Miss Alan| Day Saver

26

Rebecca and Tom soon arrive back and Rebecca hugs me. "I'm so happy you're okay!!" She squeals with a tear pricking her eye.

I smile at her. I do love her. We talk for a while however we're abruptly stopped by a knock on the door. Calum answers and a doctor walks in. "The police would like to know if you're ready to talk to them" she asks. Calum averts his gaze to me.

I look into his eyes, I seek sorrow, guilt and anxiety. He gives me a sympathetic look and his hand props on top of mine. I inhale deeply before releasing. I look back at the doctor, I hesitate but nod agreeing.

The doctor leaves for a brief moment. Rebecca squeezes my hand. The doctor opens the door again and two police officers walk into the room.

Anxiety rushes through my body as I begin to shake with fear. "Is it okay if you guys leave so we can talk alone?" The officer asks kindly.

"No...please can they stay" I cry in a panic. My voice shakes. Calum looks at the officer as the officer nods. They both take a seat. One of the officers smiles at me but I'm uncomfortable.

I squeeze Rebecca's hand trying to calm myself. But it doesn't work. I look at her. Her eyes are soft, but they show sympathy. "Can you-" I pat the bed beside me, wanting her to comfort me. She smiles and gets into the bed beside me. Her arm dangling over my shoulder as I'm pulled into her side.

The officers finally stop writing in their notebooks and give their attention to me. "Hi Crystal, I'm officer Jones, and this is my partner Officer Curtis. I know you're scared, it's a hard time but we just want to know about the abuse. Okay? Your father was killed in the school so we can't arrest him clearly but we can provide evidence for more than murder. Also we need to get evidence to convict your mother as well okay?" I nod along to Officer Jones' explanation.

"Okay so first of all what's your full name?" He asks. "Crystal, or Chris Shears." I respond quickly and quietly.

"Okay, I understand you're 17 years old?" He says looking up at me. I quickly check my phone. 22:18pm, Wednesday 14th May. I nod at him.

"Okay hun, you can tell us everything we need to know" I cringe at the word hun, but I nod acknowledging my task.

So here it begins:

"From the day I was born I was abused, my father would often stick out cigarettes on my arms, my back. Most of the scars are covered because I was still growing.

Most people say they can't remember anything from under the age of 5 years, but me... I can remember the abuse from at least 2 years old, maybe younger. It sticks in your head.

My mother often squeezed my arm until it turned a sort of purple ish colour. The blood circulation had cut off. Bruises often showed easily. She would do this even until I had escaped to Calum's. When I was 3, my father- he...he uhm...he raped me for the first time..." I hesitate, but as I finish the sentence I look down at my hands. I hear sniffles from Rebecca beside me.

My tears fall quickly remembering the pain from that memory. I wish to forget it. Calum who is beside me, his head sits in his palms as he sobs. The sobs are mumbled as his body blocks the sound.

Then I look over at Tom. His panicked expression shines through. "Ca-Can I go outside?" He stutters as he chokes back his sobs. The officer nods sweetly.

"I understand hearing pain from basically someone who is family must hurt terribly. I do understand that you sir," he points to Calum. "Are actually blood related, everyone else isn't." We all nod.

Tom leaves the room and the officers look at me to continue.

"The memories of when he tied my to the bed" I rub my wrists to calm myself but also as they ache remembering the tight pain that twisted my wrists. I was unable to move under his tight grasp.

"He raped me a lot. I know that sounds easy to say, but it's pain. I grew up with both my siblings watching each get hit on the back of the head hard. But I'd get shoved into the wall and kicked" I say staring at the soft cotton that blankets me.

"She would get the worst of it. I wish I did but she was abused the most. She always was." Calum backs up.

I watch as the officers write in their notebooks.

"Most of the time my father would drug me just for fun, so he could watch my pain as I suffer attempting to fight off the sickness. Other times it was so he could have his fun with me. But when he wanted to have the drugs to himself, he wouldn't even try to make it less obvious. He stopped with the drugs when I was 7, he didn't care what pain he caused me, he just wanted to be a 'man', but what man, rapes a child or anyone for that matter?" I ask. The officer sighs sympathetically.

As I continue with all the abuse, from all the stabbing, to the choking, to the punching, the kicking, the- you get it, anything you could think of he did it!

After an hour and a half of the talk about what my father did the officers finally apologised for what I had been through and left.

Tom soon entered the room again. He sits beside the bed. "Sorry about leaving" he said. I smile warm-hearted. "Don't stress about it, I would've left if I could." I chuckle to myself.

I pick up my phone again and the screen enlightens. 00:12, Thursday 15th May.

"Well, Happy 18th Birthday to me..." I announce...