Intimate Stranger (Editing)

Chapter 18: June 19, 2010

COPYRIGHT © SARAH MARTIN 2015

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THIS BOOK OR ANY PORTION OF THIS BOOK THEREOF MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED OR USED IN ANY MANNER WHATSOEVER WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR. ANY UNAUTHORIZED COPYING, BROADCASTING, MANIPULATION OR INFRINGEMENT OF THIS COPYRIGHT IS PUNISHABLE BY LAW.

(A/n: This chapter contains sexually explicit material. Parents strongly cautioned. JK JK, it's not that bad lol)

Part Eighteen
June 19, 2010

Closing my eyes, with my elbows on the table, I put my head in my palms and sighed. My dad just looked at me, his head tilted slightly to his left, a sympathetic, worried expression on his face. I was so exhausted, that when I looked up again, I had to force my eyes open. Maybe pouring my heart out to my dad in the middle of the night was just what I needed. All I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for days – that is, if the nightmares didn't plague me, which they so regularly do.

"Are you alright, honey?" He questioned, stretching his arm across the table and rubbing my shoulder comfortingly. No, I'm not alright. I wanted to tell him that, but I didn't want him to worry anymore than he already was.

I just shook my head lightly and shrugged his hand away. "I uh.." I ran my fingers through my hair, "I think I should...try to get some sleep."

He nodded, understandingly, "Alright." I stood up, grabbing my cereal bowl to put in the sink, but he stopped me, saying, "I'll get that."

I gave him a timid smile, "Thanks." I walked towards the doorway and he said my name, making me turn around, "Yeah?" I questioned.

"Thank you for talking to me."

I nodded, "Thank you for listening."

"Goodnight, Katelyn."

"Night dad."

I trudged up the stairs, walking like a zombie. My door was ajar so I simply pushed my body against it and it swung open. Looking into my room, I suddenly had a flash of that night in my mind, but I shook the memory away and made my way to my bed.

I sprawled my body across it, not bothering to remove my robe or slippers. It didn't take long, for the moment I closed my eyes, I was out. Thank you, sandman.

-

I woke up late in the afternoon to birds chirping irritatingly outside my window. I groaned, shoving my head under the pillow and pressing it hard against my ears with the palms of my hands. "Would you please be quiet?" I muttered. "Awesome, now I'm talking to birds," I said sarcastically to myself, rolling my eyes.

I removed my head from under my pillow, swiping the mat of hair that was in front of my eyes, so that I could look at the clock.

1:36. Late. But I didn't want to get out of bed. I never wanted to get out of bed. Not being in my bed meant being in public, vulnerable to crazies who wanted to kidnap and rape me. Being out of bed meant forcing smiles and cursing my own thoughts – Faking happiness just to make it easier on the people around me. But then again, if I wasn't affected by what happened to me then that would be cause for even more concern.

Getting out of bed was so pointless. I couldn't do anything. Even if I wanted to, I didn't know how to get passed my fears of...you know...everything. I was so worthless. And I felt that way every second of every day that I lived in a world where my friends did not.

I lay in my bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking these thoughts that attempted to drive me insane. Not that I wasn't already insane. To a large degree.

Eventually I sat up in my bed, entangling myself from my robe that was twisted around my body, remembering that I fell asleep wearing it. I didn't want to get out of bed, but I needed to. For my parents at least.

I swung my legs over my bed and stared down at my feet. Where were my slippers? I searched around for them for a moment and found one at the end of my bed under my sheets and one under my bed. I put them on, standing up and reaching my hands to the sky in a stimulating stretch. Looking up, I opened my eyes and suddenly had a flash of memory. Laying in my parents bed, staring up at Steve as he-I shook my head, wiping the memory away.