The time had ticked slowly by into minutes and hours. The guys had been
given permission to stay there for the day. Raph and Mikey were caught up
in a game show and were raising their voices at the screen. Donny was
reading on the couch, and Leo had been silent for a good part of the day.
Leo was studying Kelen, who despite the fact that her boyfriend was over
for the day, had remained in the backyard shooting hoops. She had gone from
tossing the ball into the basket to tearing down the cement court with more
force and energy than was needed. She tore across the half court, fighting
off invisible players and trying desperately to burn down the rage that was
building inside of her.
Raph had kept his eye on Leo the whole day. He didn't like it that he was watching her so closely. He had shot him a furtive "lay-off" glance every now and then, but it was obvious that Leo was trying to figure out what was wrong with Kelen, and he wasn't going to back down until he had. Finally Raph got up off the couch and walked outside. He had felt guilty the days length about pushing Kelen. He silently slipped out the back door and padded quietly across the lawn until he reached the court.
Kelen stood, ball entwined within her hands, looking closely at the hoop. She shot the ball, it went through and barely made contact with the net. She burst down the court, retrieved the ball and continued her rough game. She stopped when she sensed someone's presence behind her. They came up and turned her around by the shoulders. Raphael.
"I'm sorry," he said. He penetrated her thoughts with his deep, meaningful eyes. She turned away from his touch and let the ball slip through her fingers and glide through the net. "It's not you," she said, her back still turned. "What then?!" Raphael asked, his emotions bursting through his words. Kelen just stood there. Then she turned to face him. "If I told, he'd get me," Kelen said, numb to the feeling in her voice. Raphael's eyes narrowed. "Who?" he asked, despising the thought that someone would hurt her. "If I told, he'd get me," she repeated in the same tone. Raphael looked up at the sky. Gray clouds were filling its entirety. It was going to rain, pour probably. "Come inside," he ordered. She ignored him. He took her elbow, she pushed him away. "If I were you, I wouldn't dare bring me inside," she said this in a tone and emotion he hadn't yet heard from her. He didn't want to challenge it. She turned her back to him again. He reached out and gently touched her neck. She reached back and touched his hand. He spun her around. "You're scaring me," he told her, holding tight to her wrist. She pulled her hand free. "Please, Raph just let me play," she begged. He held her eyes for a moment, then turned and went inside.
Kelen sank back into the memories she had been reliving when Raph came out. She was cold, she didn't feel safe. When was the last time she had…?
(Flashback)
Eight year old Kelen sat in her grandfather's overstuffed chair. It smelled of old spice and cherry tobacco. It was such a different smell from her mother's endless nights and restaurants scent. But nice, and comforting in a way. She missed those smells. They had both left her and she now held them captive inside her memory. She finished the last page in her Dr. Seuss book, and headed off to bed. She tucked herself in, and lulled herself to sleep. Her door quietly opened. The man who called himself her father, the one who had been neglecting her for years, made his way across her floor. Kelen tried her hardest to be asleep, but she wasn't. He sat on the end of her bed. "It's your fault," he told her. Kelen knew this. Her father had been telling her it was her fault ever since it happened. "You should have stopped that man from killing her," he said blamefully, "then you'd still have a mother and I'd still have a wife." Tears clogged Kelen's eyes and turned her world to a wet blur. "You should have called an ambulance when your Grandpa had a heart attack." Kelen tried to muffle the sounds of her tears. "Then he'd still be here too. It's your entire fault," He was silent for a moment and Kelen hoped he would leave. Bu then he ripped her from her bed and threw her against a wall. He beat her violently. Hitting her face and kicking her body. Kelen finally managed to scream. A pound was heard at her door seconds later. "Help!" she screamed. Her father punched her jaw and broke it. Then he stood back, breathing hard. "Kelen!" she heard her brother's voice from behind the door. Her father shot his head toward the door. "If you ever tell anyone, I'll know. And when I find out, I'll get you. I'll kill you and everyone that matters in your life," he meant this. Then he took out a pocket knife and sliced it across her back. He flung the door open. Brendan came running in. He looked at Kelen and scooped her into his arms. He held her and told her it would be okay. Her father left the next day and never returned. Two years passed, and Kelen was finally able to tell him what had happened that night. The next day Brendan was hit and killed by a hit and run driver. The day after, Kelen received an anonymous note in the mail. It read only two words, 'You Told.'
