Chapter 13
When we finally got to the bar just after dark it was busy, the place was bustling and the atmosphere was great. Siva and me went and got a table whilst Lex got the drinks. He seemed to take a long time and when he did return it was with May not drinks.
"May!" said Siva in surprise.
"Apparently May's just on her way back to the Mall" said Lex his voice slightly raised over the noise level in the bar. I zoned out at this point, they were having a heated discussion about May and a friend of hers, I didn't really get much except we were going to pick up the friend so she could join the Mallrats. Instead of listening to the argument I watched the kids around me in the crowded bar, they were jostling and shouting but in someway I was comforted by the hustle and bustle of kids. Finally the others got up, I followed them through the packed bar out into the cool night air. We set off to where Mays friend lived just inside the forest on the edge of the city.
As we walked through the suburbs I was sure I could hear and sense someone following us but every time I turned to see if someone was there I could see nothing in the shadows and the dense fog that was settling around us limiting visibility and making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. However none of the others seemed to hear the noise behind us so I didn't say anything. The sound of our footsteps echoing along the deserted streets in the fog was unnerving and I could see Siva was clutching Lex's hand quite tight; it wasn't just me the eeriness was affecting. By the time we reached the edge of the woodlands I was a little way behind the others, the fog seemed heavy and made it difficult to walk.
May pointed to a well-worn path up through the woods "It's just up there" she said. I paused to look in trepidation at the woods that now faced me. The trees loomed up out of the darkness and fog like ghostly pillars, I really was freaked by then and I wrapped my arms protectively around myself as if to deflect anything bad that might happen. I started up the path the others had disappeared down suddenly feeling vunerable stood there on my own.
Just as I had started up the path and was into the trees I felt a hand on my shoulder and one around my waist, already completely spooked I screamed in shock and terror my mind screaming with me.
I threw my body against the hands holding me twisting, turning and writhing but I didn't manage to free myself. Spinning round to see who my attacker was I was greeted with the one face that scared me more than a mass murderer or rapist, Zoot's maniacal face watched me. I struggled against his grip still in panic.
"They can't hear you or help you" he whispered a look of terrible pleasure on his face. I stopped struggling, the energy for resistance draining out of my body in horror
"You begin to understand my true power" he told me, drawing me closer to him, I drew back in terror, my mind screamed at me to escape, to struggle but I couldn't, I was mesmerized in fear watching his face, acknowledging he could do anything he wanted with me and I couldn't stop him.
He pushed me away from himself and sent me flying to the ground off the path, the brambles and ferns there caught and pulled at me attacking my leather trousers and catching on my jacket to attack the thinner top I had on underneath to cover my bruises. Reaching me in several strides Zoot reached down to where I was sprawled in the brambles and pulled me up violently leaving my coat caught in the ferns. He pushed me against the nearest tree that loomed out of the fog and darkness pinning me with his body so my feet didn't touch the ground and the lumps on the tree pushed painfully into my back.
My mind raced but didn't tell me anything and I was numb. I could see deep into his eyes and what I saw there, the burning rage, the anger and cruelty made me feel helpless and trapped and in some strange perverse way worthless. My breath began to come in silent strangled sobs.
"Scared Ebony?" he asked bringing his face in so close it was all I could see. His hand traced down my cheek and it felt like someone was dragging a burning iron brand down it.
"No" I sobbed. If he touched me, did what he had used to. I remembered and a single solitary tear ran down my face in sorrow for my past, for what I had done and what I had been and how I had been used and in fear for the future, for what might happen to me and my helplessness in it all.
He reached up and held my chin in his hands fixing it in place. I was locked into a prison by his body, I couldn't move, I couldn't resist his attacks, I was trapped. He brought his lips down on mine. I struggled, I resisted but he held me and forced his lips on me, moving his lips and tongue through my mouth forcefully and painfully, mercilessly. It wasn't a kiss for pleasure or love; it was a kiss of pain, torture and punishment, just another cog in his machinery of cruelty. He finally pulled away leaving my mouth bruised and tender, His face was still only centimeters away from mine and I couldn't move so I couldn't see him, he was there filling all of my vision, I felt tears streaming down my face.
"You never used to fight me" he hissed "That was bad, very bad Ebony" he whispered and then with one of his sudden rages he threw my body to the ground with a force that scared me. I curled up around myself protectively crying and sobbing in fear watching him for his next move. He took a step towards me menacingly his face contorted in rage, then suddenly he stopped, turned and melted back into the trees and darkness, as if he were part of it.
I curled up shivering and sobbing, I wanted to be anywhere but that dark cold forest, wrapped in Jays arms or curled up next to my mother on our sofa but when I opened my eyes I was still in that nightmare forest. My body ached from what it had just been put through and my mouth was sore and difficult to move and I felt dirty, so dirty, as if I could never be clean again. My mind felt weak and useless and used, I hated him for doing this to me and I hated myself for letting him do this to me. I wanted to curl up and never move again.
