Date: Sun, 05 Oct 2003 15:30:51 -0700 From: RC in Sacramento Subject: Becka the Beast, Chapter 9 This is a work of fiction from a first time author. It depicts acts of sex and sexuality between two teenage females. If such content disturbs you, or you are under 18, get out and stay out. As always, this story can only be reproduced by consent of the author. Becka the Beast by Sacwriter Chapter 9*** They held each other like that, cuddling, each girl warming herself in the heat of the other's body. They floated like that for a while, until Gia sprang up in bed, an excited look on her face. "Hey, I just thought of something. Let me show you what I've got." Gia scrambled out of bed and crossed the room, kneeling down to open the bottom drawer of her dresser. From it she drew a small wooden box, which she placed on top of the dresser and opened. It turned out to be a musical jewelry box, with a tiny ballerina figure that popped up and danced when the lid was lifted. She pulled a silver bracelet from the box, and then replaced the box in her dresser drawer. Then she jumped back into the bed to eagerly share her treasure with her lover. "This was my Mom's charm bracelet, Daddy gave it to her on their first anniversary. See, each charm represents one of us. Mom started out with this little man in a tuxedo that was supposed to be a groom, and that was Daddy. After I started calling him Oso, she changed it for that little Teddy bear. When each of us kids were born, she got a charm that represented the month we were born in. But after we got older and she knew what we were like, she replaced it with an individual charm that represented us as a person. "See, that little wrench is Jorge, 'cause he obviously wants to be a mechanic. And that triangle thing is a protractor, architects use them, so that one is 'Berto. And that guitar is for Juan, I told you he plays." "Wow, that is so cool. And that little ball thing, that's you, right? What is that?" A brief shadow seemed to pass over Gia's face, a trace of remembered sadness. "That's a Jack-o-Lantern, 'cause I was born on Halloween. Mom died before she got a real charm for me." "Huh. Well, it's beautiful, Gia. I love it. But why are you showing this to me?" Gia smiled, the shadow passing quickly. She was young, and her mother's death was years ago. "Because of your jacket, of course. I told you that I thought it was cool, the way you're always wearing it to remember her. Well, I want to do the same thing. I'm going to start wearing my Mom's bracelet from now on." Becka started, blinking in surprise. She glanced over to her book bag, at the bottom of which was the jacket that Gia had spoken of. She realized for the first time that she hadn't worn the jacket for over two days, and what's more she hadn't even missed it. Becka had worn that jacket every day for over three years, since she found it stuffed in the bottom of a brown paper bag of her mother's possessions in the back of their garage. There were nights when she had held it to her, taking comfort from its rough touch, trying to sense her mother's presence through the worn blue denim. It was the most tangible link she had to the only person who had ever loved her, the only one to have ever offered her protection against the horrors of her life. The only one until now. Becka looked at Gia, and saw the puzzled frown on her face. She didn't know what Becka had just discovered, that her mother's jacket had been a crutch, something for her to lean on. It had been a flimsy one at best, but it had been all she had and so she had clung to it desperately. But now she had Gia, who defended her, and said that she loved her. Did she even need that crutch anymore? This was too much, she decided. She had to straighten her head out about this before she spoke of it to anyone, especially to Gia. "Umm, that's a great idea, Gia. It was your Mom's and I think it'll look great on you. But you gotta be real careful, though. It looks like it'll break pretty easy." "Hey, I know. But I want to wear it, now, and not just leave it lying in a box. I mean, what good does it do me there? Now I can have a piece of my Mom with me wherever I go. Here, help me put it on." Becka did so, admiring the way the silver glinted like sunlight off of Gia's dark skin. They shared secret smiles, both thinking about the women who had given them life, but hadn't lived long enough to see where it would lead. Becka looked over at Gia's desk, and the family pictures arranged there. "Your Mom sure was pretty, Gia. You look just like her." "Yeah, I know. Everybody says that. Do you look like your Mom?" A shrug. "I dunno. I don't have any pictures of her." Gia was shocked. "You don't have any pictures of your Mom? Not any at all?" "No. I think my old man burned them or something after she died, 'cause I remember we used to have some. They were in this big blue album, you know? So after the funeral I drew a picture of her. It's not very good 'cause I was only eleven or twelve, but I still have it. "Sometimes, I have to take it out and just stare at it, because I can't remember what she looked like. Can you imagine that, not remembering what your own mother looked like? Anyway, I really want to show you that picture someday. My Mom would have really liked you, Gia." Gia smiled, then gave the other girl a quick kiss. "And my Mom would have really liked