Understand Me

Chapter 8 - Don't touch me!

I haven't been this scared in a while. It's the middle of the night, and I start hearing Baylor screaming. Talk about how my heart stopped beating.

I rush up out of my room, all the boys following in the direction of her room. I see her arms flailing, hitting herself like she is trying to hit something. She is screaming "stop", and other words I can't decipher through her sobs.

I quickly go to her side, while the boys stand around her bed, not knowing what to do.

"She's having a nightmare, fratellos. Kellan get her legs. Kingston grab her other arm. I don't want her to hurt herself anymore." As we hold her down the screams get louder. I see my brothers' hesitation about holding her down. "NO! Don't let go. She will hurt herself."

I rub the top of her head, giving her kissing while I speak softly in her ear, "Wake up, Baylor. Come on. It's Beckett." I hear Kingston whispering comforting words on her other side.

Finally, Asher couldn't stand watching her scream so he decided to scream, "Baylor, wake up!" He says her name a couple of more times, and thank goodness it worked.

But it was like she was half in half out of the dream. Her eyes were open and she was looking at her body, swiping at herself, saying, "Stop touching me."

Was someone touching my sorellina? What horrors has she gone through?

"She's having a night terror." I decide to pick her up after she wouldn't listen to our voices.

I cradle her in my arms, so light and small. "Shh, come on, Baylor. It's Beckett. I'm here now to protect you. No one is going to hurt you now." I kiss her head. "I love you, Baylor. Come to me."

Kingston comes in front of me, trying to coax her out of her terror. About fifteen minutes later, her eyes lock onto Kingston's. He whispers, "Hey Bubs, you with us now?"

She starts looking around the room, realizing where she was. Her breathing gets rough, and she starts to cry more. "Oh no, don't cry Bubs. You're okay. It's okay."

I whisper to King, "Give her BoBo." He quickly gives her her comfort item, and she squeezes it, crying into it.

I rock her back and forth, reassuring her that everything is okay, and that she is with us. Reminding her that we love her....even though she doesn't necessarily like us all.

Kingston, with the softest voice I've ever heard from him, asked, "Baylor, was that a random nightmare or a memory?" I see the rage in King's eyes.

She sniffs, "A memory."

He whispered, almost like he was afraid to ask, "Did Frank touch you, baby? Like uncomfortably touch you?"

She nods slowly, whispers, "He touched my body, and I told him to stop, and he wouldn't." She let out a little sob. I rubbed my hand up and down her back.

"Did he try to do anything else, rather than touch you uncomfortably? Like try to do something hurtful to you that would have hurt your privates?" How do you explain rape to your twelve year sister that may not understand it.

She furrowed her brow, then shook her head no. All of us gave out a breath of relief. I wasn't ready for the madness that would surely happen over that.

Don't get me wrong, we are all REALLY mad about the touching, but we are trying to conceal it all until we get away from Baylor. She's had a rough night, our emotions wouldn't help her any.