Riley

Chapter 9

Riley

I sat in the corner of my room, on the white linoleum floor, my knees to my chest, my head bowed as if in reverence all the while my hands covered my aching head as the voices kept bombarding me with negative thoughts. I was tired of the constant negative things people thought, tired of having a front-row seat to the evil in the world.

Usually, the meds help drown out the voices and the pressure of whether I should intervene or ignore what I knew, particularly when I hear someone thinking about hurting themselves or others. Being a clairvoyant, who picked up on the negative thoughts, pretty much sucked ass. Hell, even my own parents were afraid of me and had been for years as my abilities developed. 

At the first opportunity, they had me committed, telling the police that I was a danger to myself and the others they fostered to earn more money. Joe, my dad, was incapable of working. He was in a car accident when I was four, thus the food stamps and the other kids. Joe, I understood he felt like the government owed him, considering he was a cabbie when the accident happened. 

He told my mother, “Don’t worry Milly, the government will take care of us.” My mom her betrayal broke my already splintered heart. She told the judge I was suicidal and addicted to pain meds. The judge never even considered asking me questions, not after a train wreck of a public defender represented me. Public defender, my ass. He looked more nervous than I did like I was his first case. Things just went downhill from there. Sometimes I wondered what my life would have been like if I were born into a different family. Maybe one like Charlotte’s. Charlie was pretty awesome, kind, sweet, strong, and most important, she treated me like a person with feelings, almost like family. That feeling of being accepted unconditionally was new to me.

The first time Francis sent me to her room, and she declined to come to the cafeteria I knew it wasn’t out of any kind of malice she was just lost in her own family issues, I left feeling like the one potential friend I could have made would never happen. The others scared me. Mrs. Edwards was loud, and she always had the stupid cat that tried to claw my hands the time I petted on its furry head. Then there was Mav and Harry, the former I stayed away from after I heard his inappropriate thoughts when he saw me and Harry was cool. He loved chess, which was pretty much all he did. Invite anyone to beat his time. I never won I was terrible at board games.

The next day, Charlie saunters into the cafeteria with her half-naked short shorts and spaghetti-strapped top. Everyone thought she was crazy the entire place was freezing, people were literally huddled together trying to keep warm. Charlie with no fucks to give just walks into the room as if she owned it. Francis almost lost his shit his eyes bulged and his fist tightened. For a moment I thought he was going to do something, but he shook his head, muttering curses under his breath, and that was it.

After that, Charlie and I were inseparable. I felt safe until I wasn’t. It was truly a wake-up call for me. One I wasn’t expecting in the least.

“Riley, are you there, It’s Charlie,” she whispered, her voice full of genuine concern. “Can you open the door I heard what happen I just want to make sure you’re okay?”

See what I mean, pretty freaking awesome. I wiped the last tear that fell from my eyes at Charlies’s concern with the sleeve of my torn nightgown I hadn’t bothered to change, too rattled to do anything but huddled in the corner since he came uninvited into my room. There were still tiny cuts on my bare arms where he tried to hold me down amid my struggle. If I hadn’t screamed and kneed him in the ball when I caught him off guard, he would have raped me. Charlie had told me to be careful when taking the meds during the night, something about them being stronger than the usual dose they gave us during the day. She said they made you susceptible, so as soon as I got to my room I stuck my hand down my throat and threw up the pills. Two hours later, I was asleep when I felt the heavy form pressing me into the mattress. Thank god for my quick thinking and Mrs. Edwards, who saw the man limping from my room.

“Riley, please open the door.”

Finally, I got to my feet and carefully unlock my door.

  One look at my face, which I knew had a bright red mark when the guy slapped me when I started struggling, and Charlie lost it.

“Who the fuck did this to you,” she yelled, as she closed the door to my room.

“I don’t know, I never saw his face, the lights were turned off.”

“Riley, you would tell me if you knew right.”

“Of course I would.”

“Then what had you so freaked the night you came to my room and I want the truth this time Riley.”

“It wasn’t that Francis told me not to come if I didn’t convince you to come for dinner that's all.”

“You promise.”

“I promise Charlie.”

“Let me look at you.” Jesus, she was like a mother hen.

I stood still as she inspected every cut and bruise I received from my attacker. I had to admit it was nice, someone being upset that I was hurt. After her inspection was over, Charlie enfolded me in her arms, squeezing tightly, like she feared losing me. Instantly, it made more tears well in my eyes.

“I don’t want you to worry everything will be okay, I promise.” She squeezed me one more time before she steps back, surveying me with a weird expression in her emerald eyes.  She smiles as if she knew something I didn’t before she turned to leave.

“Lock your door when I leave.”

I nod, then lock my door as Charlie leaves and I couldn’t help notice there was a distinct lightness to her gait as she strolls down the corridor in search of her room. That was odd, even for Charlie. I shake my head as I go back to my corner but with a blanket and pillow this time. Guess I will sleep on the ground from now on. The bed was too much of a reminder of what could have happened tonight. Besides, sleeping in the door's corner had an element of surprise that could work to my advantage if the bastard decided he would try a second time.