Ghost Bird Fanfiction: Sang's Lyric, The Story of Sang Sorenson's Mother

Worse

James pulled his car up to my trailer, one of the two porch lights were on, signifying that my mother was home. Tim's truck was parked behind my mother's car and I closed my eyes. Crap. Crap. Crap.

The best I could hope for would be to jump out of the car quickly and run inside before anyone noticed James' car.

"Thanks for the ride!" I said quickly and opened my door.

I heard James move just as fast, and when I got out of the car, he was already waiting for me.

No.

The door to the trailer opened and Tim sauntered onto the steps. "Who's this?" he asked in his deep, grating voice.

"I'm a friend of Lyric's," James answered, stepping in front of me, "James McInnish." 

Tim's mouth formed a smile, one I knew from experience proceeded some sort of disgusting remark. "James McInnish?" Tim mocked. "Of the Kennebunk McInnishes?"

I forgot that Tim was a towney and knew everyone. If he knew of James this could only get worse. Tim's family used to have money; I heard him telling my mom about it. They'd had a house in Kennebunk, a boat, a fishery, but had lost it all when Tim's father had taken over. By the time Tim was born, his father had declined into alcoholism, and Tim had quickly followed suit. Tim didn't work. He told my mom more than once that the people of the town should be paying him; that his family had provided jobs for people and they owed him. Tim had an inborn sense of entitlement.

James nodded. "Yes."

Tim strode forward and reached around James quickly, snagging my wrist and pulling me forward. He pulled me up the stairs and pushed me behind him. James took a step forward to follow me.

"You fuckin' her?" Tim asked.

I heard James suck in a breath. I wanted to crawl under the trailer. This was what I wanted to avoid, this ugliness that pervaded my life. I didn't want it to touch what I had with the boys.

James didn't answer, but took another step forward. "Lyric," James said, his voice like ice, "Come here."

I made a move to follow him when I heard the door open behind me. "Tim?" my mom's voice asked, "What's going on?"

"Get inside the house, Stacey," Tim roared.

I heard my mom sigh, and the door closed again. There would be no help from her, not that there ever was. If anything, my mom was worse with Tim around, more selfish than ever.

Tim reached back, and grabbed my arm. "She ain't goin' nowhere," Tim told James as if daring him to intervene.

"She's coming with me," James answered, and he stepped forward again.

Was James actually thinking of challenging Tim? I could feel myself beginning to tremble. James didn't know that Tim had guns, or that he carried one, probably illegally since I'm sure he was a felon, everywhere he went.

"I'm okay, James," I told him, my voice shaking. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, James," Tim answered proudly, as if he'd won something. "She'll see you tomorrow."

He pulled me in front of his body and pressed himself against my back. I could feel him press his hips against my bottom, and I wanted to gag. His other hand wrapped around my waist before lowering to my stomach and pressing me back so I could feel him. I cried out and tried to pull away; Tim's laughter echoing in my ears.

The next thing I knew, Tim was crying out and I was pulled forward, into different arms, and the smell of the ocean surrounded me. I couldn't stop my shaking or the tears that were spilling down my face. James was pushing me into the car and tore out of the driveway before I knew what was happening.

"You're not staying there," he told me.

I couldn't answer him. I wrapped my arms around my waist and pulled my knees up to my chest, trying to warm myself from the cold that was seeping deep into my bones.

"You're staying with us, Lyric," he continued. "We'll take care of you. You don't have to go back." 

I started to shudder, my teeth chattering. I could still feel Tim pressing against me. I wanted to erase the memory of his body against mine, but it was all I could think about.

"Lyric," James was saying to me, as my vision started to tunnel and my shaking got worse. "Lyric!" he called, the worry evident in his voice.

But I couldn't answer, the darkness and ugliness were overwhelming me until it was all I could see and hear and feel, and then I didn't feel anything.