The Lyrics of Love

The Lyrics of Love - Ch. 11

"Three months before my 14th birthday I met Danny. He was older. 18. And so handsome and funny. He saw me standing in line at the custard stand and came up to introduce himself. He bought me my ice cream and sat with me while I ate it. After that we were inseperable. My parents thought he was too old for me so I would sneak out to meet him at night in the woods behind my house." I stopped and took a deep breath. I glanced at Callie and she looked completely absorbed and a little hesitant as if she wasn't sure she really wanted to know. "Anyway. The night of my 14th birthday he asked me to meet him. So as usual I waited for my parents to fall asleep and climbed out my window to go to him. He was standing in a small clearing surrounded by candles and a picnic set out on a big stuffed comforter. I was blown away. We started eating and he handed me a little box. Inside was a bracelet. It was silver and looked kind of like a cuff. The inscription read "forever mine". I thought it was so romantic.

He put the bracelet on me and I realized it was set up so it couldn't be taken off without a key to open it. He had the key on a necklace he was wearing. He told me how much he loved me and then kissed me.

He started moving way too fast for me and when I tried to stop him, he snapped."

I looked up again and saw tears gathering in Callie's eyes. She looked so sad I almost stopped right there. But I didn't. Now that I had started it was like a spigot I couldn't turn off. I had to finish.

"He beat me. Bad. Broken arm, shattered cheekbone and nose. Broken jaw. 4 broken ribs. Lots of cuts and bruises. One cut in particular. It goes from here" I said pointing to below my breast "to here." Following the line with my finger to just above my naval.

"He did things to me. Things no little girl should even know about. I bled a lot. He tied me to a tree and kept going for hours it seemed. He left as the sun came up. Left me tied to the tree. He said 'don't ever forget you will always be mine. Always.' I cried and waited for someone to find me. It was Jeff and Tanner who finally did. I don't remember much more until a few weeks later when I woke up in the hospital."

"Oh my God Kenny! I am so sorry. I had no idea. I wouldn't have asked you to tell me if I had known." I saw pity in her eyes and I hated it. "What happened to him? How much time did he get?"

"None. He ran. They still haven't found him. But it will be any time now." I took a shaky breath and pulled out a box from under my bed. Inside were the clothes I had been wearing that night, the bracelet they had to cut off of me and a single red rose with a little note. I pulled out the note and handed it to Callie.

My love,

I don't know why you old them I

hurt you. You know I love you. You

are just too young. I'll be back on

your 18th birthday baby. You'll

understand then. I love you. You are

mine. Forever. Never forget that.

Your one & only forever,

Danny

Callie looked up at me with fear in her eyes like a deer in the headlights. "When is our birthday?" She asked in a shaky voice.

I have her a small smile but I could tell it was little more than a grimace. "In two weeks."