Authors Notes: FYI their won't be any chapter tomorrow. Going to be on a day trip to the next town over. I'll come home and crash. But I'll give you two chapters the day after :D
2+1=Complete
Chapter 3
Nightmares
The guest room was huge. The bed was incredibly big for Locri. She had never been in such a big bed. She pulled the blankets back and crawled in. Darreth pulled the blankets up to her chin and smiled down at her. Along one wall their was a floor to ceiling window that stretched along the wall. The city lights made for the best night lights.
"Locri?" Darreth sat down on the side of the bed. She looked a little iffy about him being there. "If you need me for anything I'll be right across from you alright?" He asked. Locri nodded her head and burrowed under the blankets a little. The fabric was heaven to her skin. Better then sleeping on an old box in the corner. The pillows were so fluffy, she yawned and looked up at Darreth dreamily.
"Already almost asleep? Well it was an eventful day wasn't it?" He said leaning down kissing her forehead. "Good night my little girl." He whispered. Locris eyes were already closed and she was breathing evenly.
She ran as fast as she could down the hallways. Honestly it wasn't that fast, her legs were short and she was small. But she ran anyways, and the man behind her just laughed. She ran into a room and slammed the door closed hiding under the bed. She was so scared. Why was she scared? She couldn't remember, but that man...the man they called Kent. The door was kicked opened and he looked inside.
"Come on Lucy. You can come out now. Its alright...daddy won't hurt you." She didn't believe him. He had just told someone what he was going to do. Her heart beat so loudly she could hear it in her ears.
"Lucy...my Lucy." He sang and the bed was tossed to the side effortlessly. She gasped pulling away and hiding herself in the corner pulling her legs to her. She tried using the all to common toddler escape. 'If I can't see you, then you can't see me' of course it didn't work. Locri's hair had been pulled till she stood upright. She screamed and held onto his arms and he pulled her down the hallway by her hair. She had tears streaming down her face.
Locri
She was thrown into a and hair was shaved from her head. She screamed and kicked until her legs were tied down. She grabbed and pulled harshly raking her nails over peoples arms, and hands. Her arms were held down. She bit someones hand, something was shoved in her mouth. She was completely restrained,
LOCRI!
The world around her began to shake and she felt the pain all over again, a white hot pain going through her mind. Her screams had been muted by the gag in her mouth, but scream she did, until she couldn't remember the pain.
LOCRI!
Ronin had came home, and decided to check on the young girl. When he walked in and saw her peacefully sleeping away on her side. Her little hand resting under her cheek. Thats when she started making a painful face. He knew she was having a nightmare. He reached out and ran his fingers over her hair. She swatted his hand away and rolled over almost like she was trying to get away from something.
"Locri?" He called out trying to wake her. Actually this make things worse. She started to pant and mumble in her sleep. Just when he thought things had calmed down a bit she let out a short scream. Then a lot of screaming. Ronin reached forward shaking her trying to get her to wake up.
"LOCRI!" He called out trying over and over again to get her to wake up.
Finally after one final scream that got Darreth to come into the room with a panicked look on his face.
"LOCRI!" Darreth yelled running forward to take her in his arms. She was panting into the nap of his neck. "What happened?" He asked. She clung to him and then crawled over to Ronin and hugged him too.
"Come on kiddo you can talk to us. We're your dads now." Ronin said running his fingers through her hair.
"Memories." She whispered running her fingers over the shaved part of her hair.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Darreth asked putting his hand on Ronins leg. "We'll listen, and we won't make fun." Darreth asked.
"No…" Was all she responded with.
"If you're ever ready small fry. You know where we are." Ronin said standing up stretching.
"And where did you go?"
"Echo and I had a talk with my old man. Their are some things he did to Kate that were unspeakable. Lets just say...he won't be doing much with his hands or tongue...ever again." Ronin said.
"Hows he going to communicate?" Darreth asked rather amazed at his boyfriends actions.
"He's not…" Ronin said Darreth shivered.
"Remind me never to make you mad." Darreth said.
Morning came early for Locri. She had always been an early riser, and wasn't to sure how the other two were in the morning. If it were for her experience with her father, and mornings. If there was one thing she knew, adults tended to want to be left alone in the morning. So she took this time to adventure around the upstairs. All she seen was the bathroom, and her room. She silently walked around the upstairs noticing their was another set of stairs, but didn't want to go up them, she wasn't sure if she was allowed. It was a long row of doors. At first she thought it was a huge apartment complex like she had seen in the past. But all the doors were opened, and their were boxes everywhere. She finally found the kitchen. She walked in and to her surprise Darreth stood next to the stove. His cell phone in hand. He had a huge smile on his face. He looked up to see her and smiled
"Hope your hungry." He said motioning to the table. There was a fresh pile of pancakes and Ronin was half asleep with his nose in a cup of coffee. Obviously not a morning person.
"Hun...I don't even like school. Why do we have to go to school?" He asked. Darreth smiled and motioned to the kid.
"Well first we have to go to the doctors to get her a physical done, then we go by the court office and pick up those adoption papers. Then we go by the school. I refuse to have a dumb daughter. She needs school Ronin." Darreth said kissing the top of Locris head. She swatted at him and grumbled not liking the contact.
"Firecracker isn't she?" Ronin asked
"Maybe she just didn't have contact like that with her dad." Darreth said. Ronin nodded his head and looked at Locri.
"Not a lot of kisses huh?" He asked Locri just shrugged.
"She doesn't talk all that much does she?" Darreth asked.
"Probably forced to do that 'Girls are supposed to be seen and not heard' or ' don't speak unless spoken to' my dad pulled that kind of crap with Kate too." He said taking a bite of his pancakes. He chewed it thoughtfully watching her eat her pancakes quietly. Everything she did, she did on her own. It finally struck him and he looked up at Darreth.
"Thats what it is...she was probably left alone in a house all on her own. No friends no family. She had to do it all herself, baths, cooking, cleaning, even putting herself to bed. No wonder why she doesn't like kisses or hugs. She...well she didn't have anyone to do it for her." He said and looked at Locri.
"Is that it?" Darreth asked. Locri nodded her head.
"Dad would come home sometimes, give me food, and then leave again the next day."
"Did you ever go to school?"
"No...no school. He was afraid I'd talk. But the lady across from us found out that I wasn't in school and called the police on him. He got so mad…" She ran her fingers over her patches on her head. This was the longest they heard her speak. Darreth realized perhaps direct conversation was the only course.
"Well I went and got some of my sisters old clothing." Darreth said holding up some cloths for her to put on. She looked at the clothing, and then looked at Darreth and raised an eyebrow.
"What? I thought unicorns were a girl thing?" He said. She shrugged her shoulders and walked back toward her room.
"Independence and solitary aren't good for a girl. They need to be social. Hopefully when she's at school she'll find some friends." Darreth said and looked up at Ronin who looked like he was about to fall asleep again.
"Coffee?"
"Just give me a funnel and the whole pot and stand back." Ronin mumbled. Darreth chuckled kissing his nose.