you, too, little girl. Hey, we've got a couple of hours before Daddy and the boys get back. Why don't you try and sketch that portrait of me that I can show them. You know, the one where I'm not naked?" Becka grinned. "Okay, but it won't be as much fun. And you've got to help me pack first. I don't know how I'm going to fit all these new clothes in my bag." Gia agreed, although she was strangely silent while they were doing it. Gia didn't want Becka to leave, to go back to that shabby little bungalow and face the devil and his demons all alone. She wanted her to stay here, to move in with her and her family, or barring that to move somewhere she would be safe from the likes of Ralph Danning. But they had plenty of room, and she was sure she could talk her father into letting Becka live with them. And her brothers would accept her easily enough, too. They'd be tickled pink about having another little sister around to spoil. No, the problem wasn't her family. The problem was Becka herself, or more precisely, Becka's fear of men. She had to find a way of breaking the other girl's phobia, or she would never be able to live under this roof with so many male Camerons running around. Both girls got dressed for the portrait Becka was going to draw. Becka wore some of her new clothes, a pair of khaki slacks and a tight knit pink blouse. She looked very feminine. Gia wore one of her new T-shirts and a pair of blue shorts, and some knee high white socks. Becka said she wanted her to look natural, so she posed herself sitting on the bed, reading a book. Becka finished the first portrait within an hour, and Gia declared that she loved it. It made her look pixie cute, and was totally Dad safe to view. With a wicked smile, Gia said they had time for one more, and quickly removed all of her clothing. The next minutes were a great deal of fun, as the two girls decided how they wanted Gia to pose for the next sketch. Gia sat on the bed, leaning back against the wall. Her right leg was bent, her elbow resting on her knee, and her chin resting on her palm. Her left leg lay stretched straight out, and her thighs were slightly parted, exposing all of her most private parts. Her left wrist rested on her thigh, where her middle finger rubbed slow circles around her clit. She grinned wickedly at Becka, who was having a hard time concentrating on the sketchpad. "Dammit, Gia, knock it off," she muttered, trying not to smile. "I can't get this done if you keep distracting me." "Ahh, what's wrong, Becka? Don't you like the way I'm posing?" she teased. "Or maybe it's not me that's distracting you. Maybe it's just my finger that you can't keep your eyes off of. Is that it, Becka? Is it my finger?" "Gia, I'm warning you ..." "You know, I bet that's it. I bet, if I were to hide my finger where you can't see it, then maybe you could finish my picture for me. So look here, Becka. See? I'm hiding my finger from you." Slowly Gia slid her finger inside of her vagina. In seconds, it had disappeared up to the third knuckle. Becka threw the sketchbook down on the ground, then covered her face with her hands as she shook her head and laughed out loud. Gia laughed with her, and soon the two girls had abandoned their seats and met in the middle of Gia's room, where they embraced and kissed. It was a long kiss, filled with promise, and they still held each other long after it was over. Becka held on to Gia's hand, then raised it to her lips and kissed her fingers, and then she licked them clean. Gia buried her face in the other girl's shoulder while she did. "I love you, Gia. But I gotta go soon. When you're Dad called, he said they'd be home by five, and that's less than an hour from now. You know I gotta go by then." "No, you don't. You can stay," Gia said in a soft voice. Becka looked away before she answered. "Gia, we've already talked about this. If I stay for dinner, I'll just freak out. You know what happens to me when I'm stuck in a room with a bunch of guys. I can't help it, I'd just start to freak, I'd just end up ruining you're family's fish cookout, and then they'd hate me and I couldn't see you anymore. Gia, I gotta go, it's for the best." Gia pulled away, so that she could look up into her lover's eyes. "First of all, there's not going to be a fish cookout. In all the years that Daddy and the boys have been going to the lake, they've never caught a single fish! They just play poker and watch sports on the big screen TV. They'll pick up some steaks and burgers on the way home, and we'll have a barbecue. Outside, where you can feel safe around a bunch of strange guys. You said that you only got scared when you're indoors and don't have anyplace to run, remember?" Becka considered it. Outside, where she wasn't penned in. And with Gia there, to hold her hand and lend her her strength. It might be possible. But what if it wasn't? What if she really freaked in front of Gia's family? "Gia, I don't know. It's risky, you know it is..." "But you HAVE to do it, Becka! You have to get to know my family, so that you won't be afraid of them anymore. And you have to do it now, tonight." "Gia, you're not making any sense. What's so important about your family getting to know me tonight?" "Because I don't want you to ever go back to that awful place. I want you to live here, with us. Forever." Becka felt her heart race, at the same time she was having