Chapter 31- Rescue
"Oh, my, is this stuck?" She heard Terra question loudly. "Celes, can you get the door for me?"
"Terra, HELP!" Celes cried, and began to choke back tears as he growled at her.
"So, your name is Celes, huh?" He smirked. "Pretty interesting. I'm Kojiro, by the way. I guess it will be helpful for you to know my name once we're on our way out of here."
"No way!" Celes cried, and spat in his face. "We're not going anywhere!"
He laughed as Terra started to scream "Celes, CELES! What's going on!? I can't get out!" There was a thumping at the door, as if Terra were banging her small fists on it.
"Hmmm..." Kojiro murmured, and looked Celes up and down. "Come to think of it, you may not even be good enough for us. I may have to leave you here. We only invest in high quality women..."
Oh my God, he's going to let me go. Celes thought, and closed her eyes. Please, let me go...
"But we'll just have to find out right now, won't we?" Kojiro sneered, and began to lift up Celes' dress with his freezing hand, while keeping the other placed firmly around her neck.
"Noooooo!" Celes cried, and screamed as loud as she could as he slid his hand up her thigh and to her panties. Just as he began to tug them down, Celes summoned all of the strength she had left and raised her leg up high, and then slammed her foot down onto Kojiro's. He let out a yelp and violently slammed the crushed foot into Celes' stomach. She gasped for air and doubled over, except his hand was still tight around her neck, which didn't help her breathing situation at all.
"You little bitch!" Kojiro cried, and kicked at Celes again, his foot connecting with her legs, making them collapse from under her. He released her neck as she slumped to the floor, the pain, Kojiro's laughter, and Terra's screaming all ringing in her ears at once. Celes moaned and tried to push herself up, but her arms were so shakey, they gave in quickly, and she hit the floor again, stomach down.
Kojiro, however, quickly jerked her up by the ties on the back of her sundress, causing one of them to rip. All the pressure his hand put on the other strap made it dig into Celes' skin as he yanked her to a standing up position. Weary, Celes found she couldn't even attempt to fight back when he slammed her against the wall again, making a loud pounding sound when her head hit the wall. Through half-open eyes she could see the strap of her dress dangling down over her chest, and if it were tugged down anymore, half of her chest would be exposed.
"Please...let me go..." Celes moaned, and he backhanded her cheek in reply. She could now feel blood dripping down her cheek from a sharp ring he was wearing, and she heard the sound of his dagger being drawn. But the feelings and sounds didn't register completely into her brain. She found no desire to try to save herself. Everything in the room was slowly being enclosed in a foggy darkness, and Celes wanted to be in it too. She just wanted it to end quickly.
"Now, bitch, you're going to keep still, or else there isn't going to be anything of you left to use." Kojiro said, his spit flying through his clenched teeth and hitting Celes in the face. She tried to open her eyes all the way to glare at him, but could only open them halfway before he slid his hand and now also the dagger up her leg. He trailed the blade along her skin, and soon, blood was trailing down her leg and landing in drips on the floor. He easily slit apart the sides of her panties with the dagger, which was what sent Celes into the numbing shock she suddenly lusted for. Her eyes began to close as she lost her grip on conscienceness, and her lifeless body slumped over right into Kojiro's arms.
"Celes!" Terra cried, and turned an angry shade of red. She was pissed off now. She ran back to the end of the hallway she was trapped in, and gathered all of her Esper's strength that she had inherited from her father. She was going to get out of here, one way or another.
With that, Terra let out a yelp and ran down the hallway screaming. She took a flying leap at the last second and slammed into the door, making it instantly give in to her brute force. It slammed open, and Terra arrived on the scene, breathless, but there. She spotted Kojiro with Celes limp in his arms, and glared at him hatefully.
"You're going down, bastard!" Terra screamed, and ran over, dealing out another flying kick. Kojiro turned around just long enough to see the burning rage in Terra's normally peaceful eyes. Terra's foot connected to his jaw, and Kojiro went flying back, dropping Celes on the floor. Terra grabbed him by the arm and swung him around so that he smacked up against the wall, and she pinned him there, her chest heaving with her hard breathing. She noticed he had dropped his knife back when she kicked him, so he was of no threat to her.
