Everly
Water cascades down my head, loosening the dirt that is encrusted in my hair. The sting of soap washing over the various cuts and sores on my skin remind me of the torture my body has been put through. I want to wash the evidence of the assault away. I want to rid my body of the remnants of the past few days and then scrub harder to remove the contamination built up over the last ten years. If only I could scour away the memory of the unwelcome hands on my body and rinse-off their pestilent breath from my skin.
I try to hold back a sob as I lift my good arm up to wash my hair. Tears stream down my face and are washed away under the current from the showerhead.
I am broken.
Body.
Mind.
But I refuse to let Hank and his group of inbred jackasses break my spirit. I've come too far and my stubbornness will not allow me to give in to the darkness.
"Everly," CeCe draws my attention away from memories I want to remain hidden. "May I help wash your hair?"
It is a slow and tedious process, but with CeCe's help, I am able to get my body clean, dress. The clothes left for me are too big, but the cotton shirt and sweats envelop me with a comforting scent of the forest, spearmint, and something I can't quite put my finger on. I close my eyes as I bring the t-shirt to my nose and inhale deeply. When I open my eyes, CeCe is smiling at me before she says, "I am going to go get Danny and see what the boys prepared you for lunch. I'll bring back some of that tea I was telling you about later. Make sure you drink a lot of water. You need to stay hydrated to heal."
No sooner has the door closed that it reopens revealing my very relieved brother.
"Hey, Evie," he says as he makes his way to my bedside.
"Hey, Danny," I reply feeling like this entire day is still so surreal.
"Zeke is reheating you some soup. He'll bring it in soon."
"Who?"
"Zeke. Sorry, you don't know anyone yet. He's the guy that was with me when you woke up," he explains.
"Oh, Mr. Blue Eyes." He chuckles as I explain, "That's what I called him in my head. There were three guys on the road. He was one and the other two looked like twins. One didn't say a word and the other I called 'Surfer' in my head."
"Ah yes, 'Surfer' would be Mason and the quiet guy is Micah. He's a man of few words."
"Mason and Micah? As in our cousins, Mason and Micah?"
"That'd be them."
"I haven't seen them since..."
"Since Hank took us away from our family." Danny sits down on the edge of the bed. "Look," he continues, "it's a long story, Evie. The short end of it is that Mason and Micah are here and so is Uncle Charlie."
He looks into my eyes and takes a deep breath, "How's momma?"
"She's alive. She's the reason I'm here. Momma gave me your address and some money after I told her-" I am interrupted by the creak of the bedroom door. As it opens, I see a tray of food being held by blue-eyes himself. He is followed by two older gentlemen.
"Uncle Charlie?!"
"Hey, kiddo! It is so good to see you, Sweetheart," he says as he leans down and gently kisses my forehead. "Evie, this is Jack. He runs things around here. Keeps us young guys in line," Uncle Charlie jokes.
"Nice to see you awake, Everly. I just wanted to let you know that if you need anything, you let us know."
"Thank you."
Uncle Charlie leans over, kisses my forehead again and says, "Alright, Kiddo. We'll let you get some rest."
After Uncle Charlie and Jack leave I look up at Zeke. He is still holding the tray of food, just staring at me.
"Um, is that for me?" I question.
"Zeke-Man, stop being awkward. Evie, this is my best friend, Zeke."
Stepping forward, Zeke places the tray gently on my lap. There's a warm bowl of chicken noodle soup, crackers, a cup of tea, and a tall glass of water.
"It's not much," Zeke begins to say but my stomach interrupts his explanation and I chuckle.
"It's perfect, Zeke. Thank you," I reply as I dig into my meal.
Danny stands up and moves toward the door. Looking back at me he says, "I'm gonna go grab my sleeping bag and camp out here with you tonight."
"You don't need to do that," I begin to say.
"Ten years," Danny interrupts me, "it's been ten years, Sis. You'll be lucky if I ever let you leave this house without me," he proclaims. "Zeke, hang out here till I get back? I won't be long," he says as he hurries out the door.
After a short period of awkward silence, interrupted by my occasional un-lady-like slurping, I say, "So, how long have you and Danny been friends?"
"Since he arrived here when he was thirteen."
Not knowing how to respond to that, I say nothing. Has Danny been here all this time?
Why didn't our mother tell me sooner?
Confusion grips my mind and threatens to pull me back to the nightmarish recollections of the past.
Clearing his throat he continues, "My dad, Jack, and Charlie are best friends. Danny came to live with Charlie and my dad felt he needed some guidance. Dad gave me the job of keeping an eye on Dan. Making sure he adjusted to the way things run here."
Seeking clarification, I push for further information, "And what exactly is 'here'? Like you said, there's nothing out here but trees and hunting cabins."
"I did say that, didn't I?" he retorted gripping the back of his neck, "Well, that's true. This is a hunting lodge. We have a group that lives out here. We lead hunts for tourists. We also work in town. Few of us manage businesses in Eureka Springs."
Nodding my head in understanding, I focus on finishing the contents of the bowl and downing the cup of tea. Soon, my eyelids feel like sandpaper and become a battle to keep open. Seeing my struggle, Zeke leans over to pick up the tray and places it on the dresser.
"You're exhausted. Lay back and get comfortable. Danny will be back soon."
"You just gonna watch me sleep, Zeke?" I mumble as I yawn. "Ow," I draw out in a groan, "I can't even yawn without my face hurting," I complain.
Why did this happen?
Why did Danny leave me?
Why did they hurt me?
"You're safe now, Everly," Zeke whispers.
Staring into his distractingly beautiful eyes, I believe him. "Thanks, Zeke."
As sleep finally takes hold, I drift off as the feeling of warm lips faintly press against my forehead.