Title In Progress

Taken In

I feel nudges on my shoulder and I slowly open my eyes. A woman with blonde hair and brown eyes is leaning over me. She smiles once she sees that I made eye contact. She kneels beside me and helps me up.

"Why are you asleep on the streets?" She asks.

I rub my arms because I'm so cold. I look down and mumble, "I don't know where else to go."

"What's your name?" She asks.

"Kate," I say.

"Kate, okay, well, I'm Leigh-Anne. I have an eight year old daughter named Amy and my husband Greg. We won't hurt you, I promise. Come stay the night with us so we can find your family. Where are they?" She asks.

I shrug. "I don't even know who you are."

"That's very true, but please just trust me. You look like someone who needs help."

"I'm fine."

"Come on. Please? Just one night. If you still don't wanna be there after tonight, I'll put you in foster care," she says.

I stare at my feet. I realize then that I left my shoes in the dressing room of that store I was in earlier. I finally nod in response to Leigh-Anne. She puts a protective hand on my shoulder and guides me through the crowd. Once I realize we're not getting into a vehicle, I look at her with a questioning expression on my face.

"My house is only a block away, so," she answers my unasked question.

I nod and look back down.

We reach a house and she enters with me at her side. A little girl, I'm assuming Amy, hugs my legs. "You're pretty," she says.

"Aw, thank you. You're so adorable," I kneel so I'm eye level with her. "But shouldn't you be in bed?"

She takes off up the stairs and I stand back up. I've always been a sucker for kids. A buff man comes in the room and I immediately hide behind Leigh-Anne.

"This is Greg," she tells me. "Greg, this is Kate. She's gonna stay the night tonight. That alright with you?"

He looks me over in a judging way and grunts. He looks back at his wife. "A word?"

"Just make yourself at home," she tells me and follows her husband in a different room.

"Really, Leigh-Anne? Why would you bring some girl here?! We don't know her!"

"She was asleep on the streets, Greg. What was I supposed to do? Leave her there?"

"That girl obviously ran away from home."

"No. No, you obviously didn't see the bruises on her face. I don't know her story, but it's not a good one."

I look at a mirror in the hallway and she the bruises she mentioned. Some aren't bruises. They're hickeys. But the bruise on my forehead must be from when I passed out on the concrete. Greg storms out and walks straight upstairs. Leigh-Anne comes out and walks to me.

"Let's get you something to eat. Hungry?" She asks.

I shake my head.

"Something to drink then?" She offers.

"I'm fine. Thanks."

She looks me over. "Go like this, please?" She motions for me to pull the sides of the sweater back so you can see how thin I am. I do and she looks at me. "When was the last time you ate?"

I shrug. "Three days ago?"

"Come on," she motions and I follow her into a room. It's the kitchen. She goes to the refrigerator and pulls out ingredients I've never seen before. Being a stripper, all I was allowed to eat we're salads. Leigh-Anne gets a skillet out and other things. She goes to a cupboard and gets a cup. She fills it with white liquid and hands it to me.

"So tell me about you," she says.

I look at my drink and sip it. "Um, I'm seventeen. My name's Kate."

"Where's your family?" She asks.

"Uh, I'm not sure. Never knew em."

"So who have you lived with all these years?"

"Marvin Deloski," I say with disgust.

"As in owner of that club two blocks down?" She faces me.

I look at my drink. "Yes."

"That's a strip club, y'know," she tells me.

I nod. "I dance there on weekends."

"Wait, so... Why were you in the streets?" She asks.

"Had enough," I say and sip my drink.

"Is that why you have--"

"Yeah."

"Here's the first one," she hands me a plate. "It's a pancake."

"Um, thanks," I say.

She hands me a fork and I stab my fork into my pancake. Only a part of it stays on. I take a bite and it's really good. Before I know it, the whole pancake is gone. And I gulp my white drink which I learn is milk. Just goes to show how much Marvin exposed me to the world. You'd think I would learn about these things since I went home with so many men, but I didn't.

Leigh-Anne makes me eat two more pancakes and I finish those in no time. She smiles at me and I wipe my mouth.

"I'll show you to where you'll be sleeping," she says.

I follow her up the stairs and into an extra room.

"You can stay here as long as you'd like," she tells me.

"This is all so much..."

"It's okay," she assures me and looks at me. "I don't mind helping out."

"Why are you helping me?" I ask.

"Because there was no way I was going to let you stay on those streets alone. I mean, look at that," she pulls up a picture on her phone. It's me sleeping in the streets. "I can't believe someone else didn't stop to help you."

I shrug. "Some people are awful."

"Yeah, well, goodnight, love," she pats my shoulder.

"Wait," I say as she's about to leave.

She stops at the door and looks at me.

"Will you stay with me? I've never slept in a room alone before," I admit.

She nods. "Of course," she shuts the door and stands in front of me. She wraps her arms around me and not in a way that I'm used to. She's hugging me. I wrap my arms around her too and shut my eyes. No one has ever showed true affection towards me before. I've always seen people at school hug other people but I've never been hugged. Until now at least.

"Alright, love. Get in bed," she says.

I get in the bed and cover myself up with the sheets and blankets to be warm. Leigh-Anne kneels by me and pets my hair. "I'll be right back."

I nod and she leaves. I feel a wave of panic because I'm scared Marvin or Ash will come for me. When Leigh-Anne comes back, she's dressed like me. She lays next to me and faces me. I let my eyes close slowly. "Thank you," I whisper.

"Of course, love," she says and that's the last thing I remember.

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No, Leigh-Anne's not British! Haha, but what'd y'all think? What should I tweak? I love y'all so much! #idontknowwhattohashtag