"Hey, lady, lighten up." Kojiro sneered, and Terra swung a punch at him, her fist making a sickening cracking sound against his nose. Kojiro screamed and grabbed his nose to protect it from further damage, but Terra had already taken another swing, knocking him out for the day. Kojiro hit the floor, and Terra immediately bent down to Celes, picking her up. Her leg and cheek were bleeding, not to mention that her clothes had been totally destroyed, and she had another person's blood smeared all over her arm. Terra also noticed the dead Innkeeper, and closed her eyes, standing up with Celes and walking over to the waiting couch in the room. She set Celes down on the couch and immediately searched Kojiro for the key she needed. When she found it, she unlocked the Inn doors, only to find many villiagers standing right outside it.
"Please, get the police, anything." Terra instructed, while wringing her hands nervously. "Inside there is a robber who is knocked out, and a girl he attacked on the couch. Will someone watch over the girl while I go and get her fiancee'?"
"I will!" One slightly plump woman exclaimed in a red dress and apron. "I'm trained in medical care! Perhaps I can be of assistance!"
"I"ll help too, I'm her husband." A tall man with a beard exclaimed.
"Thank you kindly." Terra said, and took off running as fast as her legs could take her to Locke's house. She burst through the door as soon as she got to it, and ran into the kitchen, where Locke was setting out dishes. He took one look at Terra and widened his eyes.
"What!?" He cried, and went over to her, grabbing her shoulders. "Where is Celes? Why do you look like that?"
"Celes...she..." Terra trailed off, and felt her heroic high smoldering away. Locke looked like he was about to have a heart attack though, so Terra took a deep breath and looked at her feet.
"Celes was attacked while we were at the Inn." Terra murmured. "I told her to wait for me while I put my dress away. But while I was gone, some weirdo guy came in and locked all the doors. While I was struggling to get out to her, Celes started crying and screaming for help. I couldn't get to her in time though...." Terra trailed off and took a deep breath.
"What!?" Locke cried, and grabbed Terra's hand. "Come on, we have to get to her! Unless..." He blinked and looked at her. "Wait, you didn't finish."
"I know I didn't." Terra said softly. "I don't really know what happened after that. When I got to her, she was out cold, her dress was ripped, and....there was blood...going down her legs...and....oh....God...." Terra turned pale and felt like she was about to pass out. It was right then that she realized what might have happened to Celes.
"Oh my God." Locke said, and took off from the house. Terra moaned and ran after him, ignoring the dizziness in her mind and the jello-like feeling she had in her legs. She ran down the road again to the Inn, though Locke had already beaten her there. There were police guards here now, although only a few. Two of them held onto Kojiro, who was still out of it. Locke pushed inside the Inn, and Terra approached a guard.
"Well?! What did you find out?" She cried.
"We've been looking for this guy a long time." He replied, running his fingers through his hair. "He's apart of this clan that is supposed to be residing in the Southern Continent, but apparently, the police were on them too, and he escaped up here. This is a bad group...they're into heavy slave- trading and selling, and they're not afraid to be violent. You're lucky your friend is alive, although I can't say the same for this poor Innkeeper here. Apparently, the thug had been staying at this inn, and stole the keys one night so he could do this. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bad luck."
"Bad luck?" Terra asked, and shook her head. "I'd call it more then that."
Locke walked inside the inn and looked around. A few police guards were behind the counter, looking over something Locke could not directly see, and two people were surrounding a small couch in a corner. Locke approached them and saw Celes on the couch, her face pale and bleeding. He gasped, and kneeled down to her, hot tears coming to his eyes.
"Celes!!!" He cried, and burried his head in her lap, starting to sniffle and cry. He could not believe this had happened to her. He just couldn't. Celes to him, was invisible. Nothing was supposed to harm her again now that he was by her side. But no, he didn't go with her, and something terrible happened...he didn't even think about going with her. Was that selfish? Locke's thoughts hit him all at once, and suddenly a wave of nausea overcame him.
"You should calm down..." A woman said from beside him. Locke lifted his head and looked at the chubby woman.
