Prologue
Dark. The bed is lumpy, uneven. Breathing deeply, she restlessly shifts. The fabric scratches her tender young skin. Heavy footsteps echo down the passage. She is suddenly alert, small fists clenching. The door creaks slowly open. She knows that monsters don’t inhabit dreams. They’re real. His meaty, hairy hand appears on the door, and he steps in. The stench of his body odor overpowers her.
She closes her eyes. She knows there is no escape. She has tried before, and carries the scars of his punishment. A lone tear curls slowly down her cheek. He is there. He touches her hair gently, stroking, whispering words of encouragement. He settles his heavy weight on the bed. He grips her shoulders, forcing her to sit up. She knows what he has planned, and refuses to open her eyes. The thud as he beats her for the first time that night is shockingly loud in the still of the night. He wants her to see him. She will not yield.
Shaking her, he continues his thorough beating. The touch turns gentle. She screams inside as he caresses her young body. She knows this isn’t right. But he doesn’t stop. He never stops.
