house guests

Warning This story contains some descriptions of abuse

House guests by Amanda Stogsdill

The rain hammered down, drenching everything. Thunder rumbled and lightning lit up the sky. It was an awful night for anyone to be out, but she had no choice. She was fleeing!

Sprinting down the street, shoes sliding in puddles, she only wanted to get as far away from that awful prison as quickly as possible. Battered black case in hand, she prayed she wasn't being pursued. Glancing over her shoulder, she didn't notice the woman until she slammed into her.

"Watch where you're going!" Stephanie yelled, "This is my driveway!" She was standing beside her car.

The other woman could barely see through the curtain of rain, so hadn't any idea where she was. She gasped, seeing Stephanie for the first time.

"What are you doing here?" Stephanie demanded, slamming her car door. Silence. "Fine. I'm calling the police." Stephanie turned back towards her house. The stranger shook her head, eyes fearful. "What's your name, then?" Her answer was the woman fearfully glancing over her shoulder. "You have a case. You're going somewhere?" Stephanie was thinking that it was foolish to be out in this weather, but kept quiet. The stranger nodded.

"Come inside. You're drenched." Stephanie had decided to help this person who seemed to need assistance.

In the glow of the living room lights, Stephanie could finally see her visitor. Long damp hair in her face, her appearance said more than words ever could. Wearing an old gray dress and worn shoes, without a coat, she'd been running for a long time. Her patched dress clung to her thin body, she was shivering like a leaf; from terror or cold, Stephanie didn't know. It was her brown eyes that struck Stephanie the most, large and fearful. It brought back memories of a younger Stephanie, probably living in similar circumstances.

Showing her guest to the bathroom, Stephanie hoped her daughter Katrina wouldn't awaken. She'd explain in the morning. She considered phoning the police, but held back. This woman needed rest. Questions could wait. Making up a bed, Stephanie felt sympathy for this stranger.

Sure enough the next morning, Katrina brought it up. "Whose that lady on our couch?" Stephanie said she didn't know, and to let her sleep.

Katrina protested that she was a stranger, who should leave. "Just go to school, okay!" At fifteen, Katrina's concerns were friends, a boy or two, and a summer job.

After Katrina hopped on the bus, Stephanie showered; she returned to find her guest awake and gazing around, as if unsure where she was. "Sleep well?"

The woman gave a small hesitant nod. Grabbing her case, she retreated to the bathroom, closing the door. As Stephanie prepared breakfast, the stranger reappeared wearing another patched dress. The woman smiled for the first time. She started to speak then closed her mouth.

"Would you like breakfast?" Stephanie asked, setting a bowl of oatmeal on the table. The stranger nodded, and sat down. She tried to speak again, but it was useless. When a car drove past with its tires squealing, she almost knocked her bowl off the table. "It's okay. You're safe here!" Stephanie reassured her, trying to put her guest at ease. She must have been really hungry, because she gobbled her oatmeal and toast in minutes. Pushing her bowl aside, she stared at Stephanie.

"What's your name? Is there anyone I can call?" Stephanie inquired. A firm shake was the only response. Her brown eyes became huge like saucers. The woman flinched at Stephanie's touch.

Stephanie knew she needed to assist her in some way, but without a name, she felt clueless. "Anything I can get you?" She asked. Another shake. Leaving the room, Stephanie returned with a pad and pen, and waited patiently.

Call No One. They Can't Know I'm Here. She wrote. Frowning, Stephanie nodded. "What will you do? Where will you go?" She asked.

Not Sure. The woman wrote back. You're Kind. No One Else Answered Their Doors.

If I'm the only one willing to help you, why can't you trust me? Then again, it wasn't difficult to put herself in this woman's shoes. It had been difficult to trust people growing up. Be patient! Stephanie reminded herself, this woman needs time.

Stephanie carried on with her day. She cleaned the kitchen, vacumed, then switched out laundry. Coming up from the basement, she saw no sign of the woman. Instead, she found another note on her table. Thanks Again. Took Some Food, Will Pay You Back. R.

Okay, that was a weird visit. She just vanished without warning. Where is she going? Who is she running from? What is the initial R?

Katrina returned, asking about their visitor. "Whatever." Katrina muttered, "We'll never see her again!"

As the days passed, Stephanie put the unusual woman out of her mind. She and Katrina ate out and went to the movies. Katrina attended her high school dance. "I'd like to pick you and Sandy up afterward!" Stephanie offered.

"No way. Mom, don't you dare! Sandy will drive us home." Katrina argued, punching her playfully.

"Okay, just asking. By the way, you look beautiful!" She did. Standing before the mirror in an orange knee-length buttoned dress, heels, and Stephanie's necklace, she looked gorgeous. "Smile!" Ignoring her protests, Stephanie snapped a couple pictures.

Watching other girls running into the school (some without their mothers), Stephanie's eyes glistened with tears. "Have fun and be careful!"

"Oh, Mom. Stop, that's embarrassing." Katrina squirmed from her mother's quick embrace. Watching Katrina laughing with friends, Stephanie felt a twinge of sadness and regret for her own missed high school dances and life opportunities which had passed her by. Hearing her return later, Stephanie breathed a sigh of relief. She was okay.

