True Monsters Read online

  Contents

  Copyright-Kindle

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  Book Blurb

  Chapter One - Foster Parents

  Chapter Two - Under My Skin

  Chapter Three - Colored Pencils

  Chapter Four - An Accomplishment

  Chapter Five - Darkness Came

  Chapter Six - Misery

  Chapter Seven - Eat The Worm

  Chapter Eight - Useless

  Chapter Nine - Sandwiches

  Chapter Ten - Her Prey

  Chapter Eleven - Prologue

  Chapter Twelve - Miranda Begged

  Chapter Thirteen - God Helps

  Chapter Fourteen - Rats

  Chapter Fifteen - Uncle

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  About the author

  Chapter Sixteen - Epilogue: Broken

  This ebook is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First edition published as an eBook, November 2015.

  All rights reserved.

  “True Monsters“

  Copyright © 2017 Shawn Raiford

  Kindle Edition

  The right of Shawn Raiford to be identified as the author of the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, without written permission from the author.”

  Front Cover Illustration by Shawn Raiford Kindle Edition

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  Details at the end of the book.

  BOOK BLURB:

  If they hurt your loved one, would you make them pay?

  What if you’re a small twelve year-old girl? What can you do?

  After their mother was murdered behind a bar, Chloe and Henry end up with the Parnells.

  They were terrible Foster parents, from not buying clothes to not feeding them. Chloe is in no position to do anything about her Foster parents, because no other potential Foster family wanted them, because they were too old and were siblings.

  After helping her demented Foster father’s obsession with torturing and killing animals, and enduring two long years of being rented out to strange men, she finally takes a defiant stand when they hurt Henry.

  Chloe might be only a twelve year-old girl, but what she lacks in size in strength, she makes up in determination and sheer viciousness.

  Chapter One

  Foster Parents

  My mother was murdered three weeks ago.

  With no living relatives, my little brother, Henry, and I moved in with our new Foster parents, the Parnells. They seemed like any other rednecks living in Baytown.

  Me and Henry were half redneck and half Hispanic, but when you're half redneck it just meant that you’re a redneck.

  He had a beer belly, and she was as pale as a ghost. I quickly learned they were not good people.

  The Parnells were monsters.

  My stomach growled. “I’m hungry."

  He licked his lips like licking off powered sugar. "Maybe in a bit I'll buy you something to eat."

  I had a Twinkie earlier but hunger hovered in my belly, examining at my hands laying my lap. I had to remind them to feed us some days. When they did, Mrs. Parnell complained.

  On the side of the house there was a missing section of siding, revealing moldy plywood. A back window had been broken and not replaced. Inside the house, the living room and kitchen needed to be renovated, but Mr. Parnell was lazy.

  Mrs. Parnell let me decorate my room. I painted it pink with random doodles and little girl characters mixed with blue flowers, hearts, and red roses on all four walls. My room was the prettiest room in the whole house.

  Since me and Henry moved into the Parnell’s house, three weeks ago, I did not feel safe here except for in my bedroom.

  We sat on my bed in my room. Alone. I didn't know what to do.

  Mrs. Parnell told them to me. He was not allowed in my room.

  “Okay, Chloe you be a good girl for me and I’ll let you eat. But I need something sweet right now,” Mr. Parnell said, licking his lips again.

  “But Mr. Parnell I have been good, I did what Mrs. Parnell told me to do. She said I could eat after I finished, and I have done all my chores. I swept and mopped the floors, cleaned the bathrooms, took out the trash, and washed your clothes. I am really hungry and tired. I didn’t sleep good last night because your dogs barked most of the night.”

  “Okay, sweetie, I know you’re hungry and tired but you didn’t finish all of your chores. I guess Mrs. Parnell forgot to tell you about your most important one,” he said with a slight grin.

  As my legs dangled from the side of the bed, I focused on the hole at the toe of my right shoe. Feeling nervous, I wished Henry was here; he always made me stronger. “What is that?”

  He smiled, showing his ugly teeth. “Well, silly your most important chore is making me happy. You can eat when I’m done.”

  His hand was on my leg. My right hand twitched. “No Mr. Parnell! I don’t like you touching me!”

  My fear transformed into anger fast.

  Mr. Parnell seemed like a nice man, so this behavior was strange. Not strange, just wrong. A tint of red overlaid my vision. I could not handle him touching me any more. “Get away from me!”

  He chuckled, not moving an inch.

  Without thought, I swung my right arm so fast he had no time to react. Four of my five claws found purchase on his left cheek.

  Mr. Parnell yelped as he grabbed at his face. He moved away from me. He had his back to me, but I could see Mr. Parnell’s reflection in the mirror. A look of horror danced on his face.

  When he lifted his hand from his face, four deep red scratches were revealed.

  His eyes exhibited nothing but anger.

  I took a step back.

  Kenneth might hit me, but I could take it. Mama's last boyfriend hit me. Roger hit me a couple of times in my face, because I back talked him. Never told Mama because she seemed happy with him.

