Silence. Silence and a fresh scent was pleasing Apollo's senses. Mr Wright and Trucy had gone to the poker tournament in the next town and left him alone to recline in peace for four days. He had chosen to take the day off as soon as they had left – after all it was a Friday and he deserved it. He had contacted all sixteen of his college friends so they could go out drinking.
As the water ran into the whirlpool bath tub the sound added to his tranquillity. This was the life Apollo was used to living at the weekend – even when he lived with his friends at college. It was mid-August and the heat was almost unbearable outside. He'd removed his shirt hours ago and all the windows were open (Mr Wright was too cheap to buy air con) Apollo was planning on fixing the old air con but never got round to it.
Ever since he was a teenager, he often saw the heat of summer evenings as a chance for people to be passionate – in a way it was a naïve thought from reading so many books when alone at the orphanage. He took the cover off the old a/c and set to work on cleaning the parts when a knock at the door disturbed him.
"I'm not expecting anyone…" He wiped his palm on his cheek, smearing it with black dust from the machine. He heard crying, no sobbing, as he approached the door. Swinging it open he almost fainted at the sight, it was enough to make his stomach churn.
He hadn't seen her for three days and every day her sister was ringing him to see if he heard from her. Ema was weeping, her face stained with a mixture of blood and tears. He didn't say anything, just stood aside and let her in.
"…Help me…" She mumbled.
"Help you?" Apollo wanted to ask her so many questions. "Why?"
"Max…" Max…Max…I know the name sounds familiar. Apollo thought for a while. Her boyfriend!
"What about Max?" He was trying to stay calm, it was hard. She wouldn't continue, she just threw herself into his arms, sobbing and choking on her breaths. The force she threw herself at him was enough to topple him back into the couch.
He couldn't bear to see her cry, it was killing him.
"Hush…hush…" He whispered in her ear. There was something about having him breathing against her skin which made her breathing rate slow and steadily she stopped her sobs and relaxed in his arms. "Everyone's been worried sick about you; I've had Lana ringing me up in tears because she thought you were in danger."
"He's…" She broke away from his gentle grip and unbuttoned her lab coat after sliding her rucksack off. Apollo did want to be sick.
His eyes were drawn to the blood that had soaked through her pink t-shirt. He looked down first, more bloodstains had leaked through her clothes and his imagination began to wonder as to the state of her body beneath her clothes. He looked back up at her arms where thin trickles of blood were leaking from thin string like cuts. Her face had several cuts and her usual soft pink complexion had been replaced by a mixture of smudged make-up, crimson blood and tears. He glanced at her neck and tears began to form at the back of his eyes: around her neck hung what he saw as a black leather dog collar, on the inside was a layer of spikes which had pierced her skin.
"…Ema…" He wanted to cry for the broken girl sat before him. "Where have you been? What happened?"
"He trapped me…in the basement of the apartment building…" She clung tight to his arm, stopping the blood flow. "I ran…as fast as I could…" Apollo wrapped his free arm around her shoulders rocking her gently in a fluid movement which she found relaxing. "He's been abusing me for three days…" She sobbed. Bondage! It dawned on Apollo.
"Bondage?" Ema's face glistened as she saw the dim glint in his eyes. "Am I right?" She shakily nodded.
"Hang on for a second, please." Apollo rose from his position, scared that if he didn't stop the bath then the neighbours would complain water was dripping through the roof again (the last time was during a magic trick where Trucy tried to drown him). He stopped the water and ran back to the loveable scientist. "Let me…" He tried to unclip the collar around her neck, when the buckle wouldn't undo Apollo resorted to getting the scissors and slicing the leather. Dried blood was on each of the spikes and she wrapped her arms around him and nestled her head into his chest.
"…Thank…you." She sniffled.
"I ran the bath before you came here, why don't you go on in?" She looked at him in shock at first then nodded. "Hang on a sec." He went into his room and slid the wardrobe door on the leftmost side. Taking the fresh, red towels from his wardrobe he took in the fresh scent and helped the blooded up detective from the couch. He handed her the towels. "There's a button on the side of the bath to stop the jets."
His cellphone rang and the music echoed in the silence.
"Hello?"
"Hey dude, it's Tom." Tom was a college friend, a womaniser a few years ago but he'd settled now. "Still up for that drink?"
"I'm not sure…something's cropped up." He looked at the closed wooden door, pitying the girl behind it.
"Oh boy…what's happening?"
"Something bad. I'm looking after someone who's been missing for three days."
"Dude…" Tom was sincere.
"Look, I'll talk to her and see what she says. It might be that I'll just have to buy some booze and invite you lot over."
"Cool. Let us know. Most of us have some bottles and stuff we could bring over!"
"Alright will do." The line went dead – Tom never sat still for long.
He set back to work on the a/c, determined he would fix it. He connected his I-pod to the dock in the kitchen – he made sure that if Ema shouted he would hear her but it was loud enough to drown the sound of the machine parts.
-x-x-
Ema heard the music and Apollo humming along to it. She relaxed all the muscles in her body, resting her head back over the edge of the bath. Purring contently, she was grateful Apollo hadn't put any bubble bath in the water as it would have stung the injuries he couldn't see. She had open wounds all over her legs, stomach and breasts as well. She felt a soreness beneath her waist but ignored it because now she felt a comfort, a warmth she hadn't felt before. Her injuries were partly her own fault.
It was no coincidence she had run to Apollo. She had stupid, childish fantasies about the young attorney – even before she was dating Max. Lana had sat and laughed at Ema, calling her childishly stupid when she admitted it and said 'the guy's single. Go for it!' if she'd have taken that advice she wouldn't be in the mess she was in now. Soon her fantasises turned sexual, she dreamt of him making passionate love to her or touching her in erotic and sensual ways.
She was soon fantasizing again, she didn't realise her reaction to the fantasy. Her hands were resting upon her breasts before and as she fantasised of him pinning her gently on his bed and kissing wherever he could, her hands began to move in a circular motion. She then traced the long cut on her chest and massaged her mound, her hand was now moving the way Apollo was in her fantasy. She inserted her fingers into herself. She bit her lip, trying to stifle the groan welling in her throat. The water splashed violently against the edges of the bath as her movements became quicker and her breathing became laboured. She desperately wanted to cry his name as it hit her, she'd managed to stop most of the noise but it was still loud enough to be heard over Apollo's music.
-x-x-
Apollo had fixed the a/c while she was fantasizing about him. His arms and chest were covered in a thick black dust by now. He booted the machine and it spluttered into action.
"There." He washed all the dust off his face, arms and torso and watched as the black water twirled down the sink.
He heard the cry from the bathroom.
"Everything ok Ema?" He called, genuinely concerned.
"Y-yes…" She gasped for breath, steadying her breathing. She climbed from the tub as soon as she thought her legs could support her weight. She tied the larger towel around her body, it was about big enough to stretch from above her breasts to her knees.
As she stepped out the room she reached for Apollo and clung to him, water droplets soaking his pants.
"Feeling better?"
"A little." Actually she felt quite dirty because of what she'd just done. She wanted him; she wanted him more than anyone else in the world but right now she wanted to be in his arms.
Apollo was like cat-nip to her, something about him she found unbearably sexy. It was this 'something' that she would soon find out EVERY woman found sexy about him; well not quite every woman but 95% of the woman he'd met did.