She’s Just Nine

The door creaked opened.
Slowly,
he walked in.
‘Ah…finally asleep.’
He whispered with glee.
He walked towards the girl.
the girl who calls him ‘Father.”’
He bent forward,
swept her blanket away.
‘Now, it is the time to strike.’
She’s just nine.

She jerked awake.
Sniffed out a familiar scent.
‘Don’t be afraid, my girl,’
‘I’m doing this cos’ I love you.’
The pervert whispered in her ear.
‘What is daddy doing?’
She just knew she didn’t like the feeling.
She’s just nine.

‘He is doing this every night!’
‘I told him I didn’t like it!’
Whatever happened to the teddy bears from him?
Now all she gets are
punches and kicks.
‘Mummy didn’t believe me,’
she is behind him.’
She stared at the ceiling after it is all over.
Tears trickled down her naked body.
A strange body she no longer recognized,
a body with fresh bruises and wounds.
Not only physical wounds.
She knows all will repeat itself again.
Like always.
She has to endure this all alone for now.
All by herself.
But…
She’s just nine.

Jaime Wong
4H