PROLOGUE
1968 Words
When cold Sunday night air nips in my naked skin, I hug my arms tightly about my torso. The black crop top I idiotically chose to wear does not help either.
"You believe we should go home?" I say about the sound of loud music to my closest friend, Sarah.
I get a headache by the mix of loud music and flashing lights.
She sees me as I am insane, and her head shakes. "We celebrate this celebration after all our mid-year examinations! Before the fun starts, there's no way I leave!" Over the music, she screams back.
I pack my lips and glance around the room filled with kids in the junior year. None of the elderly people chose to crash the celebration, I'm astonished.
Sarah is stumbling away from me, dancing or whatever it is. I wouldn't call it dance, more like intoxicated adolescents huddle and grind.
I turn on my phone to see it's almost midnight while breathing a breath. Since nine I've been here and the party has become a bore.
Or I have not yet become a lover of such parties.
Suddenly a familiar voice starts to speak to me and makes me jump somewhat. "You seem to be having fun." Blake Woods standing next to me now.
"That apparent?" I mirror his sarcasm and lean against the bench, and it's not my smartest option also to wear heels. "I want to go back home, but Sarah wants to stay. And she’s the one who’s supposed to be my ride."
"I've only been heading home myself, honestly." With a smile on his face, Blake informs me
"May I offer you a ride?"
"Please, yeah." I reply nearly immediately and straighten up so I'm not leaning any longer. “Are you not drunk?”
I asked him when we try to shove the dancing bodies from our way out of the home.
His head jerks and the music screams. "No. My mom is going to murder me if she sees me with a hangover tomorrow and I have a family dinner.”
I nod at what he says to me before we manage to leave and go to the front courtyard at last. Several young people spending time in the lawn, some puking or smoking. Typical.
"Where's your car?" Over the terrible music I no longer have to yell, as it fades away.
The air out is much cooler, so I put my arms about myself again.
"I parked at the corner." He informs me where the attention is and gestures towards a red ford drive.
"You're cold?" He asks turning his head.
"A little." As soon as I answer, he shrugs off his black leather jacket and puts it around my shoulders.
"Thanks."
My body is shaking fast, and I draw it closer.
I still haven't learned after many times I'm cursed to wear warm clothes for gatherings.
Blake relaxes as we approach the car and we climb in fast to avoid the chilly air.
I tug my short denim skirt uncomfortably as I sit down, since I know his methods too well.
While I am not his type with a seductive grin and squeaky voice, showing off as far as she can. I want a home ride.
Everyone knows only Blake as the greatest playboy and golden boy at our school. He’s not that bad when he chooses not to be though.
If he decides to be, he may be coldhearted.
He chooses to be kind, but he sleeps with as many women as he can.
The glance around the school is very big and it is clear how many of our juniors he slept with and even scored a few of seniors.
Nevertheless, he is a good person, if you do not give him, as do most girls. He's not like you'd expect to be aggressive or cocky.
The entire school adores him practically.
Soccer star, ladies guy and a student straight A. Star.
I can see why so many females fell to his charm innocently. He has a wonderful athletic construction, appealing dark brown eyes and his typical smile on his lips. His chestnut colored hair is thoroughly disturbed and pulled on his side.
I snap myself out, as Blake begins his car and drives down the street cautiously. "Well, your friend Sarah—is she the one with shorts and blond hair?"
I look at him doubtfully, then nod. "Yeah. She's my best friend, and with her you try nothing." I admonish him and indicate my finger sharply. "Let her stay in a handful number of girls you didn’t sleep with."
He chuckles. "Relax, Lilly. Relax. With her, I have tried nothing." Then he smirks. “At least not yet.”
He chuckles as he cracks a joke me, I slap his shoulder.
"Woods, not funny." Using his last name, I state.
He goes for a few more minutes in quiet, before my vision comes into the sight of our local little town park.
"Stop in the park?"
Blake looks at me and frowns.
"The park? The park? At-" He stops and checks on the dashboard at the moment.
"Midnight?"
I nod with enthusiasm. "In the dark lighted moonlight, everything is always better. Tonight there are many stars out and it'd be lovely to lay in solitude on the grass."
The vehicle next to the park is loaded and parked.
"Not more than half an hour, then." After saying that, I smile and climb out of the car.
I always had a safe haven in the neighborhood park. Sometimes after school I had a habit of walking to the park and sitting on the swings, smelling the fresh air and hearing the noises of the environment.
Here it's tranquil and quiet. In this city, nothing unpleasant ever occurs.
