An Unlikely Hero

She sits in her corner of the room shaking with her head on her knees as the other girls were sleeping. Galadriel had never experienced fear like she did tonight after she saw Danny and Cameron. She couldn’t believe that they were standing right there, just ten feet away, while she was being manhandled by her pimp. The man who had brought her hope failed her when he could’ve helped her and it angered her more than anything. If they had stepped in, none of it would’ve happened, Galadriel thinks to herself as tears continue to run down her face. The events were fresh in her head and she hated how it replayed itself.

C.J. pulled her into the room, slammed the door, and pushed her on the bed causing some of the girls that were sitting on it to quickly jump off. They were pretty sure that Galadriel was being punished for withholding money since this was usually how things began when C.J. would punish them for doing so; but, they would soon find out that they were wrong.

“I warned you—” was all C.J. could get out before he was interrupted by the sound of knocking on the door. “Goddamn it.”

Galadriel watched him scan the room, looking to see who was missing before walking to the door and forcibly opening the door seeing that it’s Trinity and Sara. He quickly grabs their arms and pulls them in before slamming the door shut and began yelling, “Where the fuck have you two been?”

The two girls were fearful, but they knew better than to show it. Trinity bravely replied honestly telling him that they were with two clients a couple of doors over, only to be yelled at by C.J. that he didn’t give a fuck and to give the money they got to Julian. Of course they obliged, but they were looking at their young friend who had fear painted on her face.

“Now that everyone is here, I believe you can all guess what Gigi did.” He says while grabbing Galadriel by her hair and looking at his girls that were standing in a line by the foot of the bed. The girl hissed in pain and placed her hands on his to try to make him stop, but he didn’t care and pulled harder. “Go on, guess.”

The girls were all too scared to talk because they weren’t sure if he was being seriously or just rhetorically telling them to guess. It’s not until he yells for them to guess that they realize he wants an answer.

“Sh-she withheld money.” One of the girls asked, stuttering a bit; but Sara and Trinity shook their head knowing what she did since they heard it. Of course C.J. took notice to their head movement and decided to place his attention on them, with a sinister smile on his face.

“It seems like Sara and Trinity knows what she did. Please, tell us what our little Gigi try to do.” The girls looked between their boss and the girl that so desperately needed their help. They didn’t know what he would do to her, but they knew that if they didn’t tell him, they’d probably get the same treatment.

“She tried to run away.” They say in unison causing C.J. to nod and acknowledge that she was right.

“That’s right. She tried to fucking run after one of her clients paid her; so, not only did she try to escape, but she tried to steal my money.” He says while pulling her head back roughly and making her look up at the ceiling and his face, making eye contact.

Galadriel tried to move her head so she wouldn’t have to look at him. She despised this man and didn’t like having to look at him more than she had to, but he kept his grip on her hair tight enough to where she felt like he was actually pulling the hair out of her head every time she moved.

“You already know what happens when you try to steal from me, but now you’re going to learn what happens when you try to run from me.” He tells the girls without taking his eyes off of Galadriel. She could see his eyes dart to her lips before feeling them on her. She didn’t want it and she tried to push him away, but she couldn’t. She didn’t have the same fight she did two months ago. She’s been broken down to act like a timid dog when it came to confrontation, only having the strength to fight in her mind.

The other girls gasp and Trinity tries to go over and help, but she gets hit by Julian who tells her to stay still and not interfere. The seven girls watched in horror as they witnessed their boss take advantage of the poor girl, ripping off her clothes and hearing her cries for him to stop; however, she was kept quiet by punches that were blown to her face and throat, attacking her like a savage animal. Some of the girls wanted to cry, but they were too afraid of what would happen if they did. They all turned their heads not wanting to witness one of their friends be raped, and Galadriel just wanted all of it to stop.

She whimpered in pain as he tore into her, feeling the burn from the friction he was causing and the tears continued to stream down her swollen face from the punishment it went through by the man’s fists. Galadriel lies limp on the bed, knowing that there’s nothing that she can do but be at the mercy of her attacker for what felt like hours until he pulled out and ejaculated all over her stomach. She saw the blood on his penis and could feel it come out of her, getting on the bed’s comforter.

“Get in the fucking shower, you fucking slut.” C.J. tells her before spitting on her and fixing himself. She winces when she feels his spit land on her face, but that’s all she could really do.

