Leaving Here Not Coming Back
Bonding and Questioning
Matt, Johnny and Zack watched Brian thunder down the hall.
“I’m gonna stop him from doing something stupid. Zack?” Zack nodded and followed Matt down the hall.
Johnny stood alone in the hall not knowing what to do. That is, until he heard sobbing coming from Marina’s room.
He peeked his head in to see her with her head on her knees, her body trembling as she sniffled. He quietly went in, nervous of how she would react to what he was going to do.
She felt the bed dip slightly, then a pair of arms wrap around her. “Let out darling, it’s safe.” Johnny said softly.
He had just, unknowingly, earned more of her trust than anyone else.
“I-It was so horrible! It h-hurt s-so bad! Everytime I didn’t fight or he’d hit m-me! I th-thought I wanted to die, b-but I don’t, I want to live! I wanted to get a-away, that why I c-came with you guys. I knew it w-would be better than staying there.” She sobbed.
“I’m sorry we didn’t get to you sooner.” He rubbed her back and pressed a light kiss to the top of her head.
He said comforting things with a gentle voice and held her until her sobs became soft whimpers. She lifted her head and looked at him with raccoon eyes. “You ha-have no clue how long I’ve needed to cry that out. Thank you so much, Johnny.” She threw her arms around him.
“Whenever you need to cry or talk, I’ll be there.” He murmured.
She nodded into his shoulder.
And that's how Miss. Carnrike saw them, as well as the police officer she had with her. She was beginning to think that these tatooed men weren't a threat to Marina, but perhaps her saviors.
Susan didn't want to break up the moment but the officer knocked on the door loudly, making Marina jump away from Johnny.
“Hello Miss Stow.” He came in, Johnny got off the bed and sat in a chair.
Susan Carnrike stood beside the officer by the side of the bed.
“I'm Officer Wright of the Huntington Police Department. I understand that you wish to testify against your father for abuse and sexual abuse?”
She nodded.
“Alright, I need you to answer my questions as best you can.”
She nodded.
“What is your father's full name?” the cop pulled out a clip board and clicked his pen.
“Steven Jacob Stow.” She said with malice.
Wright wrote this down on the line.
“How old is he?”
“Thirty seven.”
Questions were asked and answered without hesitation. Until the officer began asking about her mother.
“Her name is Anna Elisabeth Curkendall.”
“So your parents were never married?”
Marina snorted. “Ha! I was a coke induced one night stand, born to a whore mother and a drunken father!”
Johnny flinched.
“How old is your mother?” The officer went on.
“Thirty four.”
“Did she do drugs when she was pregnant with you?”
“Amazingly, no. But she dropped me off on my father's door step just before my second birthday.”
Wright wrote somethings down on his form.
“Alright, now Miss Stow I have to ask; has your father ever violated you?”
Marina froze up, Johnny coming to her aid by sitting next to her and putting an arm over her shoulders.
“Yes.” She breathed shakily.
“How many times?”
“Since my thirteenth birthday.”
“And you are fifteen?”
She nodded.
“Is this boy your boyfriend?”
Johnny froze. “No, no. I'm a friend.”
“Ah. How old are you sir?”
“Twenty seven.”
“And how do you know Miss Stow?”
“I'm a friend of the guy who brought her here.”
“And your name is?”
“Johnny Seward.”
Wright wrote it down.
“I need to know the names of all the men who brought her.”
Johnny told him.
“And how did you get Miss Stow away from her home?”
“I think that's a question for Brian.” Johnny avoided answering.
“So Mr. Haner brought her?”
“We all did, it was his idea.”
Officer Wright nodded. “I need to speak to him.”
“He isn't here at the moment, he's gone home for the night. He'll be back tomorrow, as will the others.”
“I will return tomorrow at one o'clock. I expect all of you here.”
Johnny nodded and watched the police man and the child services worker leave.
“It'll be okay Marina. We'll all be here, maybe Matt will bring Val. I think you'd like her.”
She nodded.
The nurse came in and told Johnny it was time for Marina's dinner and visiting hours were coming to an end.
