The Girl from the Valley

Chapter Six - Serena

**WARNING** This chapter contains SA content that may be disturbing.

I’m pulled from the shock of Roan’s kiss when his hand begins lifting the skirt of my dress. His lips felt like sandpaper rubbing hungrily against mine for acceptance, but I refused to yield.

“Roan!” I tried to push him off, shoving my fists into his chest, but he didn't budge, keeping his body pressed against mine, “Please stop.” I begged.

I could feel that the hem of my dress had been pulled above my hips as he ran his hand on my bare thigh. My body shuttered in disgust at his touch. I desperately needed to get Roan off me.

Roan kissed my neck with one hand keeping me in place while my back was pinned to the door. With my hands free, I tried shoving him again but he ignored me. I searched frantically around for anything that I could use as a weapon but there was no future near us.

“I love you so much Serena.” Roan mumbled on my skin. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to do this.” He reached for my collar and ripped the velvet fabric, tearing my left sleeve clean off its stitch.

I yelped at the sudden jerk of motion and he took the opportunity to claim my lips again, disregarding my disapproving cries. His hand keeping me in place was now wrapped around the back of my waist, pulling our bodies together while the other hand groped my breast through the velvet material.

“Roan, please stop.” I cried as tears streamed down my face.

“Then accept me as your husband.”

“No!”

“Why not?!” He pushed me against the door and I fell, catching myself with my wrists. “I love you! I protected you! I have done everything for YOU! You are my wife!”

“No, I am not, Roan!” I shouted on the floor as my tears began choking me.

My body was shaking uncontrollably. I had never been scared of Roan but this person standing above me was not the person I once knew. The Roan I knew would never force me to do anything I didn't want to do. The Roan I knew was always kind and understanding. He wouldn’t hurt me, he wouldn’t let me cry, he wouldn’t betray me, but this Roan was not the Roan I knew. Or at least, what I thought I knew.

Roan knelt down, placing a finger under my chin, lifting my head to stare into his eyes. They were the familiar brown eyes I knew, yet they seemed so different. It was like, within a blink, the brother that I loved so dearly had turned into a monster.

“Tonight, you and I will become one. And you will be my wife.” His eyes were wide, full of desire and greed as he lunged forward, tackling me onto my back.

I screamed as he fought my punches and kicks, gaining control to hover over me, prying my legs apart so that he could kneel between them.

“Please, Roan, stop!” I begged, “Somebody help-” Roan pressed his hand to my mouth as my voice muffled.

“The sooner you accept this, Serena, the easier this will be.” He grabbed the hem of my dress and ripped it just as easily as he did my sleeve. What was a beautiful evergreen dress was now a dirty, one-sleeved dress with an entirely ripped off hem that rose so high that it exposed me just above my knees.

Roan sat back on his heels staring at my naked skin as he threw the fabric from my hem onto the ground beside him. His eyes slowly traced every curve of my body, satisfied at what he had caught. He swallowed hard as I watched him lick his lips ready to pounce on me again.

Without any thought, I swung my hand as hard as I could, landing on Roan’s face with a loud clap that seemed to have stopped him. A red print of my hand started to appear as he just stared at me in shock, only for it to quickly turn to anger as he repeated my movement and stuck me as well.

A piercing ring rang in my ears as heat flooded the area that had been struck. It sounded like Roan was saying something but everything besides the ringing was muffled. I must have bit my tongue or something because there was a taste of iron in my mouth. My vision was blurred, I could faintly see the glow from the fireplace as flakes of embers flicked until they dissipated. I could see the handle on the door that I was still lying in front of. My escape.. I tried to reach for it but a hand grabbed my wrist before I could get close to it, bringing my blurred attention to them.

I blinked a few more times before my mind and vision cleared.

“I didn’t want to hit you,” Roan glared at me, “but you will obey or I’ll have to strike you again!”

Roan rushed to claim my lips but I reached out and scratched him on his face, causing 2 lines of blood to spill. I struggled against him as he pinned both my hands down to the floor and just as he rushed to kiss me again, I lifted my head up at the right moment, landing a crack on his nose.

