Prologue
"No!" I scream in desperation. "Please, leave him alone. He didn't do anything!" I look on in horror as my best friend, Armin, is surrounded by a group of thugs.
"You better shut your mouth bitch or else you'll be next," one of the thugs menaced while another grabbed hold of Armin and put him in a choke hold, winding his hand and then launching it into Armin's face. I could hear the sickening crunch of Armin's nose breaking from where I stood.
"We gave you everything we have so just leave us alone!" One of the thugs wearing a bandanna broke away from the circle and came up to me.
"I think we told you to shut up!" He said backhanding me with all the force he possessed. I flew across the pavement and landed near a pile of cardboard boxes. Stars flashed across my eyes and my head immediately began to pound.
"Armin…" I choke, spluttering on the blood gushing from my nose. The thug simply laughed and kicked me with his boot. I scream in absolute agony.
"I'll give you something to scream about you sorry piece of shit," he sneered, kicking me again and then falling to his knees, pinning me with his body weight. He pulled at my skirt and yanked my underwear down to my ankles. I struggled uselessly against his massive form.
It was over in a matter of moments.
I heard Armin call my name in-between grunts. They had him on the ground now and were kicking him mercilessly.
The bandanna wearing thug mocked Armin as he zipped up his jeans and rejoined the group. He erupted in vicious laughter, the others joining in one by one.
By now, I had managed to sit up but I knew I was in no shape to help my best friend. All I could do was sit there and watch. Watch those filthy bastards beat him unconscious. When they were done, they spit on Armin's bedraggled body and walked away high-fiving each other… not giving either of us a second thought.
"Armin! Armin!" I crawl over to where I was lying and shake him frantically. I see that his abdomen is moving up and down ever so slightly, indicating that he was still breathing.
"Oh thank God!" I murmur with relief. I sit back on my knees and sweep away Armin's bloody, matted hair from his face, surveying the physical damage those assholes had ravaged on him.
His nose was definitely broken and he had a big gash right above his eyebrow. Bruises were already starting to form along his jawline and underneath both eyes. As to the rest of him, I couldn't see much under his tattered clothes but I was sure he would have bruising on most of his body in addition to a few broken ribs. Tears formed in my eyes and trickled down my face, mingling in with the coagulated blood that had formed on my lips and chin from when I was slapped.
"It's going to be ok, Armin. I'm here and I'm not going to leave your side for a minute. I don't care if we have to wait here all night before someone passes us by. I won't take the chance of something happening to you while I'm gone." I realized that the choice I was making might be putting Armin's life in even more danger but I didn't care. I couldn't risk those thugs turning up to finish the job.
To pass the time, I lift Armin's head onto my lap and stroke his hair. I sing him a lullaby from our childhood. One where fairies danced and children played. About halfway through the song, it began to rain but I kept right on singing...almost as if my life...no...my sanity depended on it.