The Basement

They were ensconced on the couch when Joseph came in, kicking his boots off at the door.

"Dinner's in the oven!" Yvette yelled.

Joseph nodded at her, then did a double take at Presley, his face going wary. "Alright halfpint?"

"Yes. Thanks. Yvette is distracting me with ice cream and reality TV. It's terrible, but very distracting."

He nodded and walked past to the kitchen. He brought a plate out and sat in a chair that looked like it was his and his alone. He ate quietly while looking at a conservationist magazine.

Yvette was obviously heavily invested in the show that was on, knowing everyone's names and talking to the TV, arguing audibly about why someone else should have been picked. Presley was just happy to be curled up on the couch with her, under a handmade quilt that someone lovingly made and listening to her cheerfully try and distract her.

They watched two more horrible shows while Joseph looked over his magazine, then pulled out a laptop to do something on it. He finally put it up and got up. "Night," he said with a nod, then hesitated. "Doors locked, I got my guns close. There's a shotgun in the coat closet by the door, just pump, point, pull the trigger. You good halfpint?"

"Yes, thank you. For everything."

He nodded and went to bed.

Yvette giggled. "I am pretty sure he has said more words today than he has said all year. You should have seen how flustered he was when the police asked him to repeat everything a third time. He told them to read what the other two done wrote and let him go."

"Sorry he had to go through so much trouble."

"Oh, no! He didn't think it was your fault, he just doesn't suffer fools. He won't even argue, it's no fun at all."

"He won't?"

"No! You try and he just turns and walks away and does what he wants anyway. I say 'Joe, wouldn't it be easier to move that old truck so you can pull your truck up further and not have to walk so far?' and he says 'It's fine' and I say 'but...' and he walks away. No arguing, just gone."

Presley laughed. "I can't imagine. I have been in a lot of foster homes and people all love to argue."

"It's kind of boring. My ex and I used to have big, glorious fights, and then when we would make up... that was even better. Make up sex is... sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up."

"It's fine. I've had boyfriends, I wasn't innocent before this all happened. I always liked it too."

They talked well into the night until Presley fell asleep with her head in Yvette's lap. She jerked awake several times in the night, but every time Yvette was there to whisper to her and stroke her hair. Light from the windows woke her and she lay staring at the window. No one was going to come and shove her into a cold shower. No one was going to rape her or make her do anything. She was safe. She was with the people who saved her.

She sat up in fear when the door opened, but it was just Joseph. He looked at her, then gave her a small nod. "Just me halfpint. Don't shoot."

She managed a halfhearted smile as Yvette sat up. "Ugh. He is always up this early. Fine, I will start breakfast. Hope you like biscuits and gravy."

Presley did smile then. "I like all food, I'm not picky. Can I come watch?"

"Sure! You ever make biscuits and gravy before?"

The next few days went that way. Yvette showed her how to cook, watched silly shows with her, talked to her, made her try on clothes she ordered. Joseph was polite, but quiet, always doing his own thing. The police came by to tell her that no one in the family made bail, though the four brothers who weren't charged all tried. They also told her Lewis had been shunned by the family. She had known that would happen, but hoped he would be better for it in the long run. When they told her she would have to appear in court, she felt dread rising in her.

Yvette talked to the school and they agreed to let Presley do make-up tests and homework over the next month and promised that no one knew the particulars of what had happened. If Junior had shared pictures, his friends were too afraid to talk about it. The police said it was because if they all knew Junior had her then they could be prosecuted as well.

She went back to school the following Monday, though she wasn't ready at all. She was still terrified and wished she could take either Yvette or Joseph with her. Maybe one of Joseph's many guns. That Monday was quiet though. Her 'friends' asked where she had been and no one else really talked to her except a boy who had been angling on asking her out weeks ago. She made it clear she had no interest.

A week passed, then two. Her nightmares didn't get better and Yvette tried to convince her to talk to someone. She didn't want to, but she wasn't surprised when the school counselor called her into his office the next day. As soon as the door shut behind her, she began to panic. She shut down right there in the middle of his office and to her horror, she came out of it surrounded by paramedics.

