Holding On
Young
Anna woke up sweating and sat up straight. She had a dream of her father finding her and beating her, ECT. She rubs her forehead then hears noise coming from outside her room. She pulled the cover off her and walked towards the door, opening it; she peeked out and walked down the stairs towards the living room then heard a tuneless whistling in the kitchen. There, she saw Jack, whistling, and putting chewy chocolate chip granola bars and a peanut putter peanuts granola bars on a small Styrofoam plate, then turned around to see Anna standing there looking at him.
“You’re awake.” He smiles, “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes.” She mutters softly.
“That’s good.” He sets a plate in front of her, “Don’t have much in the pantry, so…”
“It’s more than what I get.”
“What happened to you? Why were you on the streets?” he asks,
“I ran away.”
“Tell me.”
“No” she shacks her head,
“Anna…I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.” He says,
“…My Daddy…” she whispers.
“Your Father did this to you?” she nods again, “What else did he do to you?”
“…He…Um…Touched, me…” she says in a really small voice but Jack heard what she said, and felt his blood pressure rising.
“He…Touched you?” She whimpers once again, hiding her face in embarrassment. “Fuck.” He hisses,
He looks back down at the terrified girl all curled up on the chair and walks around the small table and gets on his knees, taking her delicate hands in his and looks in her eyes.
“You’re not going back there, alright?” he says softly, “I’ll take care of you. You don’t have to worry about people like them anymore.”
Anna smiled and threw her arms around Jack’s neck. He chuckles and hugs her back. For what seemed forever, Jack pulled away and smiles at her, wiping her remaining tears on her cheek before going back to the chair across from hers.
“Jack, how old are you?” she asks,
“14.”
“You’re young.”
“You’re younger.”
She pouts before sticking out her tongue at him. He laughed loudly before taking a bite of his granola bar.
“You’re awake.” He smiles, “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes.” She mutters softly.
“That’s good.” He sets a plate in front of her, “Don’t have much in the pantry, so…”
“It’s more than what I get.”
“What happened to you? Why were you on the streets?” he asks,
“I ran away.”
“Tell me.”
“No” she shacks her head,
“Anna…I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.” He says,
“…My Daddy…” she whispers.
“Your Father did this to you?” she nods again, “What else did he do to you?”
“…He…Um…Touched, me…” she says in a really small voice but Jack heard what she said, and felt his blood pressure rising.
“He…Touched you?” She whimpers once again, hiding her face in embarrassment. “Fuck.” He hisses,
He looks back down at the terrified girl all curled up on the chair and walks around the small table and gets on his knees, taking her delicate hands in his and looks in her eyes.
“You’re not going back there, alright?” he says softly, “I’ll take care of you. You don’t have to worry about people like them anymore.”
Anna smiled and threw her arms around Jack’s neck. He chuckles and hugs her back. For what seemed forever, Jack pulled away and smiles at her, wiping her remaining tears on her cheek before going back to the chair across from hers.
“Jack, how old are you?” she asks,
“14.”
“You’re young.”
“You’re younger.”
She pouts before sticking out her tongue at him. He laughed loudly before taking a bite of his granola bar.
