***All characters portrayed herein are of age, 18 years old at least, and all sexual activities depicted are consensual. Enjoy!***
Alone in an office, Tiffany, 20, sits in a comfy armchair, awaiting her first counselling session. The door to the office opens, and in steps a woman in formal dress: a skirt, blouse, and blazer, as well as tights and heeled shoes. She closes the door behind her and takes a seat opposite Tiffany at her desk, and introduces herself, "Hi, my name is Melissa Fisher. I'll be your counsellor over the coming weeks, and we'll go on a journey together to try and get you to a better place. How are you feeling?"
Tiffany barely breathes as she sits in her chair, and she reservedly replies, "Nervous."
Melissa, 39, says, "That's okay. I want you to be honest, not only with me, but with yourself throughout all of this. By doing that, we can help you get to your goal so you can leave my service feeling better about yourself, but, I need you to understand that if you aren't honest with yourself, there's nothing I can do to help you."
Tiffany timidly responds, "I understand."
Melissa says, "I just need to go over a few things before we start. I am required to let you know that everything we discuss is confidential, and doesn't leave this room. Any notes I take are purely so I can keep track of what is said during our sessions so we can see how far we've come by the end. The only time I will break confidentiality is if you say you are harming yourself or have thoughts about ending your life, or if you pose a significant risk to yourself or others, and I will have to notify the relevant authorities. Do you understand?"
Tiffany says, "I do understand."
Melissa opens a notebook on the desk, and grabs a pen, and asks, "So, tell me why you are here."
Tiffany takes a deep breath, and wriggles around in her seat nervously, and begins her story, "I was... raped... by people I know, or thought I knew. They were my boyfriend's footie teammates, and I knew them all from long before I started dating my boyfriend, hanging out with their wives and girlfriends, many of which I knew through school and college.
"It was one of the lads, Linford, who interrupted me and Craig, my boyfriend, in the changing rooms after a game, and tried to seduce him. He forced himself on my boyfriend..."
Melissa interrupts Tiffany to ask, "Is this when the rape happened?"
Tiffany shakes her head, and says, "No, I fought Linford off then. Gave him a punch to the face, and he ran away scared. He came to Craig's house later that day to threaten us, but Craig's dad scared him off.
"I had hoped that would be the end of it, but Craig was called to the footie ground for what he was told was a team meeting, and the team ganged up on Craig, led by Linford, and they raped him. He tried to fight back, but they held him down."
Melissa says, "I'm sorry to hear that. Did you report this to the police then?"
Tiffany explains, "No. We thought it would be over at that point. Linford got what he wanted from Craig, so, why would he continue, right? And, Craig quit the team.
"What happened to me was after that. I was in town, visiting the clinic, and I was given the news what I had thought for a while, that I was pregnant..."
Melissa interrupts to say, "Congratulations."
Tiffany resumes, "Linford and the footie lads ganged up on me on my way home and took me into an alley and... and, they... they," and Tiffany sobs and tears well up in her eyes.
Melissa says, "I understand. That's when it happened."
Tiffany nods in confirmation, tears streaming down her face, and Melissa hands her a box of tissues which Tiffany takes one from, and mops up her eyes and cheeks, sniffling as she says, "After that, they threw me in one of those big dumpster bins and left me for dead. Some of the residents of the building noticed and got me out of it, and they called me an ambulance, and they took me to hospital, and the doctor told me I miscarried because of them."
Melissa says, "Oh, I'm so sorry. That is terrible. One of the worst things I've ever heard in my line of work. But, you're still here. You are strong, and I know you don't feel like you are, but you are."
Tiffany continues to sob, upset from the resurfacing of her traumatic thoughts, and Melissa says, "Hey, look at me," and Tiffany obeys, and Melissa soothingly says, "You are strong, because you are here seeking help, and because you told me something incredibly painful. We're going to get through this, but, I won't lie to you; this is going to get harder, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, but, please, stick with me. I'm going to be with you every step of the way."
Tiffany suddenly stares at Melissa with a very scared look, and Melissa soothingly asks her, "I want you to take me through the rape in as much detail as you can. I want you to tell me your thoughts and feelings how you remember them. Can you do that for me?"
Even more scared, sitting bolt upright and stiff, Tiffany asks, "Do I have to?"
Melissa calmly explains, "You don't have to do anything, but whilst those feelings are raw and prominent in your mind, I want to know them. It will give me an idea of the root of your trauma, and I can help to move you past that from there. I just need you to be brave and open up for me, and I'd rather do this sooner rather than later so we can start to put this behind you so you can move on."