The next day, deciding to play detective, Stephanie searched through the phone book until she found the listings for homeless shelters. She started dialing. An hour later, she'd run out of options; not one shelter in their area had anyone matching her mysterious visitor's description. Or so they claimed.

On another drizzly night a couple weeks later, there was a pounding on Stephanie's door. Sitting bolt upright in bed, she squinted at her alarm clock. Two A.M! Katrina appeared in her doorway, hair messy from sleep. "Is someone at the door?" She mumbled.

 "Guess so. Be quiet." Peering out through the peephole, Stephanie found a girl staring at her. "What is it? Do I know you?"

Silence. Stephanie opened her door a crack. The rain was easing up, she stared at the teen on her porch. Same soaked appearance, same terrified eyes, like her previous visitor.

"Who is it?" Katrina was standing behind Stephanie.

"Another stranger." Deciding the girl wasn't threatening, she was invited in.

 The girl stepped gratefully into the warm house. Katrina's expression said her Mom was crazy. Stephanie noted another battered case (green this time), and like the first woman, she wore an old faded dress. This girl was slightly younger than Katrina, probably fourteen. "Could you loan her some pajamas?" Katrina nodded.

"Who are you?" Stephanie asked. Nothing. "How old are you? Are you hurt?" The teen's shoulders stiffened as if in fear, but she still remained silent. She stared at the floor, thick, drenched hair obscuring her face.

Handing the pajamas to the girl, Katrina disappeared upstairs, leaving her Mom to deal with the night visitor.

The next morning, she still refused to speak, only writing vague notes. She had a large appetite, eating a bowl of cereal and pancakes. Stephanie noticed this teen looked similar to the woman she'd met before. Both were painfully thin, with terrified eyes. Were they sisters?

Anxious to see what would happen, Stephanie remained in the house. "Please let me call someone!" She pleaded.

With this girl, Stephanie decided to phone the police. Taking the phone to her room, she made the call. Describing the strange events, Stephanie felt foolish. Would they believe her? "We'll check it out. Don't let her leave!"

Stephanie opened the door to a detective with green eyes and curly hair. A woman is better for this girl! She was relieved. "Hi. I'm Detective Mason. Thanks for calling us."

"Thanks for coming," They shook hands, "She's in here."

"Still no name?" She asked. Stephanie shook her head. Before entering the living room, Stephanie spoke to the woman. "She accidentally left this." She handed her the note.

It simply said: Help Us. M E R. "hmm. Let me see what I can do!"

Hearing sounds from the kitchen, they entered to find the girl filling her case with bread and canned goods. Seeing the women in the doorway, she dropped the bag, and turned to run. "Don't." Stephanie placed a hand on her shoulder. "You're not in trouble. Detective Mason wants to help.”

"Hi there. Stephanie's right, honey. I know you need help. Let's go to the living room."

Settling on the couch, Stephanie and the detective made Smalltalk. Coffee and water was brought in, plus a plate of cookies. The teen sat far away from the women, staring out the window. "Stephanie, can you explain how you met her?" A notebook was open, she was prepared to take notes. Finishing her story, Stephanie glanced at the girl, hunched in her chair. A pad rested on the table beside her. "Anything you want to say?" She asked

She shook her head.

Detective Mason glanced up from writing. "Without your name, I'm afraid I can't do anything."

"You could write it down?" Stephanie suggested, pushing the pad towards her. "Want me to leave?" She just gazed at her with those haunted, sad eyes. Stephanie stepped out to give her some privacy.

She heard Detective Mason's voice as she went to the basement. As she messed around in the kitchen, she wondered if the girl was speaking. Two people came to me for a reason. I just wish they'd speak to someone!

The kitchen door slowly opened, and the teen poked her head in. Still skittish, she gestured for Stephanie to join them.

"She's spoken to me, but can she stay with you while I see about a place for her?" Stephanie readily agreed, happy to help. "Her name's Mary."

"Nice to meet you, Mary!" Stephanie smiled, glad to have her name at last. "You'll meet my daughter Katrina when she comes home from school."

"Thank you." Mary whispered.

"I must go to sort things out. Mary, I'll be in touch!" Detective Mason lightly touched her shoulder. "Stephanie, I need to speak to you." They sat in the kitchen, and she explained a little about Mary's background. "She and her sister are runaways. That's all I can say. I'm going to her parents now. She'll be skittish for a while, be patient."

"Don't worry, I have an idea what she's been through!" Stephanie took a long deep breath and told this woman some of her painful story. "So, when they appeared, I decided to help. Most people wouldn't." She finished. "Why my house anyway?" Stephanie frowned.

"Some people are just lucky. Did her sister leave a note?"

"Yes. And, both were clearly starving. Her sister also borrowed food, and ate a large breakfast."

When Katrina returned from school, Stephanie spoke to her outside. "Will she share my room?" She asked, frowning.

"No, but she may have to borrow your old clothes. She has nothing."

"Why us? There's lots of places she could stop for help." Stephanie shrugged, just as confused as Katrina.

