Midnight Dreams

THE DREAM

I open my eyes and all the lights are off in the house. Something doesn’t seem right but no matter how badly I want to turn and run back to my room I can’t. It’s like the room no longer exists.

I use my hands to feel for the wall and use it to guide me. I walk on in silence, until I notice that the walk has ended and I am faced with the daunting task of walking down the stairs. I squint my eyes to look down and I see a faint light. Someone is down there.

“Whose down there?” The light flickers but no one answers. My heart rate increases and I can feel my anxiety beginning to creep up on me.

“Hello?” Again no response. I close my eyes and say a soft prayer to Jah that I will be protected from harm and evil.

I allow my hands to find the railing before I descend down the stairs. I take one step at a time, I allow my self to go slowly. With each step I tell myself that it is probably just Ife and it’s all just a joke.

Once I reach the bottom, I look around for the flickering light. It’s coming from the kitchen. I can feel my pulse increasing. This feels so familiar yet I can’t seem to find a memory of any moment that’s been like this.

I make my way into the kitchen and before I walk inside, I can hear voices. I recognize my dads voice but the other I don’t know.

“Come on just give me what I need” he sounds distressed, He’s begging.

“You still owe me from the last time. I need payment Chris.” This second voice sounds angry but not angry enough to hurt someone.

“I’ll give you anything you want. Just name it.”

“Iriye” I gasped and cover my mouth. Jah please let them not have heard me. I close my eyes for a second that seemed to last forever. They had both gone quiet.

“What do you mean Iriye?” My dad broke the silence.

“Chris, you and I aren’t new to this life. You know exactly what it means” I hear someone move and something is shifted.

“We know what happened the last time I gave you someone.” There was a change in my fathers tone. Like he was remembering something.

“Listen, last time was her fault. All she had to do was stop fighting. This ones different, She’s younger and won’t fight” There was arrogance in his tone.

A silence fell between them.

“When?” Hearing my father, made a tear roll down my eye. A piece of me knew what he was saying but I wanted to believe otherwise

Jah please don’t let this be what I feel it is.

“Now” the mans voice was harsh and direct.

I heard my father clear is throat.

“She’s sleeping, her room is upstairs on the right. You’ll have to cover her mouth so she doesn’t wake her brother and cover her eyes so she can’t see you.”

“Trying not to make the same mistakes as last time, good thinking Chris.”

The tears fall harder and harder and I try to make my way to the front door. Then with out even noticing I feel my body being lifted. I fought and screamed, the man wasn’t phased. I see my father look at me and place a piece of tape over my mouth and then over my hands. When h’s done he looks away and I am carried up to my room by the mystery man.

Once we get into the room he throws my body onto the bed. He leaves to lock the door. He comes back to the bed hastily, covers my eyes with a blindfold. Then proceeds to have his way.

Again and again.

The tears roll down my face and I allow my body to go numb and finally pain fills my body and I slowly drift away into a place of solace where I am not in pain. I feel him thrust him self this time harder than before. It’s almost like he has something to prove. The more I feel his hands caressing my body the more I want to die inside. I hear him speak, “Good girl, Good girl, just like your mother”.

Why me Jah? Have I not led a life in line with the I-in-I? Why am I being punished? Please hear me.

Jah I beg you to make this stop.

A few moments later, the man stops. I open my eyes as the blindfold is removed, tears have stain my face. I look up I see my father. He isn’t reacting. He isn’t surprised. This man who looks at me, physically looks like my dad, but my dad would not allow this to happen…