The Dark Secret

The Battle Continues

Ava stared out the window as Linda tried to talk to her.

"Ava? Ava can you look at me please?" Asked Linda, but Ava didn't respond, she stared blankly out the window. "Ava?" Linda put her hand on Ava's right leg, Ava jumped, Linda quickly pulled her hand back, "it's okay, I won't hurt you, and whatever you say, stays in this room" "nobody will know anything you say unless it's life threatening, or you want them to" Ava stared at Linda, then you she walked over to a red toy car by the window, Ava picked it up, "that was another child's favorite toy, he would come in, and pick it up then sit on the couch, it made him feel brave" Linda said, "name?" Asked Ava quietly, Linda smiled, "his name was Drew Hope, he was 6, he was in here for the same as you, abuse" Ava stared at the car, "he told me about his life at home, he was scared, he wanted the pain to end, he told me not to tell anyone" said Linda, Ava stared at Linda, "I agreed" she lowered her head, "one day, he came in, all bloody and bruised, he said, his dad tried to kill him earlier that day, I was heartbroken, scared for him, I told his CAS worker, they went to get the boy, but, they were to late, his father killed him, just seconds before his CAS worker walked through his door" Linda whipped tears from his eyes, Ava sat down on the couch, "I was so hurt, I felt as if it was my fault, for keeping what he said a secret, so, that day forward, I made a promise to myself, I will tell if a child suffers this bad of abuse, I won't let another child die because of any secrets" Ava felt sad, she gave the car to Linda, "sorry" she said quietly, "it's alright, this happened, two years ago, but it feels just like yesterday" Linda whipped more tears from her eyes, "so, Ava, do you have any dark secrets?" Linda asked, Ava looked to the window again, Linda sighed, "okay, we are done for today, you can leave now" Ava got up and walked to the door, "Ava" she turned around to face Linda, "I will find that voice" Ava looked down, then hurried out of the room, when she was out, she ran into Aiden's arms, "Linda, told me story, boy that died" Ava said to his siblings, her siblings stared at Ava, then Aiden took her hand, then Ruby took them back to their group home.

Later that night Ava stared out her and some more girls bedroom window, out at the stars, thinking, thinking of the boy, thinking of her dark secrets, thinking about Linda, she remembered Linda saying "I will find that voice" Ava didn't speak, because she went through so much trauma and, she had nothing to say, she was lost, confused, and scared, "what to do?" She thought, she didn't want to talk, but... Maybe that was her best option.
"What are you doing!?" Shouted one of the people who run the group home, Ava fell off her window ledge, then ran and hide under her bed, "Ava, Ava come here now" the person was right infront of Ava's bed, she stared crying, "why won't the pain end?" She thought.

The next day the kids went to see Linda, Ava had a few more bruises, but, she kept them hidden by wearing a sweater, even her siblings didn't know she was being hit by people at the group home.

"Morning children" said Linda as the kids entered the room, the kids sat on the couch and stared at Linda, "Ava, are you not feeling well?" Asked Linda, Ava stared, "why do you ask that?" Asked Aiden, "because, we live in California, it's nearly 100 decrease outside, and she's wearing a fluffy, big, sweater" Ava's siblings looked at Ava, and knew something was up, "Ava?" Asked Aiden, Ava looked down, "Ava?" Aiden asked again, Ava looked to Aiden, "take off the sweater" Ava shuck her head, "why not?" Asked Chloe, "cold" said Ava quietly, "you're sweating" said Dawn, Ava looked down again, "is something wrong?" Asked Linda, "we don't know?" Said Aiden, still staring at Ava, he then forcebaly took off the sweater, Ava screamed "NO!" Then Aiden dropped the sweater to the floor as him and Chloe and Dawn, saw bruises all over her arms, Aiden went to lift up Ava's shirt, but she pushed him away, he then forcebaly lifted up her shirt, and they seen more bruises, cuts, and burns, her siblings were heartbroken.

"Ava, what happened?" Asked Aiden, his words shuke, Ava looked out the window, "Ava!" Said Aiden loudly, Ava jumped and stared at Aiden, "who hurt you?" He asked, Ava looked down, "they... Hurt me..." Ava said as she shuck, "who? Asked Chloe, "people at the group home?" Ava looked down again, then nodded slightly, her siblings got mad, Aiden stood up and smashed a cup that was on the desk beside them, "why can't we escape this?!" He cried, Chloe and Dawn hugged Ava, as Aiden was lossing it. Her siblings were deeply upset that they weren't there to help her, save her, they didn't even know what was going on, they felt guilt, sadness, and anger, they were going to do something about this when they return to the group home.

Linda gave Ava an ice bag for her wounds, then went to talk to their CAS workers.
"Ava has suffered more abused at her group home" said Linda, "only Ava?" Asked Ruby, "yes, her siblings didn't even know untill today" said Linda, "do you know how long this has been going on?" Asked Clint, "I don't know, it could have been happening as soon as she went into the group home" said Linda, the CAS workers looked down in sadness.

That night the CAS workers took the siblings to the group home to gather their belongings, but the 3 oldest, had more to do.