C7 INCEST

NIGHTINGALE

***

“What happened, Nightingale? What’s wrong?” Quetzal asked me as she cried with me.

I just hugged her tighter and continued crying, I couldn’t speak to save my life. I had been absorbing so much emotional trauma and refusing to cry for so long, but now my limit had been passed and I could no longer hold the tears in. I absorbed all the comfort she had to offer and cried till I felt physically drained.

“Please talk to me, Nightingale. You’re scaring me.” Quetzal said and I moved my head back from her shoulder to look at her.

I tried to smile as I replied to her.

“I’m fine, Quetzy.” My voice sounded hoarse from crying for who knew how long, and my throat felt so dry.

“You’re not fine, Night. Please, talk to me, I’m your sister. You know I love you, and I’m here for you. I know you think you’re protecting me by keeping things from me, but I’m not a child. I can handle it, I just want to help you.” She said as she cleaned the stray tears from my cheeks.

The concern in her eyes made me want to start crying again, but I had no more energy left for that. I moved to lie down, and Quetzy lay beside me on the bed.

“I’m… I’m so sorry, Quetzy. I could have gotten enough money today. It would have been enough for us to leave here immediately. I’m sorry I failed you, I just… I couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t do it.” My voice was shaky and Quetzal put her palm on my cheek.

“You didn’t fail me. You can never fail me, Night. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, the best sister anyone could ask for. Any money that comes from you getting hurt like this, I don’t need it. Please tell me what happened.”

I was quiet for several seconds as I contemplated if I should tell Quetzal what had happened at the club and that our plans to leave here may be delayed by a few extra months because I lost the bar job. Usually, I wouldn’t have told her, but she was right, I needed to stop treating her like she was still a child.

“I lost my job.” I said to her.

“Why did they fire you? Did you do something bad?” She asked as she moved closer to me on the bed.

“I wasn’t really fired, but I know that I can’t ever go back there or something bad will happen. My boss, he wanted me to sleep with him. He offered me a lot of money, and I was willing to do some things with him to get him off and get the money. I didn’t want to sleep with him, but when he told me of his plans for me, I knew I couldn’t do it. He tried to force himself on me, I hit him and ran. He almost killed me, he had a gun and he would have shot me, he…”

My father burst into the room and startled the both of us. We had been so engrossed in our conversation, and we hadn’t heard the sound of him opening the front door and getting into the house.

“YOU BITCH! YOU LOST YOUR JOB?” He bellowed as he stomped closer to us.

I yelped as he moved to the bed and dragged me out of it with my legs. I fell to the floor as he let go of me and then I stood to block him from getting close to Quetzal. He slapped me hard and I toppled to the floor.

“Please, s.she’s already hurt. Please just leave her alone.” Quetzal said to our father as he picked me up by my hair.

He ignored her.

“Why did you refuse to sleep with him, huh? You said he offered you a lot of money, why did you run instead of spreading your legs like a good whore?” He yelled into my face as he slapped me again.

Thankfully, he hadn’t overheard me saying we had plans to run away from here or the situation would have been way worse. My lip that had already started healing from his earlier assault began to bleed again. I was too weak already from all that had happened, so I didn’t bother trying to fight or beg. I knew it was useless because no matter what we did or said, he would still do what he wanted to do. Better to endure it so it would be over faster and he would leave us be.

“Father, please.” Quetzal sobbed loudly as he tossed me to the bed with my face down.

“You think you’re so high and mighty, huh? You’re too good for men like that? Or do you think you have morals? You don’t want to sleep with your boss.” My father cackled and I heard the sound of him undoing his belt.

I mentally detached from my body so when he used the belt to hit me, it wouldn’t hurt as much. It wasn’t the first time he was whipping me with a belt, and it wouldn’t be the last.

“How am I supposed to eat when you no longer have a job, huh? All those other nonsense you do pays chicken change. This bar job is the only one that pays reasonably, and it would have paid more if only you stopped your goody two shoes nonsense and used your body to make real cash. When I’m done with you, we’re going back to that bar and you’ll beg your boss to take you back and do whatever he says like a good slut.”

I didn’t make a sound as he straddled me on the bed, yanked my hair back hard and spoke the last line in my ears. As usual, he stank of alcohol. Then he flipped me over so I was now facing him, and I realised his intent as he forcefully tied my hands above my head with his belt. He wasn’t going to whip me, he was going to rape me, it was written all over his face. Before I could say a word, he put his lips on mine and tried to force his tongue down my throat. I bit him and he yelled. My vision went hazy when he slapped me again.

“Father, no! You... you can’t do this. She’s your daughter.” Quetzal stammered as she also realised what my father intended to do to me.

“Please father, we’ll go job hunting tomorrow and we'll find more work, we'll make more money. Please just let her go, don’t do this to her, please.” Quetzal pleaded.

AUTHOR'S NOTE; We can all agree that Nightingale's father is one of the worst fathers on the planet.