One Among Us Read online

  One Among Us

  By Paige Dearth

  Copyright © 2014

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN 10: 1502492253

  ISBN 13: 978-1502492258

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2014911458

  SOME DIRT ON THE AUTHOR:

  Born and raised in Plymouth Meeting, a small town west of Philadelphia, Paige Dearth was a victim of child rape and spent her early years yearning desperately for a better life. Living through the fear and isolation that marked her youth, she found a way of coping with the trauma: she developed the ability to dream up stories grounded in reality that would provide her with a creative outlet when she finally embarked on a series of novels. Paige’s debut novel, Believe Like A Child, is the darkest version of the life she imagines she would have been doomed to lead had fate not intervened just in the nick of time. Her second novel, When Smiles Fade, is a tale of endurance, perseverance, and the courage of one young girl to fight back against injustice. Both novels are compelling proof of the fine balance this author is capable of achieving between what lives on in her imagination and the evil that lurks in the real world. Paige is currently working on her fourth novel.

  CONNECT WITH PAIGE:

  Visit her website at www.paigedearth.com and sign up for the Quarterly Paige newsletter.

  Friend Paige on Facebook at www.facebook.com/paigedearth.

  Follow Paige on Twitter @paigedearth.

  Dedication

  For my daughter, who holds in her heart all that matters most to me.

  Love,

  Mom

  ***

  Written for Natalie

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  SOME DIRT ON THE AUTHOR:

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Hope Matters

  The First Twelve Hours of Captivity

  One Day Prior: The Capture

  Maggie’s New Home

  Who’s There?

  Maggie’s First Full Day

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  Chapter Sixty

  Chapter Sixty-One

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  Chapter Sixty-Three

  Chapter Sixty-Four

  Chapter Sixty-Five

  Chapter Sixty-Six

  Chapter Sixty-Seven

  Chapter Sixty-Eight

  Chapter Sixty-Nine

  Chapter Seventy

  Chapter Seventy-One

  Chapter Seventy-Two

  Chapter Seventy-Three

  Chapter Seventy-Four

  Chapter Seventy-Five

  Chapter Seventy-Six

  Chapter Seventy-Seven

  Chapter Seventy-Eight

  Chapter Seventy-Nine

  Chapter Eighty

  Chapter Eighty-One

  Chapter Eighty-Two

  Chapter Eighty-Three

  Chapter Eighty-Four

  Chapter Eighty-Five

  Chapter Eighty-Six

  Chapter Eighty-Seven

  Chapter Eighty-Eight

  Chapter Eighty-Nine

  Chapter Ninety

  Chapter Ninety-One

  Chapter Ninety-Two

  Chapter Ninety-Three

  Chapter Ninety-Four

  Chapter Ninety-Five

  Chapter Ninety-Six

  Chapter Ninety-Seven

  Chapter Ninety-Eight

  Chapter Ninety-Nine

  Chapter One Hundred

  Chapter One Hundred One

  Chapter One Hundred Two

  Chapter One Hundred Three

  Chapter One Hundred Four

  Chapter One Hundred Five

  Chapter One Hundred Six

  Chapter One Hundred Seven

  Chapter One Hundred Eight

  Chapter One Hundred Nine

  Chapter One Hundred Ten

  Chapter One Hundred Eleven

  Chapter One Hundred Twelve

  Chapter One Hundred Thirteen

  Chapter One Hundred Fourteen

  Chapter One Hundred Fifteen

  Chapter One Hundred Sixteen

  Chapter One Hundred Seventeen

  Chapter One Hundred Eighteen

  Chapter One Hundred Nineteen

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-One

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Two

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Three

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Four

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Five

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Six

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Seven

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Eight

  Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Nine

  Chapter One Hundred Thirty

  Chapter One Hundred Thirty-One

  Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Two

  Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Three

  Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Four

  Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Five

  Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Six

  Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Seven

  Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Eight

  Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Nine

  Chapter One Hundred Forty

  Chapter One Hundred Forty-One

  Chapter One Hundred Forty-Two

  Chapter One Hundred Forty-Three

  Chapter One Hundred Forty-Four

  Chapter One Hundred Forty-Five

  Chapter One Hundred Forty-Six

  Chapter One Hundred Forty-Seven

  Chapter One Hundred Forty-Eight

  Chapter One Hundred Forty-Nine

  The Final Hours

  Read About Maggie’s Friend, Emma

  Acknowledgments

  Love and gratitude to my husband for his tireless efforts to help me find my way.