trouble breathing. The enormity of what the other girl was suggesting! To live here, in this fantastic fairyland house, with people who didn't want to use her, to hurt her? To live here with Gia ... "Gia, you don't know what you're saying. Your Dad would never go along with it, he doesn't even know me. Hell, you don't even know me! We just met a week ago, and now you're offering to let me live with you?" "I know that I love you. And I know that I'd do anything to protect you." Becka turned her head away, but Gia put a finger to her chin and made her look back. In a small voice, she said, "Just like you'd do anything to protect me, wouldn't you?" "Yes," Becka replied, her voice a whisper. Then she held Gia, enfolding her in her trembling arms, wanting to hold her like that forever and never let her go. Could she do this? Put away her past, be normal, and let go of the constant stomach clenching fear that had been her staple for five years. To wake up every morning in Gia's arms, wouldn't that be worth anything she would have to go through? But what if they find out? "Gia, what if your Dad,,,what if he knew? If he found out about me and my old man. That we had done it, I mean. What would he think about me, then?" "Becka, he already knows." Becka stopped breathing. "He - he knows?" she managed to croak out, through a constricted throat. "Yes, he does. I told him." Becka suddenly felt like she was falling, and would never stop. Betrayed. Gia had betrayed her. It was as if an icy clawed hand had reached out and gripped her chest. Her heart was pounding like an animal caught in a cage, and she could feel the walls of her old life rising up all around her. Gia continued, unaware of the darkness that had invaded her lover's heart, and of the damage that her words were now doing. "That day in the locker room, after the way you just went all zombie and stared out into space, like you were just waiting for me to hurt you and get it over with. Becka, that really freaked me out, so I told Dad about it. He said that it was a sign of abuse. He asked me all about you, and when I told him about how you acted and how you dressed, he said that those were signs that the abuse was probably sexual. And then on Thursday, when he picked me up at your place and I had him pretend to be a cop, I had to tell him why. "Becka, he already knows about the things that your father did to you. He still wants to help, he told me so. He says that -" "You LIAR!!!" Becka exploded like a bomb, the effect taking Gia completely by surprise. Becka shoved her hard, knocking her across the room to crash to the ground at the foot of her bed. She gazed up at the older girl in shock, unable to speak after the violent outburst. "You told him, Gia. You told! You said you were my friend, you said that you loved me, but you still told. You lied, it was all lies, and I hate you, Gia. I hate you!" Gia stared. For the first time since she had met her, she was actually afraid of Becka. The look on her face was like the one she had worn when she tried to rape Gia in the locker room, only ten times worse. It was as if a storm had entered her room, springing up out of nowhere from a beautiful spring day. "But...but it was only Daddy," she tried to say, but it was too late. Becka had grabbed her book bag and run out of the room. Gia could already hear her footsteps pounding down the stairs. With a moan Gia scrambled to her feet, desperately racing after the other girl who she had just hurt so badly. A voice was wailing in her ears, a lament that has been heard by those who love ever since the dawn of time. Oh God, what have I done? She didn't see the other girl when she got to the bottom of the stairs, but the open front door pointed the way. Gia ran through the door and out into the big circular driveway out front, but it was too late. Becka was just disappearing out into the street. BECKA! Wait, Becka, please don't go! Becka, I'm sorry!" Gia stood there, tears running down her face. An old man walking his dog stopped to look at her, staring, his eyes bugging out of his head. Only then did Gia realize that she was still naked. With a wail of pain and loss, she turned around and bolted for the safety of the house. * * * Phil Cameron and his sons pulled into their driveway in high spirits. It had been a great weekend. Phil was ahead almost thirty bucks from his three sons, and the A's and the Lakers had both won their games. And Bobbie had actually caught a fish! They had ended up throwing it back because it was too small, but still there was the principal of the thing. There was a lot of laughter and joking when they piled out of the car. Phil took his suitcase and headed for the house, leaving the unloading of the two cars for his sons to do. Hey, RHIP, rank has its privileges. Besides, he wanted a chance to ask Gia how it went with her friend. "Gia! Hey, honey, the master fishermen are back, and we brought hotdogs and burgers. Time to fire up that grill. Hey, Gia? Where are you?" Phil saw that the door to Gia's room was ajar, so he approached it hesitantly. He stopped when he heard the muffled sobs coming from inside. "Gia?" There was no answer, but the sobbing seemed to increase in intensity. Phil opened the door and looked inside, his heart climbing into his throat when he saw his beloved daughter huddled in the corner of her bed. She was wearing