Past Her Breaking Point

I watch as the men dress themselves and walk out of the room leaving me laying on the floor. I whimper out as I remember what happened the last time he sold my body. Images of a dead man covered in blood fill my mind, but I shake them away to assess the damage done to my body. I know my body hurts, but I can't feel anything. I've endured too much in my fifteen years, and I don't think I can take anymore. I pull myself up onto my shaky legs and take the five steps to the door. It takes me way longer than it needs and I worry that he will be back. I know he left the door unlocked. He always does when he thinks I'm too weak to leave. He probably assumes I don't have the guts to leave. I normally don't, but today I've gone past my breaking point. He has done and allowed too many terrible things to happen to me over the last nine years. I curse my mother for leaving me the way she did with him.

I was six years old when I found her. I had just hopped off the bus from school and had run inside to tell her about my day. I didn't think much about her not waiting at the door for me. She rarely did. My mom was messed up. She battled with drugs and depression which was not a good mix. I knew more about a lot of messed up things than any six year old should. It didn't stop me from loving my mom though. I had ran all through the house looking for her which didn't take too long since the house was tiny. I finally made my way to her room and opened the door. I saw her limp body on the floor leaned up against wall. Her head was rolled to the side and her eyes were in the back of her head. I noticed the needles laying around her and did a mental count. She knew better than to use that much at once, even I knew that. I didn't have to check her pulse to know she was dead. The only question I had was how she could have afforded all of the drugs that she shot up in her arm. It didn't take me too long to figure that out though seeing as a man came to the house to get me. She had sold me to the devil.

The door swung open easily as I knew it would. Too many years of taking his crap led him to believe that I was a submissive toy that would never leave. Sadly, I was. However, today I'm taking away his toy, his slave, and one of his sources of income. I made my way down the musty hallway trying to hold my breath. The stench of body odor and alcohol swarm my senses and leave me feeling dizzy. I brace myself against the wall and steady my legs. Once I'm sure I can make it out the door without falling, I take the last ten steps to freedom.

It's dark out, but the full moon lights up the road showing me the way as if I'm Dorothy on the golden brick road. I laugh at my thoughts. If only I had some ruby slippers so I could click my heels and be out of here, but I don't know where home is. Where would those shoes even take me? I shake my head clearing my thoughts. Maybe I've lost my mind. It wouldn't surprise me. As I stumble down the road, I try to come up with the best way to end my suffering. I can't afford drugs to follow in my mother's footsteps. I don't own any kind of weapon. I start to realize that this might not be as easy as I thought, but then I see that I'm in the middle of a bridge. It's like the light at the end of the tunnel, except my end will leave me with nothing but darkness. I make my way to the edge and peer down at the water. It's calm tonight, but I don't know how to swim. I pull myself onto the railing wincing as my body screams in pain. I allow myself a minute to slow my breathing. I've heard that before you drown you feel a sense of peace. I can only hope that's true, because I feel like I deserve a moment of some tranquility since I've had nothing but suffering. I feel a small smile play on my lips and I whisper out a silent prayer that he won't take anymore girls, and if he does, that they are stronger than me. With one little push, I'm falling down and the sensation leaves me breathless. The promise of freedom is so close leaving me feeling giddy. I hit the water with such a harsh impact that my vision blacks. Right before the darkness consumes me, I feel grateful I won't have to feel the oxygen leave me.

Unknown POV

I stroll around the squad car waiting to hear back from the other agents. We have received intel of a huge drug deal that's supposed to happen. My men are currently staking out the abandoned warehouse while I stay at the car near the bridge in case they need backup. I look up into the sky and take in the sight of the full moon. It doesn't give my men a lot of coverage, but I'm thankful for the bit of light. I know all too well the kinds of things that can lurk in the dark. I look up to the bridge and see the outline of a person. Odd. It's in the middle of the night and no one should be perched on the railing at any time of the day regardless. I start to make my way towards the water to call out to the person. Just before I open my mouth, the body comes tumbling down. Cursing, I throw off my shoes and dive into the river swimming towards the splash. I see a small body sinking and quickly grab ahold of their arm. I pull them out of the water and try to find a pulse. Luckily I got them out fast enough so they shouldn't have much water in their lungs. Once I'm pleased with the faint breathing, I take in their appearance. It's a young girl. I notice how thin she is causing me to go back to my cursing. What kind of life was she living to end up like this? I radio in to my men and call for ambulance. It doesn't take them long to get here since we are near the hospital on the rough side of town. They quickly wrap her and me in blankets since it's the middle of January. I hop in the ambulance with her and look closely at her in the light. Her skin is pale and sickly looking covered in bruises of all colors. I can tell that she is still a pretty kid though with long black hair darker than the night sky. She has long eyelashes with a button nose making her look like a porcelain doll despite her current state. She is dressed in a gray long sleeve T-shirt that's three sizes too big. I wince as I look at the blood stains on it along with others that I don't want to even know about. I shake my head at the poor kid and will the driver to hurry up. The paramedics are surrounding her checking vitals and giving her pain medication. I see her eyes flutter open and my heart stops. Her eyes are as gray as a thick fog on a rainy day. I've only ever seen eyes that gray once before. I shake my head wondering if this is his daughter. Surely not, but there is only one way to find out.

We pull into the hospital and I let the nurses sweep her away. I pull out my phone before dialing my former best friend's number. Sander Kellan was my best friend in high school. We have stayed in touch and I occasionally do some business for him. Sander isn't what you would call normal. Neither are his five sons.

The phone rings three times before he picks it up.

"It's Tobias. I think I have your kid here. Did you and Naomi have a daughter?"

I waste no time in getting to my point. Judging by the silence from the other end of the phone, he didn't know about her either.

"Find out everything about her. Keep it on the down low."

With that, he hangs up leaving me to listen to the dial tone. I make my way towards the girl's room to check on her and order a DNA test. I peek into the room and see that she is awake. Tears are streaming down her face and I hear her muttering something over and over. As I get closer I can make out her words.

"It didn't work. It didn't work."

She is rocking back and forth and looks even more broken than when I pulled her out of the river. As I take a few steps closer her head snaps up at me. Her deep gray eyes stare into my plain brown ones. A shiver runs down my spine as I take in all the pain and suffering that they hold.

"Hello. My name is Tobias. Do you mind telling me your name and what happened to you?"

Her eyes widen before the settle back to their normal dull appearance.

"My name is Cal."

Her voice is hoarse as if she doesn't use it often. I wait for her to say more, but all I hear is silence. I nod my head at her before I go file the papers for the DNA test. I don't know how I want the outcome to go. Looking at the frail girl, I'm not sure if she will be able to keep up in the Kellan household. Especially if she isn't like them and is a normal human. However, I know that the Kellan men would do anything to keep their family safe.

I decide to sit on the chair in the hallway to make sure she is comfortable. I don't want to go too far in case she tries to finish off her uncompleted job at the bridge. Soon a nurse comes by with the paperwork I need: the test results. I look them over before pulling out my phone.

"Sander, she's yours."