Calista's Court

Part One

           Chapter 1

            A filthy, stinking hand slipped over my mouth. It reeked of stale smoke and motor oil. His arm reached around my waist. It was Max, my foster parent’s sleaze-ball friend.

            I tried to shout and kick, but was powerless. My heels burned as they dug into the carpet, trying to prevent him from taking me anywhere. It was useless, but I kept thrashing in his grasp.

            “Sophia,” little Jackie cried out from my bed where she was laying with the other children. “What’s going on?”

             It was too dark to see. Jackie must have been awakened by the scuffle.

            I knew exactly what this repugnant creature was thinking, and it was outrageous to me that, with all the “adults” carousing in the living room, nobody knew what was going on back here. If only I could bang a wall or squeak out a sound.

            Tightening his hold, a belt buckle dug into the small of my back. With one last heave, he shoved me into the bathroom. Lit only by the twin’s Princess nightlight, my face was pressed against the wall, the door slammed shut.

             “Pretty, pretty girl,” he sang, “where have you been hiding?”

             Metal clinked at his waist. 

            Did he unfasten his belt?

            A jagged breath caught in my throat. In my mind I screamed, Don’t touch me!

             “I love that sound you make,” he panted at my neck. “You’ve been on my mind all night.”

            Pounding came to the door.

            Help me!

            “Hurry up. I need to take a piss,” a man yelled from the other side.

            My muffled pleas would surely be unheard, so I kicked the wall.

            Max immediately clamped my legs with his.

            “Does that mean you’re going to be a while?” the man questioned from the hallway.

            No. He’s got me trapped He’s going to hurt me! I screeched inside my head.

            “Sheila, is that you in there, baby? I’ve been looking all over for you. Listen, what you saw earlier was nothing. That chick doesn’t mean jack.”

            Don’t care who you think I am. Just help me. Please!

            Even though Max was bigger, restraining me with only the support of one leg would have set him off balance. It was enough to let me thrust forward, if only once. I threw my head into the wall.        

            I became dizzy.

            “Sheila, let me in baby! Are you hurt?”

            Bust in please!

            Max forced me on the floor, suppressing every inch of my body with his. My throat felt raw from screams that strained to rip through his fingers.

              “She left an hour ago, Larry.” Max called to the man.      

               “She did?” the drunken dumbstruck fool questioned.