Twisted Deceit (Deceit #3)

Chapter 7

Checking out of a hospital seemed to take years. Papers for every little thing. Like when Dawn needed to call a doctor if certain symptoms appeared. And then signed promises to get me to see certain doctors for my healing to officially begin.

So many papers. A huge folder was filled, which Dawn had taken and read through each line, and probably will do again by the way she asked so many questions about things she hadn’t understood.

To me, it all went over my head. I didn’t see the reason why some of the things were a huge concern. I’ve made it this far dealing with a lot of those things that I apparently needed a doctor to check on. But I didn’t say any of that.

Dawn was happy I chose to go with her, surprised, too. She said she had been sure I’d pick to stay closer to the place I knew. But I didn’t know this town. I didn’t know these people. And I certainly didn’t want to stay here any longer.

What if the man who dropped me off was told to come back and pick me up? What if he had orders to take me back to where I came from?

I didn’t want to go back there, which I had been sure to write down in that notebook. I didn’t want to go back to where I came from, ever. I didn’t even want to think about it.

“Never, Koda.” The promise was as real as Dawn being a human.

Thankfully, Dawn muttered more to herself than to me as we pulled out of the parking spot. My one bag that she had bought and filled with clothes and other things I’d need was in the back seat. I wasn’t sure what was all in there, but if she thought I’d need them, I’d find a use for them.

What bothered me was finding out exactly what all the doctors had done to my body while I had been forced to take drug induced naps. I was used to such things, but knowing about it was what made my mind go unsettled.

Other than the normal, or so they said, blood drawn for diseases or other health issues, they had done x-rays and some scans that made no sense to me. Of course, they had to since the bruising was so bad, and even Anna had been confused when I declined more pain meds from my ribs.

But the thing that bothered me the most was if they did a rape kit, where Anna had explained it was to test for other’s DNA inside me, while I was not aware. If they did that, what else could someone have done? People weren’t to be trusted.

A part of me didn’t think Anna or the doctor who wasn’t in often enough for me to remember a name, had done anything like men so often did. Plus, neither of them had a dick as far as I knew, so I highly doubted they did anything to my body. But still, the idea was there and there would have been nothing I could have done about it.

Not like I’d have been able to do anything when men have done it to me before.

The only thing, I guess, was that by doing that rape kit, according to Anna, was that they could run the DNA found in a police data base and find out who hurt me. In turn, they could maybe save others who had the same fate as me.

They talked like they knew where I came from, and what I’ve done. Maybe they’d seen more willing slaves come in who talked. I wouldn’t know. Nor would I ask such things.

Looking out the window, watching as the buildings turned to houses, I leaned my head back against the headrest.The landscape became blurry as tears clouded my vision.

I wanted to go home. I wasn’t sure where that was, or what it consisted of. But I was tired. Tired of being a slave. Tired of wondering what pain would come next. Tired of wondering how much more I could take.

“You can sleep, hon. It’s a long drive home.”

Would her house feel like home? I didn’t know what one felt like. Some said it was about the people you surround yourself with, but none of them but Dawn was my choice. Maybe, she’d be my safe place once I figured out what was going to happen next.

“And before you think it, you won’t ever be too much for me.”

I huffed a breath through my nose wondering for a moment if she knew me better than I thought. A few hours wasn’t much time to learn to read my thoughts, since I couldn't even read them half the time.

Her statement would be something we’d just have to wait and see. But I’d do what I could to stay with her as long as I possibly could.

The idea of going into foster care was something I’d do anything to avoid. I wouldn’t survive it again. But, at least Sarah had been clear that if I went that way, the police and possibly the social workers, would be doing more checks on my well being. With past history, certain things would just have to be more open to certain people to make sure I didn’t get put back into certain hands.

Wiping a tear off my cheek as they trailed left a tickle behind, I knew without a shadow of doubt that I didn’t want to go back to that. Go back to the pain and abuse. Go back to where only my body was wanted. Go back to being nothing.

If I did, I’d take matters into my own hands. It wasn’t like it’d take all that much effort on my part anyhow. It was something I should have done by now, once I really stopped to think about it.

Sighing, I shifted in the seat, watching the landscape change once again. The houses disappeared, and only left fields and trees.

At that moment, things shifted inside of me. Maybe this is what my path was. To get away, like I desperately needed. Find a new type of way to live, even if I knew it was pretty much impossible. I wouldn’t be normal, but life couldn’t get any worse for me.

I made a promise to myself right then and there. I wouldn’t ever allow another to put their hands on me like before. I’d never submit to a human being where only my body was wanted.

I’d be perfectly happy to hide away and just be. I wasn’t sure what that’d entail, but it sounded like the best plan I could think of.

***

I could officially say that sleeping in a car wasn’t one of the best places to do so. My neck was sore and I was pretty sure that there was drool down my chin. It wasn’t the worst place to doze off, though.

It beat a bare cement floor, where the cold seeped into my bones. Where the entire space smelt like pee and puke.

“We’re about ten minutes away,” Dawn said quietly enough that I didn’t jerk.

The only reason I woke up, I think, was because the road was no longer smooth. The car’s tires rumbled the seat, dirt flying up behind us as Dawn drove as fast as she dared.