When we finally got to the bar just after dark it was busy, the place was bustling and the atmosphere was great. Siva and me went and got a table whilst Lex got the drinks. He seemed to take a long time and when he did return it was with May not drinks.
"May!" said Siva in surprise.
"Apparently May's just on her way back to the Mall" said Lex his voice slightly raised over the noise level in the bar. I zoned out at this point, they were having a heated discussion about May and a friend of hers, I didn't really get much except we were going to pick up the friend so she could join the Mallrats. Instead of listening to the argument I watched the kids around me in the crowded bar, they were jostling and shouting but in someway I was comforted by the hustle and bustle of kids. Finally the others got up, I followed them through the packed bar out into the cool night air. We set off to where Mays friend lived just inside the forest on the edge of the city.
As we walked through the suburbs I was sure I could hear and sense someone following us but every time I turned to see if someone was there I could see nothing in the shadows and the dense fog that was settling around us limiting visibility and making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. However none of the others seemed to hear the noise behind us so I didn't say anything. The sound of our footsteps echoing along the deserted streets in the fog was unnerving and I could see Siva was clutching Lex's hand quite tight; it wasn't just me the eeriness was affecting. By the time we reached the edge of the woodlands I was a little way behind the others, the fog seemed heavy and made it difficult to walk.
May pointed to a well-worn path up through the woods "It's just up there" she said. I paused to look in trepidation at the woods that now faced me. The trees loomed up out of the darkness and fog like ghostly pillars, I really was freaked by then and I wrapped my arms protectively around myself as if to deflect anything bad that might happen. I started up the path the others had disappeared down suddenly feeling vunerable stood there on my own.
Just as I had started up the path and was into the trees I felt a hand on my shoulder and one around my waist, already completely spooked I screamed in shock and terror my mind screaming with me.
I threw my body against the hands holding me twisting, turning and writhing but I didn't manage to free myself. Spinning round to see who my attacker was I was greeted with the one face that scared me more than a mass murderer or rapist, Zoot's maniacal face watched me. I struggled against his grip still in panic.
"They can't hear you or help you" he whispered a look of terrible pleasure on his face. I stopped struggling, the energy for resistance draining out of my body in horror
"You begin to understand my true power" he told me, drawing me closer to him, I drew back in terror, my mind screamed at me to escape, to struggle but I couldn't, I was mesmerized in fear watching his face, acknowledging he could do anything he wanted with me and I couldn't stop him.
He pushed me away from himself and sent me flying to the ground off the path, the brambles and ferns there caught and pulled at me attacking my leather trousers and catching on my jacket to attack the thinner top I had on underneath to cover my bruises. Reaching me in several strides Zoot reached down to where I was sprawled in the brambles and pulled me up violently leaving my coat caught in the ferns. He pushed me against the nearest tree that loomed out of the fog and darkness pinning me with his body so my feet didn't touch the ground and the lumps on the tree pushed painfully into my back.
My mind raced but didn't tell me anything and I was numb. I could see deep into his eyes and what I saw there, the burning rage, the anger and cruelty made me feel helpless and trapped and in some strange perverse way worthless. My breath began to come in silent strangled sobs.
"Scared Ebony?" he asked bringing his face in so close it was all I could see. His hand traced down my cheek and it felt like someone was dragging a burning iron brand down it.
"No" I sobbed. If he touched me, did what he had used to. I remembered and a single solitary tear ran down my face in sorrow for my past, for what I had done and what I had been and how I had been used and in fear for the future, for what might happen to me and my helplessness in it all.
He reached up and held my chin in his hands fixing it in place. I was locked into a prison by his body, I couldn't move, I couldn't resist his attacks, I was trapped. He brought his lips down on mine. I struggled, I resisted but he held me and forced his lips on me, moving his lips and tongue through my mouth forcefully and painfully, mercilessly. It wasn't a kiss for pleasure or love; it was a kiss of pain, torture and punishment, just another cog in his machinery of cruelty. He finally pulled away leaving my mouth bruised and tender, His face was still only centimeters away from mine and I couldn't move so I couldn't see him, he was there filling all of my vision, I felt tears streaming down my face.
"You never used to fight me" he hissed "That was bad, very bad Ebony" he whispered and then with one of his sudden rages he threw my body to the ground with a force that scared me. I curled up around myself protectively crying and sobbing in fear watching him for his next move. He took a step towards me menacingly his face contorted in rage, then suddenly he stopped, turned and melted back into the trees and darkness, as if he were part of it.
I curled up shivering and sobbing, I wanted to be anywhere but that dark cold forest, wrapped in Jays arms or curled up next to my mother on our sofa but when I opened my eyes I was still in that nightmare forest. My body ached from what it had just been put through and my mouth was sore and difficult to move and I felt dirty, so dirty, as if I could never be clean again. My mind felt weak and useless and used, I hated him for doing this to me and I hated myself for letting him do this to me. I wanted to curl up and never move again.
