commotion and see's them peaking around the corner of the stairs, she couldn't let them see Callie like this; she knew Callie wouldn't want them to see her in this state. Lena looks at Callie as the paramedics approach and she goes to the stairs where the other children are, trying to get them back upstairs. Stef's eyes glance to Lena, trying to tell her something.
The paramedics look over Callie, trying not to touch her and startle her, as it was clear she had been through a lot. They look at one another and say something about a 'load-and-go'. Callie has no idea what they are talking about, her eyes fixated on Stef, pleading for her help.
Stef helps Callie up, but she can tell she is too weak to walk. She picks her up as she did earlier, and carries her out towards the ambulance, completely ignoring the stretcher. The paramedics follow behind as they climb into the back of the ambulance, which had been left opened. Once the stretcher is reloaded and the paramedics had taken their places, Stef places Callie down on the stretcher as the other paramedic closed the doors to the ambulance. Stef could see Lena coming behind, car keys in hand ready to follow behind.
The bright lights of the ambulance had been a shock to Callie's eyes. She looked down to her body and could see everything it had been through. She felt desperate, embarrassed, but most of all, helpless. She looked to Stef and saw that she was crying. She reaches out her hand to comfort her. Stef holds on tight, not ever wanting to let go; they do this the whole way to the hospital.
Seriously need reviews.. not too sure about this. Pleaseee :)
