Thank you all for the feedback! Glad you're enjoying the ride! Any and all
comments are welcome. Yes, even if you think something sucks.
Enjoy!
Anna
Chapter 5
He stands on a narrow street, the air heavy with the scent of flowers, as if the occupants of the houses try to hide the peeling paint and comparative poverty with blossoms. He stares at the house; its yard tousled, fraying chain link fence open, clay shingles missing so the rain drips on his bed at night. Home. Dim memories zip by too quickly for him to decipher, so he absorbs them, allows them to illuminate some inner darkness like fireflies, then releases them to vanish into the night.
*Mom will wonder where I am. Dad will beat me for missing curfew.* The thought comes from some distant place.
He finds himself moving. He has to get into bed before he's discovered missing. He smoothes through the shadows to the side of the small house and feels the bottom edge of the window. Somehow he knows it doesn't close all the way. The lock is broken. It's always been broken.
The window slides up with little effort, squealing softly like a protesting mouse. He freezes, listening for voices inside, for any tiny sound that signals he's been caught. Only the leaves swishing above his head and the bird-call-squeak of a branch scraping against wood fill his ears.
He throws a leg over and steps inside.
In the dimness, he stumbles and can't find his bed. It should be against the wall, near the window, draped in the threadbare blanket that doesn't cover his feet when he pulls it up to his chin.
Finally, he finds the bed on the opposite wall, where the dresser should be. He doesn't wonder how it moved. Dad was always ripping his room apart looking for hidden transgressions even when there were none to find.
He perches on the edge of the bed, soaking in the softness, the sweet scent of clean cotton sheets, and lies down, snuggling against his big warm pillow.
Something next to him squirms, wriggles. Silken hair falls across his face in a spray that smells like bubble gum. He gasps in confusion.
*Someone in my bed?*
A small hand hits his side. The hair slides from his face as the warm body next to him sits up.
An inhaled breath. A pause. Suddenly...
"Daddy!" comes the ear-splitting scream.
**
Three figures disengaged themselves from the darkness like melting ice slipping down to glide in a circle around him.
"Aw, guys," Seth said, holding his hands out defensively. "I don't mean to tread on your turf or sacred ground or anything here. I'm just looking for my brother. Kind of a quest if you like."
"You got any money in there, snowflake?" one asked, gaze slicing through the thin jacket Seth wore.
"Nope. No, no money. Wish I did 'cause I can see you guys can all use a cup of coffee or..." He floundered, mind clawing for a means of escape from the three muscular young men. "A strong beer or...something." Hopefully not something that would make them crazed and homicidal. The one with the most scars on his face took a step closer and grabbed Seth's arm, snatching him from his skateboard. Another stepped around him and kicked his skateboard aside. It rolled a few feet and stopped, as if waiting for him.
"Now, wait, WAIT! I don't put up much of a fight. I never have. So where's the fun in beating up some destitute slob who can't fight back, huh? Come on, guys."
The one gripping his arm leaned close enough that Seth could smell pizza on his breath. "We're bored, wimp. Bored and we don't like trespassers on our block."
Seth babbled a reply, uncertain he was even using words, certain he was about to die.
The roar of a car approached. It zipped past them and vanished as the road curved down the block. A siren echoed eerily in the near distance, growing louder. Seth peered over pizza-breath's shoulder and saw the dancing lights of a police cruiser careening toward them. Pizza- breath released him suddenly.
Seth whirled, instinct making him leap on his board and fling himself down the street as fast as he could. The cruiser whipped past him in a gust of oily air.
Distantly, he heard the cussing of the trio behind him turn to laughter. He assumed they made a joke about the weak coward running away.
"No Scooby snacks for you, Cohen," he muttered, skating along the curve of the street as it turned into another, seedier block, and trying not to think about his narrow escape.
**
As Grant threw his body down on her, Summer brought her foot up at the last moment, scooting backward on her butt to find leverage with her back against the door.
He grunted and cursed and as her spike heel pierced his jacket. Backing up for a moment, he whipped it off. She raked her nails across his face, going for his eyes, tangling his hand inside the jacket. He roared and head butted her. Stars exploded before her eyes and she fell back, flat on the seat. He flung the jacket into the back seat and she felt cold fingers grasp her ankle. He yanked her closer so that she laid prone, knees on either side of his hips. He pressed his body to hers.
