Hopes POV 🥀
It was around 1991, I was watching TV with Juliette, on one of the rare occasions we were close.
Her head was on my lap and I glanced down to see her asleep. I was 9 and she had recently turned 6, with her hair in pigtails with pink bobbles, she smelt of strawberries and toothpaste.
Mom was in bed early with the flu, and James was out with friends. He should be home soon, he was walking home by himself after his friends had said their good nights.
Within no time at all it was 10pm, and I looked worriedly outside through the window. It was getting dark, a warm summer night.
At least he wouldn't be cold.. but he should have been here half an hour ago. I distracted myself with the TV, and another half hour passed.
I wondered about waking mom, but I didn't want to get James in trouble for being late unnecessarily.
Also she was ill, and needed her rest.
At around 11pm, I was genuinely worried. I gently dislodged Juliette from my lap, and headed into the kitchen, where I took mom's phone off charge.
I knew her passcode, JamesHopeJuliette, and I typed it in quickly. I scrolled through her contacts until I got to Jamie, then called.
Just as it started ringing, there was a crash and I dropped the phone on the table and ran out of the kitchen.
James was at the front door and I felt weak with relief, until I saw him.
Blood ran down his face, and was staining his skinny jeans between his legs. Tears sparkled on his cheeks and his hair was wild.
"Oh my god..." I wasn't allowed to say that but I didn't care. "Jamie, oh my god!"
He started sobbing and limped towards me, waking up Juliette, who sleepily sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"Get mom." I said and she nodded and scampered upstairs, looking scared.
I crept towards Jamie, making as little noise as possible, not wanting to scare him. He seemed as delicate as an injured bird, I was scared to touch him in case he fell apart.
"It's okay..." I tried to comfort him, still staring at his injuries in horror, especially the blood between his legs. I didn't want to imagine what had happened to him.
Mom came downstairs, looking pale and exhausted. Her mouth dropped open when she saw James, who was standing there crying silently.
"Mommy!" I ran straight to her, pulling her downstairs. "Someone hurt Jamie mommy they HURT JAMIE!" I was near tears.
"Jamie... James..." Mom held her hands out to grab his, keeping her distance like he was a wounded animal. "What happened, darling?"
James broke down completely. "He... he hurt me, mommy." He sobbed. He hadn't called her mommy in years.
"He grabbed me and I tried to get away but he was too strong and he hurt me!"
"What did he do, my love? Tell me!" Mum begged.
"They hurt my Jammy Dodger!" I wailed. "I'll KILL them!"
Mom glared at me. "Not helping, Hope. Go up to bed, okay?"
Juliette was halfway down the stairs, her small hands over her mouth and her eyes wide in horror.
"Who did this to you, darling? Tell me, Jam." Mom rubbed his arm and pushed his dark hair back to look at a cut on his forehead.
"A .. a man."
"Did you know him? What did he do?"
"He grabbed me and he hit me and hit me and pulled my trousers down and then it hurt and he hit me and he wouldn't get off me and I said please please please but he didn't listen and he carried on hurting me! He grabbed me down there and yanked it so hard it bled!" James said all in a rush, sobbing.
Juliette gasped.
"Oh my god..." whispered Mom. She turned and glared at Juliette, then at me. "Girls, go to bed! Now!"
We obediently scarpered up the stairs, sitting at the top, looking over the banister. "Girls!" Mom snapped, clearly able to see us. "BED!"
Luckily me and Juliette shared the same room- I doubt either of us would have been able to sleep alone that night. We huddled together on my bed, listening to James cry and mom talking on the phone with the police.