She felt paralyzed from her numbness, but tears continued to flow from her eyes. The girls looked at C.J. fearfully as he whispered something to Julian; Sara and Trinity rushed over to Galadriel’s side and slowly began to help her off of the bed. Once they got her standing, they saw the blood slide down her leg in a steady stream. The door slams shut, but Galadriel doesn’t pay any mind to it. She didn’t have any thoughts, she was in too much shock over what happened to her to say, think, feel or do anything. Sara and Trinity basically dragged her into the small bathroom and placed her in the bathtub, sitting her in it before turning on the shower and taking care of her.

By the time Sara and Trinity had finished cleaning her up and she had stopped crying, the girls have fallen asleep and Julian was still in the room sitting at the table snorting some cocaine. They carried the newly clean Galadriel to her bed, which was just a warn mattress in the corner of the room between the wall and the bed, before taking their place on the bed. They were able to quickly fall asleep, but not Galadriel. She couldn’t sleep when every time she closed her eyes she’d see C.J.’s face and re-experience what she had to go through. Even hours after the assault, she was in her position: angry with Danny and Cameron for not doing anything and still having the memory play in her mind.

“Gigi, it’ll be okay.” Trinity’s whisper tells the shaking girl, but it was hard for Galadriel to believe and it angered her more than anything.

How will everything be okay, Trinity? I was just fucking raped and you expect everything to be okay? Galadriel bitterly thinks keeping her eyes on her lap. She hears the creak of the bed and feels her bed dip a little before feeling arms hug her around her back and legs. She knew it was Trinity trying to comfort her, but nothing will comfort her; however, it didn’t stop her from being curious and wondering why Trinity would say such a positive thing after watching her be raped.

“Why do you say it’ll be okay?” Galadriel asks quietly while turning her head and showing the black eye that covered her right eye and the bruises that were starting to form on her cheeks to Trinity. It made the older woman frown, even though she had already seen it while cleaning her young companion up.

“I met with Danny again.” Galadriel just rolled her eyes hearing the sound of the man’s name and Trinity saw it, which made her worried. It was important to her that Galadriel still had faith in him and that eye roll just told her that she had lost it.

“Yeah, I saw him and Cameron just stare at me as that fucker pulled me inside.” The bitterness in Galadriel’s voice was new to Trinity. She has never seen the girl so mad in the two months that they’ve known each other.

“It’s not their fault, Gee. I told them not to help you because it would’ve been dangerous for them.” Trinity mildly lies. She knows that she didn’t tell them to stop, but she would’ve if they were to do something; especially since they didn’t really look like they’re fighting savvy. Danny didn’t look that much in shape and Cameron looked too skinny for them to take on their meat head boss and his tall and wide apprentice. She also felt the need to lie to help get Galadriel her faith back in the man.

Looking at the girl’s eyes, she saw a little sparkle return telling her that a little bit of faith had been restored.

“I-I guess you’re right. They would need the rest of their band and crew to take down the meat head and the wall.” Galadriel says while her cheeks pull a little to make her lips form an almost unnoticeable smile. She knew that she was slightly overexagerating because she knew that there were moments when some of the band members had successfully knocked out someone from what they’ve said in interviews. Trinity just smiles and nods in agreement, not sure if the rest of the band members were as skinny as Cameron, but just assumes so.

“Danny will come get you.” Those words coming from the older woman’s lips and the emphasis on “will” made the girl’s heart skip a beat with hope and it could be noticed by how her face lit up and how her head shot up from its resting place on her knees; however, the next sentence made her facial expression falter. “I told him what happened, and he’s going to buy you off.”

“C.J. wouldn’t sell me. I was kidnapped, he wouldn’t be stupid enough to do that.” Galadriel says as the hope drained from her body. Her head returned to its resting position on her knees, but she was still looking at Trinity whose smile faltered a little as well. She didn’t think about that when she told Danny to buy her off, and that was basically her plan; but, she didn’t want to tell Galadriel that. But then again, it wasn't her plan to have Danny buy the girl from C.J., her plan was to have him buy her from Julian; she’d have to convince Julian to sell her off to Danny somehow because everyone knew that Julian wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed.

“I’ll convince Julian to sell you off for really cheap. You have to trust me, Gigi.” Trinity look Galadriel in the eyes and grabs her hand, hoping that the notion will help bring some comfort.

With a sigh, Galadriel nods deciding to place all of her trust in her friend. Though she had little to no faith and saw all of holes in Trinity’s plan, she had to keep her head up high. She remembered that her mother got out of it—even though the circumstances are completely different and things in 2013 America are completely different than things in 1983 Philippines—and if her mother could get out of it, so could she.