  My sincere thanks to all of you who read and share my stories. Through you, a way will be found.

  To my b
uddy, Barb, at www.disantoart.com: the future holds great things…including picnic baskets.

  Much appreciation to Alex, who spent many hours breathing life into my new website. Check her out at: www.pumpkinhour.com.

  Happy 80th birthday, Aunt Barbara…your continuous support and love is priceless.

  Big E: I’ll love you ’til the end!

  Hope Matters

  The young woman trolls streets littered with trash and seedy people, scanning for a buyer. You watch intently as she bends down to talk to a man who pulled his car up to the curb where she’s waiting. You wonder how she got there and how she can do what she does. Suddenly, she notices you watching her. All she wants is to be like you because she’s long since forgotten who she is.

  She barely resembles a real person. She’s convinced that there is no way out and that she faces a bleak future. She can’t imagine anyone wanting to help her, and she’s too confused and ashamed to help herself. She is, after all, a prostitute. Just look beyond the skimpy, tattered clothes and worn-out, high-heeled shoes, and you’ll recognize a person no different than you are. She was taken from her family and forced to sell her body.

  Now do you view her differently? You know you should help her because underneath all the makeup and shabby clothing, there is an unwilling participant who is just looking for someone to give her a small sign of hope.

  Do something, because hope matters.

  ~Paige Dearth

  The First Twelve Hours of Captivity

  Eleven-year-old Maggie threw up when the man behind the camera demanded that she remove her jeans. “What the fuck,” Vic, the photographer, mumbled as he walked over and pushed her down on the bed in the makeshift studio. Then he ripped her jeans off with so much force that it felt as though a layer of her skin came off with the denim. Vic threw a towel at her. “Now wipe up that slop and take your fucking shirt off,” he ordered.

  Maggie was sobbing; she was stricken with an overwhelming sensation she’d never felt before, a feeling that she was going to die. She had no control over her emotions as she tried not to piss off the man with the camera any more than she already had. She removed her T-shirt slowly. “Good,” Vic huffed. “Now lie down on the bed and take your underwear off.”

  Maggie shook her head. “I don’t want to do that. Please don’t make me do that, mister.” Her small voice quivered.

  “That’s it,” Vic screamed. “John William, get the fuck over here and handle this. I don’t have all day for one kid. We have a fuckin’ business to run, here.”

  John William thudded over to the bed where Maggie sat huddled, trying to cover her body, and he backhanded her across the face. Blood dribbled down her split lip and into her mouth, its coppery taste threatening to excite her gag reflex again. Before she could regain her senses, he pulled her panties off. Maggie pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms tightly around her legs as she sat naked on the bed with the two strange men watching her.

  She was alone and terrified. All of her senses were heightened by the evil surrounding her. She didn’t know what they were going to do to her. Her parents had warned that no one should ever touch her private parts. But here, in this crumbling cement room, she had no choice. Maggie had an overwhelming feeling that the two men were going to do things to her that they shouldn’t, and this intensified the vulnerable feeling that gnawed at her gut, jeopardizing her ability to follow their instructions.

  Vic looked at Maggie, his face devoid of any kindness. “I’m going to tell you this one time and one time only. I want you to spread your legs apart so I can take some pictures. Just drop your knees to your sides. Do you understand?”

  Maggie nodded, not wanting to be hit again. Once Vic was back behind the camera, he looked over at her. “OK, spread your legs like I told you to.”

  Maggie dropped her knees to the sides, and he began to snap pictures. “Now, I want you to reach down and touch yourself.”

  Maggie froze, not knowing what to do. John William stepped in, grabbed her hand, and placed it roughly between her legs. “That’s it. Put your fingers inside,” Vic coaxed her.

  Inside where? Maggie wondered, feeling filthy and ruined. Not knowing what she was supposed to do, she remained motionless. Vic strode over briskly, grabbed her hand, and shoved her fingers inside of her. Fear mixed with adrenaline coursed through her body—she thought they had broken her. She had no idea there was a hole between her legs before that moment. They had just started sex education at school, but nothing could have prepared her for the horrible acts she would be expected to perform to her body.

  Vic turned to John William. “The next time you bring a new kid in here, make sure they’re ready for me. You understand?” he demanded.

  John William nodded and glared heartlessly at Maggie. The look was so demonic that it was almost blinding. She shrank away from him, and a deeper level of fear ran uncontrollably through her body, seizing her muscles, paralyzing her.

