Page 82 of The Quiet Witness

Even though she didn’t know what he’d gone out to do. She pictured Lucien’s face with the dark circles under his eyes. There had been urgency in him. And somehow that had become enough for her.

She saw the women’s mouth open once more, indignation rampant in her posture. She was the one tapping her foot against the floor in that… godawful rhythm.

“That said, let’s gather into pairs of two.” She announced, cutting off the woman's no doubt cheerful follow up.

Georgia sent her a thumbs up, sending a spark of confidence Kate’s way. She nodded quickly, forcing a smile on her face. Until someone else spoke up from the crowd.

“Hey, Kate, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, you can!”

Please don’t let it be something I don’t know.

“I don’t mean to be rude but, what are the uh…” The girl coughed, glancing around her for help, but everyone stayed silent. “Well, qualifications is a bad word but…”

Kate jumped to her support, ignoring the way her stomach clenched. “You’re right to ask it…”

Georgia spoke up, a darker timbre in her voice. “Emily, do you think Lucien would give you a replacement he hadn’t thoroughly vetted?”

Kate waved at the sanctuary’s leader. “It’s alright, Georgia. In fact, I think it’s a good thing. It’s a part of standing up for yourself.”

The girl stood a little straighter.

It’s what had sent fear spiking through her nerves, ever since Lucien asked her.

What did she have that allowed her to be up here? In a place of authority? To teach them something of this importance. She came up empty, until she remembered his words. Perseverance, resilience, determination, not to mention the fact that you don’t freeze.

“I have been where you all were.”

Silence. She had their full attention.

“Honestly, I agree with you. Lucien has been… educating me in the arts. But I’m no professional teacher.” Her gaze went around the room. “But I have something the men don’t have, and that is experience in what it means to be a woman. To fear walking alone in the dark, but more than anything, to fear…” She hesitated. Kate didn’t want to be one-dimensional, she knew men suffered as well, young children… abuse went in more ways than one.

A topic for another day.

“To fear the men in your life, your husband, brother, father, foster father… you see.”

Her hands clenched into fists. Would she shed light on her own suffering? The right place and time, maybe.

“I survived my youth, under the abusive hands of not only my foster father, but also my foster sister and mother.”

A collective gasp rippled out through the women.

“Most of it was verbal abuse, but also the hands of people imprinted on my skin, bruises in hidden places. Sometimes not so hidden places. And… an attempt at rape. I add attempted, because I fought him off.”

Emily’s, Heather’s, all the women’s eyes closed, in the whirlwind of their own memories, their own volatile past.

“It’s probably the lesson I want to bring here. To always, always keep fighting. Keep looking forward. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how deep it ventures. It matters… because everyone here fought for their freedom. And how strong each of us has had to be.” Kate swallowed, emotion evident in her voice. “But we made it through. Each and every one of us.”

Cheers rang up from the crowd, Kate’s pulse skyrocketed. Georgia whistled loudly through her lips.

Maybe this isn’t so bad after all.

“That said.” She quipped, smiling widely. “I’ve also got some knowledge in using my fists. Let’s start using it!”

A laugh rose up. Kate hopped off the platform, an unfamiliar spark burning in her chest. She strode over to Heather and Emily, offering them a firm high ten. Everyone around her closed in, some to high-five, others touched her shoulder lightly, sent her a wink, a beaming smile.

She grabbed the pads from the grey metal rack. Sliding her hands in with vigor, she stepped back to the center of the crowd, snapping the pads together. “So, who wants to help me show how to land a jab?”