Chapter Five
Not Knowing is Oblivious
"Damnit" Erin said while slamming the car door hard. We've got to find those girls, if not they could die. Aaliyah's phone buzzed from her pocket, pulling her phone out she answered. "Sawyer"
"Hey, so I ran Brendon Collins' background information, and it turns out that his father who is now deceased owned a warehouse." Jin said
This information immediately got Leah's attention, "where?"she asked
"It's right there, less than a mile away from you, I'll send you the address"
"Thanks" she said and hung up. "So their father owns a warehouse, less than a mile from here" Aaliyah's said walking up to the group.
"Do we have an address?" Voight asked
"Yeah, Jin just sent it to our phones now"
"Alright let's go" Voight said. Everyone immediately dispersed and got into their vehicles to go the warehouse. Aaliyah was driving and Voight was next to her in the passenger seat. Aaliyah's heart was pounding they need to find these girls alive.
The drive was less than five minutes, everyone was pulling up at the warehouse at the same time. Voight and Sawyer stepped out of the car "Let's suit up!" He yelled. Opening the trunk of the car, he handed Aaliyah her bullet proof Kevlar Police vest.
Leah took the vest and slid it over her head, once it was on she velcroed the straps allowing it fit snugly on her. Next she pulled out a black hair tie that was in her pocket and put her hair in a ponytail, to stay out of her face.
Voight then opened a big black case and handed Sawyer a carbines. 2.1 M4A1 gun. "Here" he said, Aaliyah took it and nodded her head.
"We ready!" Voight yelled
Everyone nodded their heads yes, that they were ready as they were suited up. Voight entered the warehouse first, with Sawyer behind him. There was an automatic chill in the air as the warehouse was a different temperature than outside, it was cooler.
Their flashlight only illuminated so much, but from what they could see there was definitely a struggle. There was trash and medical supplies like scalpels and needles were on the floor.
Leah's eyes wandered down to the hallway and saw a trail of blood. "Guys" she called. Everyone turned their heads and she illuminated the blood on the ground with the flashlight that was on the gun.
Leading the rest of the team down the hallway, following the trail of blood. Lead them to a room, with a dead girl on a table. Her stomach was completely cut open. Blood covering her abdomen, and around her.
"It's Bethany" Leah said.
"Damn" Voight muttered.
When CSU came to wheel the body out, Leah walked up to one of them. "What was her COD?" Sawyer asked
"The cut to her stomach was not made by any medical professional, it tore into the balloons, causing them to burst. She died by the initial cut to her stomach" the woman said.
"Alright thanks" Leah said and walked towards the rest of the team. "COD was the initial cut to her stomach" she said walking up to them.
Voight nodded his head "we still have two girls missing," just then Voight got a call from Olinsky.
"You sure?"
"Alright we're on our way" Voight said and hung up. "They brought the girls to the tattoo parlor, Al identified both, Let's go"
Hopping into the SUV, Aaliyah rode with Voight. The drive pretty quick as the girls' lives were in danger.
Running into the tattoo parlor was a sight. A man held a knife in one of his hands, with a girl bleeding out on a table, another one tied to a radiator in the corner. "Chicago PD! Put your hands up" Sawyer yelled.
The man smirked, and clenched the knife even tighter in his hand. "Sean, you don't want to do this" Leah said approaching him slowly. "It's over, your not going to get your money or your drugs"
Sean still didn't move, but the death grip on the knife lessoned "listen to her Sean" Voight said.
"You have no medical training to do that, you're just going to bust open the balloons" Sawyer pressed "you didn't mean to hurt Bethany, did you?"
"No! I just wanted what was in her!" He yelled
"You're not going to get it the way you're doing it now" Erin said
Finally, Sean dropped the knife, realizing If was over. Erin immediately made his over to him, cuffs in hand. Aaliyah found a towel on the ground and walked over to the girl, pressing the towel hard on her stomach to stop the bleeding. "We need a medic!" She yelled.
A minute later paramedics made their way to the scene. Aaliyah removed the towel when the medics arrived, backing up and giving them space to do their job.
