The Strong, Domineering Wolf And The Delicate, Slender Fox

She was laying in bed, asleep. The door lock unlatched. Startled, she woke up. Who was at the door? She quickly looked at the clock. It was 10:30 am. Nana should be back from the store. The door opened. There was no time to hide, as he came through the door. She tried to warn her mom. She knew this would happen again. Mom didn’t believe her. Fear crept into her eyes, but she didn’t let it show. Her inner fox whimpered. She just had to make it through this next horror, and she would be fine. He crept around to the far side of the room. Pulled the comforter off and slowly began to pull her clothes off. First her pants and underwear. Then he pushed up her shirt and the bra she fell asleep with without taking either off. He began touching her. Groping her breasts. She didn’t like it. It was her grandfather doing this after all. It was wrong. But she loved her family. She thought they’d push her away like they did her Mama. As he played with her body she kept dreaming of a world where he never did these things. He’d been doing it since she was six. She was used to it. His voice broke her from her thoughts. “You’re developing quite nicely kid.” He chuckled. He began suckling her breasts, and it felt wet, sloppy, and disgusting. “I don’t like it. You need to stop this.” she said absently defiant. “Your body says otherwise.” As she faked an orgasm he said “See, you’re orgasming. Tells me right there that you like it.” She pushed him off. Done with his s**t for the last time, she got dressed. She stormed out with him tailing behind her. She sat on the couch after getting a bowl of Mini Wheat cereal. Nana was out here, so she’d be safe here. He wouldn’t try anything. Right? He sat on his chair that sat between the bay window and the front door with an end table on the left side adjacent to the wall. He picked up the morning’s newspaper from the underside basket of the end table. Perched his right leg on his left knee and picked up his bifocals and sat them on the bridge of his nose. Law and Order SVU was on. She loved the show, as ironic as it was. She was looking for something specific. She wanted to see if there was a way out of her predicament without going to jail for murder or being cast out. She began engrossing herself in the show as she ate. By the time she finished her bowl of cereal, it had reached a break between episodes. She got up to make a bagel. As she got up her Nana asked if she’d mind watching her younger cousin when she was done. She adores the little cutie. Bug was 3. Cute straight blonde hair. Big beautiful blue eyes. Bug was almost attached to her when she came to visit. Had been for a while. She was only ever there for the summer before she had to go back home for school. “Sure, after the next episode.” “Alright, but don’t make her wait too much longer, she’s been begging to see you since this morning.” She sat back down on the couch after spreading the heavy serving of cream cheese on her bagel halves. Sure enough, when the episode was over, she got up to put her plate in the sink. Conversations ensued. She wasn’t paying much attention till her grandfather said something that shocked her. “I’m gonna get your butt.” She stopped right by the island in the open concept kitchen/living room, back facing him. Brushing the crumbs into the trash, she said “I’m not five. I’m not gonna start running from you just because you say something like that. I’m 15, it’s inappropriate for you to say stuff like that.” “So, you don’t want me to bend you over and kiss your butt anymore?” “ROBERT!” her Nana yelled. “No. In fact, I’d rather you stay away from that. You know I hate you. Have since I was 8 or have you forgotten?” “ELIZABETH!!!” her Nana yelled, this time directed at her. Elizabeth put the cake slice sized ceramic plate into the sink. “I don’t see why you’re yelling at me Nana, you should be talking to your husband to mind his manners and behaviors.” Elizabeth stroked the little plastic Chiillama bird in the windowsill above the sink before putting her shoes on and walking out the door. She strolled over to her cousins. Her older of the two cousins, Mark, was only a year younger than her. And at his feet was an excited Bug.  “Hey Bug, you wanna go play in the sandbox?” Elizabeth asked. “YEAH! LET’S GO BUILD A CASTLE!!!” Bug yelled. “Hey, Mark. I got something I need to talk to you about.” Elizabeth said careful not to let Bug overhear. “Sure.” He said. Standing underneath the old wooden playhouse they called “the condo,” the two older cousins leaned up against opposing posts while Bug played in the sand. “So whaddya wanna talk about.?” Mark asked. “I need you to keep an eye on your sister. Don’t let her be alone with grandpa.” “I’m confused here. Why do I need to watch her?” “Well for one, you’re her older brother, and as the elder sibling, that is your responsibility. Two, I’ve got a feeling that after what I do this summer I won’t be coming back for a while. Besides even if it doesn’t change anything, mom’s probably gonna try to teach me some responsibility by making me get a job next summer. Either way, I won’t be here to protect her.” “Why does she need to be protected from Grandpa though?” “Let’s just say he did something very bad that I don’t want him doing to her.” “What did he do?” “I… can’t say. Just don’t let them be alone.” “Bob Bob is bad?” Bug asked. Putting on a fake smile, Elizabeth knelt down and stroked her hair. “No honey, he just did a bad thing, Nana is yelling at him right now.” “Oh. Okay.” She smiled and returned to her sand. After a while, Bug’s mom called her and her brother in for lunch. As Elizabeth turned to head inside her Uncle Joe called with Nana next to him.  “Well, here it comes.” She said to herself. No amount of mental preparation could have saved her from what was going to happen. “Why are you trying to drive a wedge between my father and my daughter?” Uncle Joe said angrily. “I’m doing no such thing.” “That’s a lie. Bug came to me and told me you were telling her that my father is a bad man. Besides, I was watching you guys and heard that conversation.” “Then you must have misunderstood what was happening. I was talking to Mark. She’s 3. She can’t tell the difference between a conversation about her and one directed at her. Besides, she won’t remember this in a year or two.” “Why have that kind of conversation to begin with?” Nana asked. “I’m trying to make sure she has a NORMAL relationship with him.” “Oh, and you do that by telling her that her grandfather is a bad man? Sounds like bull to me.” Nana snapped. “I was talking to Mark. Not her.” “You yourself just said she can’t tell the difference between a conversation about her and one directed at her. Right now, that means you were talking to her.” “It doesn’t matter now. I want you out of here by the end of the week. Don’t think about coming back. I don’t want to see you again.” Uncle Joe said, before leaving. Elizabeth’s heart shattered. “Is there anything else he’s done to you that would make you do this?” Nana asked, almost as if she couldn’t figure it out on her own. It’s not like you’ll believe me if I tell you the truth… And to think you were a guidance counselor who’s supposed to look for these kinds of things. You almost WALKED IN ON HIM for sweet Christmas’ sake. Elizabeth thought to herself. “No.” She said, tears rolling down her face. Enough had been said. Her heart was in a million pieces. Nana went back inside. Elizabeth just stood on the back patio, head hung low. Tears fell to the stone floor. “You’ll see I’m just trying to protect her from the hell I’ve been through.” She sat at the glass table and put her head between folded arms with her forehead on the glass. She cried for hours, whispering “I’m trying to protect her.”