Every single time I cry for too long. . .I hiccup. If he hears it, he comes in with his belt in hand. Today, he didn't wake. His body lifeless on the couch. I tip-toe out of the house, closing the door quietly. I'm free. I run, my hands in the air, hoping for someone to see me and ask me if I'm okay. 'No,' I'd tell them, 'Not in the slightest bit.' A boy called out to me, calling me ma'am. He took my hand and looked into my eyes.

"You're covered in burns. Are you hurt?" His voice, gentle and caring. Tears bubbled in my throat, making me hiccup. Within minutes, I was inside of his car and we were in the parking lot of the Hospital. He touched my hand, bringing me inside. When the doctor came close to me, I flinched. The boy held my hand, nodding. When we finished, we sat in the car again. "Who hurts you?" He asked. No. I can't tell you. Then he'll be after me and he'll hurt you. I don't want that. All you've done is shown me kindness. My hand touched his cheek, giving him a soft smile. He didn't ask me anything more. He dropped me off at the park he found me at.

"Calaway. But call me Cal." He sped off after giving me a tight hug. The second I stepped into the house he threw my body into the wall and smacked me. He whipped me, screaming and panting. My cries couldn't be heard over his shouting. He opened my door and threw me inside, spitting onto my face. His steel-toe boot jabbed into my ribs, making me cry out. Cry all you want, no one is going to save you. You're a waste of space, you don't deserve to live. You fucking oblivion. I wish you were never born, you fucking disappointment! His words hurt, no matter how much I hear them. He leaves me there, crying and hiccuping. Cal. . .Please. . .I need you now. With that, shouts filled the house, making me jump. I crawled into my closet and held my hand over my ears. A gunshot. People are here. They shouldn't be. Thump. My door opens, making me tense up. Cal's voice echoes throughout the empty cell. I push open the closet doors and run over to him, crying. His hands hold me up, pulling me close. I try to speak. . . But nothing comes out. Nothing. Cal shakes his head and smiles. He takes my hand and pulls me out of the room. I dig my heels into the floor, shaking my head.

"You don't have to worry about him anymore. We took care of him." Cal's eyes showed me the world. I nodded, still scared to move. He lies on the floor, motionless. Cal puts his hands on my eyes and guides me out of the house. Sirens and flashing lights make me scream. My vision goes black and I know that I've died.

~End~

The sniffle that I make echoes throughout the room, making me jump. Cal walked through the door and sat in the gray chair, huffing. I played with the end of the hospital gown he helped me find. The doctor then made his way in, sitting on a roller chair that squeaked. He clicked away on his computer, then looked at me with concerned eyes.

"How long was he hurting you?" He asked, clasping his hands together. I looked at Cal then at the doctor. Using my fingers, I held up seven fingers. The doctor sighed, then took his glasses off. "Years? Months? Days? Weeks? Hours? Minutes? I need you to answer the questions I have, ma'am." He sounded angry. It's been so long since I've talked. I cleared my throat and looked at my feet.

"Seven-teen years." I gulped, messing with my fingers. He nodded, putting his glasses back onto his nose. Cal looked at the doctor and sighed.

"As far as I know, Mr. Brynner hid the scars and injuries in places that were harder to find during a physical. Also, there was clear evidence in the house that there was another person at one moment in time. Neighbors couldn't tell me whether or not it is true." He loosened his tie and then the two had a conversation. My heart began to beat almost as fast as the fan spinning in the room. There is no fan.

Cal and I sat in his car, silence filling the air like a gas. He started the car and we sped off.

"Good job on talking to the doctor." He mumbled, turning the wheel. I smiled, nodding. We drove for a long time. Then, he stopped the car at a house bigger than the mall down the street. The two of us exited and walked to the front door. When the door opened, a little boy ran to the door. He picked him up, holding him close. I moved over, watching them laugh and talk to each other. The little boy looked at me, pointing his finger at my nose.

"She's pretty, daddy, who is she?" His small finger touched the tip of my nose. I smiled and stuck my tongue out. Cal walked through the door, pulling me along with him. We sat on the couch, the little boy sitting on Cal's knee. Cal looked at me, slowly nodding.

