Burning It Down, All the Way to Bat Country

Matt’s POV…
It was 9 pm and I was moving shit into the house I had just rented. Me and the guys had decided to get away from each other for a few months, then come back and record a kick ass album. So, in order to actually get away, but still stay in the city I loved, I decided to just rent a place in a different part of Huntington. Unpacking is gonna take so fuckin long; I brought way too much stuff. Whatever, I’ll unpack it tomorrow. I decided to just drag my mattress into my room. Now where the fuck did I put all my bedding? I finally located it after an hour of searching through all the boxes. I had just enough energy to put everything on the mattress, fall on it, and pass out.

Over the next few days I finished unpacking, and I was looking in my kitchen for something to eat and lo and behold, I have no food. “Yay, time to go the store, ugh” I thought to myself as I grabbed my keys and walked out to my car. Driving the quick ten minutes to the grocery store, I parked, grabbed a cart and walked in. I hadn’t come with a list, so I just walked the aisles throwing stuff into the cart. After walking around for about 45 minutes, I decided I had everything. I waited forever in check out, then paid and was walking out of the store texting my sister when I tipped over a crack and dropped my phone. “Shit!” I let go of the cart and bent down to pick up my phone. I was reaching for the cart again when someone ran into me and fell over. “Shit are you ok?” I asked, reaching a hand out to the small girl in front of me. She grabbed my hand and I pulled her up, she kept her head down the whole time.
“Yes, I’m fine” she answered and hurried into the store.

“Well that was weird” I thought as I wheeled the full cart towards my car. Five minutes later and the car was loaded, the cart was back at the front of the store, and I was on my way home. Upon arrive, I grabbed a few bags and walked up to my front door, unlocking it and setting the bags in the kitchen. I finished unloading the car and unpacking the groceries about thirty minutes later, and grabbed a beer and decided to watch some T.V. 4 football games later, and I saw it was dark outside. I was looking for my cell phone to check the time, and realized that I left it in the car. I grabbed my keys and walked outside, unlocking my black Escalade and grabbing my phone from the cup holder. As I was walking back to the house, I saw a girl walking down to her trashcans and realized it was the girl from earlier.

“Hey you!” I called, and she turned around and looked at me with an expression crossed between curiosity and fear.
“Yes sir?” she answered.
“Oh whatever, call me Matt” I laughed and grinned.
“Ok Matt, did you need something?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to say sorry for knocking you over earlier.” She opened her mouth to reply, but turned when she heard
“Trinity! In the house NOW!” being yelled from her house. She turned and mumbled a quick
“Sorry” and ran back inside. I stood outside for a minute, completely confused as to what had just happened, thinking
“What has her so skittish?” I shrugged to myself and checked my phone, saw that it was after ten pm, and decided to go inside and go to bed.

I woke up the next around noon. Deciding to not be a lazy bum today, I got up and put some workout clothes on, and grabbing my wallet, keys, and cell phone off my night stand, walked out to my car. As I was walking, I saw Trinity, the girl from last night, walking out of her house.
“Hey Trinity!” I called out. She jumped and whirled around.
“Oh, hey Matt!” She squeaked and ran back inside.
“Well that was…Odd” I thought to myself as I slipped in my car, putting it reverse and backing quickly out of my driveway. I made my way to the gym, and after checking in, walked over to the weights.

4 hours later and I had just gotten home. Walking upstairs to my bathroom I started the shower, stripped down and stepped in. I stood under the spray for a good fifteen minutes, letting the hot water soothe my aching muscles. After washing all the sweat and nasty gym smell off my body I stepped out and wrapped a towel around my waist. Wandering to my bedroom, I picked out shorts and a t shirt to chill out in. I walked downstairs and flopped on my couch, trying to decide what to do for the rest of the day.

I was looking outside and noticed the grass was looking a little long, so got up and walked out to the garage, where I located the lawn mower. I was dragging it outside when I noticed Trinity getting out of her car. I smiled and yelled “Hey Trinity!”
She turned and actually smiled when she saw me standing, she waved and walked over.
“Hey Matt, how’s it goin? She asked when she reached me.
“I’m ok, just getting ready to do some yard work. How are you?”
“I’m pretty good, but I gotta get inside, my parents will be home soon and I have to have dinner ready when they walk in the door” She said with a shrug.
“Oh, ok, I guess I’ll see you around then?”
“Haha yeah, I’ll see you later Matt” she said with sad smile, then waved and walked back over to her house, unlocking the door and walking inside. I noticed something on her upper arm when she waved; it looked like a…handprint?

Over the next few weeks, Trinity and I kept talking, and she slowly started getting more comfortable with me. But as we got to know each other, I started to notice more bruises and bumps and cuts all over her arms, and sometimes her face. I was walking outside one day when I saw her struggling with her lawn mower, and I jogged over to her and tapped her on the arm. She jumped and whirled around with a terrified look on her face. I held my hands up and backed away.

“Hey, sorry I scared you, it just looked like you could use some help” I said as her expression went from scared to relieved.
“Oh my god Matt, help would be fantastic” she said as she smiled at me.
“Do you think you could mow the lawn so I can trim the hedges then get dinner started?”
“Not a problem Trin, glad to help” I said as I grabbed the mower from her and pushed it to the top of the lawn. An hour later and I was done, so I wheeled the mower back into her garage and put it in the corner. I was walking back to my house I heard her call my name, so I turned around and waited for her to catch up and stand in front of me.
“I just wanted to say thank you for your help, there is no way I would have gotten this done before the evil people got home without it” She said with a smile.
“No problem hun, I was happy to help, wait, the evil people?” I asked with a frown. Her calling them that was only furthering my suspicions that they were hurting her.
“Shit, I wasn’t supposed to say that, I gotta go, I’ll see you later!” She rushed out and ran away.
Her reaction confirmed it, her family was hurting her. But how do I tell her I can help her without them finding out? I figured out a plan as I walked back to my house to take a shower. I just had to wait for her to take the garbage out tonight like she always did.

A few hours later and I saw her walk outside with 4 huge trash bags. I ran over and quickly grabbed two of the bags, smiling innocently when she looked over at me.
“Hi Matt, I can do that myself ya know”
“I know, but I saw you walking and I wanted to help, considering the bags are almost as big as you are shortie.” I said with a grin.
“Hey, I am not that short!” She said, slapping my arm with a small smile.
“Uh, sorry hun, but yeah, you are” I replied, grinning.
“Oh shut it” She pouted as she walked. I helped her put all the trash in the bins and turned to her.
“So, I guess I’ll see you around?” I asked her.
“Yeah, night Matt” she said and started walking away.
“Trinity, wait!” I called. She turned around, looking confused as I pressed a piece of paper into her hand.
“It’s my cell number” I explained. She looked even more confused. I sighed.
“I know that they’re hurting you, but until you ask for help, I can’t do anything about it, so when you’re ready, give me a call, I’ll get you out of there.” I said and walked away, leaving her in stunned silence. As I walked inside and went to bed, I could only think of one thing…

“Would she call?”