Trembling With the Strings
All We've Got
“Excuse me, sir?” I whispered, voice giving out as Marty continued to cry.
“Yes, you’ll do nicely. You’ll come with me,” he told me, grabbing my wrist.
“Get away from me!” I screamed, yanking my arm away.
“Don’t touch our sister!” John yelled, running up to me only for Dad to hit him away.
“Johnny!” I cried, dashing over to him, getting on my knees beside him. “Please, Johnny. I’ll handle this. You just take Demetrius, alright? It’ll be okay. Just go to your room. Take Marc, too.” I stood up and saw Katelynn staring at the man. “Go to bed,” I begged. She shook her head.
“Take me,” she whispered weakly. I gawked at her, hurt. “Take me, not her! I don’t want to be here anymore!”
“Katelynn!” I hissed. “You aren’t going anywhere. No one is!”
“You are, girl,” the man told me, seizing my arm yet again. I shook my head violently.
“They need me! I’m not leaving them here to get beaten!” I yelled, trying my hardest to get away as tears threatened to fall. “We’re all we’ve got!” I took in a shaky breath and repeated in a whisper, “We’re all we’ve got...”
“Look, we’ll work something out, but for now you’re the only one coming with me.”
“No!” I screamed, clawing at him. “Please don’t do this! You have no right!”
“I have all rights. Your parents handed them all over to me in exchange for their lives and some extra cash. And I’d say your value is pretty high.” I couldn’t believe my ears.
“You sold me out? You can burn in Hell!” I shrieked, wanting nothing more than to rip out their throats.
“You bitch!” my dad screamed, snatching me from the man and smacking me hard across the face. I cried out as I fell to the floor and his steel-toed boots collided with my ribcage. I screamed, trying to protect myself.
“Gracie!” Marty cried, stumbling up to me. “No hurt!” he begged, bawling beside me.
“Bed, Martin,” I begged, giving him a push towards his room as I crawled away from my father. I’m sure he tried to get me once more, but I saw the man step in between us.
“That’s enough!”
“I’ll do as I want! She’s my kid!”
“Not anymore. She’s Mr. Jameson’s now. Girl, hurry and say goodbye. We’re going soon, so pack.”
“Grace no go!” Marty begged, clinging to me.
“Please, sir! I can’t leave them!”
“Drakken is a very compassionate and lenient man, but you’ll have to take this up with him. I’m sorry, but it’s goodbye for now.”
Katie refused to hug me, but I held my brothers for as long as I could. Eventually the only way I could get Marty off was to promise him I’d come back soon. And we’d be together forever because nothing could split us apart...
Or so I hoped.
“Yes, you’ll do nicely. You’ll come with me,” he told me, grabbing my wrist.
“Get away from me!” I screamed, yanking my arm away.
“Don’t touch our sister!” John yelled, running up to me only for Dad to hit him away.
“Johnny!” I cried, dashing over to him, getting on my knees beside him. “Please, Johnny. I’ll handle this. You just take Demetrius, alright? It’ll be okay. Just go to your room. Take Marc, too.” I stood up and saw Katelynn staring at the man. “Go to bed,” I begged. She shook her head.
“Take me,” she whispered weakly. I gawked at her, hurt. “Take me, not her! I don’t want to be here anymore!”
“Katelynn!” I hissed. “You aren’t going anywhere. No one is!”
“You are, girl,” the man told me, seizing my arm yet again. I shook my head violently.
“They need me! I’m not leaving them here to get beaten!” I yelled, trying my hardest to get away as tears threatened to fall. “We’re all we’ve got!” I took in a shaky breath and repeated in a whisper, “We’re all we’ve got...”
“Look, we’ll work something out, but for now you’re the only one coming with me.”
“No!” I screamed, clawing at him. “Please don’t do this! You have no right!”
“I have all rights. Your parents handed them all over to me in exchange for their lives and some extra cash. And I’d say your value is pretty high.” I couldn’t believe my ears.
“You sold me out? You can burn in Hell!” I shrieked, wanting nothing more than to rip out their throats.
“You bitch!” my dad screamed, snatching me from the man and smacking me hard across the face. I cried out as I fell to the floor and his steel-toed boots collided with my ribcage. I screamed, trying to protect myself.
“Gracie!” Marty cried, stumbling up to me. “No hurt!” he begged, bawling beside me.
“Bed, Martin,” I begged, giving him a push towards his room as I crawled away from my father. I’m sure he tried to get me once more, but I saw the man step in between us.
“That’s enough!”
“I’ll do as I want! She’s my kid!”
“Not anymore. She’s Mr. Jameson’s now. Girl, hurry and say goodbye. We’re going soon, so pack.”
“Grace no go!” Marty begged, clinging to me.
“Please, sir! I can’t leave them!”
“Drakken is a very compassionate and lenient man, but you’ll have to take this up with him. I’m sorry, but it’s goodbye for now.”
Katie refused to hug me, but I held my brothers for as long as I could. Eventually the only way I could get Marty off was to promise him I’d come back soon. And we’d be together forever because nothing could split us apart...
Or so I hoped.