Nightmares
Adam and Joe walk out the house when they heard the buckboard riding up to the house. "Did you boys get that fence in the North Pasture mended?" asked Ben. "Yeah we go that done earlier after you left" said Joe.
"Good you can help Hoss unload the supplies" said Ben as he climbs down off the buck board. Adam and Joe walk over to the back of the wagon and help Amelia down.
Both of them how quiet and nervous she was. "You alright, sis?" asked Joe. "Leaved me alone!" snapped Amelia she storms to the house passing Hoss and Ben they walk over to them.
"What as that all about?" asked Joe concerned. "She didn't say anything all the way home" explained Hoss confused by his sister's behavior.
"Did something happen when you were in town?" asked Adam curiously.
"No but she did do a lot of lifting" said Ben. "Maybe she's just tired" suggested Joe. "I hope that all that is. Your sister is at the age where she is the most stubbornness" said Ben. "Well Pa she is stubborn but I don't think it's because of her age" teased Hoss.
"After all she is a Cartwright" said Adam proudly. The four men laugh as they unloaded the buckboard.
Late in the middle of the night Amelia woke up screaming from a horrifying dream. She looks around her dark room and started to breathe more calmly.
She gets up out of bed and puts on her robe and slippers. She then quiets crept out in the hallway and down the stairs. A couple minutes later Ben woke up after hearing the front door shut. Curiously he gets up puts on his robe and slippers then out of his room.
He walks into each of the boys' rooms each were sound asleep in their respective beds. He walks into his daughter's room and is surprise to the room was empty.
Ben walks downstairs and out the door. He walks over to the porch to find his daughter sitting at the table looking at the clear starry night sky. He could see the tears in her eyes.
He quietly walks over to her and sits beside her. "Amelia, baby why are you up so late?" asked Ben. "Couldn't sleep" said Amelia her voice shaky.
"Are you alright?" asked Ben. Knowing that she couldn't keep it bottled up inside any longer Amelia turns to her father. "I've been thinking about the night I was…raped" said Amelia she hated the thought of using the terminology but there was no other way to describe that act of horror.
Ben touches her arm comfortingly. "You shouldn't think about that now it's all over. It happened a long time ago and you overcame that tragedy there's no need to bring all that pain and torment back" said Ben comfortingly.
"That's easy for you to say you don't have to live with the fact that someone took advantage of you. You don't have to live with the fact that you're a tramp! I still have memories of that night I wish I didn't but I do and nothing I do can make them go away. Every time I think about how he touch me how he use me it makes me sick but there's nothing I can do to stop it. I have to live with it for the rest of my life" said Amelia in a resentful tone.
She turns to him tears dripping down her cheeks. "I had a nightmare about that night" said Amelia helplessly. Ben had tears in his eyes seeing his daughter in so much pain.
"I'm so sorry you had to go through something like that. All I wanted was to keep you safe from harm and then you, my precious little girl being violated and there was nothing I could have done to prevent it, it broke my heart. I failed you that day" said Ben choking back sobs.
"No you didn't Pa. You were there to help me pick up the pieces. You were there to help me heal. You didn't fail me Pa and neither did the boys. I wouldn't have the strength to go on without you" said Amelia. She throws her arms around her father holding him in a tight embrace.
Ben returned the embrace just as tightly. Amelia then kisses him goodnight and walks back to the house.
Ben starts to wonder why after three years Amelia is having nightmares about her attack again. He wonders if she still hadn't move past it or if there is a constant memory that keeps drawing her back to the night.
Ben decides to go to bed and talk about it with his sons tomorrow.