Kelen jumped at the sound of thunder. She was never going to get any sleep
through this storm. She was still in Raph's room, or at least the guest
room he was staying in, and he was sound asleep. She laid her head down
again and the thunder seemed to stop. But just as she was on the verge of
sleep, more struck. She jumped up with a gasp. Raph woke up hearing her and
feeling her jump. She hadn't noticed he had wakened up. "What's wrong?" he
asked in a very sleepy voice. She snapped her head towards him. "Did I wake
you? I'm sorry Raph," she said. But she was actually very happy he was up.
"It's okay," he said trying to shake the sleep from his body. Thunder
rattled through the sky. Kelen jumped again, she couldn't get used to it. A
mischievous grin spread across Raphael's face. "You're scared of thunder,
aren't you?" he asked. Kelen stared straight ahead at the blank TV screen.
"No, I just don't like," wind shook the window, "loud sounds," she finished
with a little jolt. The grin disappeared, "Come on," Raph said, holding out
an arm. Kelen moved from the other side of the bed into Raph's arms. He
pulled the covers up over them and held her tight. He could feel her
relaxing in his arms. "Get some sleep," he told her. Then he had a thought.
"Or if you can't sleep, we could do something else," he added, his hand
making its way up her shirt. She reached back and slapped his arm. "We
talked about that, you know I'm not doing that," she said. He could feel
the tenseness return to her body. "Sorry," he said softly and kissed her
cheek. She relaxed again. He put his head in the space between her shoulder
and neck and closed his eyes. More thunder struck the night sky. He
tightened his grip around Kelen. "It's okay," he told her, "it's just
sound." Her breathing finally slowed and she was peaceful. When more
thunder struck, and Kelen didn't stir, he fell asleep.
The next morning, Raph woke up with Kelen in his arms. He loved that feeling. He glanced at the clock and realized he had slept late. He knew he'd have to go home soon, the storm had stopped. He kissed Kelen and silently got up and left the room. When he got in the kitchen, only Leo was there. "We goin' soon?" he asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Leo looked at the clock. "We'll be here for about two more days," he said and then went back to his paper. "Huh?" Raph mumbled, giving him a look. "Splinter went on another retreat and he's leaving us all here," Leo told him. They didn't speak. Raph gulped down his coffee and Leo flipped the page on his paper. Then Leo broke the silence. "How's Kelen?" he asked. Raph had almost forgotten about last night. He shrugged, "Okay, I guess," he said. "How's her head?" Leo asked. Raph had forgotten about that. "I dunno," he said. Leo rolled his eyes. He had been worried about her all night. The girl he had seen was not Kelen. It was a girl he'd never seen or known before. Something about her made him want to make everything right and make him slap her at the same time. He had gone to check on her, but she wasn't in her room. He sort of figured she would be with Raph.
Just then, Kelen came in rubbing her head. She stopped when she noticed them. She had figured they would have left. But she was glad to see them both. "What are you still doing here?" she asked with a smile. "Splinter's on a retreat, we're moving in for a couple days," Raph told her kissing her lips gently. "How's your head?" Leo asked. She felt a bump on the back of her head the size of a grapefruit. She looked at the ground for a moment. "Ouch," was the only word she said. Leo walked over and gently examined the bump. "Yeah, I'd say that's a good description," he said. Kelen laughed. Leo looked at Raph and could tell he was doing all he could to keep from pounding him into the ground. Kelen left and went to her own room upstairs. Raph clenched his fists at his side. "Lay off of Kelen," he said slowly. Leo put his hands up. "Raphael, I promise I don't have feelings for Kelen that way. She's all yours," he told him. The anger seemed to die down a little, but not a lot. Raph walked over to the couch in the step up living room and turned on the TV. Kelen came back into the kitchen. She was dressed in loose gray caprice and a black tank top. "Do you ever run?" Leo asked her. Kelen said, "Yeah, sometimes. Why?" Leo responded, "Because I was just about to go running and I'd like to talk to you. Why don't you come with me?" She knew she couldn't say no. "Sure," she said. And he led her out the door.
