Laken lived on the outskirts of town in Virginia, in a little town called Bluefield, in a two story farm house on about ten acres of land surrounding the property. Her father was a prominent man in the community, a car salesman on a huge lot of cars, used and new, who also grew a garden in his spare time. He made a lot of money, enough to keep the family very comfortable, but, he had a deep, dark secret; a secret only Laken knew about, and she wasn\rquote t talking.
\par Chapter 1\par \par \parThe kids were only fourteen and twelve, Laken fourteen, her little brother Billy Bob twelve. The kids tried to stay out of their father\rquote s way as much as possible. One day, Billy Bob got into bad trouble, for what little infraction he couldn\rquote t figure out, but the old man was after him. Billy ran into the cornfields trying to hide from Earl.
\par\ldblquote You better not hide from me you little shit,\rdblquote yelled Earl. \ldblquote When I do find you, its just going to make it that much harder on you boy.\rdblquote
\parBilly Bob just kept running. Laken came sneaking into the cornfield to find him. Finally she caught up with him. \ldblquote Billy, sneak around to the back of the house. I can hide you under the foyer steps in that cubby hole. He\rquote ll never think to look for you there.\rdblquote
\parSo they looped around, ran out of the cornfields while they\rquote re dad was still searching the fields, made it to the back of the house and to the foyer where there was a trap door at the back of the steps. Laken shut Billy up in the cubby hole. Let the old man give up, he\rquote ll come into the conservatory, poor him some liquor, get liquored up and forget the whole incident.
\parLaken went into the kitchen where her mom, Ellen Knowles, was preparing breakfast. Homemade biscuits and gravy with chunks of sausage in the gravy, scrambled eggs, hot cakes with syrup and juice for the kids. Coffee for the adults.
\par\ldblquote Smells good in here,\rdblquote Laken said. \ldblquote I\rquote m starved.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Well,\rdblquote Ellen said, \ldblquote it will be ready in just a little while. Why don\rquote t you go set the dining room table?\rdblquote
\parLaken got the dishes, placed one at each setting, got out the silverware and placed them beside each plate, got coffee cups for her mom and dad, juice glasses for her and Billy.
\par\ldblquote Momma, daddy\rquote s after Billy again, for God knows what reason this time. I\rquote ve got him hid. Do you think by breakfast he will have forgotten about it.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Lord only knows honey. Maybe you better sneak Billy\rquote s food to him after we all eat, just to be on the safe side.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Yeah, maybe I better. God knows when Daddy will cool down.\rdblquote
\par Ellen got the breakfast on the table, went to the back door and hollered for Earl. \ldblquote Shit, can\rquote t find that damned boy no where, and now she bothers me with breakfast. I\rquote m coming!\rdblquote he yelled.\parEarl, Ellen and Laken sat down at the dining room table and began to eat.
\par\ldblquote Mama, this is delicious. Thanks.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Your welcome dear. Come in the kitchen when your done. Earl, what have you planned today?\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Well, I thought I\rquote d go down to the car lot, go over some papers. With it being Sunday, we shouldn\rquote t have too many customers. As soon as I get done with breakfast, I\rquote m heading that way.\rdblquote
\parHe finished his plate, went into the foyer, put on his jacket and got his keys, then drove off to the dealership. Laken went to Billy\rquote s cubby hole.
\par\ldblquote It\rquote s safe to come out now. Dad\rquote s gone. Come eat some breakfast.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Oh good,\rdblquote Billy said, \ldblquote I\rquote m starving.\rdblquote
\parHe went into the dining room where he heaped his plate high and began eating. \ldblquote Thanks Laken, for hiding me.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote No problem kiddo. You\rquote d have done the same for me.\rdblquote
\par \par \par Chapter 2\par \par \par \parLaken\rquote s dad had been sneaking into her room every since she was ten, late at night when every one was asleep. Laken dreaded hearing the door knob turn, knew what was to come. He didn\rquote t come every night, just enough to tear down Laken\rquote s defenses and make her very vunerable. She knew what her daddy done to her was wrong, but there was no way to stop it. She was ashamed to tell anyone, especially her mother, her dear sweet mother. It would crush her. Best to leave things under wraps. Besides, her daddy always threatened if she ever told, he\rquote d kill her mother and Billy. She couldn\rquote t let that happened, so she endured what he dished out.