"Not sure why they picked us. They did, so we should help them." Katrina still looked unconvinced.

Weeks passed, with no word from the detectives, Stephanie did her best to make Mary feel at home. She was quiet, very polite, and tidy. "You should take a lesson from her." Stephanie joked, seeing Katrina's messy room. Kay ignored her.

It took Kay longer to adjust to this stranger showing up. Relieved not to share a room, she mostly ignored Mary. Nothing changed until Stephanie suggested they see a movie.

"On TV?" Mary asked shyly.

"No, silly. Mom means go to the movies." Seeing her blank look, Katrina explained about buying tickets and ordering popcorn.

After the show, they stopped for dinner, another new experience for Mary.

"What? Haven't you done anything!" Katrina exclaimed in disbelief.

"No. Our parents wouldn't allow us to do things like that!" She stated matter-of-factly. Mary loved it, exclaiming over the pretty dishes, wonderful food, and the "fancy desserts."

"It's just Pasta House!" Katrina laughed. From then on, Katrina's attitude softened towards Mary.

For her birthday, Katrina invited friends, who were surprised by their visitor, but soon had Mary laughing. Stephanie surprised Katrina with a used car. She and her friends were thrilled, cruising up and down their road, Stephanie in the passenger seat. A grinning Katrina said it was the best birthday ever! After the party, Mary admitted she'd never had a birthday either. Parties were wasteful and expensive, their parents said.

One night, Katrina complained about some chore Stephanie had given her. "You shall do that." Mary said, "Your mother will beat you." Realizing her blunder, she clapped her hand to her mouth, horrified. Embarrassed, Katrina finished her chores. Stephanie reassured Mary that no one was ever beaten for not completing chores.

News of a third mystery woman came from Detective Mason. "We found the other woman, Ruth. She's staying in a shelter."

"When I called, they didn't have anyone like that!" Stephanie was indignant, "I understand they couldn't give names, but knowing they were safe would have been nice."

"Well, all three are safe now. I need to ask you, have either of you seen this woman?" She and Katrina examined the photograph of a third woman whose appearance was very similar to Mary's and Ruth's. Both shook their heads. "She's their sister."

"Sister?" Katrina and Stephanie exchanged glances. "We thought they looked alike."

"The three of them were living in a dangerous situation and had escaped. Those notes were clues. M R E were initials of their names. Thank you for assisting us and them." Mary was taken to a new home near her sisters' shelter. Waving and crying, all three hoped they'd see each other again.

Katrina and Stephanie were sickened by the news reports over the following days. Three daughters had been imprisoned by their own family! They'd heard stories about kidnappings, but not this extreme! How could a parent do that to their own children? Hearing small details from Mary was nothing; starvation, beatings, and near isolation had gone on for decades, behind closed doors. It was worse hearing about it on TV. The daughters had lived in that neighborhood their entire lives! The report ended by saying that with the right support the sisters could heal and start to lead normal lives.

"I doubt that!" Stephanie switched off the TV.

"What about Mary?"

"Maybe her. The longer someone is abused, the harder it is for them to recover. We still don't know the extent of their abuse. That could affect them, too."

 "Didn't neighbors notice those girls were isolated?" Katrina was skeptical that in a neighborhood, not one person had alerted anyone. They sat in silence for a while, then Katrina headed to bed.

You'd be surprised, Stephanie thought. Sometimes, even your own family fails to act. Gazing after her daughter, she wondered if she'd ever be ready to disclose her own past.

It was a month later when the knock came. Katrina answered, recognizing two of the sisters. The third one was older than Mary, also with long hair. They were wearing jeans and looked happier since the last time Katrina had seen them. Knowing her Mom wouldn't mind, they were invited in, as friends this time. "Mom, we have company!" Katrina called.

Stephanie was overjoyed, greeting them with a hug. "This is Enid." Mary said, introducing her middle sister. "You've met Ruth." Mary pointed to her oldest sister.

"Yes." Katrina and Stephanie replied. As they chatted, Stephanie recalled their first visits. "There's one thing I've been wondering about. How did you and Mary choose my house?" Katrina glanced at Mary.

"First, I bumped into your mother. Once I was settled into a shelter, I told Mary where to go." Ruth explained. Katrina and Stephanie supposed that explanation would have to do.

After lunch, Katrina and Mary disappeared to her room, it wasn't long before laughing was heard.

"What are they laughing about?" Ruth glanced curiously up at the ceiling.

"You know, teen stuff." Stephanie winked. So much had happened, she was still amazed at the events of the past couple months. It had all come out well, they still had a long way to go.

After another hour, they prepared to leave. "Come back anytime. We're friends now!" Stephanie smiled. "Girls, they're leaving!" She hollered.

"Don't worry, we will." Enid beamed. "Thanks for everything." "Oh my!" She gasped.

A proud Katrina and Mary appeared in the doorway. Mary was wearing makeup and bright lipstick. Her sisters were astonished, their parents had never allowed them to wear such things. "What do you think?" Mary asked. Katrina grinned.

Enid replied, "You're beautiful." Ruth and Stephanie nodded their approval. After a few more minutes, the sisters finally left, smiling and waving.

The End