Chapter 25 - by Jouley

Aretha

When they had dragged her in, my immediate thought was that they had skinned her. They left her on her stomach in the middle of the room, and all we could do was stare in horror, watching, waiting to see if she was still alive.

She was. After a few silent moments, a soft whimpering could be heard from the spread out form before us. I turned to the girls next to me, Seal already had a tormented Beyonce in her arms and seemed somewhat reluctant to even let the younger girl see the body on the floor.

With good reason.

It seemed every square inch of the girls body was covered in blood, some dried, but most still fresh and dark. It didn't even register until I got closer, that the girl was also without any clothing.

"Gen.. " I whisper, my heart tightening as the girls head moved in response to my calling. She tried to turn to look at me, but movement caused more blood to appear, dripping down her neck and shoulder.

"Oh my word!" I gasped, having reached the girl only to see the cause of her blood loss.

She was carved up like a fucking holiday gourd. My eyes travelled in horror over her neck, down her back, following the deep lines of broken skin. "Gen.. don't move.. oh god, please dont move.."

But the girl must not have been aware enough to understand me, for she kept moving, trying to turn her body to look at me.

I watched in empathic agony as scabs were torn lose and fresh red blood began to mix with the darker, dried variety. Without much hesitation, i placed my hand on the back of the girls neck, grimacing as the blood squished underneath my grasp. My other hand I placed on her lower back, immobilizing her from trying to turn herself, but undoubtably causing her just as much pain.

"Seal.. Oh god, Seal.. Please.. Get some wet rags.. Hurry!" I called over my shoulder. As i listened to the woman behind me frantically searching, I turned attention back to Genesis.. the poor girl still moaning in a soft daze.

"It's okay, Genesis.. You're going to be okay.." I murmer, more to myself than to the girl.

As Seal comes up next to me, I can hear the reaction inside her throat as she first takes a glimpse of the young girls body. "Bastards.. Right bastards.." She says, handing me a damp towel and then looking away.

As I drag the cloth every so carefully over the girls back, there is suddenly a loud scream behind us. Beyonce must have seen.

Seal can't stay with me, she has to go back and tend to the disturbed girl. No doubt she beleives she's been cut hundreds of times herself.

Sighing, I go back to wiping away some of the dried blood off the girls now still body. As I work away the clots and scabs, fresh blood begins to rise.. But I wipe that away too.. and eventually it stems. As long as she remains still, there isn't enough pressure to cause it to rise.

"Oh my word.." I whisper, as something suddenly catches my eye. Standing up, blood soaked rag still in my hands, I gaze down at the girls back.

"It's the heartbreak! Seal.. They carved the heartbreak on her!" At this point I realize i had dropped the rag as my fingers were now covering my mouth in painful rememberance.

Was this some sort of sick joke?

Yet, something else tugged at my consciousness.. How would they have known, and in such detail, the mosiacs of the heartbreak.

Unless..

"Oh god!"

Unless the person who did it was one of us.