WARNING: This chapter is a flashback and may be quite disturbing to a wide
range of audiences. I must stress how hard and upsetting it was for me to
write this chapter. It is Charlotte's flashback and involves strong adult
scenes. Please do not read if you are underage. The rating for the entire
story will be changed due to the themes in this chapter. In advance I am
sorry if this offends some readers.
The Tavern was filled with smoke and a strong smell of alcohol. Charlotte laughed with three of her mates in one of the booths up the back of the building. Suzanne, William, James and Charlotte were the only people left from the huge celebration they had had for James and William's birthday. The boys sat either side of Charlotte as Suzanne stood and continued with her entertaining account of the day's events.
"But then, right, he comes back and says sorry love I must have got the names mixed." The gang burst into laughter again and ended with a cheer as the final round of drinks arrived. The three beers were passed around and Charlotte took her glass of water.
"I think I should be going soon." Charlotte said as she emptied her glass.
"Aw, don't go Charlie." William hiccuped as he talked. "It's a party."
"No, I got the weekend off to finish the paint job on my bedroom, so I better go." James stood up to let Charlotte out of the booth.
"I shall escort the fair Miss Beaumont home." He said as he helped her put on her coat.
"James, you should stay here. It's your birthday. I can get home by myself."
"No, Charlotte these two are too much for me. Besides I want to go home." He stumbled sideways as he spoke.
"I think you've had enough to drink anyway." Charlotte laughed as she pulled him back onto his feet. "I'll escort you home instead Mr Harris."
"I'd be delighted, your majesty." James took a step backwards and bowed so low that Charlotte thought he would lose his balance again.
"Okay, lets go. Bye guys." She waved as she took hold of James and led him to the car park. James put up a fight getting into the car and gave a thrilling speech on why the men should drive the women home after a night out. Charlotte finally won the battle by telling him it was her car and she got to choose who drove it.
It only took a twenty-five minute drive to get to Hunter Ave. and James was so thrilled that she had known the way to his house. He was amazed that she knew exactly where the spare key was and started asking question after question. Charlotte shut the front door and led James to the kitchen. "You've got to have a big glass of water James so you won't have a killer hangover in the morning." She watched as he drank it all and then went to his bedroom to find his winter pj's.
"Charlotte." James whispered eerily as he walked down the hallway. "Charlotte." He almost sang her name to a silent tune.
"I'm in the bedroom James." Charlotte yelled and made her way to the bed. She moved the pillows for the moment and pulled away the covers. James slid into the room silently and moved his arms around Charlotte's waist. Before she knew what was going on James had spun her around and she landed on her back across the bed. "That's not funny James." Charlotte said as she attempted to get up, but James pushed her back down on to the bed and held her there. "James, let me up please."
"I don't want you to go Charlotte." James whispered in her ear. "I can't live without you."
"James, you've had your laugh now let me up." Charlotte was trying her best not to panic. This was her friend after all. He'd joked like this before, heck, he'd jumped off a roof when they were in high-school and pretended to be dead. There was nothing to be worried about.
"You can't leave now Charlotte." She shivered as she felt his hand move up the outside of her leg. "The party's only just beginning."
"Stop it James, you're scaring me." James was holding her wrists with one hand while the other undid her belt. "James please." Charlotte whispered as tears slid down her cheeks.
"You broke my heart." James said as her moved his mouth to hers. "You owe me a kiss sweetheart." Charlotte wanted to hold her mouth shut but she couldn't. Something inside her was screaming that if she just let him kiss her then it would all be over. She could feel his warm tongue in her mouth as he kissed her. Full of passion, full of hunger. But anyone can tell a one sided kiss. James got up on his knees and shook his head. "You can't even give an I.O.U worth waiting for. BITCH." He slapped her hard across the face.
Charlotte cried out it pain as his cold hand came down on her face. She lay there motionless. Praying that he would just go away. That someone would come to the door or ring on the phone. She could feel her jeans sliding down her legs. Her eyes were firmly closed while her mind tried to think of something else. James was slowly undoing the buttons on her shirt and Charlotte could feel him kissing her bare skin with each button that came undone. Life seemed to be slipping away with every move that he made. He had let go of her wrists. Charlotte moved her fists to her eyes and cried into them. She could feel him all over her. For the first time ever she witnessed something so beautiful become so painful. But even worse was that she experienced it first-hand. Charlotte bit her lower lip as she felt him inside her. Her fists tightened with every painful thrust. Something warm trickled from the palm of her hands onto her cheeks and mixed with her tears. But she didn't pay attention. Her mind was focused on the pain in her heart, the pain of his hands gripping onto her hips, the pain of him on top of her.
It was half an hour before he fell asleep beside her on the bed. As soon as she knew he was in a deep sleep Charlotte got up off the bed, picked up her clothes and crept out of the bedroom. She got dressed and quickly made her way out to her car. She drove as fast as she could home. Her heart beating hard in her chest. Tears streaked with blood from her hands ran down her face. The blood wouldn't stop. Every time she wiped away a tear she could feel the blood being smeared across her cheek. Once home she managed to get herself out of the car and into the house with no problem. She ran into the bathroom threw off her clothes and turned on the shower. That's where she stayed. The cold water ran down her body as she sat there crying in the corner. Using a scrubbing brush she washed her whole body until it was red- raw. But she still sat there. No matter how long she sat under the water, she felt dirty and sticky.
Throughout the house everything was quiet. But there was a soft noise coming from the bedroom. A figure was huddled up in the bed, blonde hair covering her face. She lay still. Her mind was far away, but the only sound came from her lips. "Hush little baby don't say a word. Papa's gonna buy you a mocking bird, and if that mockingbird don't sing. Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring, and if that diamond ring don't spark. Papa's gonna buy."
