This chapter has mature contert. It was rather difficult to write.
Mature content- rape, violence, both some-what graphic.
The paramedics took Craig from my arms leaving me with my arms wide. Sitting barely alive, I was left alone surrounded by paramedics and cops. My mouth was open unable to speak, tears rolled, but I felt no emotion. I was broken, again. "Miss! Miss!" I was called over and over, paramedics shouting things I couldn't understand. I was asked over and over if I was okay, "Miss are you okay? Can you hear me?" I was broken in half and they didn't even know. I couldn't speak my voice was useless. I looked back to Craigs stretcher, and everything went black.
When I woke up, I was in the hospital. It smelled like evry hospital should smell, lifeless, and like a stale hotel room.I blinked away the bright sun shining in my face. I could see my mom sitting in the corner on a chair covering herself with a coat. She was sleeping, heavily. I struggled to sit up, I was so sore. I felt my shoulder, I was bandaged up pretty good. Craig...he couldn't be dead, this was a horrible nightmare. He was alive I know it. I couldn't live without him. I heard beeping from the room next to me, i could hear doctors trying to whisper about my neighbors condition. "His wounds weren't that deep, we had to repair quite a bit of tissue, he's lucky to have survived, when we got him he was barely alive, having passed out from blood loss." Who were they talking about? "Thank you doctors." my neighbors family member said. I had to find Craig.
I got up and ripped out the IVs from my arms, it didn't hurt. I stumbled to my doorway, checking if the coast was clear. I began to limp dtowards my neighbors room accidentally, and lost my balance. I fell right on my side and winced in pain, swearing to myself. I attempted to get up. I was facing my neighbors bed, I finally got to my feet and nearly fainted when I saw who my neighbor was. "Craig..." How could he be alive? He wasn't dead, Sean didn't kill him. I limped slowly, tears flowing, to his bed. I took his hand and sobbed. No, he was dead how could he had lived, he was too storng. I knew that when he woke up, he would kill Sean for doing this to him, but mainly doing this to me. Go figure, the wounds Sean had inflicted were shallow and to the side, barely causing Craig any tissue damage. I groan and sudden grip to my fingers startled me. I looked up at Craigs face which sitll had some blood on it. "El..." Here they came, my emotion. I tried not to move to fast, "Craigs..." I said putting a hand on his face, "I'm so sorry, thsi is my fault." His eyes were barely open and his breathing was deep and heavy. "No, it was that fuckers. He tried to hurt you, and I...couldn't let that happen." I kept tearing, "Craig, I thought you were dead!" He tried to laugh, "He was drunk Ellie, so drunk he's lucky he got the shots in he did. For a drunk though, he sure could move." He glanced at my shoulder, "He got you too?" I nodded and controlled myslef from crying. "I should be going home tomorrow. I'll be sure to visit everyday until you're out of here." I gently kissed him on the lips as he slid back into his morphine enduced sleep.
I wasn't even sure how I ended up in my bed. I woke up and the bleak hospital walls were no longer there. I looked around and I was in my old room, the one I was in before I left my mother to live with Sean. "Eleanor, you're awake!" I saw my mother strangely bright and cheerful carrying a tray of eggs and toast. "Here a nice breakfast to help you start your day. I could see in her eyes though, something was wrong. "Mom, what happened?" she looked at me and her bright smile began to fade, "Your apartment, was ransacked. Sean is still on the loose and the police cannot find him." I shifted uneasliy. "But, what about Craig what if he comes back for me, or him?" She placed the try on my nightstand and took a seat on the foot of my bed. "Ele-Honey...they have security for Craig,a dn I promise you you're well protected here." My shoulder was throbbing so she handed me pain killers and left. I sat in my room slowly going insane. Ashley was no longer my friend so I couldn't talk to her, I had no one, only Craig. I couldn't stand it. I threw off my covers and slipped into some sweatpants and a long sleeved shirt carefully, I had a sling so it was hard to manuever. Quickly brushing my hair I slowly walked downstairs, my mom was out at the store, protection...huh. I Looked out side to see a police car sitting in my street looking out, they saw me and waved I waved back. Okay, so I was being protected. Looking around the front room I saw flowers, card, bears, magazines, and more. One card was from Ashley, she said she didn't care about what had happened while she was gone, she just prayed to god Craig and I were okay, I had to talk to her. I grabbed the housekey and walked onto the proch where I was suddenly face to face with a cop. "Miss, we're here to protect you are you okay?" I nodded, "I'm just going down the street to see a friend, is that okay?" They nodded saying they'd be behind me in the car.
