Vengeance

                                                Vengeance.

                                                          Chapter One.

A nightmare found at home.

The sun was shining brightly as it’s hot rays beat down on the city that morning. The city stunk of sewage and sweat. The like thereof was not smelt in almost twenty years a small silver coupe made its way to a stop light that had just turned red. Sitting in the coupe was a teal rainbow haired woman wearing a purple scarf and thick black sunglasses. She had on a brown sports-coat with white dress pants and a blue dress shirt. One would come to either see or expect to see a principal wearing as she drove throughout the city. Sitting next to her on the passenger seat was her leather purse. It was a large black purse with two gold handles one on each side of the purse. As she pulled up to the red light she mused to herself thinking.

“I should give Sunset a call and see what she wants for dinner tonight?” She thought to herself as she drove through the city.

Rummaging through her purse she found her cell phone but just as she was about to unlock it and dial the number the light changed from red to green.

“Oh hell now I have to wait till I come to another red light before I can make this call”. Celestia said to herself as she pulled away from the green light.

Celestia drove up the road a little more and eventually came to another red light. This time she actually managed to dial the number and let the phone ring while she waited for the light to change. There was no answer on the other end of the phone. Something that Principal Celestia McSun was not sure if was a good sign or a bad one.

“Hmmm I think I will try Sunset’s phone again before I just pick up any old thing from the local market” Celestia said as she redialed the number.

Again no answer. What she got instead was her stepdaughter's voice mall sighing to herself grimly while listening to the answering system doll out its message.

“This is Sunset shimmer McSun please a leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can thanks”. The voice message said as the light once again changed colors.

“Honey call me when you get this. I really do not want to have to cook tonight, you know how I hate cooking. Please call me as soon as you get this message. I want to know what you want for dinner tonight?” With that she hung up the phone and drove off.

Seeing a market was within a few minutes of where she was and not getting a reply to her voicemail. Principal Celestia pulled into the driveway of the market got out went inside and few minutes later came back out with some food for her and her daughter Jennifer to have for dinner that night. It was about 5:30 P.M. when she finally pulled into her driveway of her home. Thinking to herself as she got out of the car and began to carry the boxes of food into the house.

“I wonder why Sunset didn’t answer her phone? That girl is never without her phone.” Principal Celestia thought  to herself as she approached her front door.

Digging into her left coat pocket she found her keys was about to use them when she noticed the front door was slightly ajar. A frown came over her face as she said to herself while lightly pushing against the door to enter her home.

“I swear that girl can be so forgetful at times, but I do love her very much so I suppose I can not fault her for being forgetful at times.” Celestia mussed to herself as she stepped inside her house.

As Celestia was just putting away her keys she began to slowly dig through the grocery bag looking for a snake she had bought her self while at the market. Only to completely drop the food in a messy heap onto the foyer floor when she looked up and saw the state her house was in. Her house was completely trashed there were bits and pieces of broken glass all over her foyer floor. Knocked over shelving, bits and pieces of broken cups and plates lay around the foyer floor.  Racing up stairs she could see that her living room didn’t fare any better than her foyer did. The sliding glass door which lead into a small brick patio was completely caved in. Glass laid strewn throughout the living room. A bookcase that was in the living room was toppled over and there were books all over the floor in her living room. Her daughter Sunset was nowhere to be seen. Calling out frantically for her she got no reply it wasn’t until she made her way downstairs into the basement that she found her daughter.

“SUNSET!” exclaimed Susan in complete shock and terror as to what she saw.

Her daughter was lying underneath two very large and extremely heavy bookshelves. The larger of the two was covering her midsection and the smaller was half way on her left arm. Her face was riddled with thick black and blue bruises. There was a large deep gash in her right arm. The gash was serrated and looked like it was deep enough to reach the bone. There was blood on almost all of the furniture down stairs. Racing to her daughter's side she tried desperately to lift the all too heavy book shelf off her daughter only to have it come slamming back down on top of her daughter. As the shelf came slamming back down on top of her daughter Susan screamed out in a frantic worry that could be described as a howl rather than an actual scream.

“SUNSET! HOLD ON HONEY, PLEASE HOLD ON!" Celestia screamed.

Believing that she was perhaps causing more harm than good she dug out her phone from her pocket and called 9-1-1. The operator answered with a tone that was grim and dark.

“9-1-1 what is the nature of your emergency?” The operator asked.

All she could muster out of her franticly dry mouth was.

“Daughter hurt 1456 Lincoln parkway drive” replied Celestia as she desperately tried to keep her composure although from her voice the operator could tell she was losing it and losing it badly.

