Six drawings (gmw)

The fourth drawing

The fourth drawing was a drawing of the hand holding the belt.

The fourth drawing.
They only took a break. A year long break. When I was thirteen, David showed up at my apartment one day, telling my mom how much he missed her. She was not reluctant to take him back. After just a day, he was back in my bed. I was now terrified of pregnancy. One day, after school, I told Riley that I couldn't come over because I wasn't feeling to well. Instead of going home, I went to the drug store and I got birth control pills with some money I had been saving up from babysitting. I had to tell the lady at the counter that they were for my mother. When I got back, David was drunk. That made him so much worse. He pushed me against the walk and then kicked me until I fell to the ground. Then he undid his belt. I remember looking at the belt from the floor and tensing up every mussel in my body, which only made it more painful. That was the first day he had used his belt but certainly not the last.

"You can see her now." Said the nurse. He looked up at her. "She can hear you so you can talk to her."
They followed the nurse to the room. Katy was in tears and Maya looked like she was holing onto life with just her pinky finger. They sat down next to her.
"I'll let you guys talk to her." Said Katy, standing up and kissing Mayas forehead.
"Thank you." They both said.
"Hi, Maya." Said Riley. "I thought that this wouldn't be too different than talking to you recently. Just talking and you listening, but it's different. Seeing you like this, knowing that I might really not hear your voice again." She was crying now and Cory wrapped his arm around her. "I should have reacted to all of the signs that this had been done to you. I'm so sorry. I failed you."
"You're a great friend." Said Cory to Riley.
"You've got to live. You have to have hope, I promise that everything will get better. If you can control any of this, please, have hope. For me." Riley was now crying really hard. "I need to be alone for a moment. I'll be in the waiting room, dad. I'll meet you out there." He kissed her on the heas and rubbed her arm before she got up and left.