her blue shorts and an oversized T-shirt that made her look small and young, her legs were bent, and she had her arms wrapped around her knees. Her face was tear streaked and swollen from crying, and her lower lip was trembling like water in an earthquake. Phil had seen her like this before, four years ago in her bedroom at their old house. Gia had looked just like this on the day that her mother had died. Phil didn't say a word, he just sat down on the bed and enfolded his daughter in his big, strong arms. She sank into his embrace as she had done a million times before, seeking the comfort and strength she always found there. Phil just held her, and rocked her in his unconditional love, giving her all the time she needed. "Hey Dad, where are you? Dad, what do you want us to do with ... oh." George stopped in the doorway of his sister's room, staring at the tableau inside. His father nodded to the door and mouthed the word 'out'. George closed the door quietly and left, moving down the hallway to find his brothers and warn them that something was up. George didn't know what that something was, but he remembered that awful night four years ago, too. * * * "It's all my fault, Oso. It was right there all along, in the stuff I downloaded. Look, see? But I missed it, and now it's worse than it was before. Becka hates me, and she won't ever let me help her again." Phil looked down at the pile of printouts that Gia had strewn across her bed, and picked up the one she had pointed to. A paragraph in the middle of the page had been circled in red ink, and he began to read it silently to himself. 'The problem with treating the sexually abused patient is compounded when the abuser was a family member. The stigma of incest greatly increases the sense of guilt and shame that the victim feels, to the point where the victim may actually prefer that the abuse continue, rather than let it's existence be made public. When treating such a patient, it is crucial that the attending doctor should respect the patient's confidentiality as much as possible, without allowing their relationship to the abuser to be known. In the eyes of the patient, to reveal this information without the patient's prior consent, is tantamount to betrayal.' "I told her that you knew about her, Oso. About her and her Dad, about how he makes her have sex with him. I wanted her to know that she didn't have to go back to there, that it's all right if she stays here. "But she went crazy, Oso. Just like it says in there, she thinks I betrayed her. She screamed at me and said she hated me, and then she ran out. I just wanted to help her, and instead I did the very worst thing possible. She'll go back to him, and he'll just keep on hurting her. And it's my fault, Oso. It's all my fault." Phil Cameron held his daughter and rocked her slowly, trying to find the words to take away her pain, knowing that he couldn't. So he just sat there, sharing her pain, sharing his strength, and thought about another girl who was even more lost than his Gia. * * * It took two hours for Becka to make her way back home, and she tried her hardest not to think about anything at all. More than anything she wanted to crawl into her own bed, pull the covers over her head, and sink into oblivion. She didn't want to face the ugly things that were crawling around in her mind, and in her heart. Gia had told. Gia had betrayed her. But when she got to her house Becka could only moan in disgust. Her old man was partying again, and it sounded as if there were at least three or four of his drug buddies in there as well. It was way too dangerous to go there, and even in her present state of mind, Becka didn't want to die. Reluctantly she turned around, and made her way down the street. She still had Toni. * * * B ecka stood at the door to Toni's apartment and dropped her book bag, exhausted. She was tired, both physically and emotionally, and she was dreading the meeting before her. She knew Toni was going to be a bitch, and that she'd make Becka jump through hoops for a place to spend the night. She no longer had any illusions that Toni was her friend, or anybody's friend, for that matter. But like all the times she had ended up at this door, Becka didn't have a choice. She had nowhere else to go. Taking a breath, Becka raised her hand and knocked on the door, and again when it didn't open right away. Then she heard the chain being unlocked, and in a moment Toni opened the door. "Well, well," Toni purred, looking Becka up and down, like a cat looks at a bowl of tuna. "So my favorite little schoolgirl is finally learning how to dress. Why don't you come here and show Toni that you still know how to party." She made a move to grab her, but Becka evaded it and slipped through the door, carrying her book bag. She felt a flash of irritation at herself for having forgotten all about the new clothes she was wearing. She knew she should have found a restroom somewhere on the way and changed, back into the shapeless old clothes that had been her camouflage for years. The last thing she wanted tonight was to get Toni even more interested in her body. She turned and faced the other girl, determined to lay down some ground rules. "Toni, stop it. I just need a place to stay tonight. I don't want to screw, and I don't want to play any of your little games. Not anymore, or ever again. I just want