All falls down
1403 Words
Celine woke up with a pounding headache. She could barely think through the aching pain she was feeling. Her hand instinctively went to her head, coming away with sticky, dried blood.
She blinked twice in shock. Suddenly her surroundings came into view. Where the hell am I?
Her bed felt different. She looked down and scrambled off the stranger she was laying on. What the f**k!
Her mind raced with possibilities, assuming the worst-case scenario. Did this man…
A sudden wave of anger came over her. “You filthy animal!” Her hands trembled as she slapped him.
Oh no. Oh god no!
“Diane,” she whispered. She wanted to scream but her body still refused to cooperate with her. That b***h had set her up.
I shouldn't have come. Tears welled up in her eyes.
She glanced at the sleeping stranger. His pants were around his knees. He had his way with her. The tears poured and she lost it.
She slapped him, punched him, rained her fists down on him.
“You bastard! You bastard! You bastard!”
A thought stopped her. He hasn't moved once.
Is he dead? Did I…
She slapped him once more. Nothing.
A fresh wave of panic overwhelmed her.
Where will I go? Who will I call?
The tears kept on coming. My life is over.
Then he groaned. She froze, thinking she had imagined it. He groaned again.
She rushed over to him, relief flooding her system.
“Hello? Are you okay?” she asked. He had a weak pulse but it was there.
She quickly reached for her phone but it was gone.
Diane!
She checked his pocket. Bingo!
She quickly dialed 911 and gave them the location before adjusting her clothes.
“I'm going to kill that b***h,” she seethed and stormed off.
****
Silas blinked groggily as he felt himself rise off the ground onto another surface. His vision snapped into focus when he felt the straps holding him into place.
Memories of the previous day flooded his mind and he glanced down. He was strapped into a gurney, clothes tattered, and pats around his knees.
This is not good.
‘SILAS DUHAMEL WHEELED OUT OF THE SLUMS, BATTERED AND BRUISED’ was a story that the media would never let die. His reputation was on the line.
He got one of the paramedics' attention. “Get me a face mask. I need to cover my face.”
The guy stared at him for a couple of seconds then burst into laughter. “You think you're Batman or something. Man, relax and stop making a fuss.”
If looks could kill, the guy would have been a pile of ashes from the scorching glare Silas gave him.
The second guy's face went through a series of emotions before stopping on realization. His eyes widened. “No way. Silas Duhamel?”
“Yeah right,” the first guy snorted. “ CEO and billionaire Silas Duhamel in some random thicket in the slums.” He looked at Silas one more time and quickly realized his mistake. “Oh shi…” He stammered an apology and bolted to get a face mask.
Despite the pain, Silas couldn’t help the smirk that reshaped his lips.
“We didn’t see anything, Mr. Duhamel sir. We don’t even know who you are.”
“Good,” Silas muttered. “Let’s keep it that way”
With his identity protected, they wheeled him out. To the rest of the world, he was just another unfortunate hobo.
At the hospital, Silas’ assistant, Trina stood facing the ground. She knew better than to look him in the eyes when he got angry.
His voice boomed, resounding deep in her chest. “She stole my phone and she… Find her,” Silas seethed through his teeth.
“Sir, I’ll do all I can. But the area you described doesn’t have security camera. We don’t know who she is or where she went!”
“I don’t give a f**k!” His eyes burned with rage. “If you have to barge into every home in Langford, do it or it’ll be your head in place of hers.”
A chill ran up Trina’s spine. “Y-yes sir,” Trina muttered, nodding frantically.
****
On the other side of the city, Celine stormed into her house boiling with fury. Her parents bombarded her with questions.
“Young lady, where have you been?” her dad, Jared asked.
“Are you deaf? Answer your father!” her step-mother, Maggie yelled.
As far as Celine was concerned, they weren’t even there. She had a one track mind; to make Diane pay.
She marched up the stairs, ignoring her parents' questions and badgering. They followed her until she got into Diane’s room and slammed the door shut in their face, locking it so they wouldn’t be able to save their precious daughter.
She found Diane laying in bed, scrolling on her phone, barely acknowledging her presence.
The sight of her half-sister nonchalantly lounging in bed after when she’d done was like gasoline doused on the flame of her anger.
“You b***h,” she seethed, angry tears pouring down her face. “You ruined my life!”
“Celine, what the–”
Before Diane could finish her sentence, Celine pounced on her, fists flying.
Diane shrieked, trying to shield her face. “Get off me, you psycho!”
“What’s happening in there?” Jared yelled.
“She wants to kill me!” Diane yelled before Celine pummeled her mouth.
“My baby! Jared, open the door!” Maggie screamed.
Jared shoved the door hard enough to damage the lock and stormed in. He dragged Celine off Diane, his face contorted in anger. “Celine, are you out of your mind?”
Diane scrambled off the bed to her mother. “She's crazy. She just attacked me out of nowhere!”
Maggie cradled Diane like an injured bird. “Oh my baby, my poor baby! Celine, how could you do this to your sister?”
“She's not my sister!” Celine screamed, eyes wild with rage. “She set me up. She set me–”
“Celine, what are you talking about?” Diane seemed genuinely confused. “You wanted me to follow you to that overnight party last night but I said no! I begged you not to go but you didn't listen. I know something terrible happened. Are you okay?”
Celine couldn't believe her ears. “You're lying!”
“Overnight party?!” Jared's voice boomed, sending chills running down the women's spines.
“Dad, she's lying. There was no–”
“Shut your mouth!” Jared spat at Celine, his anger suddenly turned the whole room cold. “Not another word from you. Diane, talk!”
“I didn't want to have to do this, Celine,” Diane feigned remorse. “Dad, I tried to get her not to go now but she wouldn't listen. They did drugs; cocaine, heroin. They drank and had an orgy. I'm not saying Celine did all but that's all I know.”
Maggie glared at her stepdaughter. “Just look at her clothes, the marks on her neck. Out all night shooting up drugs and opening her legs for whoever. Useless girl!”
Celine was trembling. Fear, anger, embarrassment, all emotions swirled around her, wrapping her in a thorny hug. “No, no, that's not… it's not true.” Tears welled up in her eyes.
After what she'd been through, did she really deserve this treatment? Why was Diane so evil?
Her father's face scrunched up into a mask of disgust. “Why can't you be more like your sister? I did my best raising you, where did I fail so terribly? You are a disgrace of a daughter. My own daughter was really out all night? Drugs? Orgies? Celine why?”
Celine was stumped. What the hell was happening? She pleaded for them to listen, to hear her out but they didn't. As far as they were concerned, she was the devil's daughter.
She glanced at Diane, who flashed her an evil smile before going back to crying. Celine's fist clenched into solid balls, ready to be launched at Diane's face.
“Celine?” A gentle voice called.
The blood in her veins froze.
No, no, no, anyone but him!
- Writer