“Ma’am I need you to stay calm and tell me what is going on? How can we help you?” Replied the 911 operator.

“My daughter is hurt I just got home from work I came into my house and found her with a cut on her arm and buried under a pile of wrecked. I need you to send someone out here right away!” Exclaimed Celestia as she again tried to stay calm yet was still very clearly losing it.

“Ma’am I need you to remain calm can you tell me you’re daughter's name and how old she is please?” The 911 operator replied gently as she tried to calm down Principal Celestia.

Celestia was only able to respond with one or two words at this point she was frantic that she was about to lose her daughter. “Sunset”, “eighteen” is all she was able to say apparently it was enough for the dispatcher to ask another question.

“Okay so her name is Sunset and she is Eighteen years old is that correct Ma’am?” asked the dispatcher.

“YES DAMN-IT ARE SENDING THE FUCKING PARAMEDICS YES OR NO!” Celestia screamed into the phone angry that she was not hearing the screeching wales of the sirens yet.

“Ma’am I can’t help you if you don’t call down. Yes we are sending them they should be there soon the more information you can give me the better for your daughter it will be.” Replied the dispatcher as she once again tried to calm the very frantic woman down.

“I….I am sorry I don’t want to lose her please just send someone out here as quickly as you can.” Celestia stammered with her words for a second while again trying to remain composed.

“I understand that Ma’am. Now can you tell me if your daughter is breathing on her own?” The dispatcher asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

“I’ll check hang on please” Celestia said as she looked at her daughter then set down her phone.

Celestia leaned forward to see if her daughter was breathing on her own. She was and she seemed to be breathing slowly as if her breathing was labored more than likely caused by the bookshelf that Celestia was unable to lift off her daughter while it lay on top of her daughter.

“Yes she is breathing or at least she appears to be breathing on her own there is are two very heavy bookshelves on top of her that I can not lift.” Celestia replied back to the 911 dispatcher when she picked her phone back up.

Celestia wiped a tear from her eyes trying not to cry at the sight of her daughter lying in the wreckage that lay before her. A few minutes went by Celestia heard the wailing of sirens as an ambulance and three squad cars screeched to a halt in front of her house. Three paramedics and four police officers came into her home.

“Down here we’re down here!” Celestia screamed as she got out of the way watching the police and medics coming down stairs.

“This way men the…..” One of the medics said as he was cut off when Principal Celestia said.

“Please help her, help my baby!” Celestia said as she started to cry.

While crying one officer’s started to lead her away from the awful sight that was before her. The two of them headed back up stairs so the medics could do their jobs without interference from her. As she felt him take a hold her of arm to lead her further up the stars Celestia heard the officer say to her.

“Ma’am you're going to have to come with me. We need you to clear the area so that we can get your daughter out from under the shelving and check her vitals.” The officer said as he lead her back up stair and into the living room.

The medics all looked at each with grim expressions they had all each in turn seen this type of brutality before and each knew what Jennifer's actual chances where. Yet for the sake of her mother they choose not to say anything.

“You get on that side the other two get over there all lift at the same time officer pull her out when we lift this shelf off of her body understand?” One of the medics said as he prepared to left the shelf off of Sunsets body.

One of the medics said to a police officer that had accompanied them all down stairs. As he pointed to each spot he wanted the others to stand while taking a position near the top of the shelf. The officer had said nothing he got into position then the others followed suit all ready to left the shelving off of Jennifer's body.

“Alright ready guys, on the count of three we all lift at the same time while the officer grabs her and pulls her out. one, two, THREE, lift!” The medic said in a harsh tone as he and the other’s all lifted up on the heavy shelving.

The shelving creaked and groaned as it was hoisted up off of Sunset’s body the officer reached down grabbed her by her arms and pulled her out. Her lower and upper arms and legs both showed clear signs of defensive wounds. Her stomach was badly bruised and her face look like she had gone twelve rounds with a pro boxer losing badly. The serrated gash on her right arm was indeed deep clean to the bone. The medics worked fervently to stabilize her condition. Sunset let out a soft moan as if to ask for help but due to her broken body was unable to formulate the words. A few minutes went by before one medic said.

“Okay she is good let's move her to the ambulance and get her to the hospital.” The medic said as he finished checking Sunsets vitals

Without another word they rolled Sunsets body onto a backboard tied her down then transported her upstairs to the awaiting ambulance. Seeing that her daughter was about to taken away to the nearby hospital Celestia left to be at her daughter's side. The police officer had tried to stop her but was only able to get a fist across the jaw for his effort knowing how distraught she must have been he chose to let the incident go rather than cuffing her right then and there. Celestia said nothing as she raced out the door, to her car and started the engine. By this time her sister Luna was just getting home from work. Seeing a parked ambulance and three squad cars out front she yelled to her sister who was about to drive away.