(End Flashback)
Rain poured down from the skies along with thunder and lightning. Kelen was drenched and shivering but continued to play. She shred through the rain and screamed. She violently threw ball after ball against the backboard. She ran across the court threatening to kill everything in her path. Rage burned inside of her and engulfed her body with a hot anger. She screamed from somewhere inside her mind and it came out through her mouth. She slipped on the wet concrete. Her head sounded like a coconut smashing against wood. In two seconds Leo was outside. He grabbed her by the middle and dragged her across the yard into the house fury burning hot in her eyes. He put her down in the living room. There were a million different things she wanted to scream, but none came. All eyes were on her and Leo. Leo breathed deeply. "What is wrong with you?" he asked all too calmly. "You have been playing in the pouring rain for an hour; you're going to make yourself sick. You have been playing for almost seven hours. We are all very worried. Please," he begged her, "tell us. We won't let anyone hurt you." The fury died and she transformed back into herself. The anger had been heating her body and she realized just how cold she was. She looked outside. The rain was coming down in sheets. Her body trembled. She was freezing and her head was throbbing. Raph came up behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Maybe you should go take a shower first," he suggested. She nodded. She looked into Leo's ice cold stare. "I'm so sorry," her voice quivered. His eyes melted and he hugged her. He could tell Raph didn't like it, but was tolerating it. She slowly moved away from him. "Go take a shower," he sighed. She nodded again.
In the bathroom, Kelen stripped off her wet clothes. She looked at the long, red scar going along her back. She touched it softly, like if she pressed too hard it might bleed all over again. She examined the bruises covering her legs as a memory of that night. She then examined the bump on her head, it was bad. She stepped into the hot shower.
Raph sat in one of the many guest rooms at Lauren and Kelen's house. He was under the covers and flipping through TV channels. There was no way they could walk home in a storm like this. They had all decided to wait it out. Someone knocked on his door. "Yeah?" he questioned. It opened softly. "Can I come in?" Kelen asked. She was out of the shower and was wearing a football jersey and black sweats. "Yeah, sure," Raph said.
She sat on the end of his bed. "You need something?" he asked. "Just hold me," Kelen said, tears forming in her eyes. Raph didn't ask why, but pulled her up next to him and held her. He did his best to protect her from the world that had turned its back on her. He kissed her softly. She finally relaxed and fell asleep in his arms, leaving him to wonder just what had happened to this girl so long ago, and was hurting her enough that she couldn't tell anyone.
*Reviews are always welcome!
Raph had kept his eye on Leo the whole day. He didn't like it that he was watching her so closely. He had shot him a furtive "lay-off" glance every now and then, but it was obvious that Leo was trying to figure out what was wrong with Kelen, and he wasn't going to back down until he had. Finally Raph got up off the couch and walked outside. He had felt guilty the days length about pushing Kelen. He silently slipped out the back door and padded quietly across the lawn until he reached the court.
Kelen stood, ball entwined within her hands, looking closely at the hoop. She shot the ball, it went through and barely made contact with the net. She burst down the court, retrieved the ball and continued her rough game. She stopped when she sensed someone's presence behind her. They came up and turned her around by the shoulders. Raphael.
"I'm sorry," he said. He penetrated her thoughts with his deep, meaningful eyes. She turned away from his touch and let the ball slip through her fingers and glide through the net. "It's not you," she said, her back still turned. "What then?!" Raphael asked, his emotions bursting through his words. Kelen just stood there. Then she turned to face him. "If I told, he'd get me," Kelen said, numb to the feeling in her voice. Raphael's eyes narrowed. "Who?" he asked, despising the thought that someone would hurt her. "If I told, he'd get me," she repeated in the same tone. Raphael looked up at the sky. Gray clouds were filling its entirety. It was going to rain, pour probably. "Come inside," he ordered. She ignored him. He took her elbow, she pushed him away. "If I were you, I wouldn't dare bring me inside," she said this in a tone and emotion he hadn't yet heard from her. He didn't want to challenge it. She turned her back to him again. He reached out and gently touched her neck. She reached back and touched his hand. He spun her around. "You're scaring me," he told her, holding tight to her wrist. She pulled her hand free. "Please, Raph just let me play," she begged. He held her eyes for a moment, then turned and went inside.
Kelen sank back into the memories she had been reliving when Raph came out. She was cold, she didn't feel safe. When was the last time she had…?
