Chapter Twenty One

Warning: Sexual abuse hinted at.

Bella

It was some time before he climbed back in grinning and licking his lips, blood smeared on his shirt front and on his hands.

"I guess that'll keep me going until we get home. You ready to see your mama again girl?"

I swallowed hard, my throat so dry it hurt but I managed a few words,

"What did you do to Renee? Why are you doing this to us?"

His good humor evaporated instantly and he slapped the side of my head,

"Don't you sass me girlie. She got what all you girls want and she'll get it again as soon as we get home now shut your mouth before I give you a taste of my belt."

I crouched down shaking with fear and revulsion, had he really just raped my mother at the back of the truck or did I misunderstand him? Why did he ask me if I was ready to see my mother again? Did he think I was someone else? Was this really a case of mistaken identity?

"My name is Bella, Bella Swan. That's my mum in the back Renee Dwyer and the man you shot was my step father Phil Dwyer."

He slammed the brakes on so fiercely that I hit my head on the dash breaking open the skin on my forehead and blood streamed down over my eyes blinding me. I felt his hands on my legs pulling me out of the passenger door and tried to kick him but my hands were still secured to the door handle and I hung out of the door shaking and screaming, terrified what he might do and then I felt it, a lash of his belt across my shoulder blades and I tried to curl up to avoid more but in this position I couldn't and he hit me again and again screaming about lying women, deceitful girls, and fucking whores. When he eventually calmed down he pushed me back into the passenger side and slammed the door catching one of my ankles the seat and door and making me scream out again. He almost tore the door off in his rage and punched me in the face knocking me senseless as he slammed it shut once again.

I hovered on the edge of consciousness for hours after that, my head thumping in time with my injured ankle and the blood congealed on my face preventing me from seeing anything. My hands has stopped throbbing now they were numb but my wrists were raw from the sharp edges of the plastic tie. We stopped at least once more but I have no idea how long for, I thought I heard my mother begging for help but it could have been a dream, I hoped it was. Would this nightmare never end? What did he want with us? If it were merely rape and murder we would be dead by now and at moments of greatest fear I almost wished it was over but then I steeled myself, I would not let this monster win, not now I had something to live for, I wanted to live and get back to Jasper and that kept me going.

Eventually we arrived wherever it was he was taking us, the truck pulled in to a wooden outbuilding and he switched off the engine getting out and stretching before coming round to my side and opening the door to look at me still twisted into the passenger foot well.

"Look at you, you're a disgrace to your mama and me. Get out."

I tried but my ankle refused to take my weight and I sagged against the plastic tie around my wrists. He didn't say anything just took out an enormous knife and I thought my time had come but he merely slashed through the tie catching the back of my hands as he did so and blood poured from the new cuts. He didn't comment on my scream of pain just threw me over his shoulder and carried me through the darkness to an old fashioned house, round the back and down steep cellar steps. At the bottom he threw me to the ground and opened a thick door with a huge brass key he took from a rusty nail on the wall.

Inside it was almost as dark as outside, the only light came from a dim dusty bulb hanging in a cage from the ceiling. I tried to look around and saw another figure hunched up on what looked like a pile of rags on the earth floor. It moved scrabbling into a corner as he walked in dragging me behind him and let me go to slump to the floor.

"Here's your sister. I bet you thought I couldn't find her didn't you? Well you were wrong and now the family is back together, just like its supposed to be. You can tell your sister the rules Kat, remind her what happens to girls who misbehave. You'll have a guest tonight too, wont that be nice. I brought you some food, what do you say Kat?"

A small voice came from the corner,

"Thank you daddy."

"Good girl, you were always my little darlin' Now you behave and I'll bring your guest and the food in a few minutes."

When he was gone, the door slammed shut behind him and locked once more, I crawled over towards the voice in the corner.

"Who are you? Where are we?"

"Home, just like daddy said. You mustn't ask questions, he'll get angry and when he gets angry he beats us and he hurts mama. He's hurt her so bad now she's all swollen up."

Getting close enough to see in the semi darkness I made out a little girl of about ten or eleven with the same dark hair as me although straggly and uncombed. She looked filthy and her dress, once pretty with ribbons and bows was now ragged and too small for her.

"How old are you Kat?"

Her eyes widened and she shook her head,

"I don't know, my daddy came for me on my birthday but I haven't had another one. What's your name?"

"Bella, I'm Bella."

I didn't question her any further, she knew what she was supposed to say, hence the hesitation and I didn't want to get her into any more trouble, especially if he beat her too, a little girl he called his daughter.

We weren't alone for long, we heard heavy footsteps and then the key in the door and Kat hugged herself tightly as he came in dragging Renee behind him. Her clothes were torn and her face bruised and bloody but she tried to stand as she saw me.

"Right, here's your guest and your dinner."

He threw both Renee and a paper bag filled with what was presumably food onto the floor and as I ran forward to my mother Kat sprang towards the food like she had been starved for days. If this madman had been watching us then she probably had unless her mother fed her while he was gone. I heard a clinking sound and noticed a manacle around Kat's ankle, he had her chained up like a dog!

Renee cowered down until he'd left then she hobbled over to hug me, tears streaming down her face.

"Are you OK Bella? Did he touch you? Did he..."

I shook my head convinced now he had raped Renee though and that is what I'd heard.

"No I'm OK."

My voice was slightly distorted from the pain in my jaw where he had hit me but I was alive.

"Did you see what he did? He shot Phil without a word of warning. He just lifted his gun and shot Phil in the head, He's dead Bella, Phil's dead."

I held her as she cried, both for herself and for Phil while I was terrified about the future. What would become of us if the girl Kat had been here at least a year if not more?

When Kat had finished stuffing her mouth with all the food she could and putting more in the pocket of her dress she came over with the half empty bag and offered it to Renee.

"I'm sorry I ate so much but I haven't had food in days and I was so hungry, don't be cross with me please."

Renee managed a smile and took the offered bag,

"I'm not cross, thank you."

She handed the bag to me trying to get some word from the little girl Kat about where we were and what then man was doing to her while I looked inside the bag. The food was the remains of fast food outlets not finished and binned, part eaten hamburgers, cold fries with ketchup on them, cartons part full of Chinese and Mexican food, remnants of subs and it was clear he dived the garbage bins to feed his captives. I was hungry but I couldn't stomach this so I handed it to Renee who after looking at the contents handed it back to Kat who took it gratefully hunting through for her favorites, the left over fries in ketchup and cheesy nachos.