Finding the Way Home

Prologue

I didn't even have the energy to whimper. They didn't care for me. Not a bit. Eric, Victoria, Chris, Samantha, and Bridget were my best friends. I had thought that they'd always be there for me.

Eric sends me a wicked grin that brought tremors and says to the group, "This slutty bitch is going to get what's coming for her." His voice was cold and detached when he addressed me, not the soothing tone I had grown used to, "Nobody cares about you. We couldn't believe it when you bought our act. We never acted happy when we were around you. When you were picked on in school, nobody comforted or pretended to give two shits about you either." His laugh was one that caused fear to begin to twist to life within me.

The tears started streaming down before he even kicked me to the floor. I couldn't believe I had bought their act either. With every word they spoke, a piece of my heart broke off. I was losing everything I had, or rather, everything I thought I had. Chris joined in and gave me a couple solid kicks to my back making me cough up some blood. Sammy cackled, "Never, ever, ever think anybody ever cares for you or will ever care for you. You are worthless and the only reason anybody would be around you is because they have something to gain. Not even your own family will stand by you."

 I whispered, "I'm sorry I'm useless and that all of you are much better than me and I was only making your lives difficult. I should have realized it before I came to love you all as family. Sorry." I hung my head in shame and really let the sobbing take me over. My entire body began to vibrate.

They beat me up some more, and I can barely remember any of it. But what hurt me the most wasn't even the actual abuse, but what they were saying. Even though I knew I should instinctively have been fighting back, I loved them. Even if they didn't love me. It was a group effort in beating me. Kicks in the ribs, punches in the face, tugs to my hair... The list goes on. When they were finally done, Sammy spat on me before hooking her arm through Chris's as they all strolled away. Whimpering, I grabbed my sweater, and being far too weak to move, I curled into the tree.

I must have  been knocked unconscious or something because the next thing I was aware of was somebody gently shaking my shoulder to wake me and whomever it was asked, "Oh God, what happened to you?" when they saw my face.

 Dimly aware of this I mumbled, "Got hurt. Phone in sweater. Call my brother?" The person picked me up and tucked my sweater around me before pulling my phone out. Hardly conscious, I nestled into him, this strange source of warmth, instantly feeling safe and secure. I distinctly heard him tell my brother his name was Asher Rivera and that I was hurt. I heard my brother's negligent voice through my phone. Asher began to walk out of the trees with me still cradled to him. And I didn't realize that I was curled around a stranger and that I was practically asleep on him until my brother came by. Oh no.