TruthDare
Aviana
Past
Age 11
Four days ago, Maverick locked me in the shed after he played Truth or Dare and I wouldn’t stop crying. It didn’t feel like a game at all, it reminded me of Mr. Widlow and I cried harder. When he came back, his voice was cold as he warned me not to tell anyone what had happened in the shed, or I’d never see daylight again. Since then, I’ve been quieter than usual—so much so that even Brynn has noticed.
“Eloise, I think Avi might be coming down with something,” she said at dinner when I barely touched my food.
“Aviana, honey, are you feeling okay?” Eloise asked, her voice full of concern.
“I’m fine,” I replied, my voice soft. “Just not hungry.”
Since that day, Maverick’s been watching me—always lurking. He tries to sneak peeks into our room when I’m getting dressed, sometimes even opening the bathroom door while I’m in the shower. I can hear him coming before the door creaks open, and that uneasy feeling creeps over me every time. I can’t hide from him. Forget hide-and-seek. Now, every day feels like I’m forced to hide—not because I want to, but because I have no choice if I want to avoid playing his twisted games.
Eloise’s voice broke through my thoughts. “You may be excused from the table, Aviana, if you wish.”
Just as I was about to push my chair back, I felt a hand land heavily on my thigh. I froze, glancing to my side to find Maverick sitting right next to me. He’d switched chairs with Brynn, who gave me a look that was full of apology, but said nothing .
“Stay, Avi. Eat with me,” Maverick’s voice was low, almost too smooth. He leaned in close, his breath warm against my ear. “After dinner, I think it’s time for another game. Maybe Brynn will play too.”
The words hit me like a wave of nausea. Before, I hadn’t been hungry. Now, I felt like I might choke. I wanted to get up, to escape, but every time I tried to move, his grip tightened on my leg, making it impossible. Fear flooded me, my body stiffening in response. I could still feel the echo of what Mr. Widlow had done to me, and it paralyzed me with dread. I stayed—because I had no choice.
***
“What happened next?” Cade asks, his eyes following mine as I stare out at the trails. I came to see him after waking from another nightmare.
“He followed me to my room and said he wanted to play Truth or Dare. Again.” I reply, my voice soft.
“Did you play?” His voice is curious, but there’s something more behind the question.
As I talk about Maverick, a wave of panic rises within me. My ears start to ring, and dizziness takes over. Everything blurs.
“Aviana?”
“Aviana?”
“AVI!!!” Cade’s voice cuts through the haze. I feel his hands on mine, gripping them gently yet firm as he bends down in front of me, right between my legs, where I sit on the rock at the peak. “Hey, come back to me. You’re safe. No one can hurt you. He can’t hurt you. He doesn’t even know where you are. You’re safe, Aviana. Breathe for me, okay?”
I try, but it’s hard. His thumbs circle the backs of my hands, grounding me, urging me to focus.
“Do you have any trauma, Cade?” I ask suddenly, my voice a little shaky.
“We all have trauma, believe it or not,” he responds. “But right now, Aviana, tell me—did you play his game?”
“Tell me first,” I say quietly, meeting his gaze .
“Tell you what?” he asks, his brow furrowing in confusion.
“Who hurt you?” I ask again as I can see the look in his eyes that there is something there. Something he is holding back.
“I already told you, we all have our different traumas and some just aren’t as significant. Now, can you answer my question?”
***
Past
Age 11
After dinner, Maverick grabbed my hand, yanking me toward my room, dragging me along like I didn’t even have a choice. Brynn’s voice echoed from behind us, sharp and whiny, “Wait for me!” and, of course, she followed us like some desperate puppy.
“Ah, Brynn, so glad you’re tagging along. I knew she would,” Maverick chuckled, his words coated in that smug, condescending tone. “Avi and I are about to play Truth or Dare. You in?”
She practically bounced with excitement. “Oooh, that sounds fun!”
I shot her a pleading look, my stomach already twisted in knots. “Brynn, please don’t…”
But it was too late.
“Which one of you lovely ladies is going first?” Maverick asked, eyes gleaming with that predatory smirk.
“I will,” Brynn said way too eagerly, like she didn’t have a care in the world.
I couldn’t even look at them. “Brynn, please, don’t—”
“What’s your problem? It’s just a game.” She shot me a dismissive look.
I threw my hands up in frustration and flopped onto my bed, as far from them as possible. “Whatever. You two go ahead. Play his little game.”
Maverick didn’t care that Brynn wanted to go first. “Avi, truth or dare?” he said, his voice like a challenge, a command.
“Truth,” I muttered. There was no way I was going to win his twisted little game.
He leaned back against the wall, tapping his fingers together like he was plotting something devious. “Alright, tell the truth… Have you ever kissed a boy?”
“No,” I answered immediately.
Without missing a beat, Maverick shot back, “I dare you to kiss a boy.”
I whipped my head toward him, my neck nearly snapping from the force. “I said truth. I didn’t say dare, you can’t just—”
“You’ll do as I say, or else,” he threatened, voice laced with dark amusement.
Brynn, the traitor, chimed in, “Come on, Aviana. Just kiss him. It’s no big deal. I won’t tell anyone. I’ll even do it if you don’t.”
Maverick snickered. “See? She isn’t scared.”
“I’m not scared, Maverick. I’m just not stupid. I played your little game. Now leave me alone.”
“The game isn’t over.” His eyes locked onto mine, a smirk twisting his lips as he walked closer.
I turned my gaze away, looking out the window, trying to block them out.
“Brynn, go ahead. I know you want to,” I teased, trying to break the tension.
But Maverick stepped closer, and before I knew it, he was right there, towering over me, his hand gripping my jaw with enough force to leave marks. His fingers dug into my skin, and I couldn’t move. His voice was low, dangerously soft. “I asked you to kiss a boy. I didn’t ask her. Now, be a good girl for me, Avi, and follow the rules of the game. Don’t disappoint me.”
“I’m not kissing you, Maverick. Leave me alone,” I spat out, the words like acid. “Ask me again, and I’ll scream.”
The words barely left my mouth before he tightened his grip on my jaw, bringing his face inches from mine. “Do it. Scream. I dare you.”
And then, without warning as I tried to scream, he pushed me back onto the bed, his body covering mine, his weight pinning me down, his lips were on mine. I couldn’t breathe. I shoved at his chest, trying to push him off, but he wasn’t moving. He pushed me harder into the bed, his weight pinning me down, and before I could even fight back, his tongue was probing, forcing its way past my lips. It was revolting, like I might choke on the disgust that rose in my throat. All I could think was that I wanted to bite his tongue off, to make him feel the same thing I felt in that moment.
“Maverick, stop! Let her go!” Brynn’s voice cracked with emotion, the hurt bleeding through her words. I could hear it—the pain that it was me he chose to kiss, not her.
Maverick growled, pulling away just enough for his lips to trail over mine, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “Such a good girl for me. You taste so sweet.”
I wanted to scream. I wanted to claw at his face and never stop.