Victim

Part IV: Caught

Andrey’s Point of View

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I got off the bus excited for the weekend of relaxation awaiting me. I ran through the door to my house to find my mom waiting for me.

“Get ready,” she commanded to all three of her children.

“OK,” we said simultaneously. I went to my room to pack for the weekend. I didn’t need much since I had clothes at my dad’s house. I put my phone into my solid blue backpack and decided I was ready. I helped my little brother, Chris, pack his bag with what he “needed”. Apparently, his favorite stuffed lion is a need.

“He’s here!” my mom shouted across the house. I was already at the door with Chris awaiting Dad’s arrival when Vanessa finally came out of her room.

“Can I stay home this weekend?” she pleaded. Dad’s face showed disapproval towards Vanessa’s question. I wondered why she would want to miss out on pizza, new movies, and video games, but I guess I shouldn’t be so nosy.

“No,” Mom replied. You could tell she would love for her kids to stay home, but that would violate Dad’s visitation rights.

Vanessa gave in quickly not really wanting to leave Mom in a bad mood for the weekend. She grabbed her bags and trudged out the door slowly.

“I call shotgun!” I shouted as I dashed out the door. I hopped into the front seat, and we left. I stared out the window admiring the beauty of nature as we pulled up to the same pizza shop as usual. I noticed Vanessa roll her eyes at our food choice. We got two pepperoni pizzas and left the restaurant. After a few minutes, we pulled up into the driveway.

“I got the pizza,” I exclaimed as I grabbed the boxes. I went through the front door and set them on the dining table. Everyone sat where they normally did, and we all ate. Except Vanessa.

“You not hungry?” Dad questioned in a concerned tone. Vanessa shrugged and left the kitchen.

“What’s her problem?” Dad asked us.

More shrugs are all he received. I wanted the answer to the same question. I finished eating four pieces of pizza unconcerned about the health risks of eating so much of the unhealthy food. I never gain weight. I went to my room to watch a movie before bed. Chris came in to watch with me.

“What’cha watchin’?” he asked curiously.

“I don’t know yet,” I replied. “You can pick something.”

He chose to watch a cartoon movie. After all, he was eight so what did I expect? I watched it anyways because I had nothing better to do. 9:00 o’clock arrived before I even realized.

“Bed time,” Dad informed us. I got under my blanket and pretended to go to sleep. I was not in the least bit tired. Once he closed my bedroom door, I pulled my homework so I wouldn’t have to do it later during the weekend. What a nerd I am at times.

While trying to concentrate on finding the standard deviation, I heard footsteps in the hall. I thought I was mistaken because they were barely audible. I finished finding the standard deviation and moved to the next math problem. More standard deviation. I hate math. Suddenly, I heard a thud and muffled yelp come from vanessa’s room. Of course, I was curious as to what the noise was. I removed the textbook and paper from my lap and left my room. I walked towards Vanessa’s room slowly and silently. I opened the door cautiously so as not to disturb her if she was sleeping or reveal my presence to a possible burglar. Dad did live in a bad part of town after all. I looked through one eye through a crack in the doorway.

Silent panic overcame me. What was my dad doing? I had heard about sexual abuse in the news and memorized statistics such as “one in four females will be sexually abused in their lifetime” but never thought that it really existed.

Vanessa’s eyes met mine for just one instant. I could see fear, pain, and panic in them as she made sure Dad didn’t notice me. She mouthed “Don’t tell anyone” as I closed the door silently.

“Thank God, dad didn’t notice me.” I whispered in relief. What would he have done if he did see me? I tiptoed to my room and got in bed. I crawled underneath my blanket in fear. I couldn’t sleep with all the questions racing through my head.

Why would he hurt my sister? Who could I tell and when? Why did Vanessa not want me to tell anyone? Will this ever stop? How can I help?

I eventually fell asleep. For the first time ever, I had nightmares. Nightmares that awoke me and made sleep uncomfortable and almost impossible. Never had I ever gotten such little sleep in my life.