Over the Road and Through the Alleys; To a My Chemical Romance Concert We Go!

The cop came in moments later with Gerard. Gerard, true to his word, sat next to me. He took my hand in his and squeezed it encouragingly. Oh god… Going through it was painful, talking about it was almost just as bad! I squeezed back hard.

“So miss...Lowry?” When I nodded the police officer continued “You want to file two reports tonight? One report about your parents and the other report about what happened in the alley?” I nodded and he wrote this information down in his pad of paper. When his blue eyes looked back up at me I started my story. The one about they ally first of course, it was easier.

“I-I was trying to find the My Chemical Romance concert. Someone gave me directions down the alley. It was this girl I met on the street…” While I spoke I studied the police officer. I decided I liked him. He was okay to trust. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. The blue eyes were light and looked like blue summer skies. He wrote down every single thing I said…well… I think he did. His pen never left the paper since I had started talking. He just kept nodding and writing as I talked. When it was over he flipped to a fresh page and looked up at me.

“Now your parents?” His eyes held worry and concern.

“Umm….” …this was gonna be hard… “Right….my parents…” I took a deep breath and felt Gerard squeeze my hand, almost letting my courage fail me as I thought of who was holding it. I took another breath, staring at our joined hands as the words tumbled out of my mouth uncontrollably. “I-I don’t know when it started… It had been going on for as long as I can remember. D-dad always hit me. The reasons….well until I went to school sounded logical. Then I realized it wasn’t. I had made some friends at school, and none of their parents hit them. I new from then on that something was wrong. B-but that wasn’t the worst part! After I-I started school…The rape sessions started. I didn’t know what it was at first… all I knew was well….” I shook my head. I couldn’t go on. I couldn’t say it. I couldn’t say anymore. I felt comforting arms wrap around me. I flinched in shock, then relaxed in them. The right arm was covered in tattoos that I recognized as Frank’s.

“She’s shaking. What you have should be enough for a case.” Gerard still hadn’t let my hand go, and was now rubbing comforting circles in it as Frank interrupted the interview. I heard the officer change position in his chair and sigh.

“We only have enough information to put Mr. Lowry in jail, probably for not as long as you could with more information. Mrs. Lowry doesn’t have anything against her. She can go free if that is all you want to say.”

“No!” I looked up at the police officer. “I-I’m not done….” I looked back down and took another breath, I felt someone else take my hand encouragingly as I started to speak again. “At the time… him r-raping me was the worst pain I could ever imagine. My M-Mother fully supported his actions. She said I deserved everything I got. When I entered 5th grade, though…I..I found out.” I took a shuddering breath and Frankie’s grip on me tightened. “There was a worse pain.” I shivered in fear “My Mother decided that beatings and rape wasn’t enough. She started… I guess you could call them torture sessions…well she decided to “try things out” on me. Such as fire. How long would it take for my skin to turn black?” I took my hands back for a moment as lifted my shirt up to reveal patches of black skin. “Or how long I could withstand the pain of a whip cracking into me repeatedly.” I didn’t give an example of this because Frank was clinging to my back so hard and I didn’t want to move. I just stared down at Gerard’s and my hand and continued on my story. “It was also Mother’s idea for starving me… If it wouldn’t look suspicious she would have locked me in the basement and left me there.” After a moment of silence the Police Officer spoke up.

“Is that everything?” I nodded. I didn’t look up from my lap where my hands were.

“I’ll send some officers to the house to arrest them. Then we’ll see about living arrangements.” I heard the shuffling of the Officer’s papers as he readied to leave.

“Will she be able to stay with us for a while?” Frankie asked behind me. My head shot up to look at the Police Officer. He paused for a moment, first looking at me then to Gerard.

“It’s her choice.” I felt six pairs of eyes on me. I stared up at the Officer, a nervous grin decorating my face.

“I-if it’s not a problem with them…. But… you believe me?” The officer nodded, tapping the papers to even their edges.

“Why wouldn’t we?” I turned my head to look at Frank.

“Well…they told m-me…no one would…” I looked down in my lap nervously.

“Of course we would! Of course people would!” I flinched at Gerard’s angry voice. He seemed to notice this and calmed down. “They would have believed you, like we did.”

“I’m sorry.” I looked down again.

“Don’t be.” I felt someone stroke my hair from behind me. The Officer coughed and I looked up.

“You can stay here until we can give you living arrangements with the state.” He turned to face Gerard “Someone will contact you with the time and date of the court meeting.” Gerard nodded and the Officer left.

“So…” Gerard turned to me but was interrupted by Frankie squealing.

“I’ve always wanted a daughter!” Frank squealed, taking my hand.