"Not to me, not for me," Eponine whispered.
She turned, tears clogging her throat and turned to leave Rue Plumet.
"Who is this hussy?" a man growled.
"It's your brat Eponine, don't you know your own kid? What's she doin', hanging about here?" whispered another man.
"Eponine, go one home, you aren't needed in this," her father hissed.
Eponine knew, obviously, that Thernardier was going to rob the house. She also knew the Marius was still standing at the gate, infatuated with the beautiful blond girl.
"For Marius..." Eponine whispered quietly. She let a scream build in her throat, then released it. Her father smacked her hard, and she fell backwards into the brick wall.
"Cosette, inside!" Marius shouted. He ran away, not bothering to look down at the wall where Eponine was slumped.
"Don't move, bitch," Thernardier snarled.
"Leave me alone, you fool! The police are sure to come..." Eponine whispered.
"Y'aren't getting off that easy, you whore. Boys, teach my daughter a lesson," Thernardier grinned.
The men proceeded to kick Eponine hard until she felt two of her ribs break. She writhed in pain, trying desperately not to cry. One man kicked her so hard in the face she watched the blood splatter on the pavement.
Searing white hot pain came when a long cut was leisurely sliced on her chest. It was not deep, nor on the breast near her heart, but it burned.
The men finally left when she passed out in a puddle of rain, blood, and tears.
Eponine woke when it was pitch black and still raining. Her clothes were nearly soaked through with blood- the one good dress she had to her name was completely ruined. She tried to move, but it pained her to even stand. She slowly began to drag herself back to the ABC Cafe. She sang gently, passionately on her way there.
'On my own...pretending he's beside me..." Eponine crooned.
About halfway to the cafe, Eponine knew she would soon pass out from exhaustion. She turned herself into an alleyway. She dragged herself as deep as she could go, then dropped to the ground totally. The stars swam in front of her eyes as she finished her song.
"I love him...I love him...but only on my own."