The Rescue

This story contains rape and other serious forms of child abuse and neglect. If this will offend you, please don't read it.1

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For her entire life, Krista was taught she was worthless. From the time she could understand the word, she believed it was the one word to describe her. From the age of five, she was forced to live away from the rest of her family. She lived as a captive, kept in a room separate from the rest of the family. Food was thrown in twice a day, morning and night, whenever her father remembered. Sometimes she went without a single meal all day long. In winter, it was always so cold, sometimes she was left shivering for hours at a time. Because she was the only inhabitant of this part of the house, no one bothered heating it.3

She was illiterate, as she had never been allowed to go to school, as her father knew she would run away if she had. She had not once been out of that room since she had turned seven. And she was now seventeen.4

She never really spoke, except when she used to beg her visitors not to do to her everything they had come to do. But it was worthless. The men would rip her clothing from her and force her to do what they wanted. And besides, it only ever got her beaten later. And by beaten, many would assume she got hit a few times or punched maybe. This was not what how it happened. She would be hit repeatedly with whatever her father could find tp hit her with, being his shoe or belt or whatever else. She would be unable to stand by the time he stopped hitting her. And then the kicking would begin. He would not feed her for at least a day after one of these incidents, sometimes longer.5

She eventually gave up begging for mercy. She knew it would never work; they would get what they had paid for from her. All it ever did was get her beaten. And it had happened so many times that her father now refused to even give her anything to wear. Her clothing always was ripped off of her anyway, so he had grown tired of having to get her more. And he blamed her for this as well, for, as he told her, if she would stop complaining so long, the men wouldn't have to undress her, she could do it herself more carefully. So there was no point in asking anyone for anything to cover herself with. It only would backfire and be worse for her in the end. So she would do whatever she was told and never say a word.6

It was halfway through January. During the visit of a man who had been there at least five times before, Krista looked out the door, wishing she could just run. She saw her father walking with a girl around Krista's own age who Krista knew was a friend of her own sister's. Both were smiling, until the girl looked toward Krista's door. The girl grabbed Krista's father's jacket and said something. Krista couldn't hear any of the conversation, but she saw that the girl kept gesturing towards her door, looking almost upset. But her father laughed and said something, pulling the girl down the hall with him. Krista closed her eyes again and drifted out of her mind, waiting for the man to be finished with her.7

About an hour after the man had left, Krista heard a noise at her door. It was the girl again. She was trying to get in. But the door was locked. The girl asked for Krista to open the door. Which scared her. She knew her father would kill her if she did as the girl asked. Not that she knew if she could even get the door open.8

Krista shrunk into the corner upon seeing the girl, covering herself, cowering from the girl's eyes. Why wouldn't she go away? She felt the girl's eyes still on her, though Krista had turned away. And then it hit her: this was probably some new torture from her father. A new form of humiliation for her to endure. She looked back towards her door and the girl was still there.9

"I'm here to help. I'm not here to hurt you." The girl was now talking to her. This surprised Krista. No one ever had talked to her before, apart from her father's taunts and threats. Or when the men tell her what to do.10

"My name's Sonya."11

Krista looked back toward Sonya. She was now completely confused. Shocked at the friendliness of the girl. But she guessed it was a trick. She hadn't been beaten in almost a week. That's probably what was going on. The girl would get Krista to trust her and then run to get her into trouble, causing another beating.12

"Hon, you can trust me. I promice. I won't hurt you. I want to get you out of here." Krista said nothing. "Hey, I know you don't trust me. But hey, I'll be back later on, alright. Someone's coming. But listen to me. I only want to help. This is wrong what he's doing to you. He has no right to keep you here, locked up like this, allowing people to hurt you."13

Krista began to cry, something she hasn't done in a long time. She couldn't help it. This girl was definatly here by orders to trick her. No way around that. And she had just started to believe her.14

"I've got to go now. I will get you out of here. I'll be back later on tonight. I promise."15

Krista heard the girl walk away. She put her arms around her knees and just sat there sobbing. She now heard someone coming, so forced herself to end the flow of tears.16

She looked up, expecting to see Sonya again. But it was her father and another customer. She surrendered to him immediately and let him rape her. When he left, she just laid on her side, curled up in the fetal position facing the wall, crying once more.17

Krista woke to her father's voice.18

"Keep the curtains closed. No one will come back if they knew I was allowing this. But since you paid as much as you did, I'll allow it. It's sleeping, so do whatever you have to to get it to wake up. Have fun."19

Krista kept up the sleeping facade, though it was probably a waste of time. Whoever her father was bringing in must be awful, since he had almost stopped the visitor from getting to her. And this terrified her. She began shaking uncontrollably. What kind of man would her father not allow in to see her?20

She heard the door close and the curtains pull across the window. And she felt a hand on her half-frozen shoulder. She kept feigning sleep, knowing this would be the best way. Maybe she would die right here, she was so cold. But the warmth of the hand touching her flesh was warm. And surprisingly soft. Softer than any hand that had ever touched her.21

She felt herself being lifted off the icy floor. Into the arms of the mysterious person. She was laid in the lap of the person, but she kept her eyes shut tight. But she was terrified. She was certain that this would not turn out well. How could it. It would probably be worse than ever before.22

But the mysterious person just kept holding Krista in their arms. The same soft hand brushed Krista's hair out of her face and whispered "I told you I'd come back."23

It was Sonya again. Sonya was in the room with her, holding her. Krista tried to pull away, but was so weak from a lack of food and heat, she was unable to get far. Sonya just held her tighter, not letting her get away.24

"I'm here to help, honey. What's your name?"25

Krista just stared terrified at the ground. Putting a hand under her chin, Sonya got Krista to look at her.26

"Honey, you remember? I was here before. Honey? It's okay. What's your name, sweetheart?"27

Krista just looked into Sonya's face. It was impossible to believe that the girl was there for what she said. Why would she pay Krista's father for time if all she wanted to do was help her?28

"Everything's fine. It's okay, I won't hurt you. Please, honey. You have to trust me."
"Krista." Her voice came out as a whisper, hoarse from not speaking in so long. Sonya smiled, knowing that she had gotten through to Krista, gotten her to at least listen.29