Hidden(13)

“I know you don’t know me but I’m a good person. I promise you. You can trust me. You’ve been through a lot and I’m sure you’re exhausted. You can sleep in my sister’s room. There’s a bathroom across the hall. You can use the shower if you want. Make yourself at home. Whatever you need. Tomorrow I can help you sort things out. I’ll call my sister. She’s a nurse. I think you need someone to talk to. Another girl, you know? You’ll like her.”

“Okay,” she says softly, studying my face as if she’s trying to decide if she can truly trust me.

I walk her to Laney’s room and show her where some of Laney’s clothes are and where the towels and toiletries are in the bathroom, then I head down the hall to mine. I lay there listening to the shower turn on and off and then the door shut quietly. Just as I start to doze off, I hear her door open. I open my eyes and listen. Silence.

I climb out of bed and crack my door open, peeking out into the hallway. Amy is standing in the hallway in front of Laney’s room. She’s just standing there. I step out into the hall and she turns to me I see so much pain in her eyes. Her arms are wrapped around herself.

“Amy. You okay?”

She takes a deep breath in and then lets it out with a whimper. “No. I don’t want to be alone. Can you sit with me?”

“Um…sure.” I look down at my state of attire. I’m in my boxers. “Let me grab some clothes.”

I quickly throw a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants on and meet her back in the hallway. I run my hands through my hair as I follow her into Laney’s room. She crawls under the covers and curls up, clutching the covers to her neck and facing me. She looks scared to death. I sit next to her on top of the covers with my back against the headboard. She says nothing but closes her eyes. I eventually turn the lights off and stare into the darkness, just listening to her breathe until I finally doze off.

My eyes fly open as I hear the most feral, ear piercing scream I’ve ever heard in my life. My body is shocked, not fully awake yet, and starts to shake as I force myself to come to. I jump up on my wobbly legs and adjust my eyes to the darkness. The moon casts a dim glow across the walls and as I scan the room, I finally see her. She’s crouched in the corner of the room covering her head with her hands, screaming. She is screaming so loud. I turn on the bedside lamp and approach her slowly.

I bend down in front of her. Her body is trembling and her hair is soaked with sweat. Her screams have turned to moans as she rocks herself. “Amy? It’s a just a nightmare. You’re okay.”

“NO!” She shrieks.

“Amy, its Dillon. Nobody’s going to hurt you. Are you awake?” I touch her shoulder and she flings herself back, hitting her head on the wall, but when she does, her eyes find mine. The look in her eyes break me. This girl has been through hell. I look into her eyes and hope she sees me and remembers that I’m trying to help her. “It’s me. I’m not gonna hurt you,” I whisper. She braces herself up against the wall and slowly pulls herself to her feet. She looks down, and I follow her gaze and see urine dripping from her trembling legs. She doesn’t look at me and I know she’s embarrassed.

“Amy. It’s okay. I’ll get you some clean clothes. Let’s get you washed up.” I reach my hand out to her, but she doesn’t take it. She follows me to the bathroom and I soak a washcloth in warm soapy water and hand it to her. She wipes her legs as I get a clean pair of shorts and a t-shirt from Laney’s room. I set the clothes on the toilet seat and give her privacy.

As she washes up in the bathroom, I run my hands through my hair and pace outside the bathroom door. I’ve run my hands through my hair so many times tonight, I’m sure I look like a troll. I don’t know how to help her. She needs someone to talk to. I need her to trust me to take care of her. I hear the door squeak open and she steps into the hallway with a fresh trail of tears streaming down her face. I want to take her into my arms so bad.

“I’m sorry,” she murmurs with her head hung.

“Don’t be sorry. Let’s lie back down. I’m right here and I’m not gonna let anything happen to you, okay?”

She nods her head and follows me back into Laney’s room. She curls up in bed and pulls the covers tight to her chin again. I resume my sitting position next to her and turn the light out when I see her close her eyes. I sit there in the darkness until exhaustion pulls me back under.





CHAPTER 7





Amy



He’s slumped against the headboard. His hair is sticking up in every direction. His arms are crossed over his chest and his legs are crossed at his ankles. His head is tilted back and is all crooked and his mouth is hanging wide open. Horrible, loud noises fall from his mouth. He looks so uncomfortable. I don’t want to wake him though, because I don’t want him to leave.