The Knight in Leather Armor

ch. 2 Finish What I Started

I lingered on the corner of 21st and H, just around the block from the Westwood Town mall, the only mall in Westwood. There was only one of everything in Westwood. It was Eastland that got all the variety. And they still got bored and came over to Westwood looking for trouble. 

I walked to the entrance of the mall, waiting for the Greyhound.  I sat on the metal bench.  It was so cold, it felt wet. I wrapped my arms around myself, cursing under my breath. I had left my jacket at the party.

Sifting my fingers through my wavy dark brown hair, I noticed that it smelled slightly like that dirty prick who tried to feel me up. My hair used to be golden-blonde when I was little, but it’s like they say: nothing gold can stay.  

Looking at the clock, in the center of the mall, I saw that it was 11:46. The last bus comes at 12.

I waited but nothing came. Something clicked in the PA system in the mall.

“Attention, the 12:00 bus has broken down. Please arrange for other modes of transport. We apologize in advance,” announced a droggy voice from the short-circuiting PA system. They really needed to get that thing fixed. They needed to get a lot of things fixed, but nobody ever cared about what the West side needed, unless it was a jumping or a beating.

Rubbing my legs together, I hoped the friction would cause a sliver of heat, but I had made the stupid decision to wear a dress. Becky had half forced me to wear the dress for the party. It was too short and too tight and too red for my comfort, but I wore it because Becky told me I looked amazing in it. She said some other things too, but I’d rather not say them out loud.

I debated going back to the party to ask Harry for a ride, but thought that my whole flawless escape would have been pointless. Plus, I was too proud to ask Harry for help. That was one thing me and Danny had in common; we were too proud and we got it from our dad. 

I started walking to my house, which was only a few blocks away.

I ran through my apology speech for Danny. No doubt- he would be waiting for me in the living room, eyes deep-set and dark, but able to hold enough light to show a sliver of golden hope.

Danny looked more and more like dad everyday, but he was nothing like dad. Dad’s heart was warm and golden; he could never be mad at anyone— especially not me— for more than a few moments.  But Danny was too hard on himself and everyone around him. He was quick to judge and criticize me, almost like he wanted me to do something wrong so that he had the benefit of scolding me.

I had told Danny I was with Becky and that I was tutoring her in math at the library, so I’d be back late. Now that Harry saw me at the party- plus, I wasn’t exactly wearing “tutoring clothes,” Danny would know the truth in no time. 

The streets were empty and it grew very quiet, almost too quiet for Westwood, whose streets were never, ever quiet at night.

Then, as if having heard my complaint, some rude jeering and whistling sounded from nearby.

My heart stopped. Self-consciously, I tugged down at the hem of my skirt. Becky had half-forced me to wear this dress. I have to stop listening to Becky.

I turned my head to the direction of the noise and saw a blue-black Rolls Royce with the windows rolled down, following close behind me. There was a group of men inside the car, all dressed up as if going to a wedding- or my funeral, I thought morbidly. 

If I pretend like I don’t hear them, they will leave, I convinced myself. 

“Excuse me miss, but aren’t you a little too pretty to be walking on the wrong side of town, all by yourself?” asked a sneering voice.  His friends shouted and whistled in agreement.

The wrong side of town? This is my town. I grew up here, in the mix of poverty and gangs. Judging from the man’s Rolls Royce, he didn’t know much about money troubles.

Fists clenched at my sides, I started walking faster.  Just keep calm, I reminded myself. If they see your fear, it’ll only make them feel more powerful.

“Why don’t you let us give you a ride?” a deeper voice asked.

“You can drive if you like,” a nasally voice added.

They all laughed.

I started half jogging.

Then, it was quiet again. I turned around and the car had disappeared.  I breathed a sigh of relief a bit too early.

Some heavy footsteps sounded from about 15 or 20 feet behind me.  I turned around and saw that the guys from the car had filed out. My eyes bulged as I counted and recounted: two, three, four men, all dressed in half undone black tuxes. I recognized them from the party.  

I ran without another thought. I ran as far and for as long as my stiff and half numb legs could take me. But it wasn’t enough; they were too fast for me. One of them caught me by my waist and another, by my wrist.

They spun me around to face them.

I was panting, both out of fear and out of having lost my breath running. They started to encircle me. My chest heaved as my heart beat erratically. For a moment, I thought my old asthma attacks would kill me before they tried anything.

“That sure is a nice dress, miss,” the tall blonde one with the deep voice commented as he looked me up and down.

The shorter one with light brown hair one cupped my bum.

“Yeah, you didn’t let me finish what I started,” he winked. A cruel gleam shone in his blue-black  eyes. It was the birthday boy.

I slapped his hand away.

“Don’t touch me!” I spat.

Two of them grabbed me by the waist while the other held my legs and another covered my mouth.

I kicked and screamed with every ounce of power I had, but they wrestled me down on the ground in moments, laughing like a pack of monkeys.  

“Fiesty, eh?” birthday boy, the ring leader, commented.

“I like feisty,” he whispered in my ear. His hot breath stank of Whiskey and tobacco and I thought I might suffocate from the fumes before they got to do anything else.

Birthday boy straddled me down with his hard knees on either side of me, holding me hostage.

Another one held down my arms. 

I jerked left and right as the blonde one ripped the shoulder strap of my dress with his teeth and slowly let his greasy tongue glide down my neck as his sausage-like fingers squeezed my breasts.

Then he let his teeth sink into my neck. My shriek of pain was muffled by one of the guy’s hands. I felt a drop of blood streak down my neck, knowing he’d left a bruise he did not want me to forget.

“I never lose,” he hissed. He looked down at me and the mark he had made. His eyes were dark and greedy, blue-black eyes that dripped like ink. Permanent ink. 

The blonde one grew antsy as if eager for his turn. He nudged birthday boy to hurry up.

Birthday boy ripped the bottom of my skirt. I tried to close my legs, but he pulled them apart and let his cold, hard hand fell up my thigh before tugging at my underwear.  

“Don’t worry, this won’t take too long,” the stout dark-haired one winked.

I felt tears glaze over my eyes.  This was how I was going to die.

"Please," I begged as my throat closed in and my asthma took over.   

I thought about all the times I had yelled at Danny and even Harry. I wished I could take it all back. I shouldn’t have listened to Becky. I shouldn’t have gone to that party. I wanted them all to know that I was sorry. I was so, so sorry. 

And what would daddy say if he saw me now? Where are those wings he said I had? Where’s my knight? Where’s my bloody knight in shining armor?!