Seeking Justice

Preface

Sara didn’t understand what was going on. How a peaceful, fun, day with her father could turn into a day of horror and pain. A day she would never forget, no matter how hard she tried. She would never be able to wipe the looks people gave her after she returned to school. Looks of pity, of judgment, that burned her.

She didn’t even know where the men had come from. One moment her father and her were walking back to the car, after watching a movie they had both agreed was horrible, and the next she could feel hands on her, hands she knew did not belong to her father. One covered her mouth, and the other one wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to whoever was behind her. She looked over at her father, the look of pure fear on her face. Her father was being restrained by a different man, whose face was being covered by a red bandana. Sara wanted to cry out, but the hand covering her mouth prevented her from doing so.

“Shhh.” The man whispered in her ear. His breath smelled like raw eggs and she tried to turn her head away from the awful smell, but the man tightened his grip on her. “Don’t struggle, or I’ll have my buddy give dearest daddy over there a scar he soon won’t forget.” Immediately Sara stopped struggling, giving in.

“That’s a good girl.” The man then put a blind fold over her eyes, and shoved her into, what felt like, a big van.

“Sara, it’s going to be alright.” Her father whispered next to her. “We just need to stay calm.” Sara just whimpered, too afraid to speak, or even move for that matter. She could feel the vehicle start to move and began to wonder what was going to happen to them.

Four Days Later.

“Please, please stop!” Sara cried out as the two men kicked her father in the gut again. It had been four days of this hell, the men coming in, torturing her father, and making her watch. They had yet to lay their hands on her, and she supposed she should be grateful for that, but she didn’t know which was worse. Being tortured, or watching someone you love being punched and kicked until they were bloody and bruised.

She didn’t know exactly where they were, all she knew was that it was some warehouse, by the looks of it. Her hands were tied behind her back, around a cement pole, with rope, that was digging into her skin, making her wrists bleed. Her pain was the least of their problems though, as the men kicked her father again. Tears were streaming down her face, and she prayed to God that this torment would stop.

The men kept their faces covered, except for their eyes, which she had been doing her best to memorize whenever they around, incase, by some miracle, she got out of this alive and could, possibly, identify them that way. But, who was she kidding. The chances of them getting out of this alive were slim to none.

The men finally stopped beating her father, going and disappearing in a back room. Her father let out a painful groan, and Sara’s heart sank in her chest. “Daddy, are you okay?” She whispered. Sara hadn’t called her father “Daddy” since she was nine, but right now all she really wanted was her daddy. More than anything in the world.

“I’ll be fine honey.” He replied weakly, but she could tell when he was lying. Blood was matted in his short, brown, hair, as well as running down his face. His eyes were swelled shut, and his lower lip was split. He looked anything but okay. “Have they touched you?”

“No, Daddy.” She answered, trying to choke back the tears.  Her father sounded so weak, it broke her heart. She didn’t understand any of this. What had they done to deserve this hell? They didn’t even know those men! At least, she didn’t think so. Not being able to see their faces made things difficult. Nor had they talked much. Mostly just taunts at her father, at her, which also didn’t make sense to her. Why kidnap them to only taunt, and beat, them?

The men came back out, and she could see one of the men had a pistol with him this time. Her eyes widened in fear, and her heart began to race. Was this it; was this the end for them? She wanted to scream, but she was too afraid to do so. All she could do was watch as they strode over, gun in hand.

One of the men looked over at her, and smirked, sending shivers down her spine. He then walked over and grabbed her father  by the back of his clothes, sitting him up.  Tears welled up in Sara’s eyes and she tried to get out of her restraints, which only seemed to amuse the men more.

“Any last words bum?” the man with the gun asked her father.  He loaded it, pointing it at her father’s head. Sara’s heart began to beat faster, the tears freely flowing down her face. She still couldn’t manage a scream.

“Please don’t hurt my daughter.” Her father whispered, which just made Sara cry harder.  Even knowing this was going to be the end, he was still thinking of just her.

The gun went off. Sara finally managed a scream.