(Flashback)
Eight year old Kelen sat in her grandfather's overstuffed chair. It smelled of old spice and cherry tobacco. It was such a different smell from her mother's endless nights and restaurants scent. But nice, and comforting in a way. She missed those smells. They had both left her and she now held them captive inside her memory. She finished the last page in her Dr. Seuss book, and headed off to bed. She tucked herself in, and lulled herself to sleep. Her door quietly opened. The man who called himself her father, the one who had been neglecting her for years, made his way across her floor. Kelen tried her hardest to be asleep, but she wasn't. He sat on the end of her bed. "It's your fault," he told her. Kelen knew this. Her father had been telling her it was her fault ever since it happened. "You should have stopped that man from killing her," he said blamefully, "then you'd still have a mother and I'd still have a wife." Tears clogged Kelen's eyes and turned her world to a wet blur. "You should have called an ambulance when your Grandpa had a heart attack." Kelen tried to muffle the sounds of her tears. "Then he'd still be here too. It's your entire fault," He was silent for a moment and Kelen hoped he would leave. Bu then he ripped her from her bed and threw her against a wall. He beat her violently. Hitting her face and kicking her body. Kelen finally managed to scream. A pound was heard at her door seconds later. "Help!" she screamed. Her father punched her jaw and broke it. Then he stood back, breathing hard. "Kelen!" she heard her brother's voice from behind the door. Her father shot his head toward the door. "If you ever tell anyone, I'll know. And when I find out, I'll get you. I'll kill you and everyone that matters in your life," he meant this. Then he took out a pocket knife and sliced it across her back. He flung the door open. Brendan came running in. He looked at Kelen and scooped her into his arms. He held her and told her it would be okay. Her father left the next day and never returned. Two years passed, and Kelen was finally able to tell him what had happened that night. The next day Brendan was hit and killed by a hit and run driver. The day after, Kelen received an anonymous note in the mail. It read only two words, 'You Told.'
(End Flashback)
Rain poured down from the skies along with thunder and lightning. Kelen was drenched and shivering but continued to play. She shred through the rain and screamed. She violently threw ball after ball against the backboard. She ran across the court threatening to kill everything in her path. Rage burned inside of her and engulfed her body with a hot anger. She screamed from somewhere inside her mind and it came out through her mouth. She slipped on the wet concrete. Her head sounded like a coconut smashing against wood. In two seconds Leo was outside. He grabbed her by the middle and dragged her across the yard into the house fury burning hot in her eyes. He put her down in the living room. There were a million different things she wanted to scream, but none came. All eyes were on her and Leo. Leo breathed deeply. "What is wrong with you?" he asked all too calmly. "You have been playing in the pouring rain for an hour; you're going to make yourself sick. You have been playing for almost seven hours. We are all very worried. Please," he begged her, "tell us. We won't let anyone hurt you." The fury died and she transformed back into herself. The anger had been heating her body and she realized just how cold she was. She looked outside. The rain was coming down in sheets. Her body trembled. She was freezing and her head was throbbing. Raph came up behind her. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Maybe you should go take a shower first," he suggested. She nodded. She looked into Leo's ice cold stare. "I'm so sorry," her voice quivered. His eyes melted and he hugged her. He could tell Raph didn't like it, but was tolerating it. She slowly moved away from him. "Go take a shower," he sighed. She nodded again.
In the bathroom, Kelen stripped off her wet clothes. She looked at the long, red scar going along her back. She touched it softly, like if she pressed too hard it might bleed all over again. She examined the bruises covering her legs as a memory of that night. She then examined the bump on her head, it was bad. She stepped into the hot shower.
Raph sat in one of the many guest rooms at Lauren and Kelen's house. He was under the covers and flipping through TV channels. There was no way they could walk home in a storm like this. They had all decided to wait it out. Someone knocked on his door. "Yeah?" he questioned. It opened softly. "Can I come in?" Kelen asked. She was out of the shower and was wearing a football jersey and black sweats. "Yeah, sure," Raph said.
She sat on the end of his bed. "You need something?" he asked. "Just hold me," Kelen said, tears forming in her eyes. Raph didn't ask why, but pulled her up next to him and held her. He did his best to protect her from the world that had turned its back on her. He kissed her softly. She finally relaxed and fell asleep in his arms, leaving him to wonder just what had happened to this girl so long ago, and was hurting her enough that she couldn't tell anyone.
*Reviews are always welcome!