I stroll through the grassy area and sit on the swing, knowing the grass was dampened by chilly air.
I slip my arms on the leather jacket sleeves while Blake sits next to me on the swing. "You do this usually?" With his brows raised he asks.
I nod. "Yes, but not usually at this hour." Even though our town is really little and safe.
Blake nods and stares understandably to the black sky, with dazzling stars. "I've known it’s only been a minute, but now we're going home best, I suppose. It’s getting late.”
He rises up. "What? No." With my hands I cry out and clutch the shackles. "Please stay?”
I could sense the spirit of the park relax me the little time we were here. Before we have to go back to our monotonous and worldly life, I like calm and quiet.
He stumbles calmly and kicks with his shoe's tip the wood chips. "It’s past midnight Lilly. This is ridiculous-" Blake stops with his eyes snapping towards something behind him in the middle of his statement.
I tilt my head to gaze behind me by knotting my eyebrows.
I take in a breath and as four figures follow us, I can feel my heart speeded up.
I'm rising and getting closer to Blake, thinking I'd be far safer next to somebody who has an opportunity to fight.
I'm defenseless, faint-hearted. I'm never punched or learned how to deal with such circumstances.
"What are you two doing here all alone?" One of the four questions when they are before us.
"We were just leaving." I don’t know how, but with his words gushing out Blake is still calm.
"Not that quickly." Another one of the four sings poorly and walks behind Blake and I.
"That’s not so much fun, yeah?" On all sides, the other two stand around us.
"Look we’re not looking for trouble. We’re just leaving. It’s better we forget about this.”
Blake claims that he places a hand on my bottom back and attempts to push me away.
My eyes remain broad and I know I'm too startled to do anything. I'm hiding; my hands shaking.
I look at the man in front of us, I can't help. To look aside, I'm too frightened. His untidy features and dark brown eyes correspond to his dirty attraction. I saw a scar that runs beneath his eye, it's tiny, but it seems it’s a deep sliced wound.
These people are dangerous.
The four men are shaking their heads and stopping us. “Not that quickly. Give us your wallets."
For a brief second, I close my eyes and wish we never should have stopped here.
When he said, I should have left.
I didn't bring my wallet, figuring how it couldn't be lost or stolen to carry it to a party.
Blake huffs a breath out of his pocket and hands his wallet over it. The greatest choice for us both is to meet their requirements.
The man is looking at me and waiting to pass my wallet over.
“I have no money on myself or my wallet." I say my words to him without faltering.
"Phones." His hand holds out. I tighten my hand and attempt to soothe the worry that flooded me.
I shake my head and choose to stand up to Blake and myself. "No. Let us go, we're not going to say anything."
The leader is lifting his eyes on me. He takes a knife out of his jacket pocket before I can process it. "Phones! Phones, immediately!'
Out of my skirt pocket I grimace and grab my phone. Blake and I hand over our phones to him obediently. In his own pocket he buried our belongings.
"It's just foolish. For this, Sheriff Prior's going to get you all." Blake warns and from dread I close my eyes. You never do something like that when you have a dagger pointing towards you.
When I open my eyes the leaders smile at us, tilting his head to the side. 'You really wouldn’t need to remember our faces, wouldn't you?'
My muffling shout escapes as I feel a hand over my lips to hush me. I am seized from behind.
I'm trying to pull my way out but the man who grabbed me is way stronger.
The other three suddenly shot and kicked Blake, disregarding his cries and pleas.
All I can hear is Blake's cry of anguish as they keep hitting him and kicking him, but all I can do is watch helplessly.
Tears flow from my eyes to see Blake springing in blood. My whole body shakes off the anguish and the anxiety of what is going to happen to me after they’re finished with Blake.
My body becomes steep as Blake's head is repeatedly stumped by the leader, now unwittingly unaware.
The noises of his shattering skull quickly go into my ears, and I know that if I come out alive from this I can never unhear those.
My heart thrashes violently against my lungs. In my life, I've never been more scared.
Again, before Blake wipes his blood off his hands, he kicks at his ribs. I cannot shake my eyes from the writhing figure of Blake, painted black and blue, the smoking blood out of his mouth, his head, his nose, his lips, everywhere.
He's not round his head anymore.
The face of Blake is still lying in an odd puddle of rich crimson blood that makes my stomach churn.
The man who holds me still lets go, but I can't move. I am still in shock, and I am afraid. It has to be a nightmare.
I sense like somebody's fist suddenly hits my face. Almost quickly, the world around me dwindles and becomes dark.
- Writer