The Tavern was filled with smoke and a strong smell of alcohol. Charlotte laughed with three of her mates in one of the booths up the back of the building. Suzanne, William, James and Charlotte were the only people left from the huge celebration they had had for James and William's birthday. The boys sat either side of Charlotte as Suzanne stood and continued with her entertaining account of the day's events.
"But then, right, he comes back and says sorry love I must have got the names mixed." The gang burst into laughter again and ended with a cheer as the final round of drinks arrived. The three beers were passed around and Charlotte took her glass of water.
"I think I should be going soon." Charlotte said as she emptied her glass.
"Aw, don't go Charlie." William hiccuped as he talked. "It's a party."
"No, I got the weekend off to finish the paint job on my bedroom, so I better go." James stood up to let Charlotte out of the booth.
"I shall escort the fair Miss Beaumont home." He said as he helped her put on her coat.
"James, you should stay here. It's your birthday. I can get home by myself."
"No, Charlotte these two are too much for me. Besides I want to go home." He stumbled sideways as he spoke.
"I think you've had enough to drink anyway." Charlotte laughed as she pulled him back onto his feet. "I'll escort you home instead Mr Harris."
"I'd be delighted, your majesty." James took a step backwards and bowed so low that Charlotte thought he would lose his balance again.
"Okay, lets go. Bye guys." She waved as she took hold of James and led him to the car park. James put up a fight getting into the car and gave a thrilling speech on why the men should drive the women home after a night out. Charlotte finally won the battle by telling him it was her car and she got to choose who drove it.
It only took a twenty-five minute drive to get to Hunter Ave. and James was so thrilled that she had known the way to his house. He was amazed that she knew exactly where the spare key was and started asking question after question. Charlotte shut the front door and led James to the kitchen. "You've got to have a big glass of water James so you won't have a killer hangover in the morning." She watched as he drank it all and then went to his bedroom to find his winter pj's.
"Charlotte." James whispered eerily as he walked down the hallway. "Charlotte." He almost sang her name to a silent tune.
"I'm in the bedroom James." Charlotte yelled and made her way to the bed. She moved the pillows for the moment and pulled away the covers. James slid into the room silently and moved his arms around Charlotte's waist. Before she knew what was going on James had spun her around and she landed on her back across the bed. "That's not funny James." Charlotte said as she attempted to get up, but James pushed her back down on to the bed and held her there. "James, let me up please."
"I don't want you to go Charlotte." James whispered in her ear. "I can't live without you."
"James, you've had your laugh now let me up." Charlotte was trying her best not to panic. This was her friend after all. He'd joked like this before, heck, he'd jumped off a roof when they were in high-school and pretended to be dead. There was nothing to be worried about.
"You can't leave now Charlotte." She shivered as she felt his hand move up the outside of her leg. "The party's only just beginning."
"Stop it James, you're scaring me." James was holding her wrists with one hand while the other undid her belt. "James please." Charlotte whispered as tears slid down her cheeks.
"You broke my heart." James said as her moved his mouth to hers. "You owe me a kiss sweetheart." Charlotte wanted to hold her mouth shut but she couldn't. Something inside her was screaming that if she just let him kiss her then it would all be over. She could feel his warm tongue in her mouth as he kissed her. Full of passion, full of hunger. But anyone can tell a one sided kiss. James got up on his knees and shook his head. "You can't even give an I.O.U worth waiting for. BITCH." He slapped her hard across the face.
Charlotte cried out it pain as his cold hand came down on her face. She lay there motionless. Praying that he would just go away. That someone would come to the door or ring on the phone. She could feel her jeans sliding down her legs. Her eyes were firmly closed while her mind tried to think of something else. James was slowly undoing the buttons on her shirt and Charlotte could feel him kissing her bare skin with each button that came undone. Life seemed to be slipping away with every move that he made. He had let go of her wrists. Charlotte moved her fists to her eyes and cried into them. She could feel him all over her. For the first time ever she witnessed something so beautiful become so painful. But even worse was that she experienced it first-hand. Charlotte bit her lower lip as she felt him inside her. Her fists tightened with every painful thrust. Something warm trickled from the palm of her hands onto her cheeks and mixed with her tears. But she didn't pay attention. Her mind was focused on the pain in her heart, the pain of his hands gripping onto her hips, the pain of him on top of her.
It was half an hour before he fell asleep beside her on the bed. As soon as she knew he was in a deep sleep Charlotte got up off the bed, picked up her clothes and crept out of the bedroom. She got dressed and quickly made her way out to her car. She drove as fast as she could home. Her heart beating hard in her chest. Tears streaked with blood from her hands ran down her face. The blood wouldn't stop. Every time she wiped away a tear she could feel the blood being smeared across her cheek. Once home she managed to get herself out of the car and into the house with no problem. She ran into the bathroom threw off her clothes and turned on the shower. That's where she stayed. The cold water ran down her body as she sat there crying in the corner. Using a scrubbing brush she washed her whole body until it was red- raw. But she still sat there. No matter how long she sat under the water, she felt dirty and sticky.
Throughout the house everything was quiet. But there was a soft noise coming from the bedroom. A figure was huddled up in the bed, blonde hair covering her face. She lay still. Her mind was far away, but the only sound came from her lips. "Hush little baby don't say a word. Papa's gonna buy you a mocking bird, and if that mockingbird don't sing. Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring, and if that diamond ring don't spark. Papa's gonna buy."