Page 1 of Sin For Me

PROLOGUE

Babette

The thick branches whip against my skin as I run away from the man I call father. I always thought I was one of the lucky ones. My father had always been nothing but the very best to me, and now it seems like I'm only to find out he's the one I should have been scared of the entire time. My mother left us when I was only a very small baby, so I don't remember much about her. My father said that she did the right thing by leaving me with him. I thought so too, seeing as I never wanted for anything. Maybe a bit of freedom from time to time, but never anything that would make me question his love for me.

When I turned fifteen and started my period, he told me certain things would change simply because I was becoming a woman. I didn't know much about that, since the only person that I had to ask questions was the tutor that my father paid to home school me. She told me that I was becoming a woman and soon men would start to call on me.

Nothing that neither my tutor nor my father said sounded like they were doing anything wrong. I only really started to get suspicious when I was allowed to go outside and meet with other women in our neighborhood. They couldn't understand why my father didn't want to let me out for parties or to have fun with other people my own age.

I found an old magazine and brought it home. I read the magazine from cover to cover, trying to figure out more of the world that I had obviously missed out on. When my father saw what I was doing, it was the first time he actually put his hands on me.

He said I was kept pure for a reason. That He made sure I was groomed the right way and that I was given everything that I could ever want, so the other suitors would know my worth.

He was grooming me like I was cattle!

I was nothing more than a pawn.

I stayed with him a few more years as nothing really came of the conversation that I had, but when I turned twenty-one and my father stared having dinner with my prospective husbands as he puts it, I know that I needed to get out of there as soon as I could.

Now I'm running across the back woods in Virginia trying to get to the nearest truck stop, so I can get away from the only life that I've ever know. All I have on my person right now is the necklace that my father gave me and the few dollars that he used to stash in the bible. It was a little more than five hundred dollars, but even I'm not naive enough to think that I'm going to be able to do very much with that amount. I'll have to get a job, I'll have to learn how to fend for myself. Hell, I'll have to learn how to live in a society that I've never had to be a part of before.

After running for about three hours, I end up at a large gas station with a small diner. I'd never been there before, and I don't know any of the people, but I'm hoping that someone in there is nice enough to help me out.

I see an older woman, her face is weathered, and it looks like she hasn't smiled in more than a decade. She's got a wedding band on her finger and her clothing is worn out.

"You can sit anywhere you'd like." She says, and I grab a seat at the counter.

"Ma'am, I'm not trying to waste your time. I need help." I say softly, trying to only get her attention.

She puts her pad down and looks up in my eyes.

"What's wrong then?" Her thick southern accent leaking out of her mouth.

"I don't mean you any trouble, but I'm trying to get away... I only have a bit of money, but I can't go back home."

My father, who always told me to stay away from people on the outside of the house, also warned me of their single-minded and narrow-minded way of thinking, and that was to use people for all they had. I'm counting on the possibility of giving the waitress what I already have, she won't try to hurt me like my father says.

"Who is it that you're running from, sweetheart?" She asks, her voice is lower now too.

"My father... He's trying to… He wants to do bad things to me." It's not necessary to elaborate. I watch her face change, and then she looks around the small diner.

"Fucking inbred bastards. Okay, sweetheart, do you want to call the police or do you just want to leave?"

"I just want to leave. I need to get away from him." My heart beats wildly in my chest, and she nods her head before she rubs her hands on her apron.

"Here, you have this to eat while I try to find one of the fools to take you a few towns over. It's going to be hard, especially for someone like you." She opens up one of the pie displays and cuts me a piece of apple pit.

"What's that supposed to mean?" My voice raises a little, if there's anything I know, it's that I'm a fighter. Or at least I could be if I had to.

"My sweet girl, you're as green as the grass on a cool day. I already can tell you don't know much about the big bad world. People are going to try and use you every chance they get." The waitress gives me a tight smile before she turns to talk to what I'm assuming is one of the truck drivers.

My father was going to use me to get in good with whatever cult or religion he's a part of, I may not know much, but I know I'm not going to stay around for that.

I've never been on my own, but I'm certain that Not only will I survive, but I learn how to navigate this world on my own.

1

Tru

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