Beneath the Surface

Chapter 2- 12 rough years

Yet my dad got custody of me. He moved us to a new place in Antwerp. 

At first things were alright between us. The complicated process was over. No more in and out of court and the police station. Finally rest. 

The first year was tough, I thought about my mom a lot and to be living with the man that did this to her. It was rough, really rough. 

Somewhere near the end of the year his behavior started to change. He got angry often and he locked me in my room constantly. If I didn't eat all my food or if I got less than an A+ on a test. 

Then I started missing school  because I was locked in. He didn't feed me enough. Only once in three days and only when he felt like it. 

One night when I was looking up at the stars trying to find the brightest one, the one that represented my mom, he came in and took all furniture out. I was left with only my mattress. We were short on money so I tought that was the reason behind it. It didn't bother me that much. 

But then he came in with handcuffs, and put them on me, locking me up against the wall. He started kissing me and I tried to stop it. He ripped my clothes of and took his of too. He was pressing his body against mine. 

I was disgusted and scared for my life. I wanted to scream but I knew I would make it worse. I asked him why I was punished and he answered:

"You shall be punished for not pleasing me, my love. I don't see you as my daughter, I see you as my wife. Now be quiet!" I just layed there in silence. I started to feel faint. I was completely bruised up and bleeding. 

Little did I know this was the first time of many to come. 

For 12 years he made me live in that room, without clothes, without food and without a bucket to use as a bathroom. As I was bound to the wall I couldn't get of of my mattress. I slept in my own filth. You could see my bones through my skin. I have scarfs all over my legs, arms and back. 

Some nights he would invite other man to come assault me, sometimes multiple at once. I asked him a lot of times who they where, he told me they were unhappy men who needed satisfaction, and that I was their toy. 

Some nights, almost never, he would throw me in the trunk, drive me somewhere as I laid there, blindfolded and nausious, before pulling me out and dragging me inside a 'club'.

I sat there, him looking over me, as men came in, one after another, to assault me, throw my dad some bills and leave. They were paying him to use me, they were feeding his drug and alcohol addiction with that money, as I rotted away in my mold-filled room.

One night after he finished assaulting me he left my handcuffs unlocked. As he had went to bed I stood up and went to my sunroof. 

It was unlocked. 

I gently opened the window. For the first time in 4 years I had fresh air. It hurt my eyes seeing so much light although it was night. 

All that time I never had any natural light. I was completely naked and had been all this time. I climbed down and once my feet toughed the ground I started running as fast as I could trying to get away from the place I was held captive in. I ran untill I saw a bar. I entered cathching all the guys's attention. 

"Help!Help me! Call the police I've been held captive for 12 years!" I screamed in terror. A nice lady that worked at the bar brought me to a seperate room. After what felt like hours, the police entered. It were 2 female cops. They brought a plastic bag with shorts and a T-shirt for me to put on. 

I was free, after all these years I had finally escaped.