Greaser Girl // Sodapop Curtis

House of Nightmares

Caren's POV

I feel blood dripping off of my temple. My entire body hurts, and I moan.

I open my eyes. I'm in a dark room with brown walls, one lonely window with bars, and a single bed.

This is my old room. The room I never wanted to be back inside.

I hear a clunk outside of my room, someone's guarding it.

I know I won't get out, my dad installed a huge lock mechanism when I was young.

I slowly sit up, wiping the blood off my face. My arms hurt badly, and my knuckles are bruised. My eye catches my ring.

The bed creaks when I stand up, and I have to stand for second to get rid of the dizziness.

I have to get out of here, I'm going to die. What would my dad want with me anyway?

Just as the dizziness goes away, I hear the door unlock.

I brace myself for the person I don't ever want to see.

The door swings open and hits the wall, I wince.

There stands my dad, tall, menacing, and powerful.

He's wearing a smirk, one that I know all to well.

"Good to see ya again Caren." Dad says, and moves closer to me.

I back-step.

"Git away from me." I snarl, and practically spit  it out.

"Now, now, no need to be so rude. I found ya, and I'm gonna take care of ya." He says in a sarcastic tone.

He moves closer, and I back away. Flinching when I hit my bed.

I can't back up anymore, I'm stuck.

He realizes too, and makes it to his advantage. He caresses my cheek with his big hand.

I flinch and try to avoid it.

"Why'd ya do this?" I ask, choking on the horrible words.

"I want parental money, it's as simple as that." His tone turns to the one I know so much better. The one that would beat me, and torture me.

"You won't git it."

"Oh," he pretend to sound surprised, "Why not?"

"My friend will come for me. And when they do, I'll make sure to turn ya into the law." I warn.

He chuckles and looks at my ring, "Your boyfriend is in the hospital, and we made sure to do something to the rest."

For a second I'm worried, but I make sure he doesn't notice my distress.

"They'll come." I promise.

He slaps me and leaves before I can punch him.

If it had been a year ago, I wouldn't have wanted to fight back, but being in Tulsa taught me to stand up for myself.

I lay back down on the bed, closing my eyes.

After a few minutes, I hear a rustling outside of my prison window.

I slowly get up and cautiously look through the window.

"Hello?" I whisper, loud enough for someone outside to hear, not enough for anyone outside my door to hear.

All of a sudden, Steve jumps up from the bushes.

I jump back, and conceal a squeal.

Richie appears next to Steve.

"What are ya doin here?" I ask, whispering as harshly as I can.

I'm very grateful, but I'm worried they'll get caught. My dad would show them no mercy.

"We came to git ya." Steve whispers.

I come closer to the window again.

"Your not gonna be able to git in." I say, it's true, there's no hope.

"We'll find a way, Richie knows your house." Steve promises.

"You need to git the rest of the gang, your not gonna beat them with the two of ya." I reply.

"Richie is gonna stay in the next house and make sure they don't hurt ya. I'm gonna drive back and gather the gang." Steve says, and slowly gets up.

"Steve," I start, he turns around, "Thank you, I couldn't have asked for a better friend."

What I say is true, he has always been there for me.

He looks at me for a minute, "No problem."

He turns and runs quickly down the block and starts his truck. I watch it his truck drive down the block and disappear before I turn toward Richie.

He turns away from watching him too, and looks at me.

"I'll be in that old abandoned house next to this. If you need me, make your ring reflect off the sun and point it at that window." He points to the one that's across from my small window.

I nod. 

He clamps my hand tightly in reassurance, before crawling away.

I don't bother to watch him enter the old house, I need sleep.

I lay down, feeling a strong surge of hopefulness.