Stepping back outside, she felt like a small weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Yes, they lost one girl, but the rest of them were going to be okay, and that was what mattered. Aaliyah knew that she can't dwell on the what if's or the what could've's. She needed to accept the outcome of this situation.
Already deciding on plans when she got home, which would be a nice relaxing hot bath with candles, and taking a nap.
Voight walked up to Aaliyah putting his hand on her shoulder. It took her out of her previous thoughts. "You did good" he said
"Thanks" Leah replied
March 22, 1996
Aaliyah put her purple bike, which looks more black now in the garage, like she does everyday after school. Today her little sister Lotte was having a sleepover at her friend Penny's house this weekend.
Leah was grateful that her sister would not be home for the weekend, it's unsafe for her. And the last thing Aaliyah needed was for her sister to be subjected to the same things she has.
Hopefully Amanda, would let Leah tag along to whatever her friends are doing. They did that from time to time, but Aaliyah always knew when to back off as Amanda should have the right to hang with her older friends without an eleven year old breathing down her neck.
She knew Amanda never saw it like that, but Aaliyah felt that, that was what she was doing.
Walking over to Amanda's house next door, Leah knocked on the door. Waiting for Amanda to answer. Since Aaliyah was in middle school, seventh grade, the high schoolers got out earlier than middle school.
Ever since Europe happened Aaliyah talked to the school counselors and told them that she wanted to graduate early. She didn't tell them that it was to get the hell out of Loganville, Georgia, and to never ever see her mother again, and to never go to back to that horrible, awful place in Europe. She simply told them that she wanted to be challenged. And they let her take some tests, and she passed with flying colors that they had to let her skip a grade.
Kim opened the door annoyed. "What the fuck do you want!?" She asked angrily.
"I was just wondering if Amanda's home?"
"She left with her friends about an hour ago" Kim said with a wave of her hand
"Did she say where she was going?" Leah asked, hopefull to get a location of where she was at.
"No, and I didn't bother asking" Kim spat "all she said was that she wanted me to get go get groceries"
"Are you gonna do that?"
"No"
"Well that's against her wishes" Leah said
"Well you know what Little Miss Inocent, I don't give a fuck to what my big sister says"
Leah clenched her jaw before saying "well you don't have to be a total fucking bitch hoe!"
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me" Leah said and crossed her arms over her nonexistent boobs.
"You know what." Kim said with anger going through her veins "why don't you get the groceries"
"And why would I do that?" Leah asked "it's not my problem"
"But what about Amanda" Kim pressed. She knew Aaliyah would do anything for her friend Amanda. "Amanda left me a hundred dollars cash, I'll give you two hundred. One for the groceries, and the other can be for what ever the hell it is you do"
Aaliyah thought for a minute, she did the money, she was already working a job at a local diner, singing. The woman who owns the diner Mrs. Belle, adores Aaliyah. But she still needed the money, and she herself needed groceries. She knew full well that her mother would not be getting groceries, and she knew that neither would Richard. Her mother's repulsing boyfriend.
She knew she needed to tell her mother what he was doing to her, but she was too scared of what he could do to her later, if her mother didn't believe her.
"Alright" Aaliyah said "I'll do it"
"Thank god, I'll get the money" Kim said and walked away. She came back about thirty seconds later with two hundred dollars cash, and a list of grocerie items she needed to buy.
Aaliyah took the cash, and the list, and tucked it nicely into her jean short pocket. Walking off the porch of the Rollins' house, Leah took off her blue flannel that had white and black in it. Leaving her in a white tank top.
The only reason she took it off, was because she was just going to be riding her bike into town, and she knew she wouldn't be seeing many people on the ride there. And also becuase it was already hot, even though it was only March it was already reaching the high eighties.
Opening the garage again, Leah wheeled out her bike and attatched a basket to it, to help hold some of the groceries. Once outside, Aaliyah rode off; heading her way into town.
Once in the safety of her condo, Leah took a deep sigh of relief that she was home. Finally get to relax. Setting her badge and gun down on the counter, she made her way towards the bathroom. But when she opened the door to her bedroom she was met with a sight.
