“I – I can’t leave, Ryder. Where will I stay? What will I do?”
“You will stay with me until you decide. You have money, Rayna. We got our trusts from Dad last month. You don’t have to stay there.” I inhale deeply, getting my growing anger under control on my exhale. “Just wait on me, Rayna. I’ll take care of you.”
“Okay, RyRy. Hurry.”
The next day, I walk into my mother’s home full of determination. My sister won’t be staying here any longer. Her fragile emotional state will not be subjected to our mother’s abuse one more day.
But the screams that permeate the air, send a chill up my spine. Bloodcurdling screams begging for help.
“Stop! Please stop.” I hear coming from upstairs.
I rush up the stairs, screaming out my sister’s name. I follow the tortured, painfilled sounds of her voice to her room. I try to open the door but it’s locked.
I beat on the door calling out for her to open the door.
“Ryder,” she screams again. “Ryder, help me. It hurts. Stop! It hurts.”
I beat on the door with my fists. I try using my shoulder to force it open. I kick it hoping it will budge. It doesn’t.
I continue over and over again until my body is begging for me to stop. I scream for her. She screams for me.
Until the only screams left are my own. There are no words, no sounds coming from the other side of the door.
The door opens, and I’m face to face with my mother and her back pocket doctor friend. The doctor's face is ashen and sweat soaked. My mother’s face is nothing but cool indifference.
“What did you do?” I grind out.
“I did what needed to be done,” she says without a trace of remorse.
The doctor places his hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, son. I tried to stop the bleeding.”
I jerk back. My stomach tightens as bile risesinmy throat. “What did you do?” I manage to squeeze out despite the weight sitting on my chest. I can feel the tears forming in my eyes. I fight to hold them back, but one falls anyway.
“I was doing what was requested of me,” he informs me.
“Requested by whom? Not Rayna. She didn’t want this.”
“I – I have a signed consent form,” he stammers.
I shake my head, knowing Rayna did not knowingly sign anything. “Signed consent or not, when she started screaming, you should’ve stopped. Called an ambulance. Why didn’t you?”
“This is none of your concern, Ryder. Rayna made her choice.”
I spin to face my mother. Murderous rage flows through every cell of my being. I wrap my hand around her throat and force her against the wall. She grasps and pulls at my grip with wide eyes full of fear.
“Ryder,” the doctor tells me. “Ryder, let go. You’re killing her.”
I squeeze tighter, enjoying the way my mother’s face begins to turn purple. “You mean like the two of you just did to my sister?”
“Sh-she con – con – scented,” my mother gasps.
“Bullshit.” I squeeze tighter and her arms fall limply at her side.
“Ryder, you’re going to spend the rest of your life in prison if you do this,” the doctor yells.
Reluctantly, I let go. She falls to the floor, panting and gasping for air. I pull her to her feet, pushing her out of the room hard enough, she falls again. I turn to the doctor with a glare. “Go!” I point to the door. “GET OUT!”
The man skitters out of the room like it’s on fire, leaving me alone with my sister. I walk to her bedside and see so much blood. Her face is the color the sheets should be. Her still open eyes are glassed over, tears still falling.
