D. N. T.

The Death of a Friend

The sky grew cloudy around the solemn group. Of the few standing around the fresh grave only two had tears staining their faces. The one who loved him as her life and the one who had given him life 20 years ago.

Drugs had run rampant in his body for so long it was only a matter of time before they took his breath, however it was still much too soon for him to be let go.

As months passed the child, who gave so much of her heart to the boy who could not hold it, fell into despair. As drugs, sex and disaster drove her to the breaking point she wondered if anything could pull her back.

One day at a time. She wrote letters to him, explaining what was happening. How her life had taken the turns that it did. Unknowingly these letters would get her the help she needed though not how she wanted it.

It was 8 months after he had died that her life changed and she was ripped into something she had never imagined.

***

I woke to a crushing weight on my chest. My bedroom was dark but the small sliver of light coming through the windows illuminated a shadow above me. I struggled to move but the weight grew heavier. After attempting to cry out I noticed a hand over my mouth holding it shut. Tears began involuntarily growing in my eyes and a voice spoke through the darkness.

"Hush, Angel. We'll be gentle on the small condition that you are quiet."

I sobbed harder and my arms flailed as much as they could under the crushing blankets. "Please, stop." I cried though it was muffled.

"Hush, I'm not going to say it again."

I felt a cold metal tip press against my side under the blanket. My entire body shuddered then stilled completely.

"See, I knew we'd see eye to eye eventually." The man moved off of me and stood up. Slowly removing his hand from my mouth. I didn't utter a sound, not because I cared that much about my life but my sisters slept in next room and I wasn't about to risk their lives.

He pushed me towards my balcony door. I shook and pushed against his hand, "Please don't," I whispered.

He grabbed my hair in his hand and pulled my body close to him. I bit my tongue to keep from crying out. "You'll be safe as long as you don't scream on the way down."

I shivered. The giant man pushed me out the door and picked me up, in one swift moment I was falling two stories down, expecting to hit concrete. I was surprised when instead of concrete I fell into another assailants arms. He had his hand on my mouth and set me on the ground in front of him, pushing me towards the woods.

We followed a trail around a dark part of my parents property. I knew where we were going. You couldn't drive down my long gravel driveway with any hope of being discrete or hidden and so they parked on an outlet road not far from my house. However it was far enough to not be seen or heard.

I stayed silent not wanting to get hurt again. We reached the road and sure enough there was a panel van waiting. I felt my heartrate speed up and the want to run build again. The man who caught me still had his hand wrapped around my arm and the man who threw me out of my house was walking close behind us.

I knew this would be my last chance to run while I still had a small sliver of hope and my family were a safe distance away. I threw my leg back hoping to catch the one holding me in the groin. As I felt my foot connect, his hand left my arm. I knew I wouldn't be able to out run them so I darted quickly into the tall grass around us trying to run into the bush. I hoped that the darkness and the noise from the highway would hide what I couldn't.

Shouts of anger arose as soon as I kicked the man, both men were furious at my actions. Threats followed the initial anger but I ignored it, not that it could hurt my nerve because I didn't have one of those any more.