Second chapter of the day! Something very inspiring about rain.
Trigger warning: More violence, I'm afraid. Less language than usual, though, so... swings and roundabouts.
Disclaimer: Les Mis was never mine to lose... why regret what could not be?
She tried to stay put and give them privacy. She honestly tried. She knew Marius would be humiliated if it didn't work out and the last thing he would want would be an audience but…
That argument kept her in the car for a couple of minutes – she turned on the radio, flicking between the channels, pretending to listen to the songs on each… Who am I kidding I am not that good a person. She jumped out the car and hid behind the wall of the house next door, from where she could see Marius and Cosette talking through a large iron gate, covered by a stone arch which was keeping them out of the rain. Cosette had changed out of her sundress into a pair of hot pink Minnie Mouse pyjamas. Jesus, does she wear anything that isn't pink?
'My name is Marius Pontmercy'
'Mine's Cosette'
'Cosette…. I… I don't know what to say!'
'Me neither!'
'I'm lost… it's like a dream'
'I've never felt so awake!'
'God, I'm not freaking you out am I? I just felt like we had this connection –'
'No! I felt it too! I… I think I'll always feel it, even if you leave and never come back!'
'Why would I leave and never come back?'
'Well… you might not like me now you've met me…'
'Cosette, a single look and I knew I love you'
'I knew it too!'
'You… you love me too?!'
'Yes! Oh, I'll let you through this silly gate so we can talk properly!'
Éponine had had enough. Her heart couldn't stand much more: it was clear Marius had found his love. He would never feel the same way as her. She had really lost him. 'You can't lose someone if they were never yours' she reminded herself as she took a long, final look at them before turning away, fully intending to go back to her alleyway and cry herself to sleep. 'Why regret what couldn't be?'
It was then she saw movements in the garden of the house opposite. Movements which made her very uneasy. Movements which told her that someone didn't want to be seen.
Ducking down behind cars to stay out of sight, she made her way across the street and hid in the shadows. A quick look back at the gate of number 55 told her that Cosette was in the process of unlocking it.
Leaning flat against the wall, Éponine froze as the harsh, raspy whisper of her father reached her ears over the sound of the rain hitting the pavement. 'Right, lads. This bloke 'ere, he nicked Cosette from me an' the missus a few years back – I'm collectin' my debts. He's got summat to hide an' I wanna know what.'
'Why should I care what we're doin'? I just want my share!' That high-pitched whine had to be Claquesous, a petty thief with a suspicious talent for escaping custody.
A loud, deep, grunting roar came next, ('I WANNA SMASH 'IM') followed by shushing. 'Oh fucking hell,' she thought, 'He's brought Gueulemer. He's ready for a fight.'
She listened carefully for other voices: the gang members her father had brought with him would give an indication as to his intentions. Other than Claquesous, her father and Gueulemer, she heard only the cunning, measured tones of Brujon and the low mumbles of Babet, suggesting he was planning to trash the place, roughing the occupants up and taking what he wanted. She allowed herself a small sigh of relief – no sign of Montparnasse, so there was no killing planned for the night. This was good news and bad: good for obvious reasons, but it also meant there was no-one there she had a chance of reasoning with.
Cosette had the gate open. The men were still planning. This was her chance.
She gathered all her courage and walked into the garden of 54 Rue Plumet, blocking the exit for the five thugs.
'Who's this hussy?'
'It's ya brat Éponine, don't you know ya own kid?'
'WHY YOU HERE ÉPONINE?'
'I thought you said she ran away, Thénardier?'
Her father's piggy little eyes were full of anger, amusement and danger, and remained fixed on hers. 'I did… Well, well, well, ya want back in, do ya, ya ungrateful little shit?'
She kept her gaze fierce and her voice determined. 'I'd rather be mauled by rabid badgers.'
'I'd ratha just get ya myself, if it's all the same.'
'I'll 'ave the badgers, actually; I know where ya put ya hands.' She was surprised how quickly her accent came back – she hadn't had this broad an accent in almost a year, she'd got rid of it when she met Marius.
He had snarled, then walked towards her, menacingly. 'Out o' the way, I'll deal with ya later, I'm on a job.'
Oh no you don't. She stood her ground. 'I'm goin' nowhere, and neitha're you.'
'An' 'ow are ya plannin' on stoppin' us?'
'I'll scream.'
There was a slightly maniacal laugh from each of the men. 'THAT NOT HELP' guffawed Gueulemer stupidly.
She smirked. 'Think it might, actually. Posh bit o' town like this, big houses like the ol' man and 'is daughter's… someone'll hear. Police'll not be far away.'
The surprise at her reasoning quickly turned to anger on the faces of the four gang members with functioning brains, but the huge, brutish giant Gueulemer was still catching up. She could almost see the steam coming out of his ears as he desperately tried to form a thought.
Her smirk grew as her father warned 'One scream and ya'll regret it for a year.'
And then it happened: Gueulemer caught up. With a roar, he barrelled towards her, his huge, lolloping frame reminding her of a charging bull.
This was the moment. She screamed at the top of her lungs, her eyes screwed up and her mouth open wide.
She heard Marius shout 'RUN COSETTE!' and the slamming of the gate across the road, and saw the three more cowardly of the gang run away as fast as their legs would carry them. Her father just grabbed a fistful of her hair and roughly pulled her to him, whispering 'I'll be back and ya'll rue the day ya were born.' He pushed her harshly away, into the hard stone wall, which she hit hard at the base She scrambled to her feet, just in time to hear her father say 'Get 'er legs, Gueul', I don't want 'er goin' nowhere.'
She couldn't get away in time. She felt his huge, beefy hands on her right leg, and then there was only a sickening crack and blinding pain. Éponine crumpled to the floor with a small scream of pain. The next few minutes consisted of nothing but heavy blows all over her body: her stomach, her face (another sickening crack here which might have been her nose), her ribs (more cracks), her leg again. A particularly nasty kick to the ear sent a sharp pain right through her head.
Eventually, she heard a hissed 'run!' and it stopped.
Unable to move for pain, she strained her ears to listen for any sign of Marius. She tried to croak out his name when she heard the creak of the gate across the road, but her mouth was full of blood and she barely heard it herself.
And then she heard his car start. Her right eye opened wide, her left straining to do the same under a sluggish and heavy eyelid. No, don't leave! She tried to stand up, ignoring the screaming pain in her head and her arms and her ribs, but her leg buckled underneath her and she crashed to the floor. Spitting out the blood from her mouth she shouted 'MARIUS!'
But it was too late.
She heard him drive away. He was gone.
She slowly dragged her arm to her pocket, only to find it empty. Brilliant. I've left my phone on the seat.
More bruised and battered than ever before, unable to move, unable to get help and with nobody to protect her, Éponine was completely helpless.
Nobody even knew where she was. There was literally nothing she could do.
She was all on her own in the pouring rain.
Guys, I'm going to try and get another chapter done tonight because I'm going away for a few days: My family's having to move to a different part of the country (not in an escaping from Javert way, just my Dad's got a new job) so I'm going down south for a few days with my Mam to look for houses. I'm taking my laptop with me and I'll try and get stuff posted but I'm not sure I'll have internet or much time, so it might be a few days before the next update. I'll do my best to get the next chapter up, but I can't promise since it's twenty to one in the morning already... I'm really not looking forward to this trip, no internet in a shit place is pretty much my nightmare, but I've not really got much choice, so sorry!
In case I don't get another one up, thank you for reading, and thank you so much for your kind messages and reviews and favourites and AHHH JUST THANK YOU and I'll be back on as soon as I can!
Keep reviewing, you gorgeous popsicles!