No One Will Hear You

Chapter One, part 1

She was in the shower when they came. As she rinsed the soap from her face, she heard a loud scream. Assuming it came from one of her many rowdy siblings, she ignored it and continued singing "Home" by Daughtry. Her singing teacher often praised her "exceptional" voice, the result of natural talent and five years of singing lessons.

Another scream sounded, startling her. 'That's odd. Mom never screams. It sounds like fighting.' She heard glass smashing, adults and children yelling, objects banging into walls. "What on earth is going on?" she wondered aloud. She switched off the steaming water just as bathroom door flew open with a loud crash.

Veanna Gibson sucked in a sharp gasp as four large shapes filled the small bathroom. Through the filmy shower curtains, she watched as one strode towards her. With increasing terror, she saw a tanned hand grab the curtain and yank it aside. Zzziiiinnnggg.

A tall, muscled man stood there, staring boldly at her. His gray-eyed gaze slowly traveled down her body, lingering on her panicked face and the hands that desperately tried to cover her nudity. A grin quirked at the side of his mouth, his teeth biting his lower lip in a seductive look. Veanna felt a burst of disgust as his eyes took in the sight of her 17-year-old curves and her shapely legs. 'He's a pervert!'

That's when she noticed the silence coming from outside the bathroom. Where was her family? Concern overrode her fear, and she stood up straight, her hands falling to her sides and clenching into fists. Satisfaction filled her being as surprise and trepidation flashed in the man's eyes. "Who are you?" she demanded with a bravado she did not fully feel. "What did you do to Mom and Dad? And my sisters and brothers?"

One of the other men laughed harshly. "She is tough, no?" he snickered.

The guy in front of her whirled around and grabbed the laughing man by the shirt collar. "Out, Cannon. Now."

"B-but, Boss, I didn't mean nothin' by it. Hon-honest, sir," Cannon stuttered, his hands raised to shield his heavily tattooed face.

"I said, OUT!"

"O-o-okay, sure, Boss. Yeah, I'm going. RIght now." Cannon skittered from the bathroom.

The other two men watched the exchange in stone-faced silence, their eyes flickering from her to the confrontation in front of them. One was tall and stocky, with muscled arms and legs and wide shoulders. The brown hair that stood up in spiky clumps on his head and the large silver plug in his left ear lent him a punk-rock look. His nose was twisted, obviously broken several times throughout his life.

The second guy was also tall, but he had a pencil-thin body with barely any muscle or fat. His white-blonde hair hung in limp dreadlocks half-way down his back, while his arms sported several tattoos of scrawled lettering or women in provocative poses.

When the leader of the group slammed the door behind Cannon, Veanna's perusal of the two silent adults was interrupted. The leader took a deep breath and rubbed his jaw as he turned back to her. "Back to business. Why should I explain to you what is going on? You're not that privileged. Yet."

Fear and inadequacy flowed through Veanna's body. What was she doing? Surely a 17-year-old girl couldn't keep these men from hurting her and her family. What did she know of men, especially criminals? She hadn't even had a boyfriend yet. Still... maybe there was a chance that she could convince them to leave her and her family alone, just leave peacefully with no further destruction. But at what cost? Any cost will be worth it, she decided.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped out of the tub. The leader's eyes shone with... excitement? satisfaction? lust? Disgust welled in her throat like vomit, bitter and stinging. She couldn't believe men like this existed in the world.