\par \par \par \par Book 2\par \par Chapter 1\par \par \par \parIt wasn\rquote t long before Laken turned sixteen. Her mind was on edge bad lately, what with her father\rquote s late night visits, beating Billy every chance he got. She stayed a nervous wreck. When she was sixteen, she met this boy, he was twenty-one, and she thought he was the coolest thing since butter. His name was Bobby Crague, and she was really attracted to him. Tall, slender Bobby with the straight British nose and long, curly blond rock-star hair. His tight black T-shirt hugged his narrow, tightly muscled torso. He caught her eye at Elks Knob, the teen party hang-out, and smiled. Ah, it was true love. They dated for a while, taking rides in his souped up old Chevelle, going out to diners, getting into trouble, as most teenagers do.
\parOne night they went out drinking at Elks Knob, and Laken got wasted. She was wearing a pair of shorty shorts, mid-drift top, tennis shoes and a necklace Bobby had bought her at some junk store. Her makeup was heavy, not that she really needed it. Laken was a natural beauty, with long reddish hair with hints of gold streaks going through out, with the greenest eyes, high cheek bones which only accentuated her face, and aquiline nose, and a body that would kill. Bobby suggested they hit a bar.
\par\ldblquote But I don\rquote t have a fake id. How am I supposed to get in?\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Don\rquote t worry,\rdblquote Bobby said, \ldblquote I got you covered.\rdblquote He handed her a fake id with a girl that looked strikingly like her. \ldblquote That should get you in.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Thanks, Bobby. You\rquote re a life saver.\rdblquote
\parThey left Elks Knob and drove to a little dive, a hole in the wall really, and Bobby escorted Laken in. The room was filled with smoke, plenty of pool tables, and as you went further into the room, there was a bar with bar stools and tables beyond that.
\par\ldblquote Wanna sit at the bar or get a table?\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Table will be fine.\rdblquote
\parSo they got a table, and Billy walked over to the bar to order the drinks. He came back with a beer for himself and a rum and coke for Laken.
\par\ldblquote God I love being with you Bobby. We always have so much fun.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote I love those skimpy clothes you wear. Now if I can just get you in a air of heels, you\rquote d be top of the pot.\rdblquote\tab
\par\ldblquote With my father the way he is, I\rquote d never get heels off him.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Well, maybe we can fix that. I get paid in a few days. Want to go shopping for you a pair?\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Sure. I\rquote d love to have some heels.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Next time we come to this diner, I want the shortest shorts you own on, midriff shirt and the heels I get you. Every man in the diner will be wanting you.\rdblquote
\parLaken giggled.
\parBobby said, \ldblquote Next time we come in here, I want you dressed up like that.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Will can do,\rdblquote said Laken
\parIn a few days time Bobby took Laken for four inch spike heels, ankle socks with lace trim to finish the look. She\rquote d be a smash. Bobby said, \ldblquote Tomorrow we go back to the diner with your most revealing shorts and top and these socks and heels. You\rquote ll wow them right out of their seats, but they can\rquote t have none. You\rquote re all mine baby.\rdblquote
\parBobby took Laken home, then he left. Laken went into the house, wondering what to expect. Her mother and father were screaming at each other, fighting in the parlor. She heard a quick whack and knew Earl had just hit Ellen. Par for the course around here. She wondered where Billy was, and went in search of him. He was down at the lake fishing.
\par\ldblquote Caught anything yet?\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote No, not yet, but it\rquote s coming, the big one. I can feel it. Just be very quiet.\rdblquote
\parSo Laken got very quiet, waiting to see if Billy would snag one soon. They sat for an hour waiting, with nothing to show for it. Billy decided to call it an evening. He and Laken made their way back up to the house, where things seemed to have cooled down between their mom and dad. Mom was in the kitchen cooking supper, Dad was in the den drinking shots of vodka. He should be good and loaded by dinner time. Laken wandered into the kitchen to see how the food was coming.
