Continuing Story Part 22

Rachel jumped up from  her seat and ran over and wrapped her arms around Dahlia saying how glad she was that she was safe and sound. She placed her arms around her and guided her to sit next to her. Ralph reached over and patted her hand, telling her that he had been worried and now he could sleep better tonight.

Ruth looked at the three of them and was thanking God for making the right decision by calling these people. She could tell that there was a lot of love in this family. Rachel turned Dahlia’s face towards her and asked why. Why did you leave, I thought you were happy here with us. What possibly could have happened to make you want to run away?

Dahlia placed her head in the position of looking down at her lap. She realized that she loved these two people. With not being able to see, she could feel the love from them, and she was sorry that she had worried them so much. She could always sense when they were in the room no matter where they were. The scents, the warmth, and the glow, was important factors to a blind person, The touch of Rachel’s soft hands, the smoothness in her voice, showing patience and love. Why had she not confided in these two, and had decided to just run.

Tears started to run down her face and she buried her face in her hands. She was aware that everyone’s eyes were on her, but nothing came out of her mouth. Ralph handed her his hankie and told her to wipe her eyes and blow her nose. He went on to say with confidence that nothing could be so bad, that she could not confide in either one of them.

Dahlia could not take the words,she stood up and felt her way over to where Ruth was sitting, and Ruth tried to comfort her while saying, please tell them, child , what happened. What made you run like this, please explain to them. Can’t you feel the love they have for you? You can trust them.

Dahlia sat in silence, trying, wanting to get the words out, but how could she tell them that their own son, had taken advantage of her. How could she hurt them like this. The clock could be heard ticking in the background, the silence was so loud in the room. No one was saying anything, and all ears were tuned into her mouth.

Ralph broke the silence by asking her if something had happened at the picnic yesterday. Did someone say something to hurt you? Were you offended in some way? While he was speaking he and Rachel, went over to where Ruth and Dahlia were sitting, and knelt down in front of them, placing their hands on top of Dahlias. Please tell us, we can  help with what ever it was.

Dahlia gasped and choked on her breath, spitting out, it was him. Him? Who him? Drew. Ralph asked immediately, what did Drew do? He looked at Rachel and Rachel looked at him. All fell silent again, as the same thoughts were racing through each of the minds of the husband and wife.

Ralph coughed, and tears began to well up in his own eyes, and he said to Dahlia in a monotone voice, I think we know what you are talking about, we both think we know what has happened. Did he touch you? Did he place his hands on you? Please tell us.

Dahlia explained with much encouragement, how she had went outside with one of the ladies at the boarding house, and they had taken a walk and had found a bench and sat and chatted for a while. She explained how her friend got up and went back inside, with she, herself, saying she would follow in a few minutes. She explained how a mouth had covered hers and how she had been dragged to a spot farther away and he had taken advantage of her virginity.

Ralph got up and went back to his seat, while Rachel kept holding Dahlia’s hands. We thought this was over, we thought we had solved all of this a long time ago. The whispers of her words could be barely heard, and Dahlia asked her what had she just said. Rachel got up also and went back to her own seat, leaving Ruth to hold Dahlia close to her while the two others explained what had happened so long ago.

They explained that Drew had become ill several years ago. He had run a very high fever, and nothing the doctors could do would bring that temperature down. They kept him in ice packs and they bathed him and with its own will, the fever did finally break, but the damage left behind, did something to his head, and sometimes he took to crazy spells, acting differently than who he was.

Rachel continued to explain how Drew would look at her in embarrassing ways and on different occasions, he would barge into their bedroom, coming over and sitting on the bed for no reason. One time, Ralph and Rachel were in the middle of a passionate moment, and he barged in.

They had called a special doctor the next day and set an appointment to get their son some help. He had gone to this doctor for over a year, but then the doctor had explained, that with much help and testings, they thought they had this all sorted out, and the world could be at rest now, knowing he was back to the man he once was, but something has happened, and he has lost his mind once again.

Dahlia sat there dumbfounded. Her first thoughts were how could you leave so many innocent ladies live in your house, and we are all blind too? How could we defend ourselves against such a monster, but then she had gotten to know Drew also, and he never gave her a feeling that she should live in fear. He had never treated her with any less respect than she expected.

Her heart began to soften a little, but the memories of the pain were still too close to the heart. Ralph looked at Ruth and saw that even she had a glistening from her eyes. The story was so sad. A man who was a good man, became ill, and a monster was born, showing itself when ever it felt like.

Please come home with us dear Dahlia. We will take him back to the doctor. We will also take you to a doctor to make sure you are physically alright. If you need special help to get through this terrible ordeal, we can find someone for you. We care so much about you, dear girl. You have a wonderful future ahead of you, you love your school. How can we beg you for forgiveness over something we thought was buried years ago, please come home with us.

