Chapter 42 - Surviving the Monsters
**(Warning this chapter contains content that may be very sensitive to some readers)**
Cat tried to contain her excitement when she heard Kayla's weak voice. She smiled at the girl who was staring at her with big blue eyes like she was still unsure if she could trust her.
"Thank you for telling me your name. How old are you, Kayla?" Cat wanted to start slow and not ask anything that would make her uncomfortable.
"I think I'm ten. I don't really know because I wasn't allowed out." Kayla looked down at her hands that were playing with the white blanket covering her lap. Cat could see that she was wearing a pale pink top that looked like it had seen better days.
"Do you have anything that you want to ask me?" Cat was trying to get her talking before moving to sensitive topics.
"Why is your name Cat? Did your mommy and daddy like cats?" Kayla tilted her head thoughtfully.
"My name is Caterina, but I prefer people call me Cat. My mom died when I was very little, and I never knew who my dad was." She knew the best way to get Kayla to open up was honesty. Whatever Kayla asked, Cat would tell her the truth; that was the only way to gain her trust.
"I used to have a mommy and daddy, but Bob said they died, and I had to live with him." She could feel Kayla's sadness from where she was sitting.
"Do you know how your parents died?"
"No. One day, when I was walking home from school, Bob drove up in a blue car and asked my name. When I told him, he said I was the girl he was looking for. He said both of my parents had died, and I needed to go with him." Cat saw Kayla's tears falling onto the blanket on her lap.
"Did your parents know Bob? Had you ever seen him before that day?" Cat was hoping the answer was no. There was a good chance that her parents were alive and looking for her.
"No. That was the first time I'd ever seen him. When I asked him to take me to my grandparent's house, he said no, because I was his." Cat felt a glimmer of hope.
"How long ago did Bob take you?"
"I was seven. It was only the second time I was allowed to walk home from school. We lived just a block away." Kayla looked like she was lost in her memories, and Cat's heart ached for her.
"Do you remember your last name and your parents' names?"
"Yes, but why do you need to know that?" Kayla looked at her suspiciously.
"I think Bob lied to you. I believe your parents are alive and looking for you. Will you allow me to ask my boyfriend, who is a monster catcher look for them?" Cat held her breath while Kayla thought about what she had said.
"You think they're alive and still want me? Why would they want me after what Bob made me do? I'm not a good person." Kayla put her face in her hands and started crying. Cat wanted to hug the poor girl so badly, but she wouldn't dare touch her without her permission.
"Yes, I think they're alive, and they will want you. You're a good person. What Bob did to you was not your fault. He's a weak monster and only feels strong when he hurts children. You're not to blame for anything he made you do. I can see that you're a fighter. I know this because you're here talking to me. You survived the monster, and that makes you stronger than everyone." Cat watched as Kayla tried to dry the tears that were falling.
"How can I be strong when I let him do those bad things to me? I'm weak because I should have fought him when he hurt me and the others, but I didn't. If my parents are alive, they won't want a nobody like me. They're probably happy I'm not there anymore, so they don't have to be ashamed of me." Kayla started crying again as she looked at Cat with a self-loathing look in her eyes that Cat knew too well.
"You did what you had to do to survive. If you had fought Bob, he might have killed you. You're helping the others right now because you're here talking to me. Bob will never be able to hurt anyone ever again. Your parents won't be ashamed of you, Kayla. They'll be proud of their beautiful, strong daughter. You're not a nobody; you're somebody important with a long life to live. I can help you. I survived the monsters, and so can you."
Cat was crying with Kayla. She knew it might not be what she should be doing, but what Kayla had said about herself was how Cat had always felt until she met Trey.
"Can I ask my boyfriend to look for your parents?" Kayla still looked unsure, but Cat didn't say anything. She wanted this to be her decision.
"Okay, but if they don't want me, will you still stay with me?" Kayla looked fearful that Cat was going to leave her.
"I will stay here even when they come. I won't leave until you're ready for me to go, okay?"
"Alright, tell the monster catcher to find my parents." Kayla's tears had dried up, and she scooted down the bed a little closer to Cat.
"Can I ask him to come in here so we can tell him their names, or do you want me to call him on the phone?" Cat didn't want any man near her if she was uncomfortable with it.
"You can have him come in here, but can you hold my hand?" Kayla looked embarrassed. Cat smiled at her while moving her chair a little closer.
"Of course, I'm here for whatever you need me for, okay? Also, when Trey comes in, I don't want you to be scared because he's a big man. Just remember he's big because he catches monsters."
