A/n: hi, everyone! I really hope you like this chapter! Please, feel free to leave feedback and suggestions! Thank you for your support! :)
Friday night
Another heartbreaking case had been closed. The entire squad was without ease. None of the detectives could fathom how someone could rape their child. The father was convicted, which was great, but the child was being placed in foster care. All of the cases hit the detectives hard, but this was one of those ones where it hit especially hard. Their most difficult cases were usually the ones where children were involved. The squad was emotionally drained, so they decided to go out for drinks, wanting to unwind and clear their minds after such a hard case. Olivia declined, however, saying she was tired. She was tired, but that wasn't the only reason she declined going out. She couldn't quite explain it, but she just felt like she shouldn't go out. She felt like she needed to be home, and she didn't really want to go to a bar anyway. She wanted to go home, sit on her porch, and look at the night sky.
Beth Anne and Kim were going to a restaurant for dinner. Beth Anne wanted some mother-daughter time, but Amanda knew that wasn't the only reason she was taking Kim out. Amanda's father had mentioned that he had a couple of buddies coming over. Usually when James was out with his friends, they got drunk. Beth Anne didn't want Kim around that. Nobody cared if Amanda was around because she wasn't seen to be as special as Kim. Besides, James said that he wanted Amanda to play a game with him and his friends.
It was around seven when James's buddies showed up. Amanda was attempting to hide in her bedroom. She knew what her father meant when he said he wanted to play a game, and she was terrified. She crawled under her bed, as if hiding would stop her father from what he wanted to do. She heard laughter and heavy footsteps as the men came up the stairs. She curled up under the bed. She held her hands over her mouth and nose to block out any noises her breathing might make. She suppressed whimpers and tried her hardest to hold back tears. When her bedroom door slammed open, it took all of her willpower not to yelp. Her body was violently trembling, and she feared her breathing was too loud.
"Mandy! Come out, come out wherever you are!" Her father called out in a taunting voice. She could see three pairs of shoes, and she registered that there were three men trying to hurt her.
"Come on, Mandy! You know I don't like when you hide from me! It only gets you punished!" James warned her.
"Come on, Mandy! We just want to play!" one of James's friends called.
James looked under the bed and smirked at his trembling daughter. Amanda tried to push herself further under the bed, but James reached under the bed and grabbed her. She yelped as his hand tightened around her wrist and yanked her out from under the bed. She struggled against his grip, and when he let go, she tried to run. However, she couldn't get very far with three men in the room. She backed into a corner, whimpering and begging them not to hurt her.
"It's okay, Mandy. We just want to play, but you have to be punished for hiding first," James told her. He took off his belt and began beating the child with it.
"P-please, D-Daddy! Please, st-stop!" The little girl sobbed. Welts and bruises began to form on her skin. James's friends laughed as they watched such a small child being beaten by her own father.
"Please, Daddy! I-I'm s-s-sorry! I-I'll be a g-good girl!" Amanda cried, trying to get away from the aim of the leather material.
"Now, it's time for our game," he smirked a couple of minutes later. He dropped the belt, and Amanda knew what was coming next. She scrambled into the corner of her bedroom.
"N-no. No, no. No, please. Please, no. P-please," Amanda whispered.
"Get up," he growled. Amanda remained where she was, and James gripped her by her hair and slapped her across the face.
"Who's first?" one of the friends asked.
"Well, she's my daughter, so I should be first," James decided. Amanda continued to struggle as her own father pinned her down and began undressing her.
"This wouldn't happen if you weren't such a bad girl. This wouldn't happen if you hadn't killed your own mother," he growled.
He began forcefully kissing and groping his eleven year old daughter. Her whimpers and pleas seemed to add to his cruel enjoyment. His friends stood around, cheering him on and laughing. When James forced himself inside of Amanda, she let out a loud cry of pain. She struggled, but it was useless seeing as he was much bigger and stronger than her.
"Please, D-Daddy! It-it h-hurts!" Amanda wailed.
"You deserve this! This is what happens to bad girls!" he roared.
"I-I'm s-sorry! I'll b-be-I'll be a g-good g-girl! P-please, st-stop!" Amanda sobbed.
"Shut up!" James boomed, punching her in the face.
Ten minutes later, he came out of her. Amanda scrambled back into the corner, hugging her knees to her chest. She could barely comprehend what her father had just done to her. She was in so much pain, and she just wanted them to leave her alone.
"Your turn, Drew," James said to one of the men. Drew approached Amanda, who was crying hard and trembling. When he touched her arm, she let out a shriek of fear.
"Please, n-no m-more!" Amanda begged. She ran to her father.
"P-please, d-don't let h-him, D-Daddy! P-please! I-I'll be a r-really g-good g-girl!" Amanda sobbed.
"Shut up, Amanda! You'll do whatever Drew wants!" James growled, slapping the little girl.
"Get on your knees," Drew demanded.
Amanda hesitated, which resulted in being slapped by Drew. He shoved her onto her knees and forced her mouth open. Amanda didn't understand what he was doing. He began telling her that she had to swallow and that biting was not allowed. He warned her that a beating was in her future if she bit him. He forced himself inside of her mouth, causing the small child to let out a piercing scream. She struggled, not that it did anything to help her situation though. About five minutes had gone by, but it felt like forever to Amanda. She bit him on accident. She was in pure agony, and her teeth accidentally clenched.
