As I walked into the car park, I noticed something odd: Sara's car was still here. But… she'd left ages ago, at least two hours before I did. I decided to investigate, walking quickly to where her car was. The night had fully fallen and the streetlights lit up the quiet car park, casting an orange glow over my surroundings.
'Sara?' I called, my voice cracked and hoarse, whispering. There was no answering call, though I doubted she would have heard me, how quiet I was being. I cleared my throat and licked my dry lips, the cool air instantly drying them again. Then I saw her, lying spread-eagled on the ground, her shirt undone and her pants ripped.
'Sara!' I choked, the words catching in my throat. I ran quickly to her side, the scene I was seeing making me feel sick to my stomach. There was blood congealing on the pavement, bright spatters of it. I knelt by her side, uncaring about the blood soaking through the knees of my jeans.
'Oh Sara…' I whispered, moved to tears. I reached out a hand and stroked her hair, pulling back as she flinched away from me, a whimper escaping her lips. I gently brushed the hair from her face, revealing an angry bruise forming under her eye. A tear dripped from my cheek and landed in her hair. I slid a hand behind her head, my heart breaking as she tried to fight me, her weak sobs causing spike of pain to lance my heart. My best friend, lying on the ground, violated and in pain. I felt a sudden flare of anger rise in my heart, wanting to hurt the man that had done this to her. I reached both my hands behind her head, tenderly undoing the knotted cotton, placing it on the ground beside me.
'Sara?' I whispered, my voice cracking as tears rolled like oil down my face. 'Sara? It's me, it's Greg.' Sara opened her brown eyes; eyelashes matted and stared up at me. I placed a hand behind her back, feeling her bra strap against my arm, scratching through my pale shirt. She started to cry, large tears rolling silently down her face as she collapsed against me, soaking the front of my shirt. I placed both my hands on her back, redoing her bra up, feeling her trembling form solid against me.
'Shh… Shh… Sara… it's okay… I'm here now, you're okay. Shh…' I whispered into her hair as she sobbed, wrapping her in my arms. She clung to me, scrabbling for hold on my shirt as the blood on her hands made them slip off. Blood… I pushed her away for a second, laying her down on the ground, comforting her, reassuring her. I rolled her blood-streaked shirt up and took my own off, forming a pad to press to her wound. She clung to my arms as I lifted her to her feet, afraid she'd fall.
'Trust me.' I asked her, pulling her pants up and buckling them gently, careful not to cause her any more pain. She nearly fainted, even as I only brushed her stomach. 'I'm sorry.' I whispered, gently stroking her cheek, the bruise on her face red and angry. She nuzzled into me, pushing her face into my chest and sobbing, her tears falling onto my chest. I stroked her hair and rubbed her back, running my fingers over a clearly visible bruise on her ribs.
'Oh Sar'.' I muttered, kissing the top of her head. She wasn't my best friend any more; she was the sole object of my attention. She wrapped her arms around my back, lacing her fingers together as she pressed herself against me, running her fingers over the vertebrae in my back. I shuddered and she pressed her face to my chest, tears landing on my tanned skin.
'Sara… you need to get to hospital. Just trust me okay?' she looked up at him with a tear streaked face and nodded slowly. I lifted her into my arms, my heart breaking as she flinched when I touched her wound. 'Sorry.' I muttered to her. She shook her head and tensed herself against me, removing my shirt from her stomach.
'You need it.' Her voice was hoarse, cracked with pain. I stroked her forehead gently, cradling her against my chest. She slipped her hand behind my neck and nuzzled her face into my shoulder. I could feel her heartbeat, light and rapid like that of a frightened animal. I softly brushed her arm, wiping away the streaks of blood.