"CALM DOWN?!" He screamed, and clenched his eyes shut, trying to cut off the tears. "Look at her! How can anyone fucking calm down after something like this!?"
The woman didn't look angry at all. The man that was with her decided to make his exit now, and walked back outside.
"She is not as bad as she seems." The woman offered. "I'm a nurse, and I looked her over. There is a cut on her cheek from what looks like a ring, and a long cut on her legs from a knife of some sort. That's where all that blood is coming from."
"You mean..." Locke trailed off.
"I know what this guy was going for, but he didn't make it in time." The woman said gently. "He got stopped before anything violating could happen. Trust me, I've seen rape cases before, son, and I can tell if any acts have been committed. There are slight signs and changes in the woman's body to indicate anything, especially in a virgin...although, I never make assumptions. I looked her over and..."
"Oh my God, then she's ok." Locke said flatly, and she nodded.
"Yes, she is just very exhausted physically and emotionally."
"Oh, Celes..." Locke moaned, and leaned his head on her lap again. "Oh...God...I..."
"Locke." Terra said from the doorway, and he jumped up.
"Yes?" He asked.
"I think we should go home and treat Celes' wounds." Terra said nervously. "Did she...?"
"Nothing happened." Locke said in an almost happy tone, and Terra let out a breath of relief.
"Goodness...then lets take her home." Terra said.
"You know Terra, you are more then welcome to stay with us for the rest of the week." Locke offered. "I owe you everything....for saving Celes..."
"Thank you Locke, but you don't owe me a thing." Terra said. "I love Celes just as much as you do, and I would do anything for her. However, I will take you up on your offer, because honestly...I don't feel comfortable here."
"That's understandable." Locke said, and scooped Celes up into his arms carefully. "Do you mind if I go on ahead to the house?"
"I'll get my stuff and meet you there." Terra smiled softly.
"Thank you." Locke said, and as he passed by her, he gave her a look that said more thanks than any one person could possibly say with words. With that, he left Terra and the inn behind, making his way slowly back home with his fallen angel in his arms.
"Oh, my, is this stuck?" She heard Terra question loudly. "Celes, can you get the door for me?"
"Terra, HELP!" Celes cried, and began to choke back tears as he growled at her.
"So, your name is Celes, huh?" He smirked. "Pretty interesting. I'm Kojiro, by the way. I guess it will be helpful for you to know my name once we're on our way out of here."
"No way!" Celes cried, and spat in his face. "We're not going anywhere!"
He laughed as Terra started to scream "Celes, CELES! What's going on!? I can't get out!" There was a thumping at the door, as if Terra were banging her small fists on it.
"Hmmm..." Kojiro murmured, and looked Celes up and down. "Come to think of it, you may not even be good enough for us. I may have to leave you here. We only invest in high quality women..."
Oh my God, he's going to let me go. Celes thought, and closed her eyes. Please, let me go...
"But we'll just have to find out right now, won't we?" Kojiro sneered, and began to lift up Celes' dress with his freezing hand, while keeping the other placed firmly around her neck.
"Noooooo!" Celes cried, and screamed as loud as she could as he slid his hand up her thigh and to her panties. Just as he began to tug them down, Celes summoned all of the strength she had left and raised her leg up high, and then slammed her foot down onto Kojiro's. He let out a yelp and violently slammed the crushed foot into Celes' stomach. She gasped for air and doubled over, except his hand was still tight around her neck, which didn't help her breathing situation at all.
"You little bitch!" Kojiro cried, and kicked at Celes again, his foot connecting with her legs, making them collapse from under her. He released her neck as she slumped to the floor, the pain, Kojiro's laughter, and Terra's screaming all ringing in her ears at once. Celes moaned and tried to push herself up, but her arms were so shakey, they gave in quickly, and she hit the floor again, stomach down.
Kojiro, however, quickly jerked her up by the ties on the back of her sundress, causing one of them to rip. All the pressure his hand put on the other strap made it dig into Celes' skin as he yanked her to a standing up position. Weary, Celes found she couldn't even attempt to fight back when he slammed her against the wall again, making a loud pounding sound when her head hit the wall. Through half-open eyes she could see the strap of her dress dangling down over her chest, and if it were tugged down anymore, half of her chest would be exposed.
