Chapter 1 The night it all started

Laura's POV:

I never should have come.

Gwen swore it would be fun, But everything here was far from fun.

“just one rich-kid party, Laura, come on”

I had to agree in the end, and dragged my ass down here, but the second we walked into the Jack Hillcorps mansion I knew I’d made a mistake.

Too many drunk youths laughing and cheering. Their noise echoed through the whole place. They were openly ogling at every young girl in sight.

All these rich kids were really terrible!

I was trying to get away from one of them now.

“Get your hands off me!” I jerked backward, nearly tripping over a low velvet ottoman in the corridor. Red wine sloshed from my glass and splashed across my face, stinging my eyes.

He laughed.

Some blond trust-fund boy whose name I didn’t even know.

He lunged at me again.

“Can you just stop it?” I frowned and docked again stumbling in the process.

The glass I was holding, slipped off and shattered against the marble floor. Before I could scramble up, his weight crashed down on me, slamming the air from my lungs.

“Get off!” My scream was drowned by the music thumping behind the double doors.

My face reddened with anger!

Such show of pervertism.

I clawed at him, trying to push him off.

He grabbed my wrists, pinning them above my head with one hand. The other clawed at the neckline of my dress.

He tugged at my dress, ripping it apart. Cold air hit my skin.

I thrashed, kicked, tried to scream again. He clamped a palm over my mouth. His eyes were glassy, wild.

What had come over him?

I bit down as hard as I could. Something warm and salty seeped in to my tongue.. blood.

He pulled back his hand, roared and backhanded me across the face.

My head snapped to the side, I suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded.

A buzzing sound was ringing in my ear.

Then his hands were at my throat, squeezing until black dots swarmed my vision.

I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t scream.

Was I going to die?

I gasped, “uh,uh…”

Trying frantically to pry his hands off with mine.

He punched me again in the face.

“Bitch,” He spat at me.

His hands forcefully pulled my dress higher.

I felt him fumble between us. A searing, sharp pain tore through me, white-hot and simmering.

I winced, and tried to push him off again.

He gripped my hands tightly and went in again.

My whole body went rigid. A sound escaped me; half sob, half animal.

He shoved deeper, grunting like an animal himself.

He was an animal!

A cold-blooded carnivorous animal!

I cried.

The tears burned tracks down my temples.

I couldn’t move, couldn’t think.

There was only the weight crushing me, the pain splitting me open, and the wet slap of his skin against mine.

I don’t know how long it lasted. Seconds. Minutes. Forever probably. Then he stopped, fell weakly to my side.

I turned my face away, avoiding the bad stench of weed and alcohol emitting from him.

I caught sight of the shattered glass still glittered on the floor beside us

I managed to close my fingers around a jagged shard.

Gathered the last ounce of strength I had, and shoved it to his sides as hard as I could.

“Ahhhhh!” The scream that came out of him was inhuman.

Hot blood sprayed across my arm. His grip loosened for a single heartbeat.

I shoved with everything;legs, hips, shoulders.

He rolled off me, clutching the wound in his shoulder, gasping.

His eyes were bloodshot staring at me.

I scrambled backward on elbows and heels, dragging my ruined dress with me, gulping the stench in the air.

He tried to crawl toward me. “You crazy—”

I kicked him in the face. Once. Twice. My heel split his lip.

He fell to the side, clutching his face.

“How dare you?” He howled.

How dare me?

“You silly pervert!” I clenched my fist, so hard. I could feel my nails piercing deep into my palms.

I wanted to rush over and attack him as much as I can…I wanted to slit that stupid throat of his.

I hated him.

How could he ruin me.

I heard footsteps rushing towards us. Someone was coming down from the hall.

“Laura?!”

Gwen.

I sighed, for the first time. I forgot about all the resentment and anger in me and just stared at her, tears running down my chin.

She rounded the corner and stopped dead. For one endless second she just stared at me curled against the wall, at the blood on the floor, at the boy moaning and trying to stand.

Then something feral and vicious flashed across her face.. giving her a contorted appearance.

She was on him before I could blink, fist slamming into his jaw so hard his head snapped back against the baseboard. Again. Again.

“How dare you,” she roared with every blow. “How dare you touch her.”

“How dare you?” Another sound of fist hitting flesh.

He whimpered, curling into a ball.

She stopped, kicked him one last time and retreated to where I was.

She dropped to her knees beside me, her hands were shaking, she hovered over me like she was afraid I’d break. “Laura. Oh God, Laura.”

I stared at her, I wanted to tell her everything…everything

How this monster raped me!

How he took advantage of me!

How could he!

But at that moment, the words were not coming. My throat suddenly felt so dry and raw, I realized my body was shaking so hard that it made my teeth chatter.

She pulled off her blazer and wrapped it around my shoulders, shielding the worst of the torn fabric. Then she gathered me against her, rocking slightly, murmuring things I couldn’t process.

“I’ve got you. I’m here. I’m so sorry.”

I just hung in there, crying out all the words I would have said. Why she held me down.

It could have been hours or even forever, but I just stayed there.

Suddenly, Behind us, the boy tried to drag himself away. Gwen’s head snapped up. I looked up too.

She stood, walked over to him and grabbed him by the hair, slamming him back down on the cold floor

“Stay,” she spat, the way you’d command a dog.

She pulled her phone out, and dialed on it slowly. Her jaw set firmly and lips pressed firmly against each other.

I had never seen her that angry and determined. I felt grateful,Gwen was just that friend.

“Yes, please we need an ambulance at Jack Hillcorps mansion on Ridgeview. A woman has been sexually assaulted. Suspect is on scene and injured. Send someone now.”

The boy suddenly realized what was happening and started sobbing apologies, blood bubbling at his mouth. “I was drunk, I didn’t mean—”

He reached to grab her legs, pleading

Gwen kicked him so hard in the ribs, hard enough to silence him. He curled up. “You didn’t mean to?” She scoffed.

“You don’t ever speak again.”

She strolled back to me and knelt again, cupping my face gently, thumbs wiping tears and blood and wine from my cheeks.

“Look at me, Laur. Just look at me. You’re safe now. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

I tried to answer. Nothing came out. I just nodded, the knot that had tightened in my chest suddenly loosened.

I managed a weak smile.

She pressed her forehead to mine. “I’ve got you,” she whispered again, fierce and shaking. “I’ve got you.”

And for the first time since the world had cracked open, I believed someone might.

The Sirens came in just then.

She stood up one last time, helping me up as well.

Officers swarm in, two officers helped lift the boy up. Hauling him towards their vehicle outside.

As I was been led out, for a slight moment, I wished. I desperately wished, they could haul the damage he left behind with him.