  However, the last time Roger he hit me, he sent me to the emergency room. As I walked by him one evening, Roger the Asshole slapped my ass. So, I went to the trash can and found a beer bottle and broke it over his head.

  Roger had chased me down the hallway of our apartment complex. Roger caught me with ease, and beat me bad.

  Henry spotted me and helped me by bringing the phone. I called the police and ended up in the emergency room.

  After that Roger never stepped foot in our house. Mama told him she would cut off his balls and feed them to him if he came to the house again.

  "You little bitch!" Mr. Parnell screamed, holding the side of his face.

  Ready to for my face to be pummeled when the bedroom door burst opened.

  “What’s with all the ruckus?” Mrs. Parnell glared at her husband.

  Reminding me of an ugly Pentecostal woman, I walked over to her, happy to see Mrs. Parnell.

  “Mrs. Parnell he touched me! I told him I didn't want to be touched and …”

  Mrs. Parnell held her hand up in front of me glowering at her husband. A few uncomfortable seconds passed before she put her hand down and glancing over at me.

  She stared at her husband in disbelief. “Chloe, are you telling me Kenneth here was touching you in your privat
e area?”

  “Well, ma’am he tried to but that’s when I yelled for him to stop. He touched me on my leg.” I moved my left hand along her leg to show Mrs. Parnell what Mr. Parnell did. “That’s the reason for the ruckus.”

  She glared at her husband, who seemed like a little boy in trouble. Mr. Parnell held the right side of his face like someone slapped him, averting his eyes, lowering his head. He looked like he wanted to cry.

  She pointed at him.

  He stepped back.

  “You just couldn’t wait could you? You sorry ass son of a bitch!” she said with eyes as large as fists.

  He gazed at her, eyes pleading for forgiveness. "Come on baby! I just …"

  Mrs. Parnell's right index finger shot up. “Kenneth, I told you I wanted to watch you when you did her!”

  Time slowed.

  Not believing what I just heard, I released her hand and stared at her. “Huh? What do you mean 'you wanted to watch'?"

  Mrs. Parnell's eyes beaming in his direction, she turned to face me. “Yeah, I told him that. I mean come on when a girl comes here dressed like you, Kenneth can’t resist so much temptation, no man can!“

  I felt nauseous.

  She took a step towards me, staring at me in the eye. “I know I can’t.”

  “Temptation? I am a ten year old girl!”

  “Well, look at you! You’re dressed like a cheap little slut. Why do you think Kenneth is after you? You look like a fucking whore!” Mrs. Parnells screamed, spittle flying from her mouth.

  My head shook, side to side. “But Mrs. Parnell you bought me this outfit.”

  “Yeah but you chose to wear it you fucking slut! Y'all are all the same. Y’all think that y’all can come in my house and steal my man? Well, I tell you what you little floozy I fight for what’s mine!” The Pentecost’s hands balled into fists.

  Before I knew what hit me, my head snapping to the side, I fell. Landing with a thump, I laid on the ground awkwardly, my head hurting.

  Gazing up, I observed her smiling. Mrs. Parnell actually hit me in the head with a bat?

  Unable to stop them, they beat, and raped me. That night was the beginning.

  Chapter Two

  Under My Skin

  The only thing that mattered to me was my brother’s safety.

  We never met our father. Left before Henry’s birth. My brother was the only person I had left in the entire world.

  We didn’t have to call the Parnells, Daddy and Mommy; I wouldn’t have even if they told me to.

  Mr. Parnell got mad at us if we made noise.

  He worked for a man; us kids called him Uncle.

  Uncle came over to the house often. He came over in different vehicles. Strange men usually accompanied him.

  Uncle always gave Annabelle and me the creeps. She was another Foster kid who lived with the Parnells.

  Then one dark night, it happened.

  They came.

  Mama must've had a premonition of her death because she taught me things: how to cook, not to complain about how bad my life is, (because it could always be worse) and how to survive. She even taught me how to use a shotgun. She worked a lot of nights so me and Henry stayed home alone many nights. It was my job to protect him. If somebody ever broke into our trailer—I would die protecting my little brother.

  Mama let me have a shotgun at night when she worked nights.

  The Parnells would not allow me to have a weapon. Taking it from the kitchen, I kept a knife in a secret spot between my bed and the wall.

  My bedroom door creaked open and I woke up fast. “Who’s there?” Probably Henry, scared by a nightmare.

  I screamed when hands grabbed me.

  They were big, strong hands.

  The aroma of alcohol was in the air. Before I could grab the knife, they held me down.

  Clawing at the hand covering my mouth like a cat trying to claw its way out of a tub of water, I fought back like a she devil until my head snapped to the side, and body went limp.

  The hands released me.

  A bright light blinded me when someone turned on my bedside lamp.

  Blinking, I raised my hand. My blanket was yanked off of me, and I crabbed walked towards the wall that my bed butted up against. Then, I brought my knees to my chest and held them, sat close to my secret knife.

  Standing several feet away from my bed, Mr. Parnell stared at me. Uncle walked into my room with a strange man. He walked towards me and sat down on the edge of my bed.