There in the middle of her bed, was rose pedals sprinkled everywhere on the floor and in her bed. And in the center of it all was Shay in a bright pink lingerie, laying out sexually in a very bizarre pose. She even had a rose in her mouth.
Leah wasn't exactly sure what her face read in that moment, but it must've been some form of shock becuase Shay said "I know right"
"I've been waiting for you to get home for hours"
Hours? Home? This is my place. How did you even get in!? Aaliyah opened her mouth to speak "h-how did you get in?"
"Oh your sister gave me her key, lovely girl"
Aaliyah gritted her teeth. How could Lotte do that! This was HER place. That was Aaliyah's right.
"Come here baby" Shay said with open arms. Did she want sex? Because that was last thing on Aaliyah's mind.
"Umm you know what, I really want to take a relaxing bath, it's been a long day at work"
"Oh, I know the perfect way to help you unwind" Shay said pulling the lingerie bra strap off her shoulder.
"Yeah, I'm really tired" Leah said backing away from Shay and making her way towards the bathroom.
"Wait" Shay said "are you serious!"
Aaliyah was almost in the bathroom, she was turning the door knob to go in. "What do mean" Leah said turning around, but her right hand still on the door knob.
"Are you seriously turning me down" Shay said in a bit of a shock. "Do you have any idea how expensive roses are!" She was almost yelling now, each word growing louder than the last.
"Well I didn't ask you to do that" Leah said calmly. She never asked Shay to do that, she didn't even wanting her to have a key to her condo. She didn't even want her here.
"Are you fucking kidding me!" Shay said now standing up from the bed "your sister said you like the romantic gestures" she was now walking towards Aaliyah.
"Well, I didn't ask for it right now" Leah replied. She had not risen her voice to Shay, she didn't want to fight. All she wanted to do was take a relaxing bath, and go to sleep.
"Well, I want to fuck you right now" Shay said, inches away from Aaliyah, she picked up her hand that was not gripping the door knob and brought it down to her center. Feeling the heat and wetness, Aaliyah drew her hand away immediately.
"I don't want to have sex, right now" Leah whispered, it was quiet but it was stern.
"Why?" Shay asked
"I don't owe you an explanation of why I don't want to have sex. I have the right to say no" Leah said, this time she was getting slightly louder with each passing word. This needed to be made clear. She did not want have sex with Shay.
"Ugh fine buzzkill" Shay said walking away from her. Aaliyah sighed in relief, she didn't know what she would've done is Shay had pushed her into sex.
Shay pulled on her shirt and put her jeans on "well can we at least go out"
"I don't really feel like going out, I really just want to take a relaxing bath and go to sleep"
Shay rolled her eyes "the least you could do is go to a nice restaurant with me and pay for dinner since you tossed out my original plan"
Did she owe Shay? Did she really owe her for not wanting to have sex with her, is that how it works. One partner doesn't want to have sex and that means the other partner has to agree with whatever else they say. Aaliyah wasn't sure, she was bad with relationships as she's never been with anyone to know what was right and what wasn't.
She looked down at all the rose pedals that were on the floor and on the bed. It was a nice gesture, and she knew roses were expensive. Maybe it was the least she could do.
"Fine" Leah said
Shay smiled "see, knew you'd come around let's go" she said grabbing Aaliyah hand leading her out the door.
Once Aaliyah made it into town she let go of the handles of her bike and took off the flannel that was wrapped around her waist. She put her arms through it, while still pedaling. She had become a master of the bike.
She didn't need anyone to see her scars on her wrists, or the brand on her left wrist, or the slight discoloration of her arms from bruises. People will talk. It's a small town, everyone knows everyone. And everyone knows everything.
Riding up to a Walmart. She hopped off her bike and chained it to the bike rack. Walking into Walmart was refreshing. The air conditioning hit you as soon as you walked in. She instantly felt cooler. Leah shivered the more she walked in.
Pulling the flannel off her waste, she put it on. She then got a shopping cart and proceeded into Walmart.