No! She wriggled, trying to get her hands up to claw him again. He used his body weight to pin her arm down across her boy between them. She couldn't raise her hands. But she could still move them a little.
"Grant, please don't do this," she begged.
He rose up a little and opened the glove box with one hand.
She used the momentary respite to wriggle her hand to his crotch, taking his swollen manhood in her fingers. He moaned.
"That's better. You going to cooperate now like a good little slut?"
"Uh, huh," she lied, tears coursing down her cheeks. Let him think she was scared. Let him think she was giving up. Let him think she was going along with him. He rubbed himself on her hand and she moved her fingers until she could cup him.
Suddenly, she curved her fingers and plunged her nails into him through the think fabric of his jeans, gripping as hard as she could.
He wailed in surprise, then whimpered and sank his teeth into her shoulder. She screamed in pain. The world hazed to red around her.
When he raised his head his teeth sparkled crimson in the dashboard lights. His face was transformed, not the handsome dark-haired man with dewy eyes, but a gorgon with fangs that dripped blood. "Good thing I wore Levis," he snarled.
Then he raised his hand. A needle flashed in the light from the streetlamps as he lifted it above the level of the window. He plunged it down. It bit into her neck and a slight burning crept through her veins. She screamed again. Her finger convulsed in his crotch. She twisted as hard as she could.
He howled in pain and reared up from her. She kicked out, reached up and knocked the syringe from her neck. Fluid spewed from the needle as it bounced from the dashboard.
Then the world fogged. His panting seemed to echo and expand around her.
"Damn, you didn't get all of it. But, I think you got enough." His voice pulsed around her, seeming to come from a great distance. "You know, Valium works on the central nervous system, Summer my dear. Fast. Soon you'll be asleep or so zoned out; you'll do whatever I say." He laughed maniacally.
Dimly, she felt his hands sneak up her thighs, heard his muttered epitaphs and the way he damned her for her trying to defend herself. Her ears filled with the rushing of her own blood pumping slowly through her veins. Summoning the last of her coherence, she shrieked for help, raising her hand to beat weakly on the window.
TBC.
Note: Valium can make a person fall asleep, or be groggy, zoned out, slightly incoherent and nauseous, depending on how much they get and how their particular system reacts to it. Believe me. I had it for back pain a few weeks ago. Never again, hopefully.
Anna
Chapter 5
He stands on a narrow street, the air heavy with the scent of flowers, as if the occupants of the houses try to hide the peeling paint and comparative poverty with blossoms. He stares at the house; its yard tousled, fraying chain link fence open, clay shingles missing so the rain drips on his bed at night. Home. Dim memories zip by too quickly for him to decipher, so he absorbs them, allows them to illuminate some inner darkness like fireflies, then releases them to vanish into the night.
*Mom will wonder where I am. Dad will beat me for missing curfew.* The thought comes from some distant place.
He finds himself moving. He has to get into bed before he's discovered missing. He smoothes through the shadows to the side of the small house and feels the bottom edge of the window. Somehow he knows it doesn't close all the way. The lock is broken. It's always been broken.
The window slides up with little effort, squealing softly like a protesting mouse. He freezes, listening for voices inside, for any tiny sound that signals he's been caught. Only the leaves swishing above his head and the bird-call-squeak of a branch scraping against wood fill his ears.
He throws a leg over and steps inside.
In the dimness, he stumbles and can't find his bed. It should be against the wall, near the window, draped in the threadbare blanket that doesn't cover his feet when he pulls it up to his chin.
Finally, he finds the bed on the opposite wall, where the dresser should be. He doesn't wonder how it moved. Dad was always ripping his room apart looking for hidden transgressions even when there were none to find.
He perches on the edge of the bed, soaking in the softness, the sweet scent of clean cotton sheets, and lies down, snuggling against his big warm pillow.
Something next to him squirms, wriggles. Silken hair falls across his face in a spray that smells like bubble gum. He gasps in confusion.
*Someone in my bed?*
A small hand hits his side. The hair slides from his face as the warm body next to him sits up.
An inhaled breath. A pause. Suddenly...
"Daddy!" comes the ear-splitting scream.
**
Three figures disengaged themselves from the darkness like melting ice slipping down to glide in a circle around him.
"Aw, guys," Seth said, holding his hands out defensively. "I don't mean to tread on your turf or sacred ground or anything here. I'm just looking for my brother. Kind of a quest if you like."