"Okay." Cat laid her hand on Kayla's bed and let her take it when she was ready. Kayla slowly moved until she was only about a foot away. She then reached her hand out and put it in Cat's hand. She started crying again and held Cat's hand with both of hers.
Cat felt tears in her eyes, knowing that Kayla was overwhelmed by the touch of someone who was not trying to hurt her. She pulled out her phone to call Trey. He answered on the first ring.
"Cat, what's wrong?" Trey sounded worried, and she smiled. She knew he would be surprised when she told him what they needed.
"Can you come into the room for a minute? I've been talking to Kayla, and we need your help." Cat smiled at Kayla, who was still squeezing her hand.
"She told you her name? I'll be right in." They heard a knock on the door. A second later, Trey peeked his head in. Cat nodded when he looked at her in question.
"Trey, this is my friend Kayla. She told me how Bob took her one day while walking home from school. He said her parents were dead, but I don't think that's true. Can you try to find them for us?" Trey looked from Cat to Kayla and then back again. His eyes went to their hands, where Kayla held Cat's hand with both of hers.
"Kayla, can you tell me your last name and parents' names?" Trey spoke softly, but Cat saw the fear pass over Kayla's face from having a man talk to her. She swallowed and looked at Cat while pulling her hand to come closer. When Cat moved, so she was only a few inches away, Kayla leaned over to whisper in her ear.
"Maggie and Chuck Anderson." She whispered.
"She said their names are Maggie and Chuck Anderson. Did you live in Sacramento?" Cat asked her hoping that she did so it would be easier to locate them. Kayla nodded yes while keeping her eyes diverted from Trey.
"Alright, I'll see what I can find. It was nice meeting you, Kayla." Trey left, and Cat saw her visibly relax.
"Do you really think he will be able to find them?" She was looking down at their hands again.
"I hope so."
"Can I ask you something, Cat?"
"Yes, anything."
"What happened to the monsters that hurt you?" Cat could feel Kayla's fear rolling off her in waves.
"They were locked up in jail. Now they won't be able to hurt anyone again. The same thing will happen to Bob." Cat watched Kayla's face and saw her tension subside slightly.
"How did you forget about what they did to you?" She knew what Kayla was asking and tried to find the best way to answer her.
"I never forgot what they did to me, but I learned to get past it. I used to think the monsters would ruin my life forever, but they didn't because I wouldn't let them. Remember this; you survived them. I know you want to forget what they did, but you won't. It will always be a part of you, but it's not the only part of you. You have so much more ahead of you that will overshadow the bad. Even though you won't forget, you'll move on and conquer all your dreams. You are the writer of your destiny, and now as a survivor, you can accomplish whatever you want."
Cat hoped that Kayla understood what she was saying. She watched as Kayla stared at her seeming to absorb her words. Cat was shocked when she jumped off the bed and wrapped her arms around her. She lightly placed her arms around Kayla and stroked her hair the way she liked Trey to do to her.
"Thank you." Those simple words snapped something in her that made her realize that making the group home really was her destiny. She would be able to help other survivors like Kayla.
"I know you don't want anyone to touch you, but can we have the nurse Diane come in to examine you? I will stay with you the whole time, and when you want her to stop, you can tell her to stop, okay? Remember, you're in control, and no one will do anything you don't want." Cat understood that after having no control over anything for so long, Kayla needed to see that she had some now.
"Okay, but only the nurse." Kayla was still hugging her tightly when Cat reached for the call light. Diane came in within a few minutes.
"Did you call?" Diane was surprised to see the young girl hugging Cay, but she didn't say anything about it.
"Kayla has agreed to allow you to examine her, but only you. She also gets to say stop whenever she wants." Cat smiled over Kayla's head, and Diane winked at her.
"Alright, I'll be right back."
"Kayla, do you want to lay down on the bed?"
"No, can I sit on your lap? You make me feel safe."
"Sure." Cat shifted, and Kayla sat on her lap with her head on her shoulder. When Diane came back in, Cat smiled at her.
"Can you check her out here? She's not comfortable being on the bed."
"Absolutely." Diane quickly examined Kayla. She had to bite her tongue from gasping or outright crying a few times. She hoped the man that did this to her would rot in hell. When Diane was done, she left to let the doctor know her findings.
After Diane was gone, Cat and Kayla sat in the chair quietly. She thought Kayla had gone to sleep, but when they heard a knock on the door, she jumped. Trey peeked in, and both Cat and Kayla looked at him expectantly.
"I have some news for you."