Taking out the list she read it: corn, bread, salad, beans, apples, butter, eggs, bacon, potatoes, grapes, Cheerios, Lucky Charms, canned green beans, bell peppers, tortillas, cheese, milk, orange juice, and chicken.
Deciding she would just get two of everything but the meat seemed good for Aaliyah.
She became a vegetarian after her experiences in Europe. The thought of eating meat only caused her to gag.
Strolling through Walmart, Leah went to the bread aisle; figuring she could knock out bread and tortillas. Getting two of each she placed them in the cart.
Realizing that she didn't have a pen or pencil with her. She walked to the office supplies area of the store.
Grabbing a package of pens off the hook, she looked around to make sure no one was looking. Before proceeding to open it. Punching a hole with her nail in the back of the cardboard, Aaliyah was able to successfully pull out a black pen. Putting the package back on the hook behind another so no one would notice, she walked away checking off bread and tortillas.
Aaliyah then walked to the produce section. The air immediately feeling frigid on her bare legs. She grabbed two egg cartons and put them in the basket part of the cart, worried they might crack if she puts them with the other groceries.
She pushed the basket along got two cartons of milk, chicken, cheese, butter, orange juice, grapes, salad, and bell peppers.
Check, check, an check. She thought as she crossed out the grocery items off the list. Aaliyah trudged the cart along to the another aisle. She noticed a woman was looking at her strange, probably wondering why an eleven year old is going grocery shopping.
Standing up on her tippy toes, Aaliyah reached up and grabbed two boxes of Lucky Charms. Putting them into the cart, her eyes caught the cheerios. She sighed in relief that they were at her eye level. Grabbing two boxes she put them into the cart.
Shay took Aaliyah to a restaurant, it wasn't exactly a Mcdonalds, but is wasn't a fancy restaurant either. Just in between, so she was fine in her work clothes that she had worn all day.
The waiter sat them down at a table. "Thank you" Aaliyah said. The waiter smiled at her. "What drinks would you guys like?" She asked
"Umm I'll have-"
"She'll split a red with me" Shay said interrupting Aaliyah. The waiter nodded her head and took off. Aaliyah looked at Shay in disbelief. Did she forget that I'm an alcoholic? I've been sober for a couple weeks now, and I really would like to keep it that way.
Shay looked at Aaliyah, seeming completely oblivious of the glare she was receiving. "So how was your day?" Shay asked
Leah had to refrain from saying, oh it actually wasn't too terrible until I got home and you made my day unbearable. "Fine" she said sharply.
"Well that's good, my day wasn't too bad myself"
Aaliyah nodded her head, and picked up the menu to look through it. Most of this stuff on the menu was meat, and she didn't eat meat. Scanning through the salads, she realized she wasn't in the mood for a salad; she looked at the appetizers.
She saw Shay's glare at her when she moved the menu down a little. Aaliyah wasn't sure why Shay was glaring at her, especially since Leah is paying for dinner.
Moving the menu to up a bit to block Shay's glare, she met with Shay clearing her throat. Meaning she wanted her attention.
Internally rolling her eyes, Leah set the menu down and looked up at Shay, "yes"
"Aren't you gonna ask me about my day?" She asked
What!? She told me it was good, there's nothing else I would like to know. Deciding it was best not to fight Aaliyah asked her how her day was.
"Oh it was just great, so for my first shift, Gabby and I pulled this…"
Aaliyah already began to block Shay out. She had no intention of knowing how her day was. Maybe if she had the chance to recuperate and take a nice relaxing bath, then she probably would be listening. She didn't want to be here, she wanted to be home. She was tired from a long day of work. She just wanted to sleep.
Leah put a hand over her mouth and yawned. "Are you even listening?" Shay asked. She had to think what the original conversation was in the first place. Something about Gabby and Shay pulling something. "Uhh you and Gabby pulling something" Leah guessed
"Ugh you weren't even listening"
"Look, I'm sorry, I'm just really tired, I had a long day, and I just really want to go home" Leah said
"Well I had a long day too" Shay interjected
"But you just said how great it was!" Aaliyah said shocked and offended. She just talked about how great it was! And now she's saying she had a long day!
