Torben

She was back and she wasn't alone. The key scrapping against the deadbolt was a tell tell sign that she was drunk again. Torben 5uickly set the hot pan full of Hamburger Helper on the table before she walked in. The door opened and all hell broke loose.

"Torben! Why is the fucking door always locked when I get home? Dinner better be on the table tonight! You don't want a repeat of last week!" Susan, her mother, yelled as she stumbled into the dinning room.

"Yes ma'am." She mumbled putting the plates on the table.

"Set a plate for Dusty."

Torben's blood ran cold. Dusty. Her mother had promised not to bring him back here after what he did. Not that Susan's word was reliable. She glanced up to see Dusty grinning with his yellowed teeth.

"Yes. Don't forget about me dear Torrie." Dusty helped her mother sit down before stalking over to where Torben stood frozen. He was two feet away before she could move.

"It's Torben." She whispered as she turned to grab another plate.

"Aww don't be like that, sugar." Dusty put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

She tried to pull away. "Let go of me asshole." As soon as it left her mouth she regretted saying it. Dusty's eyes darkened and his smirk got wider.

"Be careful what you say to me princess. How long do you think your mother will be awake? I bet she doesn't make it to bed." He released her and sat down at the table next to Susan, waiting for Torben to serve dinner.

The entire meal was eaten in silence. Susan kept dozing off between bites and Dusty never took his eyes off Torben. As soon as everyone was finished, she cleared the table and did the dishes. Dusty took Susan into her bedroom, Torben could hear Susan moaning and Dusty's groaning as she hurried into her room.

The dresser was difficult to move but once it was in front of the door Torben felt much safer. The room was freezing. The landlord had shut off the heater this month, not caring that it had been the coldest December since who knows when. Changing into her warmest pajamas, Torben said her prayers and jumped onto the old mattress laying on the hard wood floor. Snores from her mom's room filled the hall out side her door. Susan always snored when she was drunk. Which was all the time since her father had died when she was five. He had been a kind man, she remembered. He had always held her and sang songs, they had lived in a nice house, and he had called her his little bear. He told her stories that had been handed down from his great grandmother. She loved retelling those stories to herself at night. Sometimes if she focused she could still hear his voice.

'Long ago a witch gifted our family. In the summer of the 20th year one child from our family would be chosen to harness the strength of a bear and the courage of a wolf. Little did we know that this gift was not a gift at all but a curse. All of the children grew up to be strong and courageous and on their 20th they gathered together and waited to see who would be chosen. As the sun set one of the men cried out in pain, Tore was his name, everyone watched as his skin rippled and eyes grew dark. Suddenly he attacked. Throwing, smashing, killing all of his brethren. He awoke as the sun rose and found the bodies of his kin torn to shreds. Tore wept as he saw their blood on his hands. The witch appeared before him and he demanded an explanation.

" You possess the strength and courage but you also possess the mind of the animal, killing anything in your way. A gift does not come freely, there is always a price." And with that she disappeared for ever.'

Torben loved hearing that story, it was so magical. She could forget her life for a moment and live in the world of witches and berserkers. She curled up tighter in bed and closed her eyes knowing that tomorrow everything would be perfect. It had to be since tomorrow was her birthday.

Someone was trying to get in her room. She sat up as her dresser fell over. She screamed. Dusty rushed in and put his hand over her mouth.

"Shut the fuck up bitch. Wake up your mother and I'll kill you both."

She clawed at his hand trying to drawl in a breath. He jerked her blankets off of her.

She knew this was going to happen he had insinuated it last time he was here, grabbing her button and leering at her. That's why she had asked Susan not to bring him here again. She should have done something, left or asked for help.

Dusty unbuttoned his jeans as Torben kicked at him. He caught her ankle and twisted it, "Kick me again and I will break it, skank."

Torben cried against his hand. Dusty smiled and reached for her pajama pants, trying to pull them down. Torben kicked him in the face. She felt a wetness on her heel and saw blood pour out of his nose but he didn't cry out in pain instead he smiled.

"I tried to be nice, whore, but now…" His grip on her ankle tightened and tightened. She could feel the bones begin to break and screamed. That's when she saw his eyes. Black. Pure black. The entire thing. She tried to scream again but he put his hand around her throat and crushed her ankle shattering the bone.

He began to squeeze her throat as he dropped her broken ankle and continued pulling her pants down. Her vision blurred. She felt him move on top of her and thrust. Pain. She wanted to fight but the lack of oxygen made her weak. She felt him thrust into her again. This time she felt nothing. She was going to faint.

"I saw this asshole at the bar tonight and thought what the hell, I'll see where he goes. Then I saw Dusty had been dreaming of raping you for a while now and thought might as well. I can always kill you after. Plus I have always wanted to do this. I have literally taken souls but never figuratively. This way is much more satisfying." Dusty smiled and looked at her with his black eyes as he pounded into her body. Suddenly, he frowned. "What the hell?"

Her skin was rippling, her head pounded and she was filled with white hot rage. Suddenly she flung Dusty off of her like he was a blanket. He hit the wall and dropped to the ground.

"What are you?" He whispered as he picked himself up off the ground. "Doesn't matter. I'm still going to end you." He charged at her.

Torben grabbed his throat crushing his trachea. It should have killed him but he just laughed. She smiled, grabbed his bottom jaw and pulled. Dusty's eyes widened as his skin began to tear.

"What the hell!?"

Torben turned towards the voice. Three strange men stood at her bedroom door with guns and a knife looking very confused and slightly afraid. She turned back to Dusty just in time to see black smoke shoot out of his mouth and into the ceiling leaving a strange smell in its wake. The body in her hands went limp as the last of the smoke left it. Dusty's was dead. Dropping the body Torben stared at it as the fuzz in her mind began to clear. Dusty had raped her. She killed Dusty. By breaking his neck. With a squeeze of her fist. Her ankle was broken.

She fell to the ground suddenly feeling the pain radiating through her body. The men at her door. She turned towards them and saw them all staring at her.

" Help me." She whispered before passing out.