* Seven years ago*
*thump thump thump thump*
The rhythmic pounding of the rap song my father was blasting from above shook the ceiling of the basement. He was upstairs having a "get together" with a couple of "friends". Basically he was upstairs shooting heroin with some random druggies and his dealer.
This happens about...everyday so I guess I'm used to it. I get banished to the basement during these "get togethers" and am only allowed upstairs to clean after them. So I spend 95 percent of my time down here and it's no big deal. I have a bucket to go to the bathroom in and I steal some food when I go up to clean so I'm taken care of. I don't have any sort of bed so I sleep on the floor but once you're asleep you don't mind the floor.
Tonight as I laid down I clutched my chest, feeling my heartbeat. "I am alive. I am alive. I am alive." I whispered to myself over and over.
I was drifting off to sleep thinking about my mother when I heard something strange. The music had stopped. In my half asleep state I rose to my elbows and listened. Boots? it sounded like the thumping of boots. Then all hell broke loose.
There was shooting and banging. Glass shattered and people ran. I heard my father yelling too.
"What're you doing?! get your filthy hands off me!" my fathers words were slurred but you could hear the anger behind them.
"Jon Travis you are being arrested for possession of narcotics, drug trafficking, and two counts of first degree murder. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind, do you wish to speak to me?"
My father shouted and fought the men but was dragged out of the house in the end. If they are placing him under arrest does that mean they are police? They could get me out! I ran to the staircase and started banging on the door. Maybe they would hear me! I stopped and listened for any movement. There wasn't any. They had already left...
I Collapsed into a corner and began to cry to myself when the doors handle began to move. Oh no. Was it a druggie? They know my father keeps me down here and sometimes they like to come down and....do things to me. I don't like it. They're scary men.
The door suddenly burst open and I heard those same boots creeping down the stairs. A bright light was shone onto me and I cringed and covered my eyes. Then I heard a voice Say
"oh my god"
*Marcus's p.o.v*
"Damn Johnny this place is loaded with evidence. We definitely have him for drug use" John laughed and agreed. The place was covered with pipes, needles, bongs, roaches, anything drug related that you can think of, it was there. We had taken the suspect into custody and were waiting for the police to finish taking photos so we could leave. Suddenly there was a banging somewhere in the house. Jhonny and I froze. We silently motioned to each other to split up and search the house for it. I went in the direction of the kitchen and he went upstairs.
I made my way just past the kitchen when I saw a door. This is where the banging came from I knew it. The position was right and it must have echoed through the house. I tried to turn the door knob but it was locked. I looked closer than switched the deadbolt. I tried again and the door opened this time. Oh god it smelled awful. What is that? I pushed through the smell and pulled out my flashlight and shone it down the stairs. It looked like a basement. What's down here? I made my way slowly and carefully down the stairs scanning the room with my light when I saw it. Or rather, her.
"Oh my god"
I said aloud. It was a girl who looked about 8 years old sitting naked in a corner. She was covered in dirt and the basement smelled of feces and urine. I pulled out my radio and called Johnny.
"Johnny you gotta get over here man. Past the kitchen there's a door to the basement. We got a situation."
I put my radio away and walked down the remainder of the stairs slowly and made my way to the girl.
"Hello. Are you okay?" the girl said nothing and kept her head covered with her hands.
"What's this issue we got Marcus?" Johnny said as he walked down the stairs.
"Johnny look" I shone my light on her.
"Holy shit. Is she okay?"
" I don't know she won't speak to me." Johnny has a little girl of his own so I know this couldn't have been easy for him. Johnny pulled out his radio. "Hey. Darrel. Someone call child services we got a problem here. There's a girl down in the basement who looks about seven and she needs some help. Call an ambulance too." I placed my flashlight with the beam aimed at the Ceiling to illuminate the entire room.
I crouched down to the girl and looked in her eyes. "Hi there. We're special police men and we were here to fix some things. Are you okay?"
The girl looked in my eyes and shook her head. Tears began to stream down her face.
"How did you get down here?" The girl took a breath before finally saying,
"My dad keeps me here. You guys took him away though. Does that mean I can leave?"
she looked at me with hopeful eyes.
"Jon was your father?"
"Yes"
"Okay well you don't have to worry about him anymore. We are going to take you to get cleaned up and some food and a nice family okay?"
The girl smiled and hugged me.
"Thank you"
She whispered. I smiled and picked her up. She was so light it surprised me although it probably shouldn't have. She looked tiny and she only felt about 75 pounds. Johnny and I made our way out of the basement into the house but before we went out Johnny stopped me.
"Wait Marcus. We can't let her go outside like that."
He shrugged off all of his gear and then pulled off his grey t shirt and put it on the girl who was falling asleep in my arms.
"Thanks"
I said and smiled then went outside while he was putting his gear back on. When you're S.W.A.T you've got plenty of gear too. I sat with the girl on the sidewalk and was waiting for the ambulance to come when the girl started to wake up. "What's your name mister?"
"Marcus"
I told her.
"You have pretty eyes Marcus. I'm June."
she said then began to drift back asleep. I chuckled at her comment. I had been born with violet eyes, incredibly rare I know but that just makes me special. The rest of the boys who were waiting in the van began to make a fuss.
"Marcus come on we can go now."
Darrel said.
"Not just yet okay? I want to make sure she's okay."
The rest of the guys just groaned.
"Come on Marcus we wanna get out of here! I want to see my kid lets go!"
Johnny said.
"No way guys. I'm staying with her until she's in good hands"
At that moment the ambulance pulled up and I sighed.
"See? you don't have to wait any more just relax."
The paramedics hopped out of the ambulance and asked me about her condition. I explained the state we found her in and they took her into the truck, covering her with blankets and were going to conduct all their examinations at the hospital. I climbed into the van with the rest of the guys and we made out way out of the neighbor hood. Out of the many cases we have, this will be one I don't ever forget.
*June's p.o.v*
Marcus had given me to the paramedic men but then he walked away. Where was he going? I sat on the inside of the truck watching his van drive away with furrowed brows and a frown on my face. One paramedic, the lady one, asked me if I was okay but I just rolled over on the bed thingy and closed my eyes. Oh. He had left. I thought he saved me but then he just handed me off...I started to fall sleep yet again in the warm truck thinking of the man with the pretty eyes.