They jogged through back alleys and other shaded areas. After an hour, the only sound that had been heard was Kelen's shoes against the concrete. Leo stopped in an alleyway. Kelen did too. "What?" she asked. "Kelen, I really think you need to tell me what's going on. I understand you don't want too, but you really need help," he told her calmly. "Leo, it isn't that I don't want to tell you," she was uncomfortable saying even this much and Leo sensed it, "but if I do, he'll kill me and you too. I can't do that." she was trying to make him understand, but he couldn't. "Who will kill you?" Leo asked. He couldn't believe that someone could ever kill her. "If I tell you, he'll get me," Kelen said in a voice that didn't belong to her. "Can't you tell someone though?" She shook her head. "Not even Lauren?" he asked. She shook her head again. "What about your brother?" he persisted. Her answer was the same. "Well what about your father?" he asked. Kelen's faced turned white. A look of terror and fear grew behind her eyes. Kelen shook her head slowly. Just at mentioning the word, she had grown stiff and quiet. Leo realized her sudden switch in color. "Kelen, what does this have to do with your father?" he asked her. His voice was cold. She shook her head. "Is he the one who's going to kill you?" Leo asked. Kelen stood there. After a while she shook her head. But Leo knew she was lying.
He wanted to scream. Family was supposed to be the people you can trust. When they turn they're back on you, who can you trust? And her own father? He looked over at her. She was motionless. "Kelen what did he do to you?" he asked. She didn't respond. He looked into her eyes, but nothing was there. Kelen was fixed in a trance.
(Flashback)
Kelen sat on her brother's bed. She looked around his room. She used to love being in here, but now it was ghostly. She left his room and went to her own. She laid back on her bed and fell asleep. A few hours later, Kelen's door opened. A shadowy figure, much taller than her older brother, Trent, stood in the doorway. Her father walked in. "What are you doing here?" she asked, hoping it was for a different reason than she thought. "I'm here to make sure you don't tell anyone else," he said, pulling a knife from his pocket. Kelen screamed. He locked her door. He pulled her from her bed onto the floor. He drew his knife up. Kelen flinched and raised her arms over her head. But the knife never came. He couldn't kill his daughter. Instead he sliced her side. "Next time I won't stop," he said. "I know everywhere you go, what you do, when you sleep and wake up. Next time you tell, I'll know, and I'll kill you," Kelen didn't scream this time. She couldn't feel the pain. She looked down at her side, the blood was real. She closed her eyes tight. But when she opened them, she wasn't in her room.
(End Flashback)
Leo was gently slapping the side of Kelen's face trying to get her to come to. That wasn't working. He took her face in both hands and said her name over and over. Finally her eyes closed and opened again. Kelen looked around. "Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded. "Come on, I need to get you home," he told her. She leaned on his arm for support. Her legs felt like they would collapse any second. He turned and led her out of the alley, failing to notice the shadow that had followed them there.
The next morning, Raph woke up with Kelen in his arms. He loved that feeling. He glanced at the clock and realized he had slept late. He knew he'd have to go home soon, the storm had stopped. He kissed Kelen and silently got up and left the room. When he got in the kitchen, only Leo was there. "We goin' soon?" he asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Leo looked at the clock. "We'll be here for about two more days," he said and then went back to his paper. "Huh?" Raph mumbled, giving him a look. "Splinter went on another retreat and he's leaving us all here," Leo told him. They didn't speak. Raph gulped down his coffee and Leo flipped the page on his paper. Then Leo broke the silence. "How's Kelen?" he asked. Raph had almost forgotten about last night. He shrugged, "Okay, I guess," he said. "How's her head?" Leo asked. Raph had forgotten about that. "I dunno," he said. Leo rolled his eyes. He had been worried about her all night. The girl he had seen was not Kelen. It was a girl he'd never seen or known before. Something about her made him want to make everything right and make him slap her at the same time. He had gone to check on her, but she wasn't in her room. He sort of figured she would be with Raph.
