Escape!

Chapter 1:

"Mommy I can't sleep." my daughter Destiney says, rolling over and shaking me. I open my tired light grey eyes and roll over to her.

"What's wrong baby girl?" I ask, sleep present in my voice as I stifle a yawn.

"I keep hearing things upstairs Momma and they're keeping me awake."

'Damn it. It must be dad.' I look around the room for the rest of the ten girls and see that Hazel was gone from her blanket. 'Shit.' "It's okay Dest. Just close your eyes okay sweetie? The noises will stop soon."

Destiney closes her eyes. "Momma? Can you sing me a song?"

I sigh. "Sure." I sing her the song that my grandmother used to sing to me when I was little. I soon hear her light snores and start to close my eyes again, when there's a pounding on the door. 'Aw great. Just what I needed. My father.' I get up off of my blue tattered blanket that lays on the cold, grey, concrete floor.

I walk over to the door, careful not to step on anyone's body, and open it. My deranged father stands behind the door with Hazel firmly in his grasp. I can see slightly under his hand and see that Hazel's pale freckled arm is already starting to bruise, turning blue and purple with every second his hand squeezes it. "Why didn't you come sooner you ungrateful wretch! Take her." He all but throws Hazel at me and I barely catch her without buckling under her wait and mine combined. She hits my stomach and I let out a quiet 'oof' as the impact rushes the breath out of my lungs. I've been pregnant for the past eight months and the baby, or babies, will be coming any day.

Hazel's head rests on my chest and I all but drag her over to where her ruffled and tattered navy blue blanket lays on the ground. She's crying and I dry off her face with the back of my hand, whispering to her that it's all gonna be okay. "It was horrible Aliesha. The man was horrible. How have you lived through this for the past six years? I can't even do it for an entire year. It hasn't even BEEN a year yet Aliesha!" She begins to hiccup in between sobs, and I rub her back comfortingly.

"Let me tell you, it isn't easy. At least this is just your first year. Let's just hope you don't get pregnant."

"That's the thing Aliesha. I AM pregnant. And I don't know what to do! I've never been good with kids! I've never even LIKED kids! How am I supposed to raise my own?!"

"Your pregnant Hazel? Since when?" I ask.

"Since...since your father made me do it with him..." comes her stifled reply.

I freeze up, my muscles tense. "How long ago was that Hazel?" I manage to say through gritted teeth.

"About four months ago." Comes her hiccuped reply.

"We have to tell my father. If you're pregnant, he doesn't make you do it until the baby's born."

"Really?" She asks, the slightest bit of hope strangled between her words like the last grain of white rice was just handed to her on a silver platter.

"Trust me. I've gone through this six times now." I laugh. She laughs along with me.

"I didn't wake anyone up right?" She asks, now looking around the room for any moments of movement.

"You woke up my daughter, but everyone else is asleep. Speaking of sleep, you and I are now sleeping for two, so we should probably get to bed." I kiss the top of her red haired head and begin to walk away to my own tattered and ragged blanket.

"Wait! Aliesha! I know this sounds childish, but can you sing me your grandma's song? I've heard you sing it to the other kids before..."

"Sure." I turn around and sit back down next to her spot, which is nestled in between Giavanne and Indigo. I begin to sing her the song and she falls asleep almost instantly.