Almost Dead

Esmeralda awoke on the floor. Her normally perfect hair was tangled and matted to her head. The taste of blood was present in her mouth. There were marks on the carpet from her body being dragged around. She blinked her eyes, feeling her eyelashes stuck together. She stood up, disoriented. She had no idea what to do.

She saw Marrone, lying on the bed. When he opened his eyes, she wondered if they would be the calm, cool blue or the raging, angry red she'd experienced the night before. Then, they opened. As if by force, they pushed her back against the wall. She was breathing heavy. He stood up, letting the sheets fall.

"I bet no one would notice if you were gone," he grinned deviously, running a cold finger along her jaw line.

She resisted her emotions, and mumbled, "Xavier would." Xavier. Her boyfriend of two years. The only one in the world who loved and understood her.

"Ah, well, too bad he's dead." Marrone smiled.

Her pulse slowed. Her heart froze and turned to ice. "Dead?" she whispered. The last time she'd contacted him was...a few days ago. It meant that it was entirely possible for him to be dead.

Marrone nodded, obviously pleased with her reaction.

"He can't be!" Esmeralda gasped. She pulled away from him.

He pushed her hard against the wall, hitting her. She pushed him away, trying to knee him, but he avoided her attack and swung her around with his amazing strength. She swung around, out of control, hitting her head on the bed frame. Everything was blurry and fuzzy.

She couldn't see. He smiled evilly, pressing her against the floor and running his lips along her face and neck. Xavier's name was all she though as she let him do what he wanted, in fear that he would injure her far worse than he had before if she didn't let him.

“My lover is dead,” she thought. “No one is here to save me.”