"Please...let me go..." Celes moaned, and he backhanded her cheek in reply. She could now feel blood dripping down her cheek from a sharp ring he was wearing, and she heard the sound of his dagger being drawn. But the feelings and sounds didn't register completely into her brain. She found no desire to try to save herself. Everything in the room was slowly being enclosed in a foggy darkness, and Celes wanted to be in it too. She just wanted it to end quickly.
"Now, bitch, you're going to keep still, or else there isn't going to be anything of you left to use." Kojiro said, his spit flying through his clenched teeth and hitting Celes in the face. She tried to open her eyes all the way to glare at him, but could only open them halfway before he slid his hand and now also the dagger up her leg. He trailed the blade along her skin, and soon, blood was trailing down her leg and landing in drips on the floor. He easily slit apart the sides of her panties with the dagger, which was what sent Celes into the numbing shock she suddenly lusted for. Her eyes began to close as she lost her grip on conscienceness, and her lifeless body slumped over right into Kojiro's arms.
"Celes!" Terra cried, and turned an angry shade of red. She was pissed off now. She ran back to the end of the hallway she was trapped in, and gathered all of her Esper's strength that she had inherited from her father. She was going to get out of here, one way or another.
With that, Terra let out a yelp and ran down the hallway screaming. She took a flying leap at the last second and slammed into the door, making it instantly give in to her brute force. It slammed open, and Terra arrived on the scene, breathless, but there. She spotted Kojiro with Celes limp in his arms, and glared at him hatefully.
"You're going down, bastard!" Terra screamed, and ran over, dealing out another flying kick. Kojiro turned around just long enough to see the burning rage in Terra's normally peaceful eyes. Terra's foot connected to his jaw, and Kojiro went flying back, dropping Celes on the floor. Terra grabbed him by the arm and swung him around so that he smacked up against the wall, and she pinned him there, her chest heaving with her hard breathing. She noticed he had dropped his knife back when she kicked him, so he was of no threat to her.
"Hey, lady, lighten up." Kojiro sneered, and Terra swung a punch at him, her fist making a sickening cracking sound against his nose. Kojiro screamed and grabbed his nose to protect it from further damage, but Terra had already taken another swing, knocking him out for the day. Kojiro hit the floor, and Terra immediately bent down to Celes, picking her up. Her leg and cheek were bleeding, not to mention that her clothes had been totally destroyed, and she had another person's blood smeared all over her arm. Terra also noticed the dead Innkeeper, and closed her eyes, standing up with Celes and walking over to the waiting couch in the room. She set Celes down on the couch and immediately searched Kojiro for the key she needed. When she found it, she unlocked the Inn doors, only to find many villiagers standing right outside it.
"Please, get the police, anything." Terra instructed, while wringing her hands nervously. "Inside there is a robber who is knocked out, and a girl he attacked on the couch. Will someone watch over the girl while I go and get her fiancee'?"
"I will!" One slightly plump woman exclaimed in a red dress and apron. "I'm trained in medical care! Perhaps I can be of assistance!"
"I"ll help too, I'm her husband." A tall man with a beard exclaimed.
"Thank you kindly." Terra said, and took off running as fast as her legs could take her to Locke's house. She burst through the door as soon as she got to it, and ran into the kitchen, where Locke was setting out dishes. He took one look at Terra and widened his eyes.
"What!?" He cried, and went over to her, grabbing her shoulders. "Where is Celes? Why do you look like that?"
"Celes...she..." Terra trailed off, and felt her heroic high smoldering away. Locke looked like he was about to have a heart attack though, so Terra took a deep breath and looked at her feet.
"Celes was attacked while we were at the Inn." Terra murmured. "I told her to wait for me while I put my dress away. But while I was gone, some weirdo guy came in and locked all the doors. While I was struggling to get out to her, Celes started crying and screaming for help. I couldn't get to her in time though...." Terra trailed off and took a deep breath.