to crash for one night, and then I'm gone. "Look, I know you got a date, you always got a date on Sundays. So you won't have any time for me anyway. I'll just bed down in the closet like always, and then in the morning I'll leave. Okay?" Toni stared at Becka for a while, with a look on her face that could only be called calculating. Becka gritted her teeth at the frank stare, but refused to look away. She needed a place to stay, but she had resolved not to sleep with Toni ever again. Gia may have betrayed her, but she'd also shown her what it was like to be with someone who really gave a damn about you. She couldn't go back to that shallow thing that she and Toni had shared, not after this last week. So Becka stood there, waiting for Toni's decision, determined to sleep out in the woods rather than compromise. Suddenly Toni smiled, her face losing its hard, mercenary look. "Hey, sure, kid. Not a problem. I mean, have I ever turned you away when you needed a favor? And you're right, I was just on my way out, anyway. "Look, make yourself comfortable, help yourself to anything in the fridge. Just make sure you're outta sight by midnight, alright?" Toni was tall, and at five foot ten she easily topped the younger girl. She was the kind of person who enjoyed being physically intimidating. She wore a mini sheathe dress so low cut it showed the bottom curve of her breasts, and so tight you could see the outline of both nipples and navel. Her hair was straight and parted down the middle, ending at her shoulders, and this week at least it was auburn. As usual, she smelled equally of perfume and cigarettes. Toni went into her bedroom, and returned a few minutes later. She had her killer heels on, and a silver sequined jacket that seemed to complete the image of a 'working girl'. She gave Becka a pat on the cheek as she went by, making a last comment as she passed through the door. "Lock the door behind me, sugar, and don't forget about your 12 o'clock curfew. And this is an overnighter, so better take a good pee before you bed down, we don't want you running about in the middle of the night scaring the old fart, do we? See ya tomorrow, kid." The door closed behind her, and just like that, Becka was alone. She scowled, as if the other girl still stood there. Toni had been friendly, generous, and hospitable. She hadn't made a fuss about Becka's announcement that she wouldn't be having sex with her anymore. She hadn't even made her crawl to have a roof over her head tonight, even though she must know that Becka was desperate. In fact, Toni had acted just like a friend was supposed to act. Becka didn't buy it for a second. * * * With a sigh Becka resigned the Toni problem to the future, and set about taking care of the now. As requested she locked the door, and then went on a raid in the kitchen. The contents of the refrigerator were about what she expected, a bucket of the Colonel's recipe containing three pieces of extra crispy and a wing, plus two buttermilk biscuits. To drink she had a choice, a half full bottle of white zinfandel, an almost intact six pack of Coors, and a gallon of milk very close to its expiration date. She chose the chicken and the wine, noting without surprise that it had a twist off cap. Good, she was pretty sure that Toni didn't own a corkscrew, anyway. She ate the chicken cold, because it suited her mood, and drank the wine straight out of the bottle. She really wanted to get a good buzz on, even get more than a little drunk, but she knew it would be better if she kept her head clear tonight. She put the remaining wine back in the fridge, threw out the empty paper bucket and the thoroughly gnawed bones, and wiped everything down with a wet sponge. Then she headed for the bathroom for a desperately needed hot shower. She took off her clothes before she entered the bathroom, and when she did she stopped, seeing her nude body in the mirror over the sink. For the first time in years Becka really looked at herself, and was surprised by the young woman who looked back. When she was young, Becka did what most little girls do when they feel themselves start to change. She had stood in front of the mirror every day as she did now, noting all the magical and mysterious transformations her body was going through. She saw with fascination the way her board straight figure had seemed to take on definition, the baby fat fading, the belly growing smooth and taut, and the waist seeming to narrow. She saw her breasts grow, from tiny little bumps almost as flat as a boy's, to well defined mounds that promised to need the support of a bra before too long. And most amazingly, she saw the formation of hair as soft as down in that formerly barren area between her legs. She knew from hygiene class in school what was happening, that all of this was natural, and it just meant that she was becoming a woman. It was a bit frightening, but it was the thrilling kind of fear, the kind that left her excited and eager to see what further changes the morrow would bring. But then everything changed, and horribly so. With her mother's death, and with the six years of molestations that followed. The changes in her body had no longer seemed exciting, but were rather a cruel universe painting a giant bulls eye on her. She had hated those changes, and had done her damnedest to hide them from everyone, even herself. ow