"You little slut!" Drew screamed at her. He pulled out of her and began punching, slapping, and kicking her.
"I-I'm s-sorry! I didn't m-mean to!" Amanda sobbed. When she started throwing up, her father's leather belt came into contact with her skin again.
"He said not to bite! Apologize to him!" James demanded.
"I-I'm s-sorrry!" the young blonde squeaked. The beating went on for a few minutes before James and Drew finally stopped hitting the child.
"Is it my turn?" the third man asked.
"Yes, Jason," James huffed. Jason smirked and rubbed his hands. The little girl tried to move away, but Jaso picked her up and bent her over the bed.
"P-please, st-stop. P-please, n-no m-more," Amanda sobbed. Jason groped and kissed her. He hit her when she struggled too much. He forced himself inside of her from behind, and she screamed in pain.
"No, p-please! I-I'm s-sorry! D-Daddy, p-please, m-make it st-stop!" Amanda wailed.
"No! You deserve this! Now, shut up, and take it!" her father screamed at her.
It was fifteen minutes before Jason finally came out of her. When he did, Amanda ran into the corner. She curled up in a ball, despite the intense pain she was in. The men were all high fiving and decided to go have some drinks.
"That was fun, Mandy. We should do it again soon," James laughed. The three men exited the bedroom, and Amanda flinched and yelped when the door slammed shut.
It took her a half hour before she had the strength to get up and put her clothes on. She was in so much pain, but she needed to shower. She was covered in her own blood, but the bleeding had stopped. As she limped to the bathroom, she didn't hear any noise from downstairs. She figured the men must've left, and she decided to get some food before they came back. She was so hungry, and she figured her shower could wait.
When she got downstairs, she found the three men passed out. They were so drunk. Empty and broken beer bottles were everywhere. One of them started to move, and Amanda thought he was waking up. Ignoring her pain, she ran, desperate not to play another game. As she reached the staircase, she noticed the front door. She could escape now. She could run away. They didn't love her, so they wouldn't look for her. This was her chance.
The thought of running away had hardly ever occurred to Amanda. However, now the idea was starting to seem like the smartest thing to do. She exited the house and started walking, well limping, away. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she was determined to get away.
Next door, Olivia Bensom sat on her porch, drinking a glass of wine. She didn't want to go to a bar, but that didn't mean she didn't want to drink. She was only halfway done with her class, but she figured a second glass would be coming soon. She was hoping to relax and get her mind off of the case with the weekend she had off. She didn't know she was about to catch another case instead.
Olivia noticed a small figure limping in front of her house. It didn't take long to register that the figure was a child. Olivia stood up and stepped forward to get a closer look. She realized it was Amanda. Olivia worried the fears she tried to forget were about to be confirmed.
"Amanda?" Olivia called. Amanda's head shot in the direction of her neighbor.
"What are you doing out so late?" Olivia asked, leaving her porch and approaching the child. She saw that Amanda was crying and trembling.
"Honey, what's wrong?" Olivia asked worried. When Olivia got closer, Amanda flinched and backed away.
"D-don't h-hurt me. P-please, d-don't hurt me," Amanda whimpered. Fear, pain, and brokenness was evident in her eyes.
"I won't hurt you, honey. It's okay. Can you tell me what's wrong?" Olivia asked. She held her hands up so Amanda could see she meant no harm. Olivia tried to grab the child's hand, but Amanda flinched and yelped.
"No, please!" Amanda begged, shielding her face from what she feared was an oncoming blow.
"It's okay, Amanda. I'm not going to hurt you. What are you doing out here?" Olivia asked.
"P-please, d-don't m-make me g-go b-back," Amanda sobbed.
"Okay, sweetie. How about you and I go inside my house, and we can just talk?" Olivia suggested.
"I can't tell you. I can't tell you," Amanda cried.
"It's okay, sweetie. We can figure this out together. Let's go inside and talk. I promise you'll be safe with me," Olivia told her. She offered her hand to Amanda, who flinched away. Olivia hated seeing this young girl so afraid.
"P-please, d-don't h-hurt m-me. I-I'll be g-good. I promise I'll be g-good," Amanda wailed, terrified that Olivia would cause her pain.
"It's okay, Amanda. I won't hurt you," Olivia promised. After a little more coaxing, she convinced Amanda to enter her house.
"Do you think you could tell me what happened?" Olivia asked.
"Nothing happened," Amanda whispered.
"Amanda, something happened. You're covered in blood and bruises and-are those welts?" Olivia questioned. She stepped closer, causing the eleven year old to back
"Honey, who did this to you?" Olivia asked. Amanda didn't answer.
"Amanda," Olivia softly spoke, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. Amanda flinched.
"Please, don't hit me! I'm not allowed to tell you! It's a secret!" Amanda cried, hoping Olivia wouldn't get angry.
"I'm not gonna hit you. Is this a secret between you and your dad?" Olivia asked. Amanda didn't respond.
"Hey, Amanda? I'm a police officer. I'm a detective, actually. If you tell me who hurt you, I can make sure they never do it again. I won't even tell him that you told me," Olivia promised.
"You can keep all of them from hurting me?" Amanda asked. Olivia's heart shattered.
"Yes, honey. I can keep all of them from hurting you."