2Heather lived with her father Ian, and mother Josephine. Their home was small and messy. They never had much money. Never had much of anything really. Only their pride and beliefs. They were, in their own minds, doing well enough. As long as they had each other. All at once it seemed everything fell apart.
One day, Josephine collapsed while walking to the grocery store. She had cancer. The family was too poor to afford treatments. Heather and Ian were forced to take her home and watch her slowly die. Within a month, Josephine had died. Now the family was two. They could not afford any more than the cheapest casket and a small space of dirt in the furthest reaches of the graveyard.
Heather and Ian were crushed. They had wanted to give Josephine a great funeral with a spot in the graveyard more noticeable. They knew nothing in life was free, but they never knew just how powerful money was. Now they were beginning to understand. Have they been wrong all a long? Do they place too much faith in the good of people and that things would just be fine?
Heather began to look for a job. Her mother told her she only wanted her to concentrate on school, but then her mother died. Heather knew she had to do something to help. She applied to several different places, but none would take her. Heather could not understand why she couldn't find a job.
One morning Ian went to get the car started so he could drop heather off at school. When he got out the door he only discovered an empty spot. There was not much that could be done. Due to their finances, they had not had insurance and possibilities of the cops finding Ian's car were slim. From now on he would have to walk to work and Heather to school.
She was on her way to school and it was still dark. A car pulled up and a boy she recognized from school, Michael, rolled down the window.
"You need a ride?" he asked.
Heather was reluctant at first but said yes. It was a long walk to get to school. She was just staring down at her feet thinking about where else she could look for a job. All of a sudden they came to a stop. She looked up but didn't recognize where she was. Then Michael quickly leaned over and kissed her.
"What are you doing!?" Heather screamed, trying to push him away.
He came back at her. More forceful this time. He was too strong. Heather kept trying to get free and leave but she simply couldn't. She was helpless.
"Don't even think about saying anything." Michael said before he drove off.
Heather never made it to school that day. After it had happened, Michael dropped her off just a block from their school. Heather spent the majority of the time slowly walking about town. She was approached by many people asking if she was all right. She would not answer. Heather felt vile. She knew it was not her fault but she could not help but feel disgusting.
When she got home she made a decision. She would tell her father. He would know the best course of action. Holding it in would help nobody. Together they would work everything out.
Ian had walked through the door to see heather standing in front of him. She had been waiting for him. They sat down and heather told him all of what had happened earlier that day. Ian could not tell what it was he was feeling. Confused, angry, sad, helpless? Mostly he felt disappointed. Disappointed in himself for not protecting her. Heather was his daughter. How could this happen?
After many hours of talking about it, they had decided to go to the police. Heather wasn't sure about it. After all Michael had told her to keep quiet. What would he do if she told? It didn't matter, she had to. Heather couldn't bear it if she allowed the same thing to happen to some other girl. She knew Michael came from a somewhat wealthy family, especially compared to her own, but she knew the law would protect her.
Ian and Heather were sitting in a cab as it headed for their home. The trial was over. The two of them had lost. Aside from the fact that they couldn't really afford as good a lawyer as Michael had, there was no evidence. Apparently any DNA that may have been discovered was lost due to her excessive washing soon after the event. She even burned the clothes she had been wearing that day. The judge thought they were only trying to set straight their financial problems.
Needless to say, the two were extremely upset. Heather blamed herself. If only she had not burned and scrubbed all the evidence away. But why would she lie? It's true they had been having money problems, but that doesn't make her a liar.
That night heather came home from a little walk and was going to go up to the apartment. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder and it pulled her back quickly. She spun around and saw Michael.
"I told you not to say anything." He said.
Michael turned and slammed heather into a car. She began to cry. There was no way of knowing what he would do. Then it became evident. Michael reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocketknife. He moved forward when the door opened behind him. Ian was in the doorway and looked up seeing the two of them there. Then he lunged at Michael.
Heather fell out of the way as Michael and Ian hit the car. The men both struggled to their feet. This time when Ian went to grab him, he felt something pinch his stomach. He stood there staring at Michael and then looked down at a knife in his belly. As he fell a surprised look came onto Michael's face. He left the knife and ran.
Heather slowly moved over to her father. She picked up his head and laid it in her lap. He was still alive. His breaths were getting slower and increasingly shallow. Ian looked up at heather and gently put his hand on her cheek.
"I'm sorry I didn't keep you safe." He said.
His hand fell limp to his side. She thought to herself. Why didn't I tell him something? I should've told him I loved him or that none of this was his fault. Then heather began thinking of other things. None of this would have happened if Michael had just been imprisoned. For some reason he wasn't. Was it because of money? Could all their problems have been answered if they were of higher income and social standing? Had they been wrong all this time? Is the world more based on money than morals?
Yes.