"I'm. . .Maurice. Just call me Mari, though, okay?"My voice was soft when it left my mouth. He smiled, hugging me tightly. Charlie. That's his name. I didn't think that Cal was the type of person to be a father. I smiled, knowing that it was okay to feel scared and to cry and show weakness.

Cal put Charlie to bed, leading me into a spare room filled with a bed and books. My eyes grew wide, a smile growing almost as big. I plopped onto the bed and wrapped myself up with the giant blanket. Cal laughed, opening a dresser filled with clothes. I sat up after he handed me some clothes. I smiled, saying good-night. He responded with the same things and left, closing the door behind him. I'm safe here. I'm okay. Right?

~End~

(Cal's POV)

I can't believe I brought her to this house. When I woke up for the first time, I went straight to the room that I brought her to. She was fast asleep, all of the blanket on the floor as she curled up on top of them. I walked in and gently picked her up and settled her back into the bed. When I put the blankets back on top of her, I swear her eyes were open. Her hand rested on my cheek, pulling me close. Then, it all stopped. Her hand fell and her eyes were closed. What the hell am I thinking? I think that the woman I am trying to protect is attractive and now I'm fantasizing? Super professional, Cal.

I'm part of the HYFD. High Yorkers Fire Department. I only recently transferred to this station and so far, I'm loving it. Charlie's mother would have loved it here too, but she was taken far too soon. At the same time, I'm glad she's dead. I might sound like a terrible person saying that, but she would get high and leave Charlie alone in our room with the door locked. That crazy ass fucking woman stole my heart but not enough of it, I suppose. I can't blame her for becoming an addict. It's mainly her brother's fault. He killed himself shortly after she died to protect himself from being tied up with the case on her murder.

I sighed, walking over to Charlie's room, to see him sitting up, crying. When I sat beside him, he gripped onto my arm, sniffling. He didn't speak. We sat there, his breathing calming down. When he finally spoke, it froze me.

"I want Mari to be my mommy. Max didn't care about me. Mari does, Daddy." Her buried his face into my chest, more tears pouring out of his eyes. I pet his head until he fell back asleep. When I left and closed his door, what he said got me thinking. Maybe she could be some help. . .Maybe.

~End~

The tears that flow down her face make me want to hug her tighter. When I heard her crying on the other side of the door, I felt like dying. It's been three entire months and yet, she has done nothing but cry in that room until 9 in the morning and then move on with her day. The way she deals with things is complex. She's scared. Charlie went to school, leaving me alone with Mari for the day. When I was called into work, she came with me. She doesn't talk. It doesn't bother me but it hurts me. I've seen her smile once. It was fake. While getting out of the truck, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail and looked around. The guys saw us and waved. Everyone dressed in their uniforms with their boots and suspenders. I laughed, shaking hands with most of them. Mari stood behind me, silent.

“Who’s the gal?” Tommy asked, winking at her. Terry smacked his back, laughing. I turned around to Maurice, tilting my head. She cleared her throat and looked at their feet.

“Mari.” she mumbled, looking at my arm. With a smile, all the guys hoisted her up into the air and sang for her. This. This very moment, she smiled. A genuine smile. We all went out for drinks that night. Mari and I took a walk down the beach, my mother calling me to tell me that Charlie said good night. Mari sat down, closing her eyes as the wind pulled her hair around. I sat beside her and watched her.

“Why do you have to hide everything from me?” I asked, turning my body towards her.

~

He asked me. What should I say? I can’t just stay silent. I can’t any more. I mean, I've been this quiet mess all of my life and he just expects me to sit here and stay the quiet little girl he raised. I stood and stabbed the fork into his neck, his scream giving me a bit of pleasure. That night, he locked me in the basement to scare me. Sure, I screamed, but I’ve never been so happy to hurt someone. The day that Cal saved me. . .I saw something. As we sit on the beach, I look into his eyes. Breathing out, I clear my throat. Then, I move closer to him, pressing my lips against his. I never really knew why people in movies did this, but it seemed like the right thing to do.