Pretty Girl

WARNING: This chapter is going to contain drug use and have sexual situations. If you have a weak stomach or disagree with some of these things, wait for the next chapter. Thank you.

Sam woke up a little after I left, or so Teddy tells me. She asked for me and didn't say anything else when she found out that I wasn't there. Instead I got lost in the town of New Bern.

There was a lot to see and do if you were a history buff, but I wasn't. Most of the art galleries either were closing or cost admission so I found myself wandering towards Union Point Park. It wasn't much or a park but more of a square patch of grass with some trees that cars drove around. There was a gazebo that was close to the river. There was also a small, rickety pier. It wasn't Teddy's dad's boat but it'll do.

The wind whipped against my legs and my leggings barely contained my warmth. I trudged on, pulling my sweater further down my body, crossing my arms against my chest. At the end of the pier it was dark and I felt like I was on the edge of the world, even though I could clearly see the lights of the other side of the river. I didn't allow myself to think about Sam, or Teddy, or Emma and my mom. I knew that if I did I would end up calling Teddy to have him pick me up and I'd be brought back to that depressing place.

Instead I leaned over the railing and looked down at the black water that lapped against the wooden posts that held me up. They looked unstable and worn, they looked like they could give out with one giant gust of wind. Then I would go tumbling into the icy water and probably never resurface. Even for growing up so close to the ocean, I never learned how to swim, even at a young age I couldn't bring myself to put on a bathing suit.

"You're not thinking about jumping are you?" At first I thought it was Teddy. Somehow he found my hiding place, he always did, but this time it wasn't him.

Instead it was a young man, probably no older than twenty-two, with tanned skin and dark black hair. I suspected he Native American. He smiled with his hands deep in his coat pockets as he walked closer to me.

I shook my head and answered his question, "No."

"Good cause then I would have to save you and your suicide attempt would have been pointless."

"I'll take note of that," I say turning back to the water.

"So what are you doing out here?"

"Honestly? I'm trying to escape."

"From prison?" He laughed.

I gave a small smile. "That's one way of looking at it."

Eventually his laughter died down and the silence was filled with the sloshing of water and cars driving behind us.

"If you really want to escape, I could help you."

i studied his face, biting the inside of my cheek. This was the time I kicked the mystery man in the groin and run for help. But I was feeling rebellious. "I'm Claire."

"I'm Marco," Marco said putting an arm casually around my shoulder and guiding me back to solid ground. "I have a feeling we're going to have a real good time, Claire."

I should have run, I shouldn't have gotten into this Marco character's car. I shouldn't have driven with him to the outskirts of town to the back woods where this little run down shack barely stood. I knew that he didn't actually live here, how could anyone live here, it barely had a roof. I knew that this place was solely for 'fun'. What fun meant, I was about to find out.

The floor was trashed. Food, beer bottles, broken furniture were scattered throughout the first room. I hadn't noticed a group of people lying on the floor in the corner. It was dark and they matched the filth perfectly.

Marco led me through a closed door that was off the main room. It was dimly lit by candles that sat on glass plates throughout the room. There were more people there, conscious people. I had noticed that the four guys including Marco outnumbered the girls, or girl, because there was only one female in the room and that was me.

I backed up, against the door that I just walked through. It was now shut and I assumed it was locked. Marco ushered me toward the middle of the room where a single full mattress lay on the floor. It was old and smelled like mildew and probably had bedbugs, or fleas, or God forbid bodily fluids that have dried up and is starting to crust away.

"Guys this is my special friend, Claire. She wants to escape the world for a little wild. I thought we could help her."

One of the boys grinned. His skin was black and ashen, his dark brown dreads stopped at his chin. "How are you Claire?"

"Seventeen," I say nervously.

"I like it when they're young," I heard another boy whisper. I whip my head to find who said it. He looked to be the oldest in the group and also the dirtiest. He shaved his head, and the hair was replaced with tattoos. His eyes were sunk in and his teeth were beginning to rot out.

The other boy looked fairly normal, like Marco did. They looked healthy enough, though when you looked closely at the last nameless boy he had a twitch.

"What kind of fun do you like to have?" the dark skinned one that had asked me how old I was, asked.

"I like to go to parties," I say nervously again.

"What do you do at these parties?" the disgusting one asked with a vicious smile on his face.

"Drink beer, listen to music, and dance."

"Ever do any drugs?" the first one asked.

"Yeah, I've smoked weed before."

"Have you tried this?" the disgusting man held up a little baggy.

"Cocaine?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Heroin, my sweet girl."

I shook my head and the man continued. "It's a shame; it'll really take you places. You forget everything for a while."

I'd forget everything for a while. That's what I wanted right? Subconsciously, I had to know that coming here would probably mean doing drugs. If I knew it then, why was it so scary know? Anyways, heroin was sort of like an anti-depressant and that's what I'm taking now. There wouldn't be any harm if I did it just this once.

"Tell me what does a pretty girl like you want to forget?" he asked.

"My family. I want to forget they exist."

"Oh, my dear, this will do the trick. Come sit by Daddy and he'll make sure you forget everything about them," he patted a spot on the mattress.

I felt Marco give me a push; I had forgotten that he was still standing behind me. I took small steps until my shoes hit the mattress and I sunk to my knees.

"Are you nervous?" he asked and now that I was close to him I could see how rotted his teeth really were. I nodded my head. "I'll go first and you can watch how good it is."

The man opened the small baggie and deposited a small amount of the sandy colored powder into a bottle top and dissolved it in a bit of water; stirring with the needle of the syringe. He ripped up a small piece of cotton ball and placed it into the dirty looking water before drawing it up. The twitchy guy tied a large rubber band around the older guy's upper arm. He smacked his veins a few times before finding a particular one and jabbing the needle into his arm and pushing the liquid into his arm. It didn't take long until a large smile played across his chapped lips. He looked happy and content.