Yvette and Joseph were there moments later. Joseph hugged her shoulders awkwardly while Yvette tore the counselor a new one. "What in christs name were you thinking?!? Locking her alone in a room with you after what just happened to her? And why would they even let a man talk to her at all?!? This is ridiculous, you people were supposed to help her, not make it worse! I don't know what I was even thinking, are school counselors even certified in anything? Obviously not!"

She went on and on while the principal and counselor apologized profusely. Joseph led hPresley out to his truck and helped her in, then stood at the door awkwardly while they waited for Yvette. "Ok halfpint?" he asked, looking at the door to the school.

"I guess. Sorry I am such a hassle, I will try not to do it again."

He turned to look at her with a frown. "You aint. Not another word about it." He turned back to the door.

Presley swallowed, but she did feel better. "You think they'll have any ass left at all after she gets done chewing them?" she asked lightly.

He moved like he had snorted a laugh, but there was no sound.

Presley missed the next day of school, but she went back the following day and it seemed pretty normal, though some kids did look at her now. She was the kid who lost her shit and the ambulance had to come. She guessed it could have been worse.

Friday, she went to get on the bus, but a boy intercepted her. One of Juniors friends. "Hey, can I talk to you real quick?" he asked anxiously, trying to lead her away from the throng of kids getting on the buses.

"I don't think so," she said, pulling away.

"It's important. It's about the videos he sent me," he said urgently.

Presley paused. "What about them?"

Some of them, I think he may have deleted after he sent them. They are pretty bad. Like your birthday, what they all did to you. I wanted to talk to you in private."

"About what?"

"I was going to give you my phone with all the videos for you to give the cops, but I need some promises first. Can we talk? Right over here?" He pulled her around the side of the building next to the cafeteria entrance and the garbage dumpsters. "So I want your word that you won't tell them where you got the phone," he said moving closer. She backed up, staying out of his reach. A hand closed around her mouth and another around her wrist. She screamed into the hand and kicked, but whoever it was lifted her and pulled her behind the dumpsters. A truck was parked there and she knew it. Lewis's truck. She screamed again and tried to fight, but he kept a tight hold on her and got into his truck.

"That's enough!" he said angrily, shoving her across the truck. She jerked the handle, but the door was locked and the pull up to unlock it had been removed. "Stop Presley, look at me. You lied to me! Why did you lie? Why would you do such an awful thing to me? To my whole family?"

Presley tried to hold it together, to not panic, but she was losing. Her heart, her breathing, she could hear her own heartbeat in her ears as she shook her head.

She opened her eyes and Lewis was above her. She was laying in his truck seat and he was driving. He had his free hand holding her wrists together on her chest.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded. "You just freaking fainted! I need answers Pres! Why did you do this?"

Again, she tried to stay calm, but her heart was trying to race away again. No. Calm. She could turn this.

"I didn't turn you in, only them. They hurt me. I didn't want you to get in trouble because you know how I feel about you. I did want away though, away from your family, away from being raped every day. I knew you weren't like them and... I care about you. I wouldn't let them arrest you. I told them you saved me."

"We had a plan! You were lying the whole time!"

"I knew your family would never let it stand. I knew they would come and find you and take me back there. I was afraid."

"Pres, we could have been happy," he said, his voice anguished.

"We still can Lewis. Especially now. They won't stop you or hurt me, we can be together. We can go back and I know you won't trust me for a while, not till I earn it. You can lock me up like before, but it will just be me and you. I won't try to run, I don't want to. All I ever wanted was for it to be me and you, that's why I lied to the police. I told them you never raped me or hurt me and that you saved me, got me out of there. Didn't you know that was why I did that?"

"Then why did you throw such a fit back there?"

"I thought you were Junior, it was his friend who tricked me. I thought they were loose and coming to kill me. I panicked. By the time I realized it was just you, the relief just made me pass out. Are you taking me home now? Where we can be together?"

He looked conflicted.

"Can I sit up and hug you? I've been missing you, but I didn't know how to come and see you. Thanks," she said softly, sitting up and putting her arms around his neck. She nuzzled into just jaw and sighed. "I've missed this so much," she whispered, trying to see where they were. Why the hell had she let him go free? She should have known he would come after her again! They were going back to his family's house. Good. That would be the first place the cops looked. "Mmm, I've even missed how you smell. Your soap, your aftershave. Hold me Lewis? Please? Aren't you happy that we can be together now? Just us?"