  After Vic took several more pictures, he told her to put on her clothes and leave. As Maggie quickly dressed, she wondered if they had gotten what they wanted and would take her back to the mall now. She was certain that her mother was still at the mall, searching for her. Maggie decided that when the two men let her go home, she would never tell anyone about the pictures they’d taken. Maggie feared that she would be in trouble if her parents found out what she had done.

  However, ten minutes later, John William pulled Maggie into her cell and pushed her toward a cot. When he reached the doorway, he turned. “You have a lot to learn. I suggest you pay attention and do what we tell you to do. I’m going to cut you a break since it’s your first night, but if you ever embarrass me like that again, I’ll bash your brains in.”

  Maggie’s hope of going home quickly vanished as his words bounced inside her head. Since it’s your first night. She instantly understood that they weren’t finished with her yet. Her heart beat faster as she tried desperately to hang on to the hope that they would let her go.

  He raised his voice. “You are to obey everything that you are told to do! If you weren’t worth so much money, I’d fuck the shit out of you right now.”

  Maggie was shaking. She didn’t know exactly what he was talking about, but she knew enough to understand that John William wanted to do bad things to her, dirty things. She clung to the cold block wall of the cell, unable to wrap her mind around what was happening to her.

  “Take off all of your clothes,” John William instructed.

  Maggie did as she was told quickly this time.

  He looked at her with lust. “Now bring me your clothes.”

  She quickly scooped them up and carried them to him. John William grabbed them from her arms.

  “For causing such a scene tonight, you can sleep naked. So you can get used to it, you little whore,” John William taunted.

  After John William left her and locked the heavy door behind him, Maggie sat on the dirty cot. She wept from the very depth of her soul. The unrelenting fear was suffocating and inescapable. This had been the hardest day of her young life. She had only been missing for twelve hours, but it felt like a year to eleven-year-old Maggie.

  She cried herself to sleep that night, thinking of her family, and when she woke the next day, her nightmare continued.

  One Day Prior: The Capture

  Maggie was only thirty feet from the line of people at the pizza counter in the food court inside the Plymouth Meeting Mall. As she walked by the large glass doors that opened to the parking lot, she saw two teenage girls standing just outside the entrance. They were talking to a man with a puppy. She watched as the girls took turns holding the dog. Then, as they passed Maggie on their way into the mall, she heard them talking about how adorable the puppy was. “Wasn’t that man nice?” one of the girls said. “I wish my dad felt that way about dogs and would let me get a puppy.”

  Maggie looked out the glass doors at the man holding the puppy; he turned the dog in her direction and lifted a paw, as
if to wave at Maggie. She stood glued to the glass door, smiling at the tiny pile of fur in the man’s arms. She opened the glass door just a couple of inches. “He’s so cute. What’s his name?” Maggie asked.

  “I just got him today, and I haven’t named him yet. I’m taking ideas, though. What do you think I should call him?” John William asked sweetly.

  “I don’t know,” Maggie said shyly, not able to take her eyes off the fluffy mound of fur.

  “Would you like to hold him?” John William offered.

  “I would, but I really shouldn’t. I can’t leave the mall,” she explained.

  “You’re not leaving the mall. I’m standing five feet away from the door. What’s the difference whether you’re standing five feet inside or outside of the door? Besides, I’m not allowed to bring him inside,” John William said.

  Just then, the puppy gave a small bark at Maggie.

  “See, he likes you. I think he wants you to hold him,” John William told her.

  Maggie looked around and then over her shoulder across the food court at McDonald’s. She saw her mother and brother in a long line waiting to place their order. Deciding they’d be quite a while, she agreed.

  “OK, but just for a minute. If my mom finds out I went outside, she’ll ground me for sure,” Maggie explained.

  She stood next to John William, and he handed her the puppy. It immediately started to lick her face.

  “See, he loves you already. What’s your name?” he asked.

  “Maggie. He’s the cutest puppy ever.” She kissed the top of the dog’s head and handed him back to John William. “I have to go back in. Thanks for letting me hold him,” she said.

  John William took the puppy from her and set him on the ground. To his delight, the dog did exactly what he’d hoped. It ran off toward the parking lot.

  “Oh my God,” John William exclaimed, pretending to be worried. “He’s gonna get killed by a car. Please help me catch him!” he yelled to Maggie as he ran in the direction of the dog.

  Without thinking it through, Maggie darted off to help rescue the puppy. She was running behind John William when he turned. “You run down that lane, and I’ll meet you at the far end. That way, he can’t get away,” he rasped.