young love - hh

~seven~

     "It all makes sense now." Henry said, rubbing my head after I finished telling him everything.
     "Really?" I asked.
     "Ray is protective of you because of your father." Henry said.
     "That's probably not the only reason. He was also protective of my mother." I said, some stray tears falling.
     "Maybe their father did something to her." Henry said. That sparked an idea. An idea that sparked questions. And those questions must be answered.
     "Call Ray." I said. He listened.
     "What's up kiddos?" Ray asked.
     "Why are you so protective over me? And why were you so protective over my mom?" I asked.
     "Your father was abusing your mother, mentally and physically, and he started going to you, once I threatened him about your mother. That's why you were always over at Junk N' Stuff." Ray said.
     "What about my mom?" I asked.
     "The year was 1996. I was 17, your mother was 14...

(SEXUAL ASSAULT/RAPE/VIOLENCE TRIGGER WARNING)

     ... Mandi Manchester was a very developed 14 year old. And Ray Manchester was a very indestructible 17 year old, he was also very strong.
     During the middle of the night, Ray heard his younger sister grunting. He decided to sneak into her room to see if she was okay. What he saw he almost couldn't believe.
     His younger sister, the person he loved most in his life was tied to her bed. Her mouth was taped shut, red marks and white liquid all over her face.
     "Ray!" Mandi grumbled.
     "Mandi?" Ray whispered, "Are you okay?"
     "Get out of here you prick!" Their dad yelled from across the room, he threw a brick at Ray's face as he ran out the door.
     "Did he really just throw a brick at my face?" Ray asked himself. He was going to try to go back into the room but it was locked.
     "AHH!" Mandi screamed from inside the room.
     "Shut the fuck up!" Her father yelled at her as he slapped her across the face. "You are going to sit still. This may take a while."
     "I'm indestructible." Ray whispered. "I could bust down the door." So he did. And what he saw was even worse than before.
     There his father stood. At the foot of the bed, connected to Mandi. Not by wire, not by string, but by genitalia. Ray's sister had just been raped, and he let it happen. He began to cry.
     "You fucking asshole!" Ray yelled, punching his father. He beat the devilish man senseless.
     His sister kept flailing around, letting Ray realize he needed to help her. He cut her out of the ropes and gently ripped the tape off her mouth. She embraced her older brother and began to cry.
     "Hey, Hey, it's okay now." Ray said, rubbing the back of his sister's head. "You are safe. And you will be for the rest of your life."
     "Th-thank you." Mandi shivered.
     "Let's get you cleaned up." Ray said, smiling. "I could say the same for myself." He had just noticed the blood all over him, the blood of his now dead father.

     "Holy shit, Ray." I said. "You killed Grandpa Man?"
     "He deserved it." Ray said.
     "Holy shit." Henry said.