  Pulling my knees closer to my body, my fingernails bit into the skin of my legs.

  Uncle nodded at Mr. Parnell and at the other man.

  A chill came over me when his gazed turned to me.

  Uncle’s voice slithered sideways from his lips. “Chloe, I have to tell you something.” He sat with his legs crosse, hands clasped on his lap.

  Mama would call him prissy.

  He grinned, raising his caterpillar eye brows that freaked me out. Cocking his head to the side, he reminded me of an evil reptile. Uncle always smiled, especially at Henry.

  He placed his hands in his lap. “Chloe you are a such a beautiful young woman.”

  My left hand inched gradually down the wall, finding the sharp edge of my knife’s blade. I grasped the handle. Remembering what Mama taught me. She taught me how to defend myself by letting me shoot guns and handle knives. Mama taught me guns were only tools. "Never be scared of tools, Baby!" she would tell me, over and over. She told me the most basic rule about you protecting yourself is to make sure you do it. If you don't, nobody will do it for you!

  My face felt warm now; I was ready to cut somebody.

  “I’m a little girl! I’m ten! I’m not a woman!”

  The men smiled at each other like I said something hilarious.

  “Well, Chloe, we all," he paused, pointing at the other two men in the room, "see you as a young woman and we are going to treat you as such. You'd be surprised you might even like it.”

  I was trapped.

  “This man here paid a lot of money to be with you. You are going to spend time with him. His name is Bud.” Uncle pointed at the man who I had not seen before.

  Bud, fat and disgusting, had a thin, patchy red beard. Pimples sprouted on his face like strange red barnacles.

  Mr. Parnell and Uncle moved towards the door and Bud moved towards me.

  Trembling like a leaf in a wind, I stared at him.

  Scratching his hairy arm, Bud said, “Hi, Chloe. How are you?”

  “What do you want?” I gripped the knife’s handle with a death grip.

  Bud sat on my bed and I tried to move inside the wall.

  I pointed to the door. “Leave my room, now!”

  Bud cautiously moved closer to me. “Come on Chloe, it will be fun. You’ll get to be all grown up.”

  Now he was in striking distance.

  Mama taught me, I owned everything under my skin. Also, I had a natural right to protect myself, period. “Don’t touch me!” I pulled the knife out of its hiding spot and swung it wildly. I sliced Bud’s cheek.

  He stood up, holding his face, screaming like a wounded animal.

  The blood coming out of the gash on his face was beautiful.

  Mr. Parnell rushed into the room like a mother rushing to a crying baby. “What the hell happened?”

  Uncle came in next. He and Kenneth examined Bud's face.

  Griping my knife firmly, I sat on my bed.

  Mr. Parnell told him that it was a little cut and didn’t look that bad. He left and came with a first aid kit.

  Uncle sat Bud on my vanity chair and worked on his face.

  I gripped the knife, his blood staining the blade. “I told him not to touch me!”

  “Why are you grinning?” Uncle asked, his bushy eyebrows were caterpillars kissing above his nose.

  I grimaced. “Huh?”

  Staring at me, Uncle pointed at Bud. “Why are you grinning Chloe? You hurt my friend. He's a good guy.”

  Didn�
�t realize I was smiling. To make a man Bud’s size scream and move away made me proud of myself.

  My knife was out, and ready. “Why are grown men in my bedroom? I’m sure the police would want to know!"

  Mr. Parnell mumbled something inaudible before everything went black. Something soft covered me.

  I tried swinging my knife but couldn’t because they covered me with my blanket. Something hit me, hard in the head. Dropped the knife, I fell backwards onto my bed. Someone took the blanket off me. I was woozy.

  Big man hands grabbed my arms. Mr. Parnell's hands.

  “Young lady, Bud has paid a lot of money to be with you. He is not going anywhere, okay?” Uncle pointed at me again.

  “I’m going to tell the police!” I managed to yell.

  Uncle walked over to my bed and sat down. “Chloe, do you love Henry?”

  A tidal wave of fear had come over me, engulfing the existing fear. My hands began to shake. "Why?"

  He smiled again.

  My upper lip twitched, my fear dissipating like smoke in the air. “You better not do anything to him.”

  “If you don’t do what Bud wants then …” he said, shrugging.

  I switched the knife to my other hand. “Then what?”

  Uncle scratched his nose. “Kenneth will tell the Foster people he can’t handle you and you'll have to leave, but Henry will stay here. I don’t have the foggiest idea where you would go. But I know you won’t be with Henry. You will probably be on the other side of town or even all the way in Houston, and you won’t be allowed to talk to Henry ever again.”

  My head dropped. “What if I let Bud?”

  “You stay here with Henry. He will be safe and you will be allowed to see and play with him everyday,” he said.

  My eyes closed. Life was so unfair.

  Mr. Parnell stopped Bud’s bleeding. A patch of white covered the side of Bud’s face, like a crappy sheetrock repair job.

  “How are you doing Bud?”

  “Oh, hey guys, I’m good."

  Bud walked near my bed, making sure to stay far enough away of striking distance. "What do you say, Chloe?"