Continuing Story Part 20

The dance ended and Dahlia quickly walked away. She went over and stood among the ladies from the boarding house. Her face was flushed and Sue walked over and asked her if everything was alright. Dahlia said yes, that she was just feeling a little warm. The two ladies decided to get a breath of fresh air, so they left the building and went outside and took a walk around the property. They found a bench to sit on and both sat down.

Sue asked Dahlia how things were going between her and Drake and she responded back with her secret of the stolen kiss. Sue admitted that she had found a nice man also. He was in several of her classes. They exchanged glances and even held hands once while walking to a new class, but there was no kisses as of yet.

Dahlia wanted to tell her friend about how Drew had come into her room, but decided against it, as she didn’t want to cause any drama, as she knew he would never enter her room again. The two spent time talking about classes and each talked about the dance classes. Both ladies were in different classes so they found themselves comparing notes.

After some time, Sue said that they better get back in, but Dahlia was in no hurry to have to face Drew again, so she told Sue to go ahead, that she would be there momentarily. Sue brushed Dahlia’s cheek with a quick peck and gave her a hug, and told her to hurry back in.

Sue left, leaving Dahlia to sit on the bench alone. She listened to the music coming from within the building and let her mind drift from that to Drake. She touched her lips where he had taken her first kiss and found herself smiling. She didn’t hear the footsteps coming up from behind her, nor was she prepared for the quick hand that covered her mouth.

She tried to shout, but nothing came out. She wiggled herself around and as her senses kicked in she knew that it was no other than  Drew. Fear instantly over took her body, she began to shake and her eyes began to water. He pulled her up from the bench and with one hand over her mouth still, the other hand grabbed her around the waist, and he forced her to walk with him several feet from where she had been sitting.

She could say nothing but used her body as a weapon and tried to bite him on the hand and kick him with her feet, but he was too strong for her. He found a grassy spot and he forced her down to the ground, and with one hand he was raising her dress, and lowering her panties. There on the ground he forced his way into her. Tears were streaming down her face. Her fight was gone, and he had his way with her.

When he was finished he stood up, and zipping his pants and buckling his buckle, he explained how he had no choice but to finish what he so desired. When she had let him into her room, and he saw the curvature of her opened dress from the back, he had to know what else she had hiding under those clothes. He warned her not to say a word of this to anyone, or else she would be the one finding a new home to live in, as she was the temporary guest, not he.

As quickly as he had come to her, he was gone, leaving her body lying there. Coldness took over and her body started to quiver and to shake. Tears rolled down her face once again. She felt so ashamed. What had she done to lead him to the point that he had taken her as he did. Her mind took no time to digest the actions. She felt ashamed and dirty. She stood up and with no excuses made to anyone, she walked back to her home, where she had spent many good times. She bumped into a tree and almost fell in a dip in the path, as she didn’t have her cane with her. She had left it at home, letting the group lead her to the dance, but she knew the direction, and soon she found herself turning the knob on the door, and made her way to her room.

Panic took over and she knew not where she was going, but she did know she had to leave here at once. She felt in the bottom of the closet until her hands touched the bag she had used when she arrived here. She threw all of her clothes in to it and walked to the bathroom and gathered her supplies and her basket. Placing everything she could think of in the bag, her heart was breaking, for she knew that she would never enter these floors again.

She took her bag and exited the front door, her mind was so boggled with all that had happened tonight, that she didn’t even take time to figure out which direction she was going. Her cane led her down the road and she just kept walking.

Night time air was taking over and she felt herself shivering some. She had left her sweater behind, she stopped, considering whether to try to risk going back after it, and shaking her head no, decided she was not going to accidentally run into anyone, so she continued to walk.

She didn’t know how far she had walked. All was quiet on the roads. It was late, this she knew. No sounds of anything but the familiar sounds she heard as she would sometimes listen  from her bedroom window in the evenings. She was getting tired and her body ached. She made her way off of the road, and her cane tapped on a tree, and she decided to stop here for a moment, just to rest and try to collect her thoughts.

She sat down and opened her bag and found a long sleeve blouse, and she slipped that over her. She didn’t care at this moment how she looked, she was more interested in warmth. She rested her head against the tree, and sobs started vomiting from within her. She let them take over and her body shook from fear and the chill of the air.
Where was she going, what had she done, leaving the house, with no direction in mind, but she knew that she could not stay there, with what had happened earlier tonight.

Her mind went through the actions of Drew, and she became so angry at her own self. How did she allow this to happen? Why didn’t she fight him harder. Had she secretly wanted this to happen? Had that day that he walked into her room, somehow brought  forth a desire, and without realizing it had given him signals of her own heart?

She came back to reality and out loud screamed NO! She had done nothing! He had taken her for his own without permission, and he had no right to do this, but how could she turn back and go home. If she went home she would have to explain, her shame would come forth, and she did not want Drake to know what his brother had done to her. What would that do the two of them, their relationship as brothers. What would it do to the nice family that lived within those walls? Her mind was exhausted, and her body lay limp against the tree. Lying her head against her bag, and pulling her dress up closer around her neck, she could make no decisions and soon drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the monsters arms around her.