-sometimes she really wished she couldn't hear people's thoughts. Not just the ones about her, but the thoughts that people really tried to keep buried deep were the ones that really got to her. Like today, for instance.-
"Hi, what can I getchu?" -the older man, probably in his late 40s or early 50s, sat across from a little girl that looked to be about 9 or 10 years old; she was kicking her legs against the red vinyl chair and looking relatively uncomfortable, while the man sat looking out the window and casting the occasional glance at the little girl. Her shields weren't up hard, seeing as how the bar was relatively empty, but it didn't take her long to wish that they had been.-
-the little girl looked up at her, bright green eyes filled with worry and unshed tears, and a look that clearly stated that she didn't want to be where she was. Sookie reached out and gently touched the girls shoulder, a shudder moving through her body as she "saw" what was hidden in the recesses of her mind. And what she saw brought back memories she had thought she had long suppressed, memories that she really, really didn't want to think about ever again.-
"Excuse me, are you deaf or something? I said we wanted 2 burgers and 2 sweet teas. Gah, this place has gone to the dogs." -she stared at him, fighting the urge to punch him in his face, or at least use her microwave fingers on his sorry ass. The little girl looked back up at her, pleading with her eyes.- "Can... Can I have some ice cream after?" -Sookie looked at her and fought against the tears forming in her eyes then looked at the man beside her, the little girls uncle if she were correct. He was staring at the little girl just like Uncle Bartlett used to stare at her.-
"Pretty little thing. Not a single hair on any of her body. Come here, little Sookie. Sit in Uncle Bartlett's lap and I'll help you with your math homework."
-she shivered again and stared at the man, hard.- "You can have some ice cream. But first... Why don't you come with me." She held her hand out and the girl stopped for a moment, staring at her with worry before grabbing her hand and standing slowly.- "I'm your friend, Anna. I promise. Just... come with me to my office. I'm gonna make a phone call." -the man stood, outraged, and threw his napkin onto the table before grabbing Sookie's arm and twisting; she looked at him and grinned, put her hand on his chest and gave a little zap.- "Don't you fucking touch me, you sick piece of shit! I know what you've done to that little girl. And if you don't want to have every man in this bar beating you six shades from Sunday, I suggest you leave quick and don't come back. I'm taking Anna, I'm calling my sheriff, which just happens to be my brother, and you have til the count of one to get the hell outta my bar, outta my town, and probably outta the state."
-the man sputtered, rubbing his chest and staring at her. She could tell he was wanting to get back to Anna, to take her and run, doing God knew what with Anna. It made her blood boil, made her want to chew up nails and spit out bullets, but more than anything it made her want revenge for the torture the little girl by her side had been put through.- "Just... Just get the fuck out, before...." -she stopped, and the grin on her face could have outshone the one she gave when she put Talbot's remains in the garbage disposal.-
"You'd better go. I'm not gonna call the cops, it turns out. But my husband.... My husband might just be a little hungry." -she tapped at her incisor and grinned as the man's eyes grew five sizes bigger.- "Don't forget the tip." She stared at the table, then back at him, as he threw all of the money from his wallet onto the table and bolted out the door. She looked out the window in time to see him drive off, and memorized the tag number before turning to Anna.-
"Come on, sweet girl. Let's get you something to eat. What do you want?" -they walked into the office and she sat her down, and there they spent the next two hours talking about what he had done, where and when he had done it, and how she no longer had to worry about that anymore. Andy had shown up and promised to take her to stay with his sister, Portia, until they could find her a place to stay for good.-
-she lay on her bed, feet hanging over the edge and tears slipping down her cheeks as she recalled all the things that the little girl had told her, and even the ones she hadn't told her, the things she had seen in the little girls head had been so much worse than what she had dealt with from Uncle Bartlett.- "That bastard." -she said as she continued to lay there, letting tears fall down her face and pool on the comforter. She wished she could forget.-
