who she became (working title)

chapter one

❗️TRIGGER❗️talks of abuse

Ashton

i don't really remember how they found me.

i remember getting hit a few times—i don't believe anyone could forget that—but i don't remember passing out. i guess those hits were harder than i could recall. judging by how much it hurt to move my left arm, and the stabbing pains in my side and leg, they had to be.

i wonder where they took him.

when i woke up, i was lying on the hardwood floor in the living room and a couple of women dressed in pantsuits were walking around the house. my short brown hair was spread out across a pillow someone placed beneath my head, and my tan skin had alternating patches of red and purple.

bruising..that's always fun.

two men dressed in dark blue jackets and button down shirts leaned over me to adjust something before they left again. how i didn't notice the tube connected to my face until now, i didn't know.

i blinked, observing my surroundings. why did everything seem to be moving in slow motion?

one of the women, tall but gentle looking, crouched down beside me when she noticed me stir. she had reddish/brown hair and blue eyes.

i lightly flinched and closed my eyes as she slowly brought her hand to my face, and her smile fell. i stared at her and watched as she turned away for a second, but when her gaze met mine again, her smile returned.

i wanted to smile back. to let her know that i would be fine. to apologize for flinching. that she didn't actually scare me and that i knew she wouldn't hurt me. but i couldn't. it just hurt too much right now.

"hello sweetie, i'm glad to finally see you awake."

as she spoke i took the opportunity to really look at her.

she was young—but not too young—if i had to guess, i would say mid to late thirties. she has soft smile lines by her eyes, but you only noticed them when up close. evidence that she most likely lives a very happy life. freckles aligned the bridge of her nose, accompanied by a small beauty mark that sat right below her lips on the right side.

she kept her voice low and calm as she spoke to me. i can tell that she is a very kind person, and looking at the identification badge thats clipped to the corner of her jacket, she works for Child Protective Services.

squinting to try and get a better look at her name, i was finally able to read it. Maya Elsher, CPI Investigator Specialist.

as i cleared my throat and—with Mayas help—sat up, i asked, "umm, what happened to Henry?"

"well, there isn't too much i can say right now for policy purposes but.." she continued to look at me, "once my partner and i arrived on scene, we made a call to the NYPD. afterwards, we held him here in our custody. once they arrived they took him in for questioning."

letting the information sink in, i nodded. once again looking around, i payed attention to the house this time.

trash was littered in various places across the floor. the recliner was flipped backwards due to how fast he stood to get to me. by the open front door sat pearl white glass, the remnants of the small lamp he used to read the paper. dents and holes were in the wall. most were made by him, but some were made from where i actually tried to protect myself.

unfortunately my 5'3" frame didn't stand a chance against him. it never did.

"so, what happens now?"

she quirked an eyebrow and sighed softly. "well, there are a few steps we need to follow. right now we are just waiting on EMS. once they arrive, they'll do a quick assessment before getting you situated into the ambulance. then, once you're ready to go, they'll take you over to the hospital."