“CELESTIA! WHAT, HAPPENED?” Luna yelled out to her.

receiving no reply she followed suit and started to follow the medics and her sister to the hospital. Upon arriving to the hospital she parked her car and went inside finding her sister in a chair in the lobby sobbing.

“Celestia what happened” I came home and saw the ambulance and squad cars I tried to get your attention yet you just drove off.”

“Sunset” Is all she was able to say as she continued to sob.

Luna’s eyes went wide with horror as she had terrible thoughts dance in her head.

“Is my niece hurt and if so how badly?”

These questions raced around her in head as she tried to comfort her sobbing sister. It was 8 P.M. by the time a Doctor had come out to get Jennifer's family and reveal the grim news as to what was actually done to her. The doctor wore a normal white coat that most would come to expect of a hospital doctor, In his hands he carried a metal silver clipboard and around his neck he had a stethoscope. It bounced up and down as he walked over to the grieving woman. He stood about five feet six inches tall and had soft charcoal grey hair. He spoke with both authority and reassurance.

“Excuse me which one of you is Sunsets mother? The doctor asked unsure who to talk to.

“I am, I am her mother” Celestia replied  as she stood up trying to regain her composer.

“Will you come with me please?” replied the doctor with a very dark grim tone to his voice.

Celestia didn’t ask any questions she followed the Doctor to a set of double doors as the doors opened she turned to her sister who was standing behind her and asked her.

“Can you wait here? I need you to call her friends, they need to know what happened they were suppose to come over today. They are like sisters to my baby. I am sure they would want to know why Sunset isn’t answering her phone.” Celestia said as tears ran down her cheeks.

Luna didn’t reply. She simply nodded went back to her seat fishing through her coat pocket. She dug out her cell phone and began to make the calls as Celestia and the doctor left to go to Sunset’s room.

The hallway was dimly lit Celestia could see that there were doors to her right and left some had windows, some didn’t. All of which would have a patent in the rooms that she and the doctor walked by. As she walked alongside the doctor she looked through what few windows she could see during their walk down the long hallway. Some of the patents had tubes coming out of their mouths and others were completely covered in bandages. When they got to Sunset’s room Celestia placed a hand over her mouth and let out a soft gasp. What she saw was Sunset lying in a hospital bed completely covered in bandages. Half her head was wrapped in thick gauze, her left eye was completely covered so that Celestia couldn’t see it. Sunset’s right arm was covered in a splint and wrapped tightly around her left shoulder. Sunset had a cast over her entire right leg that went up to her hip. A tube was jetting out of her mouth and attached to a machine as it pumped air into her lungs. Her right eye was covered in a sticky brown bandage. She had tightly wrapped bandages around her waist and stomach covering most of her chest and ribs. Celestia walked up to the window that was apart of her daughter's room placed a hand against the window and began to sob. The window felt cold and smooth to the tough she could hear the beeping of the machines as they did their work to keep her daughter alive. Turning now to the doctor she said sobbing.

“Give it to me straight doctor tell me what are her chances of surviving this?” Celestia said as tears stained her pale skin a deep charcoal grey.

“I won’t lie to you, your daughter has suffered severe trauma. Her right arm is broken and required twenty stitches to close the knife wound that has more than likely left her unable to use that arm ever again. She has head trauma that has caused her to lapse into a coma. Her right leg was all but crushed and has had to be rebuilt with pins and metal holding the bone in place while the bones heal. Her eyes both the right and left might need further surgery to fix the eternal damage that in all likelihood will leave her blind. She also has eight broken ribs and a collapsed lung that is why she is has that air hose coming out of her mouth. But that is not the worst of her injuries and I would be completely negligent if I did not fully disclose to you all of your daughters trauma.”

“H…..h..how could that not be the worst of it...what else has this monster done to my baby?” Celestia stammered on her words as they came out of her mouth almost horsed with the pain of seeing her daughter lying in the hospital bed.

The doctor was about to tell her three words no parent should ever hear. The doctor looked at her for a long moment judging whether or not the distraught woman could actually handle what was to come. The very words that he didn’t want to say to her could hit her like a sledgehammer against a brick wall shattering it to a million pieces. These words are words that no one should ever have to hear and he knew that this could cause more harm than good. Yet they needed to be said nevertheless he still didn’t want to say them. Looking Jennifer’s mother straight in the eyes he spoke the words and could only hope that she didn’t collapse into a heap of anxiety on the hospital floor.