Roan hissed and stumbled back clutching his broken nose, allowing me to quickly get up to my feet.

“f**k!” Roan shouted as blood fell from his nose. “You little b***h! You’re gonna f*****g pay for that!”

Before Roan could grab me again, I swung the handle of the wooden door open and bolted towards the heart of Penin, where I knew I could run to Hannah for safety. My best friend always opened her door to me when I was sad or was in trouble. If I could just get to her before Roan got to me, I would be safe for the night.

I was running down the same dirt path, Roan and I had just walked on moments ago through the same familiar bushes and trees, thinking of nothing but the safety of my friend when I heard the sound of running not too far behind me.

Damn it! I swore to myself as I pushed my body to run faster, but I knew I couldn’t outrun Roan. His strides were much bigger than mine and he would surely catch up to me before I even got near Hannah’s home. I needed to find somewhere to hide fast.

As I ran closer to the heart of Penin, the house spacings were getting smaller to the point where they were just one wagon apart. I knocked at every home that I came across but no one opened their doors and, due to Hannah's celebration, there seemed to be no guards walking the streets. I didn’t know where Roan might be and I wasn’t sure I would make it to Hannah’s home. There was one place I knew would open their doors for me and I prayed that tonight was not a busy night as I willed my legs to carry me just a little further.

A little sigh of relief escaped me as the soft glow from the lanterns of Kathy’s Tavern came into view. I pushed myself forward, crashing through the old creaking doors of the tavern. I heard someone gasp in the corner of the room and a few whispers as I picked myself up.

The room was the same as before. Four beams stood from the ground to the ceiling near each corner of the room. To the left side of the tavern lined 3 booths, each separated by a wooden divider. The center of the tavern had several tables with 3 or 4 less comfortable chairs surrounding them and to the right of the tavern was a long wooden bar with 8 worn bar stools. The place was dimly lit with only a small torch perched on each beam and the glowing fireplace that was used to keep the spare rooms upstairs warm.

My lungs left like they were being pierced by a thousand needles as I limped toward the bar. The beating of my heart drummed in my ears as I frantically looked around for the person in charge.

“Kathy?” I called.

A woman’s head popped up from behind the bar. Kathy was around the same age as Mary, Roan’s mother, so I always thought of her as an aunt since they had been friends. She watched over me whenever Daniel and Mary stayed overnight at the farms with Roan. I couldn’t go with them then because I was too young and she offered to take care of me since she couldn’t have children of her own. She used to always joke about not letting me go back home with them and there were some times when I did stay longer than I needed to, but I always left. I knew she hated it when I did leave because she would be left alone with no husband and child and a business to run. I don’t remember how many nights I had stayed with her, but I knew that everytime I did, she did everything she could so that I would feel comfortable. She was basically my second mother.

Her auburn hair was pulled into a messy bun over her head and her apron was shifted slightly to the left. She looked as though she had just woken up from a long nap as she wiped a line of drool from her chin.

“Serena?” Her eyes were wide as she examined my state. “Darling, what happened to you?”

I burst into tears as she came around the bar to embrace me as my legs gave into my weight and we fell to the floor of the tavern. I hugged Kathy as hard as I could, inviting her warmth to my exposed skin.

“Shh, Shh, It’s alright darling,” Kathy said, softly stroking my tangled hair, “Tell Aunty what’s wrong.”

“You have to hide me.” I managed to choke between my cries.

“What? Hide you?” She pulled me from our embrace, giving me a very worried look. “From who? Who did this to you?”

I shook my head, “Please, Aunt Kathy, I don’t know if he'll come here but if he does, you have to keep me hidden.” I was uncontrollably shaking again.

She looked at my state again with worry written on her face.

“Alright darling, you go upstairs.” She pointed to the stairs behind a few barrels and crates at the far back of the tavern, “There should be an empty room down the hall, go up there and stay quiet. Whoever is looking for you won’t find you up there.”

She helped me off the ground and gave me another hug before letting me go. Before taking the stairs, I turned around in an attempt to thank her but she was already at a table with a few guests, quietly whispering about something that I was too far away to hear.

Thank you, Aunt Kathy… And I walked up the stairs.