Shay rolled her eyes "I tried to make your day great but all you've been doing to me since you got home is ruin my good intentions for you"
"No offense, I appreciate what you do for this city. But all you do is wait around for the next call. I had to do work! My brain had to be functioning, I had to be on my toes!" Aaliyah yelled.
People around them started to glare and look towards their table. Leah's face was flushed with anger. "You know what, I'm going to go" Aaliyah said and stood up from the table walking out of the restaurant.
Once she stepped out, she realized that Shay had driven them there. "Fuck" she muttered. She took a deep breath sighed before walking to the nearest metro. Looking down at her watch; it was ten pm. "You've got to be fucking kidding me" she muttered.
Angry was not the right word for how Aaliyah felt. She felt more enraged: she was angry at Shay for being so ignorant and stupid. If this was ever going to work, Shay needed to fix herself. It felt like she had no consideration for Aaliyah. And Leah has been through enough shit already, she didn't need anymore from anyone.
The checkout line was fast since, she took the self checkout, and that line always goes by faster. Putting the plastic Walmart bags in the cart, she paid sliding the one hundred dollar bill into the machine and grabbing the fifteen dollars and seventy-five cents change out of the cup thing that catches the change when in falls.
Putting the money in her pocket, she trudged the cart to the entrance to exit the walmart. Her bike was still sitting there, glistening in the sunset. Unlocking the bike lock, Leah put the chain and lock in the basket, along with some of the groceries.
Of course not all of them fit into the basket, so she put some of the grocery bags through the bike handles. One bag on each bike handle.
Aaliyah then went onto her bike and rode off. The balance being way off from the groceries caused her to waddle on the bike.
It was dusk when she left the store, and that only made her more nervous. Not that some creep was going to get her; it was a small town, everyone knew everyone. The only creep in this town was her mother's boyfriend. Richard Dicks. Even his name was creepy, and Dicks as a last name was kinda coincidental, considering he is a dick.
Aaliyah paddled harder on the bike, as she wanted to get home and put the groceries away before shit went down.
Sweat dripped from her forehead, even though the sun was going down and that it was almost dark. The heat hardly ever went down.
Her legs were getting tired. They started to burn. Leah slowed down her bike and put her legs to the ground to stop the bike. Stopping to take a breath; she thought of how much longer it would be before she got home. The shopping centers and stores were on the other side of town, and of course her home was on the other side of town form the stores. So she could be home in fifteen minutes. It would be less if she didn't have the groceries but, all of that extra weight slowed her down.
Taking one last intake of breath, she propelled herself forward, and started pedaling her way home. The sun was nearly down by now. Switching on the on button to a headlight for her bike, illuminated the sidewalk.
Come on Aaliyah you can make it, come on. However fate had other plans as her bike his an indent in the sidewalk causing her to fall over into the road.
The keys clicked into the lock of her condo. Pushing open the door, Leah felt an immense relief, and some of the anger had lifted off her shoulders. Hanging up her purse, and sliding out of her boots, she put them on a shoe rack before walking into her bedroom.
The smell hit her first when she first walked in. Flowers. The rose pedals. "Fuck" she muttered. They were all over everything. Aaliyah didn't want to single handedly put all of these pedals in the trash; she was too tired.
Not caring if there were going to be rotting pedals in the morning, Leah flopped down onto her bed, her eyes shutting instantly.
The sound of an alarm clock, stirred Aaliyah out of sleep. Turning over to turn it off, she realized that she was tucked in. She knew for a fact she didn't fall asleep like that. Sitting up, Leah realized that the rose pedals were gone.
Getting up out of bed, she walked to the bathroom. Only to be met with an interesting sight. Her face felt gross since she slept with her makeup on. But surprisingly her face oddly looked the same. Luckily there were no pimples from not taking off her makeup, so that was a relief. Grabbing a washcloth out the drawer, she turned on the sink to warm water, and ran the washcloth under. Then she got facial wash soap, and put it on the cloth.
Rubbing the substance together in the cloth, she brought it to her face. Washing all of the oil and dirt off. Maybe Shay isn't so bad? She did clean up after herself. Rinsing off the soap with water, Leah turned off the sink.
