Watching

Watching

T. Clark

“Get off of me!” she choked out in a whimper. “Please just let me go!” she wailed, struggling against the hands that bound her. The music from the party was too loud, filling the ears of the many inebriated teens below. The faceless hands ripped apart her dress revealing the milky, alabaster skin beneath. She squirmed under the perverse glare of the boys who surrounded her. Their hands wandered over her skin with reckless abandon pinching and prodding as they went, each one feeling like a hot iron branding her as their property.

“Shut your pretty little mouth.” a voice growled into her ear. She could smell the stale beer on his breath. “Don’t make me tie you up.” he gripped her long auburn hair yanking her head back to reveal his own sick smile. His teeth shone bright against his tan skin. She screamed out in pure anguish, causing the boy to remove his socks, ball them up, and shove them into her mouth. She struggled to take ragged breaths in through her nose, now congested from crying, as dark spots began to cloud her vision. She let out one final whimper before succumbing to the darkness, her body thiers.

“Rae! Wake the hell up!” his hand collided swiftly with her face, causing the girl to stir. she struggled to open her eyes, the harsh light burning them. She felt the cool breeze of a fan caress her exposed flesh, she jolted up, forgetting the stinging of her face as she frantically searched for something to cover her bare skin.She reached for the tattered remains of her dress, tears welling in her eyes as she remembered the events of the night before.

She looked around, the only light in the room coming from the lamp standing in the corner. Through a large window she could make out the stars and a giant oak tree that stood in the yard below, she must have been out for hours. She could remember bits and pieces that she had woke up during trying to force the thoughts out of her head.

She saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She squealed swiftly pressing herself up against the wall, drawing her legs up close, attempting to hide her body. She looked into the vacant night like orbs that gazed at her hungrily, mentally consuming her nude form. A twisted smile came to rest upon the man’s face.

“Now Rae,” he started still leering, “I think we know each other too well for all this shyness.” He reached out, snatching her arms away from her body. Rae jumped up attempting to run to the other side of the tiny room. The man's arms quickly snaked around her squirming form as he smacked a calloused hand over her mouth. “Now that’s not nice.” He began leaving small kisses down her neck and shoulders. She squirmed in his arms, yearning for the safety of clothes and wishing to be anywhere but here. Tears spilled down her dirt stained cheeks, she searched her memory to match a name to the face, knowing that she had seen it before.

“Logan!” she shrieked muffled by the hand still covering her mouth. That day at the lake when she was with her brother, she remembered this guy had approached them but Maxon had scared him off before she could get more than a name. She remembered thinking how attractive he was with his brown hair falling into his mischievous black eyes. His crooked smile stayed on his face as he flirted with her.  

She stopped her reverie, reprimanding herself for being too naive and stupid to see past a pretty face. She bit his palm taking him by surprise as he yelped. “Logan!” she said again as his hand came away from her mouth. He halted his movements forcing her back onto the nearby bed. Rae immediately covered herself with the blue comforter that lay on it.

“So you do remember me, you little s**t.” she grimaced at his harsh tone, forcing herself into an even smaller ball. “I thought you’d be too busy selling yourself around town to even know my name.” Rae looked at him, bewildered.

“What are you talking about?” she questioned. Anger raged behind his eyes as he clenched his jaw.

“Don’t lie to me.” he spoke through gritted teeth. “I saw you with them! With all of them.”

“With who?” she shouted back standing quickly. “My friends? Were you watching me?” she stared incredulously. She recalled the constant feeling of someone watching her everywhere she went and shuttered.  

“Of course! We belong together!” he moved closer his expression quickly changing to one of adoration.

What the heck is with this guy? she thought, fear present in her eyes.

“Don’t you see, the way you looked at me that day on the lake, I knew you felt it too!” he was insane. She shoved past him, only to be grabbed by the arm. “Don’t you walk away from me.” he growled.

“Let go of me.” she replied a new spark of confidence inside of her. She snatched her arm away. “Are you completely insane! You tell me that you’ve been following me, for God knows how long! And what? You expect me to be fricken okay with it!” she paused, hugging herself as her emotions took over, “Then you rape me,” she choked out, “telling me it’s my fault.” she moved around him again standing by the window shaking her head as if it will dislodge her thoughts.

“You liked it and you know you did.” he said, his voice confident and sure as he walked up behind her. She smirked, hiding it as her entire body shook, uncertainty slowing her movements. She peered out the window, looking at the ground below, making sure that this was the right decision. She turned, looking up at him through her lashes, attempting to be alluring.

“You really hurt me.” she pouted. Pressing herself against him as she began to sob out of fear her mind clouded by disgust. He wrapped his arms around her trembling form, she maneuvered them around so that his back was facing the window. This was her only chance, she had to get out of there. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and without a second thought, she shoved, putting all her power and anger into it. Logan collided with the window his full weight thrown into it as it shattered sending pieces flying. He stared, a shocked expression painting his face and he fell. She watched, stepping back, hearing a resounding thud as he collided with the ground below.

Looking over the ledge she could see his desolate eyes staring expressionlessly at the night sky. She had only one thought in her mind and it was to run. She hurried over to the closet pulling it open as she grabbed a random shirt putting it on to cover her exposed parts. She grabbed her ruin dress and ran, leaving behind the pain of that night. Tears rushing down her face. She had no destination simply knowing she needed to get far away, somehow she ended up at the pier.

Her auburn hair floated out around her entangled in a battle with the wind. Goosebump rose on her bare arms as she struggled to fight off another onslaught of tears. She shivered staring down at her tattered dress and the dried blood on the inside of her thigh. Bruises covered her arms and legs, her left eye swollen shut turning varying shades of black blue and purple. He had used her, just like everyone else. He took what he had thought belonged to him and left her hollow and broken. She let go of her elbows and grasped the railing in front of her. She looked to the sky and screamed cursing all the stars in the universe as they watched her break over and over again doing nothing but blink as if holding back their own tears. Her throat was raw as she returned her gaze to the water below.

Slowly her hand moved up towards her throat grasping the thin silver chain that rested between her collarbones. It gripped tightly and yanked breaking the fragile clasp and flung the tiny pendant into the murky water. She had bought the necklace that day at the beach, the she had met him. A day meant to be joyful and well remembered; now tarnished. With a plunk it slowly floated to the depths of the lake. She then pushed the tattered remains of her dress into the water. All she wanted was to forget, to pretend that none of this had happened.

They would find him, lying in the yard, evidence of her being there was everywhere. She hugged herself tightly as she turned feet aching as she began to walk in the direction that she had approached the pier from. She began to wander the empty streets accompanied only by her shadow and the ever present memories, that would stay with her forever.

Reviews

[Leslie Philibert]

You capture really well this situation..written with power and anger..

[Mayank]

There was a painful moment when that guy tried to rape her, I liked the flow it went through plus the moment was unbelievable when she shoved guy from window. Good job.