He bid her goodbye and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he left.
“I’m gonna stop him from doing something stupid. Zack?” Zack nodded and followed Matt down the hall.
Johnny stood alone in the hall not knowing what to do. That is, until he heard sobbing coming from Marina’s room.
He peeked his head in to see her with her head on her knees, her body trembling as she sniffled. He quietly went in, nervous of how she would react to what he was going to do.
She felt the bed dip slightly, then a pair of arms wrap around her. “Let out darling, it’s safe.” Johnny said softly.
He had just, unknowingly, earned more of her trust than anyone else.
“I-It was so horrible! It h-hurt s-so bad! Everytime I didn’t fight or he’d hit m-me! I th-thought I wanted to die, b-but I don’t, I want to live! I wanted to get a-away, that why I c-came with you guys. I knew it w-would be better than staying there.” She sobbed.
“I’m sorry we didn’t get to you sooner.” He rubbed her back and pressed a light kiss to the top of her head.
He said comforting things with a gentle voice and held her until her sobs became soft whimpers. She lifted her head and looked at him with raccoon eyes. “You ha-have no clue how long I’ve needed to cry that out. Thank you so much, Johnny.” She threw her arms around him.
“Whenever you need to cry or talk, I’ll be there.” He murmured.
She nodded into his shoulder.
And that's how Miss. Carnrike saw them, as well as the police officer she had with her. She was beginning to think that these tatooed men weren't a threat to Marina, but perhaps her saviors.
Susan didn't want to break up the moment but the officer knocked on the door loudly, making Marina jump away from Johnny.
“Hello Miss Stow.” He came in, Johnny got off the bed and sat in a chair.
Susan Carnrike stood beside the officer by the side of the bed.
“I'm Officer Wright of the Huntington Police Department. I understand that you wish to testify against your father for abuse and sexual abuse?”
She nodded.
“Alright, I need you to answer my questions as best you can.”
She nodded.
“What is your father's full name?” the cop pulled out a clip board and clicked his pen.
“Steven Jacob Stow.” She said with malice.
Wright wrote this down on the line.
“How old is he?”
“Thirty seven.”
Questions were asked and answered without hesitation. Until the officer began asking about her mother.
“Her name is Anna Elisabeth Curkendall.”
“So your parents were never married?”
Marina snorted. “Ha! I was a coke induced one night stand, born to a whore mother and a drunken father!”
Johnny flinched.
“How old is your mother?” The officer went on.
“Thirty four.”
“Did she do drugs when she was pregnant with you?”
“Amazingly, no. But she dropped me off on my father's door step just before my second birthday.”
Wright wrote somethings down on his form.
“Alright, now Miss Stow I have to ask; has your father ever violated you?”
Marina froze up, Johnny coming to her aid by sitting next to her and putting an arm over her shoulders.
“Yes.” She breathed shakily.
“How many times?”
“Since my thirteenth birthday.”
“And you are fifteen?”
She nodded.
“Is this boy your boyfriend?”
Johnny froze. “No, no. I'm a friend.”
“Ah. How old are you sir?”
“Twenty seven.”
“And how do you know Miss Stow?”
“I'm a friend of the guy who brought her here.”
“And your name is?”
“Johnny Seward.”
Wright wrote it down.
“I need to know the names of all the men who brought her.”
Johnny told him.
“And how did you get Miss Stow away from her home?”
“I think that's a question for Brian.” Johnny avoided answering.
“So Mr. Haner brought her?”
“We all did, it was his idea.”
Officer Wright nodded. “I need to speak to him.”
“He isn't here at the moment, he's gone home for the night. He'll be back tomorrow, as will the others.”
“I will return tomorrow at one o'clock. I expect all of you here.”
Johnny nodded and watched the police man and the child services worker leave.
“It'll be okay Marina. We'll all be here, maybe Matt will bring Val. I think you'd like her.”
She nodded.
The nurse came in and told Johnny it was time for Marina's dinner and visiting hours were coming to an end.
He bid her goodbye and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he left.
4/7/13