He pulled her tight against him. "I am, but I didn't want my whole family in jail. They hate me now."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that would happen. I guess I didn't think about it. I just wanted to be with you and make sure they couldn't ever touch me again. They hurt me so much Lewis. I know you understand, you saw the things they did to me. Lewis, I'm sorry things went the way they did, but I am not sorry I get you all to myself now. I don't want to fight, not now that we are finally together... though... I have heard that make-up sex after an argument is the best kind. Maybe we should fight until we get home and I can get you into bed," she teased, grazing her lips along his jaw and throwing her leg over his lap.

He looked down at her and she could see the heat in his eyes. He drove faster.

He pulled up to his family's house and pulled her out of the truck. He carried her inside and down the stairs, pausing to lock the door. He put her down at the bottom and she looked around. The place had been tossed completely. It was a wreck. She pretended not to notice as she pulled him down the hall to his room. It had been tossed to, but he had it back in a semblance of order.

He didn't wait for her to turn, he shoved her onto the bed roughly, bent her over on her hands and knees, then shoved the skirt of her dress up before yanking her panties off with a harsh rip that made her yelp. He licked his fingers and rubbed over her slit before pressing his cock against her opening and shoving in roughly.

She cried out, but tried to make it sound like she wanted him. "Oh! Yes, I have missed this, right there Lewis! I love your cock, you feel so good!"

He pulled her up by her hair, holding her against him as he fucked her from behind. "You will never leave again Presley, ever. Don't ever even try it. Do you understand?"

"Yes baby, ohhhh! God you feel so good! Please, just like that baby! I never want to go anywhere but right here with you, right where you take me when you fuck me. Ohh! Yes Lewis, harder! I am going to come!"

She hated that she did not have to fake that as she came around him, squeezing him and her entire body quaking. He groaned as he curled over her while she clamped down on his cock. "Fuck baby," he whispered. "Fuck! It feels so good when you come for me," he whispered. "Tell me how much you love this cock baby."

"I love your cock almost as much as I love you. Oh, yes, don't stop baby, that feels so good!" Trying to fake it, trying to say the words when what she wanted to do was scream and fight was almost more than she could bear. She didn't think she could do this again.

He came with a loud moan and collapsed on top of her, taking her breath out of her. "Fuck baby. I have needed you so much. Damn. I'm still fucking pissed. We could have gone further, gotten further away, you didn't have to do what you did. They didn't deserve what you did."

"That... that's how it works Lewis. You hurt someone, you kidnap them, rape them, torture them, starve them... that's against the law. They won't be paying for anything they didn't do."

"What did my mom do?!?"

"She let it happen! She drugged me, locked me up, kidnapped me and let her whole family rape me and hurt me! That is WRONG!"

"She had rules to help you! She wouldn't let anyone touch you till you were eighteen, she wouldn't let anyone make you bleed or break your bones or come inside you or fuck you in the ass or even touch it. She looked out for you!"

"She STARVED me! And she still let all of you rape me!"

"All of us? So you think I raped you too?"

"You did! You raped me Lewis. Even if my body reacted, it's still rape. Or are you denying you fucked me that first day against my will?" Presley knew she was saying too much, her temper was getting the better of her, but she didn't care. How could anyone be so obtuse?

"Just shut up!" he demanded, getting up and pulling his pants up. "It was all a trick, it's still a trick. You lying to get away. You never gave a shit!"

"If that was true would I have let you go?"

"Yes! Because you felt bad for breaking my heart and because I helped you get away. I may have been blind in love, but I aint stupid. You want to be a bitch? I can treat you like the whore you are. And you are. A whore. A whore who gets off on cock that is raping her. I can be as bad as Everett. Worse now since there is no one here to stop me from doing worse. I think your asshole deserves a little attention now, don't you, baby?"

