Making The Most Of Every Opportunity

Something moved making me wake up. I need to get out of bed right now. Quietly, like you know how.

The good thing is that the light is off. Become the shadows. Your body is small. You fit anywhere. Pick a spot where no one will look. The heat pole, is it on? Yes, but the heat is only warm. The floor just creaked. Climb!

Thank God I didn’t wear socks. It made the climb easy. Stay here. Don’t move. Breathe slowly, quietly.

The door knob is turning slowly, without noise. A tall shadow. A man. How did he get in the apartment?

My arms are beginning to shake. I need to move. Now, before he comes into the room!

The heat of the pole against my legs feels good, but I don’t want to have sex. Who is this man? If he finds me and sees my penis, he’s going to think that I want sex. Stop thinking. Just keep still. You’re in the shadows. He won’t see you. Just breathe deeply, slowly, quietly. Become a statue. Keep still.

He checked the closest and under the bed. He’s leaving. He left the door open, good. I can hear when he goes. Who gave him the keys to the apartment? The sound of the front door. He’s mad. The door shut loud. Who was he? Just a few more minutes.

*******

The door is locked. This chair under the doorknob will keep people out. The windows are closeed.

I don’t care if my aunt and cousins beat me later. I don’t want sex. Not with strangers, not with them.

Where is mom? Why did she leave me here? Stupid fire! Why did it have to burn our home?

Mom, where are you?

*****

The neighborhood seems quiet today. Joining the neighborhood watch is giving me the satisfaction of being able to use my hypervigilance constructively. Too bad I can’t share this with the therapist, he wouldn’t approve.

Hello. A mugging? A sexual predictor? No matter. Clearly the girl is scared. Brass knuckles in place

“Excuse me!...”