Blossom

Chapter 1.

I had a long day at work. Wiping down spills, cleaning up the crumbs off the tables, getting yelled at by a few customers for bringing them the wrong order. My mind wasn't cooperating today. All I could think about was the money for the rent. After school, I work for a pizza shop down near milton's avenue. My parents both have two jobs and my little sister, Clove, she's happy in her own little world. We can't afford to send her to school so I try to teach her all I can. So far she seems to be doing alright. At ten years old and already mastering Algebra.
I climb up the stairs to the second floor. We live in an old apartment complex, surrounded by the gangs. It's not so bad. We don't bother them, they don't bother us. I open the door to find Clove sitting at the kitchen table playing with her favorite doll. All rusty and old, I'm not sure how she loves that thing so much. I search the house for any signs of our parents. They left her alone again. I see a stack of money laid out on the counter with a note taped to it. 'Got paid today, take the money down to the office I'll be home by 8 - Love, Mom.' I found this strange since this type of money never just appears out of one paycheck. Without hesitation, Clove and I walk down to the office and insert the money through the hole on the window. I'm not sure who handles it from there but it always seems to reach the right hands.

We make our way back upstairs as quickly as possible. I never find it safe to wonder the streets here. We cuddle up on the couch and take a nap while we wait for mom. Dad doesn't come home till the morning to leave again at 3. I close my eyes and drift off. When I wake up Clove is no longer on my lap and I can't seem to move. Everything is pitch black except for the little red light always coming from the oven. I hear light sobbing and try to make out the noise. Sounds like Clove. I try to get up to find I have been tied down. The more I struggle, the harder the ropes tighten down. It comes to the point where I can't breathe so I give in. I lay there hopeless wondering what could be happening to Clove.

A light shines in the middle of the room focused on the small ten year old. Her locks of hair are laying on the ground and her expression is of fear. "CLOVE!!" I yell. A pair of rough hands come up from behind me and cover my mouth. I try to struggle out but it's no use. I see Clove with her mouth taped shut and her dress all torn up. A tall buff man brings her in front of me as if she's up for display. I can't seem to make out his face since the room is so dark. The light stays shining on little Clove. I watch as he lays her on the kitchen table. My heart seems to stop. I start yelling as loud as I possibly can, but it's not loud enough. The hands behind me seem to grow tighter up against my mouth. I try to look away but my face is directed towards Clove again. I can barely watch as the large man climbs on the table sort of child like. I can see Clove try to struggle out of his touch. His enormous hands stroke through her thighs. He holds her down with one hand and reaches in his pants with the other. I can't bare to see anymore of this. He lifts up her dress and pushes himself into her. Each time harder and harder. I can hear her screams through the tape. With each thrust he looks over at me with a smirk on his face. The tears are streaming down my face and I know I will never be able to forget this moment.

The man comes closer to me with a cloth in his hands, he holds it up against my nose and everything is a blur from there.
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