"Lewis, you misunderstood what I was saying..." Presley said fearfully. "I was afraid at first and you did rape me. I couldn't even see you! But it didn't matter once I got to know you. Once we made love and you held me in your arms. That is why I wouldn't let them arrest you too. I care for you. Why do you think I was so happy to see you? I fainted because it was such a relief to see you after being so afraid!"

"If that's true, you'll let me fuck you in the ass and you'll still love me, even if I do hurt you a little. Won't you? You won't fight me. I can see how terrified you are Pres, I know you are trying to talk your way out of it. I won't be fooled again."

Why the hell hadn't she let them arrest him with the others? What time was it? Were people looking for her yet?

He pulled her up and out to the front room, then shoved her towards the mess. "Start cleaning he demanded. "You caused this."

If she was cleaning, he wasn't hurting her. She was fine with that. She was surprised when he went right to helping her instead of sitting and watching her. It went much faster than she would have liked, but when she put the last throw blanket on the couch, she turned to him warily, fearfully.

"Take off that dress," he commanded, crossing his arms.

She pulled it off over her head,then stood hugging herself.

"Underwear too Pres."

She slipped off her bra and panties.

"Get on the couch, lay back on the arm and spread those legs wide for me."

Trembling, she did as she was told, tears rolling down her cheeks. When he took off his belt and doubled it over, she scrambled off the couch and put it between them. When he snarled and came around for her, she sprinted the other way and up the stairs. He caught her by the hair threes stairs up and held her by her hair with one hand as he landed blows with the belt with the other. Presley screamed and cried, begging him to stop, but he didn't stop until he couldn't swing the belt anymore. He shoved her to the couch.

"Lay your whore ass down and do as I told you, now!"

Presley was still sobbing and writhing from the welts he had left on her, but she quickly did as she was told.

"Spread them wider. Put that leg over the back of the couch and that one over on the coffee table. Now make yourself come. Don't look at me like that, make yourself come, whore."

Presley squeezed her eyes shut and put her trembling fingers between her legs. She tried to do as he asked, but she was hurting too badly and shaking, feeling sick to her stomach.

"What's wrong whore? Can't get wet for anyone but me?" he asked derisively. She whimpered when she felt his fingers pushing into her. He shoved her hand away with his free hand and moved over her as he put his thumb on her nub and rolled it, shoving two fingers into her. His face was inches from hers as he worked her. "There's my whore," he sneered."Getting nice and wet for me." He shoved a third finger into her.

"No! Please Lewis it hurts!"

"I am going to hurt you so much worse. Once I get hard again, I am going to rip your ass wide open. Now shut up and come for me."

He worked a fourth finger into her and she screamed as he rammed them in and out of her. "Please please please! Stop! It hurts!" she wailed.

There was a loud bang and her ears rang as Lewis collapsed on her, then hot liquid was pouring over her. It was metallic and thick and it had gotten in her mouth. She screamed again as Lewis was yanked off of her and she could see the bloody meat that used to be his head. She screamed in terror as he was shoved aside and Joseph was standing there, gun in his hand. He looked horrified as he pulled one of the blankets over her and picked her up, hurrying her up the stairs. The door was hanging askew like he had kicked it in. Presley realized she was clutching Joseph and chattering hysterically. "He's dead he's dead he's dead get it off get the blood off oh please oh god he's dead it hurts Joseph please god get the blood off it's in my mouth!"

"Shhhh halfpint, shhh. I have you. Police will be here any second."

"You saved me. You saved me again. You saved me again. Please, I need the blood gone, please, it's on my face, it's in my mouth, I need it off!"

"I know," he said gently. "We have to wait for the ambulance and police. That's them right now, see the lights? Hear the siren?"

Presley was hysterical the entire ride in the ambulance to the hospital. The police let Joseph ride with her, though they wanted him to answer more questions about what had happened.

They gave her something that made her mind numb and fuzzy. At the hospital, Yvette was already there but Presley wouldn't let go of Joseph. They got her in a bed and wiped away the worst of the blood before doing another rape kit. The police were there asking questions she was too numb and lost to answer. Joseph told them in short, clipped words how he had gone there looking for her when she wasn't on the bus and he had called the police when he saw Lewis's truck there with Presleys backpack in it, then he had heard her screaming. He had gone in looking for her and found Lewis on her hurting her.