\par\ldblquote How\rquote s it coming Ma?\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Oh, just fine. Rib cutlets, new potatoes, green beans and biscuits. Sound good?\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Sounds delicious. Anything you make is delicious Mom.\rdblquote
\parEllen hugged Laken. Laken seen the bruises on her mothers face, and her heart broke in two. \ldblquote You never complain.\rdblquote Ellen said. She rubbed Laken\rquote s face. \ldblquote You always eat good for me. I wish I could say the same for Billy.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Dad\rquote s getting loaded, you know,\rdblquote interjected Laken.
\parEllen let a look of disgust go across her face. \ldblquote Figures. He probably won\rquote t half-way eat after swiggin that shit.\rdblquote
\parEllen got dinner ready, and everyone came to the dining room to eat, except for Earl, who was too busy in his cups. They ate their dinner, then the kids went outside to see what they could get into. The sun was just beginning to set in the west, casting shadows over everything.
\parBilly said, \ldblquote We could go into the barn. Hang from the rafters, fall into the bails of hay.\rdblquote
\parLaken shook her head. \ldblquote Not for me tonight. How about we go find daddy\rquote s stash of liquor in here and have a few nips.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Hey, you don\rquote t have to ask me once.\rdblquote
\parThey went to where they knew Dad kept one of his stashes and began to drink up. Then Billy got serious.
\par\ldblquote Laken, does dad ever come to your room late at night?\rdblquote
\parLaken didn\rquote t want to answer the question, but she could see in the look in Billy\rquote s eyes. He already knew.
\parShe sighed. \ldblquote Yeah, he does, quiet often.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote What does he do?\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Billy, do you know about sex yet?\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Yep. Is that what\rquote s dad having with you? Sex. Is he forcing himself on you?\rdblquote
\parLaken sighed again. \ldblquote Yes, he forces himself on me. He told me if I ever told he\rquote d kill you and Momma. So you can\rquote t breathe a word of what I just told you. I\rquote ll figure something out. I\rquote ve just got my plans made out. As soon as Bobby can get us a place of our own, I\rquote m leaving this shit hole for good. Then everything with dad will stop.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Is Bobby working yet?\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote He\rquote s working at Leedy\rquote s Garage. And I figure I can get a job waitressing somewhere. That should cover the bills. Then maybe we can get the hell out of here.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Well, good luck with that. I wish you the best, you know that. If anybody wants you away from dad, its me. Does Bobby knows what dad does to you?\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote No, and I want to keep it that way.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Okay, I won\rquote t tell. Scouts honor. Well, I think it\rquote s about time to turn in, don\rquote t you?\rdblquote
\parLaken yawned. \ldblquote Yeah, me too. Good night Billy. Sweet dreams.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote You too sis.\rdblquote
\parThey went to their separate bedrooms, got ready for bed and climbed in. Laken had been asleep for a while, dreaming, when the door creaked open. It was Earl. He went to stand by the bed, stripped down naked and climbed under the covers. Laken barely knew he was there, so far deep in her dream as she was. Then she felt Earls hands running over her body, fondling her and she came full awake. She could smell Old Spice, and one unique smell that was his alone, a smell she\rquote d grown to hate over the years. She didn\rquote t know what it was, but it was there, and it filled her with dread every time the odor wafted to her nose.
\par\ldblquote Please no Daddy, not tonight.\rdblquote
\par\ldblquote Yes Laken, tonight. I need you.\rdblquote
\parHe climbed on top of her, not even trying to get her wet, not that she could have anyway, and shoved his shaft into her hard. She screamed out in pain, but he put his mouth over hers to muffle her cries. He pumped and pumped on her till she thought he\rquote d never stop. Finally he finished, gathered his clothes and left the room. Laken climbed out of the bed, got all new panties and nightgown, went to the bathroom and scrubbed herself vigorously, then put the clean clothes on. She wondered back to her bedroom, laid back down, but it was a long, long time before she could go back to sleep.
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