"You got any money in there, snowflake?" one asked, gaze slicing through the thin jacket Seth wore.
"Nope. No, no money. Wish I did 'cause I can see you guys can all use a cup of coffee or..." He floundered, mind clawing for a means of escape from the three muscular young men. "A strong beer or...something." Hopefully not something that would make them crazed and homicidal. The one with the most scars on his face took a step closer and grabbed Seth's arm, snatching him from his skateboard. Another stepped around him and kicked his skateboard aside. It rolled a few feet and stopped, as if waiting for him.
"Now, wait, WAIT! I don't put up much of a fight. I never have. So where's the fun in beating up some destitute slob who can't fight back, huh? Come on, guys."
The one gripping his arm leaned close enough that Seth could smell pizza on his breath. "We're bored, wimp. Bored and we don't like trespassers on our block."
Seth babbled a reply, uncertain he was even using words, certain he was about to die.
The roar of a car approached. It zipped past them and vanished as the road curved down the block. A siren echoed eerily in the near distance, growing louder. Seth peered over pizza-breath's shoulder and saw the dancing lights of a police cruiser careening toward them. Pizza- breath released him suddenly.
Seth whirled, instinct making him leap on his board and fling himself down the street as fast as he could. The cruiser whipped past him in a gust of oily air.
Distantly, he heard the cussing of the trio behind him turn to laughter. He assumed they made a joke about the weak coward running away.
"No Scooby snacks for you, Cohen," he muttered, skating along the curve of the street as it turned into another, seedier block, and trying not to think about his narrow escape.
**
As Grant threw his body down on her, Summer brought her foot up at the last moment, scooting backward on her butt to find leverage with her back against the door.
He grunted and cursed and as her spike heel pierced his jacket. Backing up for a moment, he whipped it off. She raked her nails across his face, going for his eyes, tangling his hand inside the jacket. He roared and head butted her. Stars exploded before her eyes and she fell back, flat on the seat. He flung the jacket into the back seat and she felt cold fingers grasp her ankle. He yanked her closer so that she laid prone, knees on either side of his hips. He pressed his body to hers.
No! She wriggled, trying to get her hands up to claw him again. He used his body weight to pin her arm down across her boy between them. She couldn't raise her hands. But she could still move them a little.
"Grant, please don't do this," she begged.
He rose up a little and opened the glove box with one hand.
She used the momentary respite to wriggle her hand to his crotch, taking his swollen manhood in her fingers. He moaned.
"That's better. You going to cooperate now like a good little slut?"
"Uh, huh," she lied, tears coursing down her cheeks. Let him think she was scared. Let him think she was giving up. Let him think she was going along with him. He rubbed himself on her hand and she moved her fingers until she could cup him.
Suddenly, she curved her fingers and plunged her nails into him through the think fabric of his jeans, gripping as hard as she could.
He wailed in surprise, then whimpered and sank his teeth into her shoulder. She screamed in pain. The world hazed to red around her.
When he raised his head his teeth sparkled crimson in the dashboard lights. His face was transformed, not the handsome dark-haired man with dewy eyes, but a gorgon with fangs that dripped blood. "Good thing I wore Levis," he snarled.
Then he raised his hand. A needle flashed in the light from the streetlamps as he lifted it above the level of the window. He plunged it down. It bit into her neck and a slight burning crept through her veins. She screamed again. Her finger convulsed in his crotch. She twisted as hard as she could.
He howled in pain and reared up from her. She kicked out, reached up and knocked the syringe from her neck. Fluid spewed from the needle as it bounced from the dashboard.
Then the world fogged. His panting seemed to echo and expand around her.
"Damn, you didn't get all of it. But, I think you got enough." His voice pulsed around her, seeming to come from a great distance. "You know, Valium works on the central nervous system, Summer my dear. Fast. Soon you'll be asleep or so zoned out; you'll do whatever I say." He laughed maniacally.
Dimly, she felt his hands sneak up her thighs, heard his muttered epitaphs and the way he damned her for her trying to defend herself. Her ears filled with the rushing of her own blood pumping slowly through her veins. Summoning the last of her coherence, she shrieked for help, raising her hand to beat weakly on the window.
TBC.
Note: Valium can make a person fall asleep, or be groggy, zoned out, slightly incoherent and nauseous, depending on how much they get and how their particular system reacts to it. Believe me. I had it for back pain a few weeks ago. Never again, hopefully.
Anna