Page 15 of Saving Micah

Roy is on the floor and my dad is on top of him pounding into his face with his fist. With all of the commotion, my mom has come to my room. After flipping the light on and assessing the situation, she immediately comes to me. Her eyes are as big as her face. She wraps her arms around me and covers me with her body. I think she is trying to shield me from what I know my dad is going to do to Roy.

My eyes are closed and my face is tucked into my mom’s neck. I don’t move. I hardly breath.

“Mr. Davis?” I hear the question in his tone and I look up.

Zant is standing outside of my window looking in. His gaze goes farther down and sees his dad. I see every ounce of blood drain from his face. “Roy?” He whispers.

My dad then picks Roy up and shoves him to the window. “Outside you stupid asshole. Get out of my house.” He’s shoving Roy through the window without much care what happens to him. I still see Zant, he backs up and right at that moment, he looks at me.

Our eyes clash. His are filled with horror and they must mirror mine. But, I feel nothing.

He reaches out to grab Roy’s arm and pull him through the window. Once Roy is out, Zant backs up and I can’t see him anymore. Dad climbs through the window after them.

He turns around and looks into my room at us. When his eyes land on me, I see them glass over with tears. He tries to speak and nothing comes out.

He clears his throat and tries again, “Lucy, close the window and put Micah in the shower. We will be back soon.”

With that, he turns around and all three men disappear. The only sound I hear are muffled words from Roy.

“Come on, honey. Let’s get you in a hot shower. You are going to need it.” Mom climbs off the bed and gently grabs my hand. I slowly move to the side of my bed and let my feet touch the floor.

I don’t trust my weight and I look to my mama. She must sense my hesitation because she puts her arm around my waist and helps me to my feet. My legs feel like jello but mama lets me rest most of my weight on her. We slowly move to my bathroom. She sits me on the toilet and turns the shower on. She lays a towel on the counter and then just looks at me.

Tears are in her eyes and I can tell that she is close to sobbing.

“Mama.” I say through a sob.

“Oh baby. You’re ok. You’re going to be ok. I’m right here. I’ll always be right here. Don’t you worry.” She speaks with a soothing tone that she was famous for every time I got hurt playing sports with the boys.

I would always be the one that got hurt. I would run inside screaming for my mama.

“Mama! Mama! Levi pushed me down and I skinned my knee.” Tears would be pouring down my face. She would gather me up in her arms and sit me on the counter in the kitchen.

“Micah, you have to calm down. I can’t fix you up if you are crying so hard. Can you calm down for Mama?” I would always nod my head and choke back my tears.

“Now,” she’d say, “that is better. Now let me look at your knees.”

She would talk to me in her soothing voice and I truly believe that her voice did more healing for me than any ointment or bandage ever could.

She brings me back to the present with her soft voice. “Do you need any help with your clothes, honey? I can imagine that you want to do all of this yourself?” She has a questioning tone to her voice so I answer her with a slow nod. I can’t imagine someone touching me right now, not even my mama.

My body shakes with a silent sob and I quickly swallow it.

Mama moves around the bathroom and gathers a few things to put on the side of the tub for me.

“I’m going to let you shower alone Micah. I will be right outside. You are fine. You aresafe.”

Safe.

That is the word that pierces my heart. Will I ever feel safe again?

Chapter 8

Zant

You’re not alone

Together we stand

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