"Your turn," Marco said. "Roll up your sleeve."

I pushed my sweater sleeve up at far as I could. The twitchy guy wrapped the large rubber band that he used on the other guy, around my arm as Marco prepared an unused syringe.

"You're going to love this," He said before looking down to find a vein. He did quickly and without warning, stabbed me and my body was flooded with a weird sensation. At first I thought I was going to be sick but the nausea quickly subsided and was replaced with a sense of euphoria.

I was numb but at the same time I felt happy. I was well on my way past cloud nine and heading to the moon. I could see the three other guys, I didn't know where the older guy was, but I didn't hear what they were saying, nor did I care. I laid back, closed my eyes and let the waves wash over me.

Then it was over and a new sensation began to form. I was itchy and my skin burned. I was tired and my body pleaded for air but I couldn't get my lungs to work faster than the rate they were already going.

Then I felt something entirely different. It wasn't the drugs this time. It was someone removing my clothing. One person slipping me out of my sweater while another person tugged on my leggings. I wanted to protest. I wanted to scream and kick but head was foggy and I was too tired to fight.

I felt more than one pair of hands on me. Roaming my body, up and down.

"Stop," I manage to croak out but that seems to only encourage them more.

Lips found my neck. Sucking and biting down harshly but I didn't move or even make a sound. My body didn't protest, my mind was still lost in space. Another pair of lips or maybe the same came into contact with one of my breasts, a second mouth joined in shortly after. I felt fingers, there. Entering me quickly and ruthlessly. My body was being assaulted and I didn’t have the energy to do anything about it.

As soon as it started, all contact on my body was gone. Then suddenly it wasn't just fingers that were impaling me, but one of the boys in the room.

Them raping me went on for probably hours, switching on and off between the four of them. I was flipped over and moved into different positions. I most have passed out at some point because when I woke up my head was still fuzzy but I could function. The boys must have shot up after they had their fun with me as they were still passed out in different parts of the room. Marco and I were the only ones that occupied the bed.

I looked around quickly spotting my leggings, sweater and purse. I left my underwear and shoes somewhere in the room as I quickly rushed for the door that I had thought was locked, but it wasn't; thankfully. I didn't even see if anyone else was in the main room before opening the front door and darted out.

I checked my purse, everything was still in it surprisingly. But my phone was dead. I walked until I got onto the main road. I guessed it was early morning because there was a constant stream of cars going into town to where they worked.

I considered sticking my thumb out and hitch hiking. Nothing worse could happen at this point. So I did it and almost immediately a car stopped. I walked up to the passenger window to see a girl that looked around my age, maybe a bit older, sitting behind the wheel.

"You alright?" she asked sweetly once she rolled down the window.

I shook my head no and she immediately opened the car door for me to get in.

"Where can I take you? Do you need to go to the hospital or the police department?"

I shook my head again. "Nearest payphone or bus stop please."

"Here use my phone," she pulled her phone from under her leg. "Just tell whoever you're calling to pick you up at the Sunrise Cafe."

I nodded and dialed Teddy's number. It barely got through the first ring before he picked it up.

"Hello?" He sounded panicked.

"Come pick me up at the Sunrise Cafe," I whisper meekly.

"I'll be right there."

It would take him forty minutes to get there from where we lived but it took us twenty minutes to get there ourselves so I didn't have to wait long. The girl; her name is Bridget, was opening the cafe and she got me a water and offered to make me food but I declined.

I saw Teddy rush inside and search the cafe frantically for me until our eyes finally met. He rushed towards me, pulling me from my seat in the back and hugged me tightly. Bridget watched us from her spot in the front of the restaurant. I mouthed a thank you to her and she responded with a smile.

Teddy ran his fingers through my dirty hair. It felt and probably looked like I had been missing for longer than just one day. "Are you okay? I've been calling you. I haven't slept at all. I took you mom and Emma home then went back to the hospital and stayed there in case you showed up."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Are you okay?" he asked again.

I chose not to answer that question, instead I took his hand in mine and I pulled him towards the door where I saw his old car parked out front in the tow away zone.

On the way home we passed a drug store and I told him to turn around. Teddy followed me to the pharmacy even with my protests.

The older lady at the counter smiled at me but I could see that her eyes were full of concern. "How may I help you?"

"Do you carry the plan B pill?" I ask in no louder than a whisper.

"What?" It was Teddy that said it. I turned back to him to see his face full of shock. I shook my head and continued to look at the pharmacist.

She walked away, probably to go get the pill. She returned with a small box in her hand. "You know this doesn't terminate an existing pregnancy?"

"I know, I'm not pregnant," I said not being able to meet her eyes.

"It'll be forty dollars even."

I opened my wallet but before I could produce any money, Teddy already had two twenty dollar bills sitting on the counter. "No, you're not paying for this."

"Tell me what happened last night," he said through grit teeth.

"Don't do this to me, okay? Let me pay for my mistakes," I handed the lady all of the money I had, thankfully it was forty dollars.

She put it in a plastic thank-you bag and I left the drug store with Teddy in tow.

"Tell me what the fuck happened!" Teddy said angrily.

"How's Sam?" I ignored his question.

"Don't do this. Do not shut me out."

"How mad is she that I wasn't there? Maybe I'll go see her with Emma after school."

"You're going to school?"

"Why not? Sure I'll be late but I can still go to my afternoon classes and I have work today."

I grabbed a water bottle from the back of Teddy's car and swallowed the pill with one quick drink. If I wasn't responsible last night, I was going to be responsible today. I looked at Teddy and he was still staring at me as we sat in the empty parking lot.

"This isn't over."

But it was over. Last night was in the past and I intended for it to stay there.