I walked up the stoop unsure of what I'd say to her. Taking a breath I rose my fist to tap lightly on the door when it swung open. "Ellie!" Ashley said shocked to see me. I looked her up and down she was half naked holding a sheet to herself. Dumbfounded I didn't know what to say, I couldn't stop stammering. "I-is this a bad-" I cleared my throat, "time?" She looked at me with a face that said , "well no shit". She looked at me nervous, what was she hiding. Curious I crossed my arms, "Who are you with?" She looked down. "Ellie, I'm not with anyone." You scared the crap out of me, I just woke up when I heard someone come up the stoop." She looked pale. "Can I come in?" I said already stepping inside, waving to the officers waiting behind me.
She held the sheet close to her, but I could still see the fingered bruises formed around her throat, the tiny scrapes that formed around her neck, the way she walked seemed off. I slowly pushed it down. "Ashley, who did this" She looked up trying not to cry. "I...I was at The Dot." She seemed to trail off. "I walked out angrily after hearing about your birthday, so I took my usual route down the alley home." We found a place to sit and she took in a deep breath. I could picture her, hands shoved in her pockets, her eyebrows furried with anger and sadness. Then someone coming in close. "He came up behind me..."
Flashback-Ashleys POV
I felt his hands grasp my shoulders, and I was so shocked, I couldn't scream. I was slammed against the wall of the alleyway. I saw who it was and began to scream, it wasn't long before a hand clasped around my mouth. I looked around frantically the crimson sky turning a deep purple. I looked around for anyone to help me. "Shut up, I won't hurt you Ashley, besides, I've always had a thing for you." I could smell the stench of vodka and cigarettes, a cheap whore house, a drunken ex-love. I felt a hand run up my thigh, closer and closer it crept up my skirt. I felt his fingers feel under my panties and go in me. I began to squirm and shriek. "No!" The noise erupted from me, I was crying, but I couldn't move. He threw me to the ground and pinned me down. I saw his face in the speckled light that surrounded us from the street lights. Sean Cameron, was assaulting me. "Your boyfriend, is with my girlfriend. WHYISTHAT!" He slurred into my ears, practically spitting the words. I shook my head frantically, "Please Sean...don't." He looked down struggling to stay up, "I can't have her, he does. So I'll take you." My eyes widened, and I began to kick and yelp, sobbing. He pinned me hard and spread my legs. I felt him rip off my panties and throw up my skirt. "No!" I yelled from beneath his hand. I cryed into the gravel and dirt that now dug into my back, smearing in my face from the tears. He pulled out a condom and I flailed some more. I cried so much my vision became somewhat blurry. I saw him take three of his fingers and he thrust them into me, I cried to myself now, knowing it was no use screaming anymore. "Oh, so he did get to you first," he brought his face close to mine hissing into my ears, "I guess he wouldn't want a loose slut like you, so he took my sweet Ellie." I sobbed as he thrust his fist inside me. I winced and began to feel blood. I could feel him getting warm and he showed himself to me, "See this bitch? This is yours." He thrust himself in me, hard. I began to sob uncontrollably. He threw me over and got me from behind, shoving anything he found in me. He found a stick and just didn't care how he got off. He pulled out before he came and threw of the condom still holding it in. He brought it close to my face and let it out. He punched me and kicked me, and pulled up his pants. I can still hear the zipper in my head. I lay on the ground unable to speak, dirty, bloody, ashamed. I turned over beginning to sob, as I watched him walk back to his heap, and drive away.
I lay in the cold alley, until I heard the sirens. I looked down towards the highway and saw the ambulances begin to slow up. I couldn't cry for help, I was weak. I let him do this to me. I collapsed in the street and a cop found me. He took em to the hospital and I got examined, I pleaded for secrecy to only my family and I, that it was Sean Cameron, that I was ashamed. They re-assured me it wasn't my fault. When I got home, I found out what had happend. I heard about what Sean did and I cried, it was my fault. I was a slut. Crawling into my bed, I didn't come out.
End of Flashback
Ashley was sobbing into my shoulder. I held her, angry at what Sean had done. The bastard, how could he. He hurt people in very serious ways. His own childish rage. I needed to find him, and make him pay. We sat on her stairs, her cries filling the house, we sat there until she couldn't cry anymore.