T h e F o r g o t t e n

C h a p t e r S i x t e e n

“Get her.”

Joe scoffs, “I don’t follow your orders, kid and I don’t do wet work. She’s got the message.” He turns his eyes to her before winking at her, “Don’t you sweetness? Tell the dog we want to see him and if he doesn’t show up we’re coming for the kid. Got it?”

Fear clenches Robin’s guts at his words but she nods. “I got it.”

“Smart girl.” Joe praises with a nod. “Come on Leo, we got shit to do yet today.”

Leo bares his teeth at her, arm still bleeding on her carpet. “You better keep eyes on the back of your head, bitch. Your friend showed us the way here without hesitation. I won’t what else he’d do if I threw a few dollars at him.”

“Leo.” Joe snaps. “Shut the fuck up and lets get going. We have shit to take care of.”

Leo doesn’t take his eyes off Robin as he backs out of the trailer. As soon as she hears the roar of a diesel truck and the sound of the gravel flying as they leave she drops the knife. Her legs tremble underneath her and with threat to her life now gone she falls to her knees. Sobs escape her mouth and she covers them with her hand as the salt of her tears begin to sting her open wounds.

Charlie.

The name has Robin scrambling to her feet and nearly falling on her face again as she trips over the ruins of her home. Grabbing the duffle from the bedroom she hugs the wall as she tries not to let her knees buckle again. She’s been in pain before, hell she did give birth but this is almost worse. Emotionally they’ve spent the time beating her as much as they have physically.

Calling her names was nothing compared to the threats of what they wanted or could do to her if she did or didn’t do that. Robin makes it down her front stairs barely before crawling into her car. With a cry of pain she shuts the door behind her and shakily puts the keys in the ignition. Some song comes blaring into the speakers as soon as the engine switches to life but she doesn’t turn it down.

‘There's a man going 'round taking names.

And he decides who to free and who to blame.

Everybody won't be treated all the same.

There'll be a golden ladder reaching down.

When the man comes around.

The hairs on your arm will stand up.

At the terror in each sip and in each sup.

For you partake of that last offered cup,

Or disappear into the potter's ground.

When the man comes around.’

As the view of her father’s house comes into view Robin’s view becomes blurry with her tears again. The relief and safety she feels knowing no one can touch her hear has her breaking down all over again. When she pushes the car into park she doesn’t even turn the car off before practically falling out of it. She catches herself on her palms, cut and still bleeding from the broken glass, and crawls a few feet away from the car before collapsing on the grass nearby.

“Robin?” Grace calls in chiding voice as Robin spots her feet on the deck before they start coming towards her. “What took so—oh my god. Jessup!”

Grace falls to her knees beside Robin and starts moving some of her hair from her face before gasping. Robin shifts her eyes to look up at Grace and sees the strongest woman she’s ever known crying. Reaching up Robin tries to soothe the woman she’s seen as more of a mother than her real one but her hand doesn’t make it. Instead she passes out just as the heavy footfalls of her father approach.