My life

Far from everyone TRIGGER WARNING

GENEVIEVE'S POV

The drive to the boardwalk took nearly two hours so my parents decided to get a hotel room for the night
My father got one room for himself and my mother. Another for my younger siblings. Then he told me I had my own room.

For a brief, fragile moment, I felt relief.

That relief shattered almost immediately.

The room wasn't just mine. It was also my cousin's. Worse, it was on a completely different floor, at the opposite end of the hotel, far from my family, far from anyone who could hear me.

Panic flooded my chest.

Trigger Warning

I begged my father to let me sleep with the younger kids. I begged so hard my voice broke. He didn't listen. He slapped me instead and told me I was lucky he wasn't making me sleep in the car.

My cousin stepped in then, smiling like he was doing me a favor. He said I could sleep in the room with him.

I knew what that meant.
I always knew.

There was no way to stop it. There never was.

By the time my father finally forced me to leave his room, it was late, so late the hallway lights felt dimmer, quieter. My legs felt weak as I walked toward the room I dreaded. I knew my cousin would already be there.

Before, he had always made sure I wasn't fully aware. This time, I knew he wouldn't.

When I reached the door, I realized my father hadn't given me a key. I had to knock.

My cousin opened the door wearing only a towel.

Fear rushed through me so fast it made me dizzy. I stepped inside because I had no choice. The moment the door shut behind me, he trapped me against the wall. I tried to move away, but he was stronger. He pressed closer, speaking softly, touching me like we were something we weren't. Like this was normal. Like this was wanted.

Time blurred. I don't know how long it lasted minutes, hours. Eventually, he told me to shower. His words made my skin crawl.

I stood under the water for as long as I could, shaking, praying he would get tired, praying for anything to change. I wrapped myself in towels when I was done, even though I knew it wouldn't protect me.

When I stepped back into the room, I kept my eyes on the floor. I could feel his gaze on me heavy, hungry, cruel. He told me to sit on the bed. I obeyed, because I knew resisting would only make it worse.

When he came closer, I froze. My body stopped responding, fear locking me in place. When he tore the towels away, shame burned through me so violently I thought I might disappear from it alone.

I tried to cover myself. He hit me for it.

I had never been fully awake when this happened before. The terror of knowing, of understanding,was overwhelming. My thoughts scattered. My chest felt too tight to breathe.

When he told me to lie down, I couldn't move. My body wouldn't listen. He forced me back, and I tried to scramble away across the bed, but he caught me easily. He pinned me down, holding me there while I stared at the ceiling, counting breaths, trying to survive.

Everything felt unreal. Like I had already left my body.

At some point, he looked at me and asked if I was ready. I didn't understand. When I said no, something dark flashed in his eyes.

Pain exploded through me. I tried to scream, but I couldn't. My vision blurred, my head spun, and all I could think was that I had to stay awake. That if I passed out, I might not wake up again.

Just as the world started to fade, I heard the door open.

And then darkness.