"What!?" Locke cried, and grabbed Terra's hand. "Come on, we have to get to her! Unless..." He blinked and looked at her. "Wait, you didn't finish."
"I know I didn't." Terra said softly. "I don't really know what happened after that. When I got to her, she was out cold, her dress was ripped, and....there was blood...going down her legs...and....oh....God...." Terra turned pale and felt like she was about to pass out. It was right then that she realized what might have happened to Celes.
"Oh my God." Locke said, and took off from the house. Terra moaned and ran after him, ignoring the dizziness in her mind and the jello-like feeling she had in her legs. She ran down the road again to the Inn, though Locke had already beaten her there. There were police guards here now, although only a few. Two of them held onto Kojiro, who was still out of it. Locke pushed inside the Inn, and Terra approached a guard.
"Well?! What did you find out?" She cried.
"We've been looking for this guy a long time." He replied, running his fingers through his hair. "He's apart of this clan that is supposed to be residing in the Southern Continent, but apparently, the police were on them too, and he escaped up here. This is a bad group...they're into heavy slave- trading and selling, and they're not afraid to be violent. You're lucky your friend is alive, although I can't say the same for this poor Innkeeper here. Apparently, the thug had been staying at this inn, and stole the keys one night so he could do this. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bad luck."
"Bad luck?" Terra asked, and shook her head. "I'd call it more then that."
Locke walked inside the inn and looked around. A few police guards were behind the counter, looking over something Locke could not directly see, and two people were surrounding a small couch in a corner. Locke approached them and saw Celes on the couch, her face pale and bleeding. He gasped, and kneeled down to her, hot tears coming to his eyes.
"Celes!!!" He cried, and burried his head in her lap, starting to sniffle and cry. He could not believe this had happened to her. He just couldn't. Celes to him, was invisible. Nothing was supposed to harm her again now that he was by her side. But no, he didn't go with her, and something terrible happened...he didn't even think about going with her. Was that selfish? Locke's thoughts hit him all at once, and suddenly a wave of nausea overcame him.
"You should calm down..." A woman said from beside him. Locke lifted his head and looked at the chubby woman.
"CALM DOWN?!" He screamed, and clenched his eyes shut, trying to cut off the tears. "Look at her! How can anyone fucking calm down after something like this!?"
The woman didn't look angry at all. The man that was with her decided to make his exit now, and walked back outside.
"She is not as bad as she seems." The woman offered. "I'm a nurse, and I looked her over. There is a cut on her cheek from what looks like a ring, and a long cut on her legs from a knife of some sort. That's where all that blood is coming from."
"You mean..." Locke trailed off.
"I know what this guy was going for, but he didn't make it in time." The woman said gently. "He got stopped before anything violating could happen. Trust me, I've seen rape cases before, son, and I can tell if any acts have been committed. There are slight signs and changes in the woman's body to indicate anything, especially in a virgin...although, I never make assumptions. I looked her over and..."
"Oh my God, then she's ok." Locke said flatly, and she nodded.
"Yes, she is just very exhausted physically and emotionally."
"Oh, Celes..." Locke moaned, and leaned his head on her lap again. "Oh...God...I..."
"Locke." Terra said from the doorway, and he jumped up.
"Yes?" He asked.
"I think we should go home and treat Celes' wounds." Terra said nervously. "Did she...?"
"Nothing happened." Locke said in an almost happy tone, and Terra let out a breath of relief.
"Goodness...then lets take her home." Terra said.
"You know Terra, you are more then welcome to stay with us for the rest of the week." Locke offered. "I owe you everything....for saving Celes..."
"Thank you Locke, but you don't owe me a thing." Terra said. "I love Celes just as much as you do, and I would do anything for her. However, I will take you up on your offer, because honestly...I don't feel comfortable here."
"That's understandable." Locke said, and scooped Celes up into his arms carefully. "Do you mind if I go on ahead to the house?"
"I'll get my stuff and meet you there." Terra smiled softly.
"Thank you." Locke said, and as he passed by her, he gave her a look that said more thanks than any one person could possibly say with words. With that, he left Terra and the inn behind, making his way slowly back home with his fallen angel in his arms.