I was surrounded; nowhere to run. I was scared; there was no doubt about that. I was ready to fight, though. I wasn't going to be brought down so easily. They may think they outnumbered me, but I was tough and I am no helpless girl.
They closed in and started to make kiss noises and wolf calls. They stabbed at me with their fingers, making me jump. I snarled at them. They laughed at me.
They were larger than me, sure, but I was faster than them no doubt. They were around late twenties, early thirties; the time when your body begins to stop reacting to exercise. There were at least six of them, maybe seven. I didn't count correctly. I was too focused on planning an escape. I wanted to run, but there was no opening for me to slip through.
They were getting closer now.
Too close.
I was getting closer to becoming a rape victim.
. . . .
One Hour Earlier
That bastard! He actually thinks that this is obeying god! What a fool! I wanted to slap him and see how he likes it! I was getting into my mood, the mood where I could become destructive because of my anger at my father.
Father. I spat at the word. I have no father; only a prison keeper. He tries to make me believe in his God. The god that made him whip himself and hit me for no damn good reason. It sounds crazy, I know. I live through it every day.
Until now.
I am now free. I will run until I find her.
When I say her, I mean my sister. She was taken from me after the divorce. She is now with my mother. I don't know if my mother is alive or dead. I don't care. All I care about is finding her; finding Alex, my sister and other half. She doesn't know where I am. I believe that she has been looking for me. I hope she has. If she hasn't, then I have escaped for nothing. I want to believe that she has torn the corners of the earth apart looking for a girl named Alyssa Shepherd. Age: 14. Height: 5'4. Weight: 120. If she had that information, she should have found me within a heartbeat. But she didn't. Maybe she wasn't looking in the right places. I tell myself that all the time. It doesn't get to me that she doesn't know I even exist.
I was on the streets now, with six hundred bucks I stole from my dad's safe. I should rent a room for the night, but I'd rather spend my money on food.
I sighed and kept trudging on. I didn't want to be in one place to long. I looked around me. I was at the main street downtown. I didn't want to draw attention. The moon was getting higher in the sky. My guess is that it's around nine o'clock. People were beginning to get in their cars and return home.
Home; where that complete religious freak is as of right now trying to pray to God that I will return home just so he can slap me around some more. Not gonna happen, Pops.
I heard a low grumble. Yeah, it's around that time. I was getting hungry. I glanced at the still lit fast food restaurants and settled on Burger King. I entered and was relieved when I saw only two people were sitting down and eating. Less people, the less likely it is that my dad will find me through people who have seen me. I went to the counter. A young teenage boy with pimples on his forehead smiled as I approached.
"Welcome to Burger King. What can I get you?" His smile was patient.
I looked up at the menu and looked back at him with a quick decision. "I'd like a Spicy Chick'n Crisp Sandwhich with a small fry and a small raspberry tea."
He punched in my order. "That comes to a total of $6.50." I handed him my money.
He frowned at the $50 bill. He gave me my change and receipt. I walked to the other end of the counter and waited for my food to arrive. As I waited I glanced around. The couple that was here before was finishing up.
"Here you go."
I turned back to the pimpled face boy. He handed me m tray. I thanked him and walked over to the farthest booth. I felt like a criminal. Well, how else was I going to feel? I just ran away from my dad, the one man that used to be like a fluffy teddy bear until the divorce. Then he just turned all mean and religious. I didn't like that side of him, but I learned to live with it. Until he started to hit me three years after I was separated from my sister.
It was minor things, like getting spanked for no reason. The first major hit across my face was when I just turned 12. I was heading home from the bus stop. It was the first week of 6th grade. I was so happy to be the top of the class. I was also happy to find out that Brett Good was thinking of asking me out. Sure, it was only 6th grade, but I was a player then, too.
I entered my house and went straight to the kitchen. My dad was there reading his new favorite book; the Bible.
"Hey, Dad," I sang.
No response.
"How was your day?" I went to the fridge and got out the lemonade in the pitcher.
Silence.
"Are you okay, Pops?" I approached his chair.
He suddenly moved. His hand came down and he back handed my left cheek.
"Do you ever shut your mouth, you brat?" He picked up his book and marched out of the kitchen into the living room.
I was horrified. I realize I dropped the lemonade and the liquid was all over the hardwood floor. The plastic pitcher was a few feet away. I began to clean up the mess. I didn't cry. I didn't sob. I didn't even say anything.
He didn't even stop me as I walked by the living room to go upstairs to my room. I closed the door. I didn't want to do any homework. I didn't want to sit on my bed to be left to my thoughts. I grabbed my favorite book and went to my window.
My window faced towards the street. I didn't have any neighbors across the street, which helped me to get some quiet time to read, but not too quiet. In my house, it's too quiet. I could hear the sink dripping…in the kitchen downstairs.
Outside, on my roof, it was another world. I could smell the fresh air. I could feel the wind rustle my hair slightly.
It was summer, so the sun stayed up longer than usual. I climbed out of my window and sat down on the slanted space. I read my book. Beauty it was called. I loved the book so much. When Beauty has to tame the beast and learn to love him. It's just so magical.
Magic doesn't exist.
I snapped back to reality. I ate my food in a daze, not really tasting what I was eating. I took the last of my ice tea and finished my fries before I dumped my trash and headed to the bathroom.
I did my business and as I washing my hands, I glimpsed at the mirror. That glimpse was more than enough. As I looked into the mirror, I saw what made the cashier so cheerful. I was pretty, sure. If you think that long dark hair with slight waves and big brown eyes is pretty. If you think olive skin and pink lips are pretty, then sure, I'm pretty.
I sighed and left the bathroom.
I walked the streets and occasionally looked up at the sky. I knew where I was supposed to go; I just didn't know how to get there.
I turned into an alley and leaned against the wall. I pulled out the only picture I have that he didn't take from me. It was taken at the local park near our house. Alex and I were on the swings. My mom was in the background pushing us. It was a slightly blurry picture, but I loved it anyway. I was around three, Alex was turning five. My parents loved each other.
I pressed the picture to my heart. I wish I could go back to those days when I was loved by two parents that were crazy for each other, when I would trip over my own feet and yet my mother would always help me up and dust me off, when I was mad because my dad wouldn't buy me a Milky Way and he told me to look to my right and I saw a fat man shoving a Snickers down his throat. I swear I didn't eat a chocolate bar for one whole day.
I sighed. "Life sucks."
"Don't it though?"
I jumped at the sound. I turned to my left. I saw three men heading toward me. I widened my eyes and turned the other direction. Four more closing in and I began to panic.
I looked side to side. I couldn't see any way of getting out of this situation. So, I came to one conclusion. I have to fight.
I quickly went over the list of techniques I remembered when I was in martial arts in fourth grade. I highly doubt that I could do those moves, but I could at least try and make someone hurt.
Okay, I said to myself. Seven guys. Seven guys with dicks. This outta be wild.
Remember, knee to groin will make them fall. That gives you about five minutes to run.
Only if I cup check all of them. Now how the fuck am I going to do that?
They were coming closer.
Too close.
. . . .
A|N: Review!