Once the sleep cleared my vision, I could see a tiny bit more of the fields we passed. Tall corn swayed in the breeze, and a few barns or houses dotted the areas. Otherwise, I couldn’t see much of anything.

“Tomorrow, I’ll start making phone calls to get you in to all those doctors.”

Great , I thought, not looking forward to that one bit.

“First, I think your eyes need to be checked. You squint too much.”

I didn’t bother to look at her, or to shrug. She had a point, but I still didn’t want to go anywhere once I was at her house. I’d be fine to hide away in a closet.

“Both of your parents wore glasses.” That got my attention. I didn’t know all that much about them, nor did I really care one way or another. Or at least I hadn’t until it was brought up. A part of me didn’t want to know anything, even the smallest of details, about two of the people who should have been the role models for a child.

“I may have some pictures of them stashed away somewhere,” Dawn went on, none the wiser to where my thoughts were quickly going. She paused long enough to turn the car onto a different road, this one slimmer than the one before. The dirt was smoother, if only a little.

“I do have to say, I’m glad that the officer had called me first. If anyone else had been contacted, they wouldn’t have thought twice to send you to a mental ward just to not deal with you. Some stuck up members who would rather pretend to be perfect but hid the worst type of lies behind closed doors.”

Well….okay then. I guess the mystery of me having other family members related by blood was solved.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t put my past into your thoughts,” Dawn shot me a look that was hard to read before turning her gaze back to the road. “My issues are just that. Maybe they’d treat you better.”

I hardly thought that.

“Anyhow, home sweet home, Koda.”

Dawn pulled the car to a stop in front of a two-story house with a huge porch around the front. The almost too lime green paint blinded in the sunlight as I slowly made my way from her car.

For some reason, the house already fit Dawn, right down to the style. A bunch of flowers littered the yard, like they had always been there, along with a huge willow tree.

“You can spend as much time out here as you want, whenever you want. I can even get a swing to hang up in the tree for ya. I used to have one as a kid and spent hours just being in nature. Actually, the tree out back would work even better for that.”

I nodded, eyes wide at the tallness of the tree and how the branches swooped to the ground. I didn’t see a swing being tacked to it, but I didn’t care. I could easily see myself sitting under it, though. Maybe even napping.

I followed Dawn up the three steps and onto the porch where a couple of chairs sat, along with a table between them.

“I’m an outside type of person, so if I’m not working, you’ll easily find me here,” she pointed to the chairs, ”or working in the yard. I had plans to start a garden this year, but I didn’t get everything in time to do much.”

Dawn chatted the entire time while unlocking the door, my one bag over her shoulder. I almost thought about taking the things from her, but decided against it. Surely she’d have handed it to me if I were to carry the things she bought.

Once inside, she slipped off her shoes, and I followed along. Some people were weird about shoes being worn inside, and I’d hate to overstep my welcome right before I even walked in.

The entire downstairs was a bit crowded with walls filled with nature. Pictures of acres and flowers and storms took up almost every space. I guess it at least covered the crazy wallpaper that peaked out on some of the walls.

Dawn pointed out the living room and kitchen. A bathroom and a sunroom towards the back. Then, she led me upstairs. Her room was the first door, and my room would be at the end of the hall. She let me go after handing the bag of stuff over, letting me explore on my own.

“Come find me when you’re settled. No rush. Take all the time you need. Bathroom is right there.” She motioned to an open door on the other side of the room.

With that, she turned, heading back down the stairs. At least she wasn’t a hoovering type, I thought, as I made my way to the room.

What I expected to find was dust covering the floors, or a bunch of another man’s treasure, since Dawn seemed like the kind of woman to keep things that I found no appeal in. But instead, I found a full-sized bed with what smelt almost like clean bedding, a dresser and a small desk off to the side. A huge window with the curtains drawn was in the center of the wall.

This couldn’t be real. It was too much. And I wasn’t talking about the normal cream colored walls that were so different from the rest of the house that I’d seen so far. It was the fact that it was clean, and empty of anything that could be of Dawn’s.

A blank slate.

Tears gathered as I gently closed the door and set my bag on the top of the dresser.

All the foster families had rooms and beds, but nothing like this nice place. I’d have a bunk bed here or there. But the blankets weren’t always the cleanest. There’d be stains on the floor, clutter of other kids' crap on the dressers or on the floor.

What the heck was I to do in a space like this? I wasn’t someone who had things to set up and show off. Heck, I didn’t think my one measly bag would even fill one single drawer in the dresser.

Wiping away the wetness from my cheeks, I sat on the edge of the bed. But that only caused more tears to fall as my body sunk into the most comfortable mattress I’d ever felt.

Why couldn’t Dawn have found me sooner? Why hadn’t she tried to fight for me when I was only six years old?

I’d have loved to grow up here in a place like this. I’d have enjoyed doing whatever a kid would have done with a huge tree out front and so much land to explore.

But, then a small part of me spoke. Maybe Dawn hadn’t known I existed at that age. Or maybe she wasn’t old enough to take in a child. Or maybe, she wanted a life before being tied down with a troubled kid.

Maybe, one day far, far into the future, I could ask those questions. Right now, as I wiped away the tears once again and sniffed, I didn’t need to worry. There was no point.

I am here now. Dawn was fighting for me. That had to count for something, no matter how small it was.