Wait I need to shower. She thought as she dried her face with a towel. Then why did I just wash my face, could've done it in the shower?! Ugh, you fucking idiot.
Turning on the shower, Leah stripped of her clothes, and stepped in. She decided to use this time to process her thoughts. Should she forgive Shay? She was an ass to her yesterday. Yes, that was yesterday, it is now today. New day, so she should be forgiven. I've had worse. Aaliyah finally concluded.
The concrete road scraped her arms and legs, causing an immediate stinging sensation. "You've got to be kidding me," she muttered. Aaliyah then felt wet, like something was getting her wet. There was no rain...she stood up noticing that the one of the milk containers had completely busted open, spilling milk everywhere.
Standing the bike up, she checked the basket which help the eggs. Picking up the egg carton, she already knew. Opening it up had only proven what she knew, all the eggs were cracked. She looked at the other carton hoping for a different result. But they were cracked as well.
Aaliyah really just felt like crying. But she knew she couldn't. She didn't have time. Putting all the groceries that fell out back into the bags. She sat back down on her bike and continued going. 'What was Amanda going to think?' She let her best friend down. She let her sister down, she won't be able to have eggs or milk. They were already low on food, so of course she had to make it worse for her family.
She pulled up her bike to the garage on the side of her house, between the Rollins' house and her's. Grabbing the bag of groceries Leah trudged her way to the Rollins' house.
Having to set down a bag of groceries to knock on the door, Kim opened it. "What took you so long?" She asked
'Wow, no, thank you.' "Umm I fell on the way back here, and the Walmart is on the other side of town" Aaliyah said flatly.
Kim rolled her eyes opening the door wider Aaliyah could enter, "whatever just put the groceries in the kitchen"
Going inside the Rollins' house was never really different from hers. Both of their houses reeked of booze; and they pretty much had the same layout in their houses. Going into the kitchen Leah set the groceries down on the island.
Glancing up at the kitchen clock on the stove it read nine o'clock. 'This is bad' Leah thought. 'It's already too late. I'm screwed.' She knew her and Kim were never really close, it was always her and Amanda. 'Maybe Kim will let me stay the night.' 'Granted it will be a crappy sleepover, but at least I'll be safe.'
"Hey Kim, can I stay the night?" Leah asked
Kim turned around from putting the groceries away and tilted her head to the side, and squinted her eyes. "Why?" She asked "Amanda's not even here, she's out"
"I know but I figured—"
"What! You figured what! We'd paint each other nails and shit"
"Well no...but...please"
Kim continued to glare at Aaliyah "no" she said.
Leah felt like crying, right then and there, but she knew she couldn't. "Okay" she said nodding "I'll leave now"
Walking out of the kitchen and out the front door; she was only met with fear. Her heart pounded at the thought of going into her house. A house should feel safe, but for her. A house is her worst nightmare.
Walking back up the bike, she grabbed the groceries that weren't ruined in the fall and brought them up to her house. Immediately after opening the door. The house reeked of booze and sex. 'I need to hurry'. After closing the door silently, she practically ran into the kitchen. Hurrying in the kitchen to put the groceries away. She could hear heavy footsteps approaching.
Her hands shook as she put the canned goods into the pantry. "Hhhheyy yyyoou" a familiar voice slurred behind her. Leah's cheeks were wet from the silent tears streaming down her face.
Aaliyah turned around, unable to look at one of her many fears in the eye. Her body psychically shaking. "Please don't" She whispered.
Richard bent down in front of her. His breath stinking of alcohol and cigarettes. "Yyyour mmootther ssaid that...that I...I ccould have you"
Leah involuntarily gulped. "Ddddon't waaaant to disappoint her do you?" He mocked in her face.
Aaliyah saw a space between him and the counter, if she could just fit through. She could get away. Her adrenaline pumped through her veins, maiming her heart beat faster.
Running into the counter to try and get around, she felt a hand grab her arm. She was yanked off her feet and onto the floor. Her back hitting the tile on the kitchen floor; knocking the wind out of her.
