Unexpected

Just another nightmare

"Please stop. I am sorry. I won't do it again...argh." Another kick. I am already on the floor, curled up, trying to protect my sore ribs. He just kicks me in the back. "Shut up and take it you useless piece of shit." I see Mrs. Miller standing helpless in the background as always. She tried to help me one time but her husband just hit her too. Usually when he is done and dragged his wife to their bedroom and he is finally asleep she comes back out to check on me. I just lie on the cold floor and let the tears run down. Its hard to breath and I can't really move I am in too much pain. Mrs. Miller comes to the kitchen and without any words hands me some Tylenol. I dry swallow the pill and then she helps me up and to the room I stay. I lay down carefully on the dirty matress. Mrs. Miller puts my head in her lap and we cry silent tears together. At some point I fall asleep... I wake up to shouting. I can't really make out the words and it ends with a slammed door. Mrs. Miller comes to the door, she has new bruise on her cheek and a bloody nose. "Melanie you have to get up before he comes back. There came a letter for you in the mail. Its from the law firm that takes care of your mother's will. He opened it. They say that they have information about your father. You have to go their today. Take all your things with you. Don't come back. We have to run. I will go in a shelter. You have to find your father." We each pack a bag. Mrs. Miller takes all the cash she can find. She gives me half of it. We take the bus to town. Before I go into the office she takes me in her arms. "I am so sorry. I hope you can forgive me one day. Now go and don't look back." I stand there frozen with the letter in my hands. I finally walk into the office. After recieving a lot of information and documents I am free to go. As I leave the law firm someone grabs my wrists, so tight it hurts. "There you are. I knew she would tell you." "Mr. Miller please let go. You are hurting me." "I won't let go and shut your mouth." I look around there is a security officer watching. I take my chance. "Help, help. Please someone help me." Mr. Miller hits me in the ribs. It takes the air from my lungs and I double over in pain. The guard comes now running. "Sir. Let go of the girl." I take all my strengh together and kick Mr. Miller where it hurts the most. He tries to go after me but the officer holds him back and I run as fast as possible to the main bus station...

Sam Pov

It's almost dinner time and Melanie hasn't come down yet. I go upstairs to check on her. After a soft knock on the door and no answer I open the door. I see her tossing and turning. Possibly fighting with the bed sheets. I walk slowly towards the bed. What makes the hair stand on my back are her broken crys for help and to stop hurting her. "Melanie. You are safe. Wake up. Its all just a dream." I try to wake her just with my words and I seem to succeed. She opens her eyes with a start and tries to scramble out of the bed. She finally falls out and I can her a hiss of pain. I go around the bed. "Melly take it easy its just me, Sam. Remember you came to us this morning. You are safe here." The sight infront of me is just terrible. She is hugging her knees and tears stream down her face. "Please let me go. Let me go. I Need to run." She is rocking herself now. I kneel in front of her.  "Melanie its okay now. You ran. You got away. You are safe. Please look at me." Slowly she focuses on me. "Its okay. Take deep breaths. You are safe here." Her eyes really look at me and she finally relaxes a little. "You're with me?" I ask with a small smile on my lips she nods and crawls into my arms. I just hold her. The teenager in my arms is sweaty and quite warm to the touch. She might need medical attention sooner then later. Her shirt rode up and I can see a few bruises on her back. "Melly. Can you look at me?" I try really gentle. She moves a little away. "Honey, I am a nurse. I think you have a fever and I just saw a nasty bruise on your back. Do you have more injurys?" She looks scared and lost about what to do.  So I take it as a yes. "Its okay. Did you see a doctor?" Her eyes go wide and she shakes her head no and found her voice again. "Its just some bruises. I took Tylenol for it but I ran out this morning." I take a deep breath. "okay. How about we go see a doctor. She is friend of mine. Just to make sure its just some bruises and she can make sure that you don't need more than Tylenol. That would make me and Julian feel better." Melly looks away. "It's fine. I don't have an insurance. If you have some Tylenol thats enough." "Its not fine. We are worried. We can add you to our insurance plan so don't worry about the money. What about I call my friend and she comes over?" "I guess that's fine." She seems defeated and finally gives in. I coax her up from the floor. "Let's go downstairs. We can watch a little TV with Lily before its dinner time." A little shaky we make our way downstairs. Julian sits with Lily in his lap in the TV room and they are wathing one of her shows.