Chapter 8

Bonnie could not remember how she ended up in her house. She could not remember driving home, but she must have; her car was in the garage.

Unfortunately, she could remember everything else that transpired in the parking lot. She could see it again, in vivid color, over and over and over.

She lay there in her bed, sobbing and trembling violently.

She felt sore. She felt scared.

She felt _ dirty _.

Bonnie threw herself off the bed and stripped herself. She ran into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She set the heat for 85˚. The steam billowed into the room, fogging the windows and mirror.

Bonnie stepped in the shower, the hot water beating down on her skin. She tried hard to ignore the red tint of the water as it entered the drain, but she could not ignore the fact that it came from her.

She grabbed the soap and began scrubbing. She dropped the bar numerous times due to her shuddering. She scrubbed extremely hard over the many bruises on her legs and arms. She wished to God she could wash away what had happened.

Long after the hot water had turned cold and her skin was no longer red, Bonnie stepped out of the shower. Wrapping herself in a warm towel, though inside she still felt cold, she opened the bathroom door.

She let the towel drop to the floor as she stood in front of her mirror. She didn't recognize the girl she saw. Something was wrong, something was missing. Her eyes were dark, her face was drawn.

Sinking to the floor, she curled herself up into a ball, clutching her knees to her chest. She shut her eyes, but the tears still slipped down. Relentlessly, the images flashed before her closed eyes, and she couldn't make them stop.

Suddenly, an image of Matt entered her mind and she whispered, "Matt… Forgive me."

~*~*~*~

End Chapter 8