Safe Haven

It all came crumbling down

I stood there in shock when someone put their hand on my shoulder. "Ms. are you alright, were you in that building." I was in complete shock with what just happened. I wanted to move but my body would let me. I looked at the wreckage when I saw something move from under it. "Call the police now," I said running over to where I saw something moving. "Hold on help is on the way," A few seconds later I heard a group of guys yelling behind me I turned around to see 3 of the 4 guys I danced for earlier. "Tristan," one with curly hair yelled from behind me I vaguely remember his name being Brad. As he yelled more for Tristan what was ever under the rubble began moving more. I knew it was him. I began trying to remove the rubbing from on top of him. I wasn't strong enough so I yelled for them to help me. "He is over here help he is stuck underneath it," Within seconds they were all around me trying to lift the heavy rock.

After a few minutes of us trying to get it off the rock was moved and we could see him curled up barely breathing. Immediately I began speaking to him making sure he was okay. "Tristan can you hear me you are going to be alright help is on the way," Knowing he would be okay I stood up and began to walk around the rubble yelling to see if anyone else was under there. When I took a step I felt my uncle fall in between some rubble. I looked down to see the boss staring at me on his back with a look of anger on his face. "You dumb bitch, if you tell anyone anything about you I will kill you," I took my foot and hit his head with the bottom of my heel. I heard him scream then go quiet. I assumed he was dead so I stood up and began to limp to away from the rubbage. I could hear the sirens only a block away, I began to think of a cover story of who I was for the police because I knew they could look me up but there would be no public record of me.

I sat over at a bench and watched the group of boys try and keep their friend awake. When help arrived they quickly went over to the rubble. They didn't notice me until they began to tape off the area. "Oh my god David get another medic over here this woman looks terrible," Within seconds I had a group of EMTs around me. There was a light in my face but I was numb to all of it after so long in this terrible lifestyle I have a chance to be free. "Ms. Can you tell me your name," One of the woman asked me as she began to put something around my arm. Part of me wanted to tell her who I truly was, but I knew even if the boss was dead there was more like him out there he had an entourage they all knew who we were and they were not afraid to kill. "Mel," The woman stopped whatever she was doing and looked me in the eye. "Do you know what happened here tonight Mel," I shook my head looking down.

"Were you in the building when it fell or were you outside," I shook my head. I was a bystander I was nowhere near the building. She looked at her colleges then looked at me. "Okay, then can you tell me how you got these bruises and the cut on the top of your head and by the looks of it a sprung ankle. "I was helping and some of the building fell again," They didn't believe me but they continued to check me up. "Well, you need to go to the hospital to have your head closed that cut is bad and needs stitches," I shook my head not wanting them to figure out who I was. "Well you can go with us or you can go home and bleed to death," That's when it hit me I don't have a home. I don't know where the home is because they never let us watch when we left because they didn't want us to know how to escape.

I agreed to go with them to the hospital it was a bumpy ride almost like the ride to the home. The whole way there they kept asking me more and more questions. I didn't know the answer to most of them so I lied. They finally quit asking me questions but they began to give a worried look at the machine behind me. "Ms. you have a high level of narcotics in your system can you tell me what drugs you have taken tonight," I had no clue what a narcotic was. I had taken pills they gave me at the home but I had to or they would beat us. So I told them, "Whatever they gave me at home," They looked between each other then at a chart then at me. "Do you belong to a group home ma'am," In a way I guess it was a group home a home where they forced us to have sex with them every day any time of the day. I sat in the back of the ambulance and I began to think of my first night at the home.

14 years ago

I heard the car door slam and I began to cry I knew the sound of gunshots my daddy would always go to the gun range with me and mommy. It was loud and he would always make me put something over my ears. I heard one of the doors open and something hit my head. "Shut up you stupid bitch or you will end up just like your parents," I stopped crying but I felt my heart die inside. We sat at our spot for 2 more minutes before I heard the doors open and close telling me they got in. I felt them step on the gas a floor it out of my driveway. "So Andrew how much do you think we can get off of this one," The guy he was talking to didn't say anything for a second but then he spoke. "At least half a million, she has a pretty face she is under 7 they will eat her up and besides her family was up there so we got a lot in the bag as it is," I heard them high fiving.

They began to talk about things I wasn't able to understand yet due to my age. Yet now that I am older they were talking about giving me my first round of meds. They drove for a little bit longer down a very bumpy road. I remember hitting my head on the side of the van from all of the bumps. When we got to the home I was left alone in the van for what seemed like days. I would later find out it was only 30 minutes. When someone finally decided to come get me I was weak and could stand up on my own. The person put me over there back and began to walk when they sat me down I felt a cold table on my back. They took the pillowcase from over my head and I had a bright light in my face. "Well, well well you aren't gonna get away from me this time are you Kirstin," I noticed the voice it was the guy from the park. I tries to scream but I felt them put a needle in my neck and everything went numb.