Trying to take a deep breath but couldn't, only added to her desperation. Rough hands on her stomach underneath her shirt. She squirmed to try and get away, but she was no match to the large man.
Aaliyah then started to scream. Bloody murder, high pitched "SOMEBODY HELP—!" A hand covered her mouth. "Shut up!"
Richard reached behind him, and grabbed a glass beer bottle behind him. Aaliyah's eyes widened when she saw it. More tears streamed down her face. Richard had a sly smile on his lips, as he got off on the fear of the little girl under him.
Slamming the bottle down on her abdomen, the bottle shattered. Leah's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she was out.
She woke up naked, and on the cold tile floor. Her eyes trained on the popcorn ceiling in the kitchen. Sometimes if she looked at the ceiling long enough, it looked like the popcorn ceiling dots were moving into each other. Like something was sucking them down.
Her hand felt her stomach, a warm, wet liquid was felt. Pulling her hand off, revaluing blood. Tears welled up in her eyes. Every part of her body hurt, especially her core. She could still feel his rough hands on her, even though she was pretty sure he was gone.
Attempting to sit up seemed impossible. But she had to get up off the dirty kitchen floor. Gritting her teeth, she sat up. Groaning, the whole way up till she was in a sitting position up against the cabinets.
More tears streamed down her flushed cheeks. 'I need to get clean.' That's what mattered the most right now, getting clean. Getting this filth off of her. Gripping the top of the island with her arms, Leah hoisted herself up to her feet. Screaming in agony as she stood up. Her mind felt dizzy, and dazed. 'I need to get upstairs.'
Gripping onto the counter for support, Leah started walking towards the stairs. Each step harder than the last. Her body burned. It felt like she was on fire. Finally making to the bottom of the staircase, Aaliyah looked up to the top of the stairs. If felt as if a whole mountain stood between her and the stairs.
Grabbing onto the handrail on the stairs, she pulled herself up to the first step. Aaliyah was already gasping for breath, as her body could barely take it. 'One down twenty to go.' Repenting the action she just did, increased the pain between her legs.
Her heart best rapidly in her chest, blood dripped from her and onto the floor. There were bloody handprints on the handrail from her. Gritting her teeth, and pulling herself up to the next stair; felt impossible. She had to make it, she had to.
Once Aaliyah made it to the top of the staircase, she collapsed onto her side, attempting to mindful to the injuries on her stomach. Taking a small break before clawing her way to her bedroom.
Blue eyes started to close. Exhaustion taking over her, pulling her into sleep. She was drowning in an ocean. Sinking farther and farther into the depths. She no longer felt a burning in her lungs from drowning; but a new odd feeling of coldness and numbness. Aaliyah no longer felt anything as she sunk into the blackness of the abyss.
Jolting awake for the second time, her eyes felt crusty and her body felt like nothing. Her arm was stretched out beneath her, being used as a pillow for her head. Attempting to move again, hurt even worse, as the carpet upstairs had gotten stuck to some of her cuts on her stomach.
Now on all fours, Leah crawled to her bedroom. The awkward body positioning she was in, was making her body hurt.
Pushing open the bedroom door with her head, Leah crawled through the room and into the jack and Jill bathroom that her and her sister share. Sitting up on her knees, Aaliyah started the water. Not caring if it was warm enough, Leah practically flopped into the bathtub.
The water was cool, but it was quickly warming. She started to cry as she saw all the bloody water go down the drain. Attempting to scrub off the forming bruises on her inner thighs with her hand, only increased her desperation of wanting to be clean.
She heard someone enter the bathroom. Her heart nearly stopped. The shower curtain pulled back revealing her mother with a cigarette in her mouth. "Mommy" Aaliyah wailed and reached out her arms for her mother. However, her mother only smirked at her. "How does it feel to be a woman again?"
It felt like a gut punch to Aaliyah. She was shocked, and hurt at her mother's question. It only caused more tears to stream down her face.
Walking to the living room, Leah saw Shay in the kitchen. "Hey" Shay said "listen, I want to apologize for my actions last night"
Leah nodded her head. Maybe she could forgive Shay, she apologized and that's what's important.