Just then, Kelen came in rubbing her head. She stopped when she noticed them. She had figured they would have left. But she was glad to see them both. "What are you still doing here?" she asked with a smile. "Splinter's on a retreat, we're moving in for a couple days," Raph told her kissing her lips gently. "How's your head?" Leo asked. She felt a bump on the back of her head the size of a grapefruit. She looked at the ground for a moment. "Ouch," was the only word she said. Leo walked over and gently examined the bump. "Yeah, I'd say that's a good description," he said. Kelen laughed. Leo looked at Raph and could tell he was doing all he could to keep from pounding him into the ground. Kelen left and went to her own room upstairs. Raph clenched his fists at his side. "Lay off of Kelen," he said slowly. Leo put his hands up. "Raphael, I promise I don't have feelings for Kelen that way. She's all yours," he told him. The anger seemed to die down a little, but not a lot. Raph walked over to the couch in the step up living room and turned on the TV. Kelen came back into the kitchen. She was dressed in loose gray caprice and a black tank top. "Do you ever run?" Leo asked her. Kelen said, "Yeah, sometimes. Why?" Leo responded, "Because I was just about to go running and I'd like to talk to you. Why don't you come with me?" She knew she couldn't say no. "Sure," she said. And he led her out the door.
They jogged through back alleys and other shaded areas. After an hour, the only sound that had been heard was Kelen's shoes against the concrete. Leo stopped in an alleyway. Kelen did too. "What?" she asked. "Kelen, I really think you need to tell me what's going on. I understand you don't want too, but you really need help," he told her calmly. "Leo, it isn't that I don't want to tell you," she was uncomfortable saying even this much and Leo sensed it, "but if I do, he'll kill me and you too. I can't do that." she was trying to make him understand, but he couldn't. "Who will kill you?" Leo asked. He couldn't believe that someone could ever kill her. "If I tell you, he'll get me," Kelen said in a voice that didn't belong to her. "Can't you tell someone though?" She shook her head. "Not even Lauren?" he asked. She shook her head again. "What about your brother?" he persisted. Her answer was the same. "Well what about your father?" he asked. Kelen's faced turned white. A look of terror and fear grew behind her eyes. Kelen shook her head slowly. Just at mentioning the word, she had grown stiff and quiet. Leo realized her sudden switch in color. "Kelen, what does this have to do with your father?" he asked her. His voice was cold. She shook her head. "Is he the one who's going to kill you?" Leo asked. Kelen stood there. After a while she shook her head. But Leo knew she was lying.
He wanted to scream. Family was supposed to be the people you can trust. When they turn they're back on you, who can you trust? And her own father? He looked over at her. She was motionless. "Kelen what did he do to you?" he asked. She didn't respond. He looked into her eyes, but nothing was there. Kelen was fixed in a trance.
(Flashback)
Kelen sat on her brother's bed. She looked around his room. She used to love being in here, but now it was ghostly. She left his room and went to her own. She laid back on her bed and fell asleep. A few hours later, Kelen's door opened. A shadowy figure, much taller than her older brother, Trent, stood in the doorway. Her father walked in. "What are you doing here?" she asked, hoping it was for a different reason than she thought. "I'm here to make sure you don't tell anyone else," he said, pulling a knife from his pocket. Kelen screamed. He locked her door. He pulled her from her bed onto the floor. He drew his knife up. Kelen flinched and raised her arms over her head. But the knife never came. He couldn't kill his daughter. Instead he sliced her side. "Next time I won't stop," he said. "I know everywhere you go, what you do, when you sleep and wake up. Next time you tell, I'll know, and I'll kill you," Kelen didn't scream this time. She couldn't feel the pain. She looked down at her side, the blood was real. She closed her eyes tight. But when she opened them, she wasn't in her room.
(End Flashback)
Leo was gently slapping the side of Kelen's face trying to get her to come to. That wasn't working. He took her face in both hands and said her name over and over. Finally her eyes closed and opened again. Kelen looked around. "Are you okay?" he asked. She nodded. "Come on, I need to get you home," he told her. She leaned on his arm for support. Her legs felt like they would collapse any second. He turned and led her out of the alley, failing to notice the shadow that had followed them there.