Cuts like a memory(Buffy)

[Serenity Jade Summers]

The bruises on her body never faded, serving as a constant reminder to her hell, her pain, her hurt. She hides behind a smile, the sleeves covering her scars, the drugs altering her mind. When you ask if shes okay, she lies. If you ask how her day was, she lies. Ask her if shes had nightmares? She lies. She lies about everything, and she hates it. No one knows the truth, not her mother Buffy, nor her father Spike. Her best friends are clueless and she doesn't want to talk about the sexual abuse she was put through. It always cuts like a memory.

Night had fallen and Serenity had gone to bed. Yet nightmares entered her mind, not letting her rest but torturing her with past visions, past abuse. The bruises on her body, the knife to her throat, being threatened to be killed if she told. She stayed quiet, yet everything would lead up to her drug dependency, her self harm and her lies.

She sat up, her screams piercing the still night. She ran her hands down her arms, eyes wide and fearful. "No, no NO!" She kept muttering the word no, trying to stop the memories from cutting into her mind.

She rummaged through her draws, looking for her stash that she kept hidden.

[Buffy Summers]

Buffy awoke to the sound of drawers opening and shutting in what sounded like Serenity's room. It was the middle of the night, and Buffy had no idea why her daughter was still up. She knew why she herself was still up. Her mind was being flooded all night by constant visions, or dreams, of evil coming for her family and friends. Evil. An Evil that she couldn't stop. She wasn't ready. Couldn't fight. Running her fingers through her blonde hair, Buffy padded out of her bed, careful not to wake her husband Spike. As the sounds became louder, Buffy, worried of a demonic attack, picked up her pace and pushed open the door to Serenity's room, where she found her looking through drawers for something. "Honey? You still up?" she asked, sitting down on the bed.

[Serenity Jade Summers]

Where did I put you? I know mom and dad haven't taken it, I would've been murdered on the spot if that had happened. So where is it? Serenity thought to herself when she suddenly heard her mothers voice. Shutting the draws with a bang, hopefully she didn't see anything that would arouse suspicions, Serenity tried to act cool and casual. Yet failing miserably. "Yea, been having nightmares." She thought about the memories and began to shiver, rubbing her arms with her hands again. She wished she didn't remember what had happened, wished she could forget but she couldn't. And it hurt her because she couldn't tell anyone else.

[Buffy Summers]

Buffy glanced at the open drawers, a bit suspiscious. She was quick to hide whatever that was from me....Buffy thought to herself. Not wanting to seem nosy, she nodded, then snapped her head back up, taking in what her daughter had actaully said. She went into mother mode. "Oh...what about?" Buffy asked. She didn't want to intrude but she had to know if Serenity was in danger.

[Serenity Jade Summers]

Serenity gulped slightly before answering. "Bruises, knives, being threatened to be killed," Serenity replied, looking at her mother. It wasn't the full truth, but those were the few key elements that made her nightmare so real. It was exactly as it happened, and Serenity was glad that the nightmare was over. Well at least for tonight since she wasn't going back to sleep.

[Buffy Summers]

Buffy was still worried. If her daughter had prophetic dreams like herself, then she was in danger. "Oh.." she said simply, "I'm having nightmares too. No fun...They keep invading my brain..." Buffy said. The drawers issue was still at the back of her mind, she was terrified for her daughter that she was getting into something she shouldn't. The non-hellmouthy type....Buffy thought.

[Serenity Jade Summers]

"Nightmares suck. I can guarantee you that I will not be sleeping again tonight." Serenity began to pace back and forth, jumpy slightly as she got phantom pains of a knife grazing across her skin. "The bruises." Serenity whispered softly, sighing to herself as she slightly forgot that Buffy was in the room.

[Buffy Summers]

Buffy nodded. "Well, me either...." she agreed, then watched her daughter as she heard her whisper what sounded like bruises....She didn't want to make it look like she was watching, so sat on the bed and waited. If Serenity wanted to tell her anything, she would. But it couldn't be forced.

[Serenity Jade Summers]

She placed her head in her hands, willing for the memories to leave her. Repressing the memories would do more harm than good, but she hated seeing the images every night, plaguing her mind. She let her hands fall to her sides, head looking at the floor. "I." Serenity begun to speak but choked up. She ran her fingers along her wrist, as if that was comfort to her. "He hurt me. Hurt me so badly that I wanted to die." Serenity looked at the ceiling, her will to not cry was dwindling before tears dripped down her face.

[Buffy Summers]

Buffy's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She ran to her daughter and hugged her tightly, hoping to express how she felt in words. "How-What- When?!" Buffy asked incredously, ready to kill whoever hurt her little girl. She would probably have woken up the rest of the house by now, but Buffy didn't care.

[Serenity Jade Summers]

Serenity wrapped her arms around her mother, holding her close. She sobbed, crying into her mother as if she was a little girl. She closed her eyes, her eyelashes were wet with her tears. "I was little." Serenity began, yet again she choked up. "H-he did things." Serenity shivered, her tears kept falling.

[Buffy Summers]

Buffy felt as though her heart were breaking. If it could, it would be right now. She couldn't bear to see or hear her daughter so broken. Though she knew the feeling."Who did this to you?" Buffy asked, trying to keep her calm, although it wasn't working all that well....

[Serenity Jade Summers]

"Mike Smith." Serenity said after a moment. "He was Jessica's dad." Jessica was one of her best friends who she hadn't seen in years, it was her father that had abused her as a child. She didn't know what to do, thats what took her into the path of self harm and drugs. She pulled up her sleeve to show her mother the scars, and fresh cuts, although most were healed well from the Slayer healing. There were a few scars on her wrist where she had tried to take her own life.

[Buffy Summers]

Buffy gasped. She moved forwards and examined her daughter's arm. Glancing at her wrist, a wave of emotion engulfed her as she knew what Serenity had tried to do. Take her own life. Buffy thought for a moment. Mike Smith. The name rang a bell. Then a light bulb went off in her head. "Oh, him!" she said, "Who did you tell? Is he in prison?" she said, though she was worried her daughter hadn't reported it at all.

[Serenity Jade Summers]

"No one. No one knows. He threatened to kill me if I spoke, so I kept it hidden." Serenity replied with sadness. She could never bring herself to speak about it and thats why so many abusers don't get caught because their victims didn't speak out.
"I'm sorry." Serenity said, sorry about everything. The lies, the secrets, everything. She felt like a failure, she should of been able to trust her parents enough to tell them something like this.