I Pray for Death

Chapter Nine

“Hello Memory.  Tell me what has been going on.”  

I took a deep breath and opened my mouth but I couldn’t will the words to come out.  I was so used to hiding it was really hard for me to open up.  I panicked and glanced at Grayson, begging him to talk for me.  He nodded and looked back at his adopted uncle.  “Memory has been beaten and starved by her parents for the past two years.”  Hearing Grayson say it was like a blow to the stomach and I felt my breakfast threaten to make an appearance.  I swallowed convulsively as I listened to him tell all he knew.  The only problem was he had the big picture but no details.  I needed to supply the details and I didn’t know if I would be able to force myself to talk.  As Grayson spoke, Harrison took notes with a grave expression.  

“Memory, what was your sister’s name?”  

“Shayde Harmony Noire.”  I squeezed out the name as a fresh wave of hurt flowed over me.  Tears filled my eyes at the very mention of her.  Harrison noted the name and went on talking but I tuned out until I heard my name again.  

“Memory, I know this is hard for you but I need to know how often this happened and we’ll need to take pictures.  I’m going to need you to sign a few things too.  Do you have any other relatives you could stay with while the investigation is going on?”  The look in his eyes told me that he felt my pain, on some level at least.

“Every day, it happened every day for two years, one month and three days.” I murmured looking at the floor.  “And no, I don’t have any relatives.”  

“We want custody of her.”  Hope and Faith said at the same time.  Harrison raised an eyebrow at them but nodded as if he had expected it.  He handed them a pack of papers and told them to fill it out.  I glanced back at them to see if they had any regret but I didn’t see a hint of it.  

Harrison’s attention came back to me.  “We’ll arrest both of your parents.  When we bring them in, you will have to identify them and I’ll work on getting a warrant to have your sister’s body exhumed.  The medical examiner will have to do tests and those will take a few weeks to come back.”  

I stared at him, thinking about having to see my parents again.  A curl of fear ran though my body at the thought of how they would look at me and what they would say.  “Don’t worry, they won’t see you, it will be through a two way mirror.”  Harrison said, reading my mind and wanting to ease my fears.  

“How long will it take before they‘re arrested?”  Grayson asked.  His expression was neutral but I could tell he was anxious to have my parents arrested and behind bars.  

“It depends on how hard they are to find but most likely it will be this afternoon.  You live right next door so when we arrest them I’ll come over and tell you.”  He excused himself and came back a few minutes later with a female officer that had a camera slung around her neck.  

“Memory, if you will go with Officer Rhys, she’ll take the evidence pictures.”  Officer Rhys was tall with graying brown hair and looked like she could be a grandmother.  She smiled sweetly at me, with only a trace of pity in her eyes.  I knew after seeing my body, her eyes would be filled with it.  I dreaded seeing it.

I looked to Hope and Faith wanting one of them to go with me.  I didn’t want to be alone with anyone, even if she did look like a grandma.  “I’ll go with you sweetie.  Hope, fill out the paperwork while we‘re gone.”  Faith said and pulled away from the grip Hope had on her hand.  I was glad it was Faith; she looked like the stronger of the two.  I eased my hand inch by inch from Grayson’s, not wanting to let go but knowing I had to.

Faith and I followed Officer Rhys down the hall to a small room with no windows, bright white walls and a small metal cabinet on one wall.  She closed the door, locked it and went to the cabinet.  She pulled out a hospital gown and handed it to me.  I glanced at Faith who seemed calm and collected and waited for instructions.  

“Miss Noire, I need you to undress to your underwear and put this on.  I’ll go outside, when you’re done knock, I’ll come back in and take the pictures.”  She went to the door and waited to see if Faith was staying with me.  I nodded for her to go out with the officer.  I figured the less she saw the better.  When the door closed behind them I disrobed and put on the pastel blue gown.  After knocking, the officer and Faith came back in and locked the door once more.  

The officer explained the process and then started snapping pictures.  My face, hands, arms and legs were first, and then she had me open the gown.  I heard simultaneous gasps as I exposed my back and looked down at my bare feet to avoid the pity filled eyes I was sure to see.  Multiple pictures were taken of the bruises, scars and general skinniness of my body.  When asked to raise the front of my gown, I closed my eyes and stood in horrified silence as the camera clicked every few seconds.  

“Alright, I think that’s enough.”  The officer said and I let the gown fall back to my knees.  Tears of humiliation stood in my eyes and I glanced up to see tears of sorrow flowing from Faith’s.  There was no pity in her expression or eyes, only sadness and pain for me.  I refused to look in the officer’s direction knowing she probably couldn’t help her expressions.  “Miss Noire, Officer Harper didn’t want to ask you this in front of everyone, so he asked me to.  Have you been sexually abused?”  My eyes went wide and my head came up.  I looked at the officer’s uncertain face in shock.  

“N…no, nothing like that ever h…happened.”  I stuttered out.  She nodded and glanced at Faith, who just looked at her as if to tell her she had no knowledge of any sexual abuse.  

“Well, I’ll let you get dressed and when you come out Officer Harper will have the papers ready for you to sign.”  Officer Rhys went out with Faith following and I changed back into my clothes.  

I signed and swore an affidavit, and Hope was granted temporary custody.  Apparently, when your brother is the officer in charge of the case you’re involved in, things move a lot faster.  Reaching the car, I realized it was after lunch time and we had been in the police station for almost five hours.  

On the way to my temporary home, I held Grayson’s hand and looked out the window at the world passing.  It seemed like a new world and a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  If I could make it through the next few months my life would be different.  I would be different.  There would be no more beatings, plenty of food and people who cared about me.  

I looked forward to being free of the pain.

(Bunny's note)  I learned everything I know about cops from CSI, so if anything is wrong I blame tv.  Thank you for reading!  I beg of you to Comment, Vote and Fan.  Tell your friends!  Love you all!   Bye My Bunnies!<3