Editor's note: this story contains scenes of incest or incest content.
Standing in the middle of the bus depot, I began to shiver. Odd, considering it was the middle of August and the temperature was well over 90 degrees. As I paced back and forth, I rubbed my bare arms and smoothed out my skirt. I had to keep reminding myself that mama was dead now and I had no other choice but to go live with my daddy. I hadn't seen daddy since I was twelve. I wondered if he would recognize me six years later. Or, if I would even recognize him.
It was starting to get late and I was scared. Sitting alone in the bus depot, I was beginning to attract the attention of some surly looking men and I wished daddy would hurry and get there. I moved to a row in the back and slipped down on the bench, hoping to be left alone. I finally dozed off and I slept for a few hours. I dreamt of my early childhood. How mama and daddy and me would go down to the beach during the summer. Those days were just a blur to me now. I was startled out of my sleep when an angry looking man began shaking me and calling my name.
"Lacey! Get up girl! I've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Daddy? Is that you?!", I asked.
"Who the hell do you think it is, the president? Get your ass up and get your shit. I'm running late as it is and I don't have time for this." he bellowed.
Tears stung my eyes as I hurried to get my bags. Daddy was already several yards ahead of me and moving quickly. It was all I could do to keep up with him. As I stepped out of the bus depot, the bright morning sun blinded me and I realized that I had spent the entire night alone in the bus station. Daddy was getting into a beat up old pick-up truck with more rust spots than paint. He motioned for me to put my stuff in the back. I then crawled up into the front seat of his truck. The floor was covered in beer bottles and empty cigarette packs. It smelled of dirt and sweat and make my stomach lurch.
"So," daddy said, "the bitch finally died, huh?"
"Don't call my mama a bitch!" I cried, "She was the best mama in the world and I miss her!"
Daddy slammed on the brakes and sent me flying into the dash. He grabbed me by my arm and yanked me around to face him.
"Listen up and listen good. I didn't have to take you in! You're eighteen now and you should be on your own. I am only doing this for your grandma. She hasn't seen you since that bit...since your 'dear mama' ran off with you and left me high and dry. You'll do well to learn your place now! Do I make myself clear to you?" he said.
I could only nod. My throat was tight with the tears I was holding back. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry. I should have known better. Daddy smacked me across my face and said, "Answer me, child!"
"Y-y-yes daddy. I understand." I whimpered.
Daddy sat back with a smug look and began to drive back down the road. We drove for over an hour until we came to a small town and daddy stopped at the gas station. He told me to run in and get him a coke while he used the bathroom. He said, "You might wanna get you one, too. We've still got three hours ahead of us 'til we make it back to my place." I did as daddy said and waited back at the truck. I decided I should probably use the bathroom too before we left. I went around back to the restrooms but only found one door. Thinking it had more than one stall, I walked in without knocking. It took me a second to realize what I was seeing. Daddy was standing there with his jeans around his ankles and his hand wrapped around his penis. His head was tilted back and I think his eyes were shut. At first I thought he was using the bathroom, but then I saw him moving his hand up and down on it and I knew he was masturbating. I couldn't take my eyes off his enormous penis! I silently slipped back out the door just as daddy groaned and I am certain I heard him say my name as he did. I ran back to the truck and waited for daddy. When he returned, he told me I should probably use the bathroom before we left. He started putting gas in the truck as I went back to the bathroom.
We got back on the road and neither of us said anything as we drove. We finally made it to his house shortly after 1. Daddy told me to get my stuff and he would show me my room. He led me upstairs to what looked like an old attic made into a bedroom. It was actually much prettier than I had expected. He told me that his mom was excited about me living there and had fixed the room up herself. He told me that my grandparents lived just behind him and we would share our meals with them.
As he left my room, he said "I've got to go to work. I've already lost half a day and can't afford to lose the rest. You get some rest but I expect dinner on the table no later than 6 o'clock. Prepare enough for four. Food is all down in the kitchen. Tonight after dinner we will go over your list of chores. I don't want you to think that you've come to the Taj Mahal! You'll work for your keep like the rest of my hands."
So that was it. Daddy didn't look at me like his little girl. I was nothing more to him than a stable hand. It was then that I decided I would bide my time and scrape and save until I had earned enough to go back home where all my friends were. I was not going to live here and be treated like the hired help.
I threw myself on the bed and cried myself to sleep. I woke with a start at 5:30 and knew I had less than 30 minutes to get dinner ready. I ran down to the kitchen and luckily found enough stuff to make a quick dinner. I was just finishing up the ice tea when daddy walked in with an older couple. I recognized them right away as my grandparents. My grandma had tears in her eyes as she held her arms out to me. She held me tight and suddenly I felt very safe. Then I turned to my grandfather. He was looking at me with what I assumed to be total disregard. He didn't smile or hug me or anything. He just turned to daddy and told him it looked like he had found a cook. He and daddy laughed. Grandma helped me serve the plates and we ate in silence. After dinner, they went into the den as I cleared the table and began to wash the dishes. Just as I finished up, daddy came back in the room and told me he wanted to go over my list of duties. He pulled out a piece of paper that had a long list of chores. He had written up a schedule of when each chore should be done and how long it should take me to do. As he finished with the list he looked at me like no daddy should look at his little girl and he said, "This is just a partial list. I will add to it as I see fit. And, you will do each chore as I wish without any complaint or you will be out of here so fast it will make your head swim. Got it?!"