K'wa'iti'tala • Paul Lahote •

1 - Monster

"Hello, am I speaking to Mr. William Black?"
"Yes?"
"This is Captain Gregson of San Francisco Police Department. Do you know a Raven Tala Winters?"
"Yes, she is my granddaughter... Something wrong? Is she okay? Is she in trouble?"
"Mr. Black... You... You need to come here... Your granddaughter is in the hospital right now. She is in pretty bad shape. I'm really sorry but... it appears that she was being abused by her father for a long time. She called it in tonight."
"No... no, she is... she is just 14... she is just a... How is she? Can I talk to her? I need to hear her..."
"Mr. Black, please... She has been treated. She's managed to fall asleep with the help of sedatives. But she was asking for you the whole time. How fast can you get here?"
"I'll be there tomorrow. Please... please tell her that I'm coming... and please don't leave her alone."
"Don't worry, there are officers at her door, and the doctors are keeping an eye on her. Please call me when you get here, I'll meet you at the St. Francis Memorial."
"Yes, yes thank you, Captain."

"Dad, what's wrong?"
"Dad you're scaring me. What happened to Tala?"
Jacob couldn't believe what his father was telling him right now. He continued speaking but Jacob could hear nothing but the sharp ringing in his ears. There was no way something like this could've happened. There was no way someone could've hurt her. There was no way that man had dared to touch her. Jacob was still where he was seated, unmoving. But his breathing quickened as he began to envision the condition his niece might be in. She was so small. She was just 9 when he last saw her. He imagined her with scars and bruises on her small body. It was as if he could hear her crying. As more thoughts of his little Tala invaded his mind he began to tremble violently. How long had this been going on? How long had she been putting up with it? Who knows how scared she was all this time? She must have felt so lonely, abandoned. Was she blaming them for not being there for her? Even if she wasn't blaming them, Jacob was. He hated himself and he hated his father. They failed her. They failed to protect the only thing they were supposed to protect. He couldn't sit still as his anger at his sister's husband and his hatred for himself endured. He quickly got up from his seat and was running on all fours deep into the woods as soon as he threw himself out the back door. A painful howl was all that was heard in the silence of the night as he disappeared into the woods. All this happened in seconds. Billy looked after his son for a moment with tears in his eyes. He couldn't take him with him. He should have left at once so he grabbed the phone that slipped out of his hands seconds ago to call Charlie. He couldn't take his son but he couldn't do this alone either.

After a long trip, they arrived at the hospital. They had called Captain Gregson and he was waiting for them in the lobby. The captain was talking to a doctor when he saw a man in a wheelchair asking the girl at the counter about Raven. He approached cautiously. "Mr. Black?" Both Billy and Charlie hurriedly turned to the tall gray-haired man. The man continued to speak as he extended his hand to the man in the wheelchair. "Thomas Gregson. I wish we could have met under better circumstances. I'm so sorry for what happened to your granddaughter. She's a great kid.". Billy's eyes were red from crying and lack of sleep, and he wanted to see his granddaughter as soon as possible. "Is she awake? Can I see her?". Captain Gregson answered, guiding them with his hand "Sure, she's been waiting for you.". As they made their way to Raven's room, the Captain began filling the two men in on the situation "I talked to her, and she was most helpful. Normally I would have waited for her to come out of the hospital, but she said she could tell everything we needed right away. She's a very brave girl and she's obviously been through a lot. From what I understand, she was under strict surveillance. That's why she hasn't been able to inform you or the police until yesterday. Last night, Mr. Winters attacked her again, but he was too drunk. When he tried to catch Raven, who escaped from his grasp, he lost his balance and fell down the stairs. Taking advantage of his unconsciousness, she was able to call the police. The alcohol in Mr. Winters' blood and the bruises and scars on your granddaughter's body confirm her story. The doctor's report proves that this has been going on for a long time. I assure you Mr. Winters won't be able to see the light of day anytime soon.". When the captain's word was over, they had arrived in front of door 221. Billy's arms had no strength, so Charlie had been pushing him since they had arrived. The old man continued to cry silently. Nothing seemed real to him, still waiting to wake up from this nightmare. The captain stood by the door with his hands in his pockets and looked at the man as if waiting for him to say something. After a short silence, the Captain continued to speak in a low voice. "Look, Mr. Black, I can imagine how you're feeling. I have a daughter too, but I need you to be strong. She says she has no one but you, she trusts you. She hasn't let any man come near her except me since she came here. She tries to look strong, but she's afraid.". Billy nodded and wiped his eyes. His friend's hand was on his shoulder all this time and gave him a little squeeze from time to time to remind him that he was by his side. When Billy was ready to go in, the Captain stopped him for a final warning "One more thing. She hasn't cried once since she arrived. The doctor thinks she may be in shock. She said she needed to see a psychiatrist as soon as possible. Keep that in mind.". Billy nodded again, not saying a word since he had arrived. It was as if something had caught in his throat and was not allowing him to speak. Captain Gregson, uneasy by the silence of the man in the wheelchair, slowly opened the door, as if not wanting to frighten the person inside. The first thing Billy saw was a tiny figure lying with her back to them when the door opened. She didn't react immediately, thinking it was the doctor. But when she heard that familiar clatter of wheels, she turned excitedly to the door. When Billy came face to face with her granddaughter after five years, he realized once again that he could never make up for the mistake he made. She had bruises on her face, her left eye had pooled blood, and her left eyebrow was popped. Reds and bruises were not missing on her arms. But despite all that, she had an innocent smile on her lips. Neither of them had said a word yet. Billy only came to his senses with the sound of the door closing. They were alone now. Billy wheeled himself to the side of the bed. When he reached her, the young girl, without hesitation, threw her arms around her grandfather's neck and she was the first to break the deafening silence "I missed you, abá.". As soon as he heard the girl's voice, the old man broke down and began to sob in the arms of his 14-year-old granddaughter. While he was the one who should console, he became the one being consoled. He spoke between his sobs "I'm sorry Raven... I'm sorry... It's all my fa..." Raven cut him tenderly "Shh... no... no, it's not. How could you know he was a monster?".