~Warning: chapter contains abuse and sexual assault. Please read at your own risk and you can skip chapter if uncomfortable.~
The familiar sound of beeping is heard throughout the room.
"Am I still in the hospital? Did the surgery not work?" Nicole thought to herself.
She tries to open her eyes but she realizes that she can't. She tries to move her body, but a pulse of pain rings out throughout her body.
"What the hell? Why do I feel like I just was hit by a car?" Nicole thought.
Soon foreign memories flood Nicole's mind, making her grit her teeth in pain.
She sees the memories of a girl who has the same name as her. The original Nicole was an orphan also except she was sent to live with her aunt and uncle. She probably would have been better off living in the foster care system since her aunt started abusing her when she was six years old.
Her aunt would barely feed her and hit her whenever she was annoyed. So Nicole would never talk when she was at home because she learned quickly that anything that she said could get her beat.
Her uncle on the other hand pretty much ignored her until she turned thirteen and her body started developing. At first, he would just start making compliments and sneaking food to her when his wife wasn't looking. Soon his compliments became sexual and he would always want to be around rubbing her back or arms.
Nicole didn't feel comfortable being around him, so she tried to stick close to her aunt even when she knew she would get beaten. Her aunt would cut, burn, and kick her until she was black and blue. Nicole didn't know how many times she would wake up finding herself covered with scars and blood. She didn't know if she should be thankful for her aunt because Nicole's uncle would never touch her after the beating. He would only look at her in disgust and throw medicine at her tell her to fix herself before leaving the house for school.
As Nicole started growing up, the only safe place she had was school. She didn't have any friends because she never talked to anyone except the teachers and that was only if she was called on. Nicole felt safe at school because she could finally be alone with the books and the computer in the library.
She would surf the web looking up all the celebrities wishing that she could be them. They shined so bright to her, always smiling and everyone would surround them with praise and joy. Of course, she knew that celebrities didn't have a perfect life, but it was better than hers. People notice when someone famous was hurt or in trouble.
Nicole just wanted someone to notice her and save her from her life. When she was fifteen, a teacher noticed her scars and visited her house. Nicole was forced to go to her room but she was still excited because her teacher came and she hoped that they would take her away.
She sat on her bed staring at the door until her aunt came into her room. Her excitement went sunk when she saw her aunt locking her door and carrying a knife. After that night, her aunt taught her a valuable lesson that no one would ever save her.
After that day, Nicole officially became mute. She would only nod, shake her head, or write down her responses when teachers talked to her. The only person she considered as a friend was the elderly librarian who gave her books to read.