The One That Got Away(Darriel) 'I’ve got to get out of these clothes—fast,' I thought, otherwise my mom would know my step father Henry had just raped me. Right after he had his way with me, I realized how badly he had soiled my clothes. There it was. Blood on my Pink T-shirt from the pernicious blows he gave me across the face and mouth while I refused to let him get inside of me. My mouth was still leaking with blood, like an open wound every time I placed my shirt against my mouth to stop the bleeding, I bled increasingly more. I ran to the bathroom and stripped out of my clothes swiftly and turned on the shower water.

I looked into the mirror in shame. My light skin was now granted with bruises in almost every section of my face. A dark bruise covered my right eye and my lip was now purple and swollen. Blood surrounded the corners of my mouth. I looked away from the mirror in disgust. I felt my childhood insecurities building up as tears rolled down from my eyes. Vivid flashbacks of myself as a little girl, when Henry would sneak into my room in the middle of the night without my mother knowing and slip his big hands up my small night gown. I can’t even bare to look at myself or what Henry has done to me.

I couldn’t wait to rinse my body off completely. The moment the hot steaming water fell against my skin it was as if I was washing all of Henry’s repulsive germs away. Within a few minutes Henry was banging on the bathroom door.

"Hurry up out, I want some more of what you got" He laughed. I could feel nervous chills running across my body. I lay down in the tub and let the shower water hit my face. A small minded part of me felt like turning the water on and letting it fill up to the top completely and simply drowning myself.

He continued to bang on the door long and hard. Eventually his aggressive banging caused the door to burst open. Henry rushed over to me and pulled me out of the tub.

"Get off me!" I screamed. What was the point of me screaming? Henry was ten times my size. He had big broad shoulders and sturdy long arms.
He dragged me over to the living room couch and pinned me down on it. I kicked and screamed for my life.

"Oh shut up! You’re going to love this" He smirked.

"No stop!" I cried. The potency of his tight grip against my fragile arms made me cry even louder. He stared at me angrily and then smacked me. I didn't dare speak again. I looked into his eyes, they were blood shot red. He grabbed both of my legs and quickly spread them open, shoving his penis in me.

"You love this don't you?" He said, thrusting into me. I stayed quiet and closed my eyes. Of course, I didn’t like the feeling, but I was too weak to plead against his actions.

If only my Mother were here to save me, things would be so much easier for us as a family, but she works as a full time nurse in Jersey City, so because of this I rarely see her, except on the weekends. Usually, when I get home from school Henry is home, either drinking, smoking, or even worse taunting me with his means words and repellent ways.

When I got home from school the next day after our incident, Henry was sitting on the couch smoking. I locked the door and walked towards my room.
"Where have you been?” He questioned.
"School" I said, slamming my door. I knew within seconds Henry would come bursting into my room to beat me. I heard his footsteps circling in the living room.
"Get out here girl!" He yelled.
"NO!" I screamed.
"You better listen to me," he ordered loudly, hurting my ears.
"You’re not my Father! Leave me alone".
He began screaming and kicking the door. Each time he kicked the door, my heart skipped a beat.
"I’m going to kill you when I get in there!" He threatened. I panicked as the door began to break, showing little parts of the living room. I had become increasingly terrified as I looked left to right. Within a few moments he had burst through the door and tackled me onto the floor. He began pounding on my face, one blow after the other. I kicked rapidly trying to get away but his strength was becoming excessively unbeatable.

I tried to scream but he now had his hands wrapped around my neck. Every time I tried to move he began chocking me harder and harder. I used my long finger nails to grab a large chunk of his cheek and dig my nails deep into his face. He let go of my neck and let out a loud drone, while holding his face.

Thankfully, I found my escape. The window, I thought.

I quickly got up and sprinted towards the window. While trying to climb out, Henry grabbed a hold of my left leg. I grabbed both edges of the window seal tightly, trying to prevent Henry from grabbing me away from the window. I twisted my body around to face him.

I noticed that he was breaking tons of sweat and when I looked a bit closer I saw that my five fingers nails left marks right across his cheek. I stretched my right leg back as far as I could and kicked him in the face with all the force I had in me. He then yelled loudly in intense pain and fell backwards holding his face.

I looked out of the window and noticed how high up I was and decided that I could either jump out of this window or stay here and face everlasting misery and maltreatment. I closed my eyes and quickly jumped out of the window, landing in a sharp thorny bush. As I tried to stand my legs felt as if someone had hit me in my knee caps with a bat, at a constant speed and force.

As I picked myself up and limped down the dark lonely street, Henry began shouting, "You little Bitch, wait till I catch you. I’ll have you screaming for mercy, you hear me?”

Yes, I had heard him, but I made sure I was long gone, before I actually did end up begging for his mercy.

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