though, she tried to see herself as Gia had seen her, when she had said that she was beautiful. And with a shock, she realized that Gia had been right. Her skin was clear and milky white, smooth and perfect as a baby's. Her breasts had grown from little mounds to a full 36C, firm, with pink nipples that stood out like little bullets when aroused. Her belly was taught, narrowing to an hourglass waist without the slightest sign of excess fat, and if anything she needed to put on some weight to soften the sharp outlines of her ribs. Her hips flared out, smooth and rounded, and her legs had the firm muscle of a person who walks everywhere they have to go. The blonde curls between her legs were lush, and could probably do with a trim, but the pussy concealed under them was slender and delicate. Becka stood there and looked at herself, blinking, then realized that she was crying. The girl in the mirror wasn't Becka the Beast, the monster as ugly outside as in, the fiction that she had created to protect herself. Instead it was a young girl just become woman, a desirable one, who should have had a decent life and a promising future. And she realized that she was crying for the girl who had lost that life, had it taken away from her, and must hide what she was just to survive. Becka felt a chill and hugged herself, but could not seem to get warm. She turned away from the mirror and turned on the shower, slipping under the warming waters. She took up the soap and washcloth and scrubbed, hard, trying to wash away the feelings of dirt and grime and shame. She felt that dead feeling trying to creep inside her once again, but this time she fought it, drove it back into the darkness that bred it. She was NOT going to do this again, not after this last glorious week, not after she had experienced what should have been hers. And not now, when she knew that Gia loved her. After the shower Becka dressed in her old clothes, cargo pants and a T-shirt. She carefully folded the ones she had worn and put them into her book bag, and took her shoes and put them by the front door, so they would be easy to find in the morning. Then she took her book bag and headed for the closet in Toni's room. Whenever Becka stayed at Toni's place, she usually shared the bed with the other girl, the exception being when Toni had one of her 'dates'. Toni worked as a dancer in a strip bar downtown, where she made good money. But the men that she met there and brought home twice a week more than doubled her income, so on those nights Becka had to sleep inside the walk in closet in Toni's bedroom. It wasn't so bad, there was plenty of room on the floor to stretch out, and long ago she had stolen a sleeping bag to make it even more comfortable. And besides, it meant that she could sleep the whole night through without worrying about having to please Toni. Becka rolled out the bag now, preparing to go to sleep. It was only 10 o'clock, but she intended to use her bladder as an alarm clock, and wake up well before Toni and whatever loser she brought home did. She didn't trust the other girl for a minute, and knew she would try and force herself on Becka the next morning. She intended to be part of Toni's past long before that happened. She turned out the light and closed the door, still keeping her clothes on as she curled up on the bag, using her knapsack as a pillow. Exhaustion covered her like a blanket, but sleep remained a stranger. For a long time she stared into the darkness, trying to make sense of the shattered pieces of her life. It had been so perfect this morning, waking up in Gia's bed, in that beautiful house where nothing bad had ever happened. If the demons she had lived with for so long weren't gone, then at least they had been held at bay. She had been happy, and safe, and in love. And then it had all ended, the dream destroyed by the harsh light of Becka's reality. Gia had told her father and maybe others. She had told them all about Becka's shame, she had betrayed her --- Becka sighed, rolling onto her back, unable to hold onto her anger. She knew Gia hadn't betrayed her. Gia would never intentionally harm her for anything, she knew that in her heart with a certainty. And Becka hadn't even told her not to tell, that it was a secret, so the fault was more hers than anybody else's. Gia just hadn't understood that it was something nobody in the world could ever know. Incest. Such a foul and dirty word. Becka had been having sex with her father for over six years, it didn't matter that it wasn't consensual, that he had been forcing himself on her. People would still look at her, stare at her, mark her like a neon sign with the shame that only that word could ever produce. It hadn't been fear of Ralph Danning that had kept her from going to the police years ago, it had been the fear of that word that had kept her silent. How could she possibly live in that house with people who knew what she was? Becka lay on the floor, curled herself into a ball, and cried herself to sleep. She knew that in that big house amongst the oaks, Gia was doing the same thing. But it changed nothing. * * * Becka never heard Toni and her john enter the apartment, but she knew they were there when the closet light came on. She found herself blinking up at them from the tail end of her sleep. "Rise and shine, cunt. It's time for you to pay the rent." (continued)