“She was raped.” He said with eyes that were both cold and solemn at the same time.

Celestia’s eyes shot wide with shock it wasn’t enough to just leave her daughter in the state of which she had found her in. It wasn’t enough that this person had to come into their peaceful lives and utterly shatter their sense of peace and tranquility. It wasn’t enough that this monster, this very monster had to take away their sense of security now he was also fully responsible for the rape of her daughter as well.

“How do you know she was raped? Did you do some sort of test on her when she got here?” Celestia asked coldly as she tried not to fall over in fit of panic upon hearing that her baby had been raped.

“Yes we did do a rape test and yes it came back positive I am so very sorry but yes your daughter is the victim of a rape.” Replied the doctor sternly at the mere notion of being asked as if he was negligent in his duties.

The doctor looked at Principal Celestia with concern in his eyes as he watched her lower her head and sob some more. Placing a reassuring hand onto her shoulder he said while she sobbed.

“I want you to know that this hospital will provide all the best of care for you and Sunset. So cry if you must, scream if you feel the need to I won’t begrudge you that. However your daughter needs your strength not your tears right now. When……..If she comes out of this coma there are going to be feelings of regret, lose, hate and even anger for what has befallen to her. If you are not strong for yourself then be strong for her. For without your strength she will fall into a world of despair. Do you understand what I am telling you?” The doctor said as he removed his hand from Celestia's shoulder.

looking into her eyes once more he saw that although she seemed to fully understand what he had just told her. Celestia was be-wreathed with anger for what had happen to her daughter. All she could do was nod and walk into her daughter's room. Pulling out a chair that was sitting across from the bed she sat down took Sunset's hand into her own and cried. As the Doctor was about to walk away to begin his rounds on the other floors after revealing to Sunset's mother the full circumstances of the brutal attack that caused Sunset to become his patent he said.

“I will let the nurse know to send your sister in here so that you can be with you and your daughter together.” The doctor said as he walked away from Celestia leaving her to tend to her daughter.

The doctor started to walk back towards the lobby to let the nurse at the receptions desk know to let Celestia’s sister into the hospital room to be by her sister's and niece’s side. The doctor thought to himself as he made his way down the hallway leading back to the double doors of the hospital’s main entry way.

“How many more must I treat for this brutality? How many more must become my patients for this type of attack? When will it end…...where does it end?”  The doctor thought to himself.

He walked through the doors and looked around the lobby finding Luna sitting in a chair. The nurse at the receptions desk looked up and the doctor was about to inform her to let Luna into the room when he felt this was something that he had to do himself. Walking over to her he could see she was on her phone and heard her say into the phone.

“You need to come to the hospital as soon as you can Sunset has been hurt...I don’t know how bad yet, but I will let you know as soon as I am able to do so. When you get here ask at the receptions desk for me and I will make sure you are able to see her.” Luna said as she looked up at the doctor then held out a single finger showing she was acknowledging his presence.

Luna hung up the phone seeing that the doctor was standing there she got up and looked at him  expectantly. He stood there for a few minutes then said to her.

“Who is coming to see Sunset are they friends or family?” The doctor asked as he looked at her with concern in his eyes.

“Her friends they are like sisters to her and would be most distraught if they can not see her” Luna replied grimly to him.

“I am sorry but we at this hospital can not discuss matters of health with “friends” of family members confidentiality prohibits us from doing so.” The doctor said as he crossed his arms under his chest.

“I fully understand that and I am not asking you to betray your oath, nor am I asking you to discuss this with her friends. I simply want her friends to be able to visit her and see how she is doing is all.” Luna said firmly to him while she too folded her arms against her chest and staring at him coldly.

“Visiting hours are from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. and not before hand for those that are not family members. Because you are clearly Sunset’s family you may see her now. But make no mistake her friends may not see her until the morning. If however you or your sister wishes to tell them what has happened here when you leave you have every right to do so.” He replied most sternly to her as she looked back at him with pure rage seething from her eyes.

Luna didn’t say anything further on the subject she let out a sigh then walked over to the double doors as the doctor followed her. The doctor looked at her one last time as the doors swung open and the two of them walked back to Sunset’s room where her mother was waiting. Luna stepped to the right as the doctor walked by her to follow him to her niece's room. Once she got there she and her sister both sat next to Sunset’s bedside as the machines bleeped and beeped out their cold response to both of them being in the room with Sunset.