Page 4 of Like An Animal

THE GHOST

Six Months Later

I t’s gotten to the point that I stopped knocking and asking if I can stay in Jeremy’s room. His answer was always yes, so I started sneaking into his room and right into his bed and his arms.

One part of me decided that the only way to guarantee that my father wouldn’t come for me and drag me out was if Jeremy was holding me. Logically, I knew he would still make me leave my safe little cocoon, but he hasn’t figured out where I hide out every night.

At first, I would sneak out before my brother woke up from the embarrassment of waking up in a mess of sweat, crumpled sheets, and tangled legs.

We didn’t do anything inappropriate, though one would argue that sharing a bed is crossing enough of a line, but it didn’t stop the shame from building.

I liked waking up in his arms more than I would ever admit out loud.

It was innocent though. It wasn’t like I was kissing him or fucking him. We barely even talked when we were in his room. It was just about sleeping and the protection Jeremy offered.

Usually, I’d slip in when he was already in bed and the lights were out. He’d pull back the blanket and I would crawl into bed. Sometimes I’d try to move over him and he would pull me down on top of him. He wouldn’t make me stay there if I fought him on it, but the insistence was still present.

When he’d pull me down on him, it would make me uncomfortable. One part because he likes to sleep half naked and another part because it feels too intimate for step-siblings.

Tonight, I let him pull me down and hold me against him.

I don’t know why I expected his skin to be a lot harder.

Jeremy isn’t muscular. He has lean muscles in his shoulders and his arms, but mostly he’s…

soft. He’s not boney either. He’s comfortable, which is important for someone with meat on their bones, like me.

He runs his fingers through my hair and my eyes start to drift a moment before I hear his bedroom door shake.

“Jeremy, did you lock the door?”

Kathy?

What the hell is she doing here?

I jump up as Jer flips on the bedside lamp.

“Hide,” he mutters, ruffling his hair. I dart my eyes around the room because really, where could I hide? His closet is packed full and the bathroom is right next to his bedroom door. What if she looks in there?

That literally only leaves one option.

I drop to the floor and slide under the bed. He has a pretty high bed frame which makes the task way easier, but that means I also have to slip further in than my body would like.

The bed shifts as Jeremy sits up, but then I hear the door unlock without him getting up. The door creaks as it opens and I hear the undeniable sound of Kathy’s heels clicking against the wood floor.

“Why did you lock your door? You know I don’t like that,” she chides, something strange in her voice I’ve never heard before.

“So you don’t sneak up on me, Kathy.” I can practically hear the sneer in his voice.

“Don’t call me that. I’m your family.”

“You stopped being my family when you started this shit. Don’t flatter yourself.”

Started this? What is he talking about? What is happening that seems to be such a secret? Deep down I know what it is, but I can’t admit it until I have some sort of proof.

It makes sense though. How else would he connect what my father was doing to me? I don’t want that to be it though. It’s not right. It’s so sick and disgusting. However, it explains so much about my reclusive step-brother.

“I suppose that’s fair, my sweet boy.”

I think I’m going to be sick, but if I puke, that will definitely give away that I’m here and I’m not supposed to be.

I turn my head and look out at their feet and she’s too fucking close for comfort.

She’s practically on top of him. Then…her legs disappear and the bed shifts.

I slam my eyes shut as I hear the undeniable sound of clothes shuffling before she lets out a moan.

I slam my hand over my mouth as tears fall down my face.

Jer. Oh, my god, Jeremy.

I swallow every attempt my stomach makes to force acid up my throat as tears soak my face.

The bed squeaks and shifts over me as my heart breaks over and over, again and again for him. He shouldn’t have to deal with this. No one should.

She’s his fucking mother. She’s supposed to love, protect, and nurture him, but all she’s doing is causing irreparable damage.

No wonder he acts like he doesn’t give a fuck about anyone or anything. He’s as much of a victim as I am.

He helped stop my father from hurting me. I have to do something to stop this. I can’t just curl into a ball and listen as she fucking rapes him.

I look around for something, but the fucker actually listened to me when I bitched about how dirty his room was. There’s nothing so I do the only thing I can think of.

I rear back my hand and punch the wall behind my head as hard as I can. There’s a loud bang as my knuckles crack. The pain shoots up my arm and I bite my tongue to stop from screaming.

The movement of the bed stops immediately as I cradle my hand to my chest, praying she leaves quickly.

“What was that?” she gasps and in a flash, she’s off the bed.

“Who knows?” Jeremy’s response lacks all life and my heart hurts.

Then, the bitch darts out the door and my tears fall freely. It was only a minute but that minute felt like it lasted for an hour.

I can’t believe this has been happening to him right under my nose and I had no idea.

Oh my god.

No, no, no.

“You can come out now,” he mutters, but I can’t move. I’m frozen from what just happened. After a minute the bed moves until I’m out from under it and Jer leans down to me, pushing the hair out of my face.

Another sob falls from my lips as he pulls me into his arms and holds me like I’m the most precious thing in the world. And I keep crying.

“It’s over,” he whispers in my hair and my heart breaks even further. He was just fucking raped by his mother and he’s here consoling me instead of breaking apart himself.

“How long has she been doing that to you?” I ask through my sobs.

There’s a pause that extends through the pulse pounding in my ears and the crackle of air in my throat.

Then, he speaks. “As long as I can remember.”

My heart aches and fractures as I lose and gain multiple things. I lose all respect I had for Kathy and gain an appreciation for Jeremy’s strength. I lose all concepts of safety in this house outside of Jeremy’s presence. I gain a kinship of mutual trauma with the only brother I’ve ever had.