-sometimes, most of the time, things never stayed buried... no matter how hard you tried.-
EARLIER, AT MERLOTTES
"Hi, what can I getchu?" -the older man, probably in his late 40s or early 50s, sat across from a little girl that looked to be about 9 or 10 years old; she was kicking her legs against the red vinyl chair and looking relatively uncomfortable, while the man sat looking out the window and casting the occasional glance at the little girl. Her shields weren't up hard, seeing as how the bar was relatively empty, but it didn't take her long to wish that they had been.-
-the little girl looked up at her, bright green eyes filled with worry and unshed tears, and a look that clearly stated that she didn't want to be where she was. Sookie reached out and gently touched the girls shoulder, a shudder moving through her body as she "saw" what was hidden in the recesses of her mind. And what she saw brought back memories she had thought she had long suppressed, memories that she really, really didn't want to think about ever again.-
"Excuse me, are you deaf or something? I said we wanted 2 burgers and 2 sweet teas. Gah, this place has gone to the dogs." -she stared at him, fighting the urge to punch him in his face, or at least use her microwave fingers on his sorry ass. The little girl looked back up at her, pleading with her eyes.- "Can... Can I have some ice cream after?" -Sookie looked at her and fought against the tears forming in her eyes then looked at the man beside her, the little girls uncle if she were correct. He was staring at the little girl just like Uncle Bartlett used to stare at her.-
"Pretty little thing. Not a single hair on any of her body. Come here, little Sookie. Sit in Uncle Bartlett's lap and I'll help you with your math homework."
-she shivered again and stared at the man, hard.- "You can have some ice cream. But first... Why don't you come with me." She held her hand out and the girl stopped for a moment, staring at her with worry before grabbing her hand and standing slowly.- "I'm your friend, Anna. I promise. Just... come with me to my office. I'm gonna make a phone call." -the man stood, outraged, and threw his napkin onto the table before grabbing Sookie's arm and twisting; she looked at him and grinned, put her hand on his chest and gave a little zap.- "Don't you fucking touch me, you sick piece of shit! I know what you've done to that little girl. And if you don't want to have every man in this bar beating you six shades from Sunday, I suggest you leave quick and don't come back. I'm taking Anna, I'm calling my sheriff, which just happens to be my brother, and you have til the count of one to get the hell outta my bar, outta my town, and probably outta the state."
-the man sputtered, rubbing his chest and staring at her. She could tell he was wanting to get back to Anna, to take her and run, doing God knew what with Anna. It made her blood boil, made her want to chew up nails and spit out bullets, but more than anything it made her want revenge for the torture the little girl by her side had been put through.- "Just... Just get the fuck out, before...." -she stopped, and the grin on her face could have outshone the one she gave when she put Talbot's remains in the garbage disposal.-
"You'd better go. I'm not gonna call the cops, it turns out. But my husband.... My husband might just be a little hungry." -she tapped at her incisor and grinned as the man's eyes grew five sizes bigger.- "Don't forget the tip." She stared at the table, then back at him, as he threw all of the money from his wallet onto the table and bolted out the door. She looked out the window in time to see him drive off, and memorized the tag number before turning to Anna.-
"Come on, sweet girl. Let's get you something to eat. What do you want?" -they walked into the office and she sat her down, and there they spent the next two hours talking about what he had done, where and when he had done it, and how she no longer had to worry about that anymore. Andy had shown up and promised to take her to stay with his sister, Portia, until they could find her a place to stay for good.-
BACK AT SOOKIE'S HOME
-she lay on her bed, feet hanging over the edge and tears slipping down her cheeks as she recalled all the things that the little girl had told her, and even the ones she hadn't told her, the things she had seen in the little girls head had been so much worse than what she had dealt with from Uncle Bartlett.- "That bastard." -she said as she continued to lay there, letting tears fall down her face and pool on the comforter. She wished she could forget.-
-sometimes, most of the time, things never stayed buried... no matter how hard you tried.-