Cherry Would Have Loved It

Special Note: Please be advised that this story contains references to Domestic Violence, Sexual Violence, Abuse, and Implied Murder and Disappearances.

Walking into the building with a heavy sigh, I’ve lost another one today. I climb the mold-infested stairs to my apartment. I could hear the squeaking of rats in the dark crevices of the walls. The exposed hole in the wall in the hallway after Rick from 3C getting too drunk and deciding that hitting the wall was just as good as hitting his wife. The sup never fixed it. Cost too much money; he just took it out on Rick’s rent, which meant that Rick took it out on Cherry. I grabbed the doorknob to put in the key, but it just pushed open. “No, no, no, no, please, fuck,” I opened the door, seeing my apartment ransacked. I bolted for my room, seeing my mattress overturned and my clothes on the floor. My heart dropped, and I dropped to my knees, seeing that my safe was gone. The little money I had. The money that was going to get me out of this godforsaken place. Gone. I pushed myself up only to fall back on my weakened knees. I am never leaving this place.

“Katelyn? Katelyn? Oh god, Katelyn,” I heard a shy, quiet voice calling me, but I was too numb to place it. Cherry came into view. I looked over she had a fresh darkening bruise on her right eye. “It’s all gone, Cherry, all of it,” my voice coming out hollow. Cherry started pulling me to my feet and trying to drag me out. “We got to report it to the police! We got to do something,” she cried. Sweet Cherry still believed that there was good in the world. She believed that there was good in everyone. That’s why she hasn’t left Rick yet.

I let her drag me into the police station, where I tried to give a statement. Some of the men laughed when I told them where I lived. Their eyes glazed over and roamed my body. I never felt so disgusting in my life. It felt sticky wherever they landed. It didn’t help that they did the same to Cherry. “Listen, how about you forget about it and just come home with me? I’ll keep you two safe,” one of the cops said. Cherry’s shocked, betrayed face went unnoticed by them. I grabbed her arm. “No, thank you,” I spoke evenly. I turned to leave when one of the men grabbed my wrist. “No, thank you, sir,” he stated, cockily smiling, but his eyes were ice-laced with fake authority and entitlement that did not belong to him.

“No, thank you, sir,” I repeated. Moving when he released my wrist. I walked out with Cherry. We walked the streets, and I turned in time to see a man dragging another man into a building with a group of men. I could only walk on by making Cherry drop her head to not see any of it. We walked back into the building, going to our floor, and as we got past her door, a hand reached out, grabbing her by her throat and pulling her inside, closing the door with a lock. I turned to pound on the door when I heard Cherry scream and Rick’s voice yelling. The profanity that was coming out of his mouth could make a sailor become a priest.

“LET GO OF HER, RICK!” I screamed, hitting the door. I heard a thud next to the door, and under the door, I could see red liquid seeping under. “Cherry? Cherry?” I called out, waiting for an answer as I pounded the door. The door did not open. All I could wait for was Rick to open it. My pounding summoned the other neighbors, telling me to quiet down or they would call the cops. I laughed, the cops could give two rats' asses about this place. I tried telling them about Cherry, but they all slammed their doors in my face.

“Rick, please open the door, let me see her, let me help her,” I cried towards the door. I was met with silence.

He didn’t open the door. I waited there for what seemed like hours. Nothing, I forced myself to move, and I went back to my apartment. I showered and I put on my clothes, ignoring the mess. I went back to the hospital, and I sat at the receptionist's desk. Not feeling there. I saw another girl wheeled in; she was bleeding between her legs. I hear how the nurses gossip, saying that the poor thing was caught by a gang. Others were saying that she was the mistress of the mayor. She was young, barely sixteen.

It has to stop. It has to stop. I left work that day with a little something. It was time. In the dark, I slipped into the water filtration plant and dropped the new vitamins into the reservoir. I watched the ripples spread before disappearing. It's going to be better. It will all be better. I turned and walked home before anyone could see me. I went to sleep on the pile of my mess. I woke up to laughter. I looked out my window to see people laughing. I stared hollowly and got myself ready for another day. Rick’s door remained closed. I heard my neighbors talking animatedly, asking each other questions and getting to know each other. A pleasant conversation. I kept walking, and I saw kids playing outside and parents moving around. The dimmed city seemed brighter to them. I went back to the hospital there were fewer people today.

One of the police officers came in smiling. Looking as if not recognizing me, asking if one of his fellow officers had come in. We denied it, and he moved on, saying how it was strange that he hadn’t seen him for a few days. I turned to look at my colleague, and she was smiling at me, her eyes bright and unwavering, except for a random tear that came out.

I went home again and stared at the dark sky from the broken window in the hallway. I pushed open the door. I went to the diner across the street. They had the news on a picture of Rick, and a few other men were missing. The reporter is smiling unnaturally. I bit into a pancake given to me by Dorothy. She gave it to me with a smile. “Cherry, you should’ve seen the people; they are so happy. It’s the world you would’ve loved, and they will never go back to the way they were; isn’t that great?” I said to Cherry’s picture on my phone. “More coffee, dear?” I turned to Dorothy, her face in a perfect smile. “Thank you, Dorothy.” I smiled and gave her my cup.