Jerome's POV
He breathed deeply trying to calm his nerves. It wasn't supposed to be this difficult, just come here, read the letter, and leave. But leaving was the problem. He wanted nothing more than to bring her back, something he knew was impossible. Jerome read the headstone one last time before forcing himself back to the car. He should've known coming here wouldn't be an easy thing to do, but desperation had taken over and he needed answers. To what, he hadn't the slightest idea. The memories of their days together broke the flood gates and waves crashed around his mind. He could remember everything about her, the way she walked, the exact color of her hair (gold not blonde), even the faint smell of her perfume that lingered in their bedroom. His mind drifted back to a party they once attended. She looked stunning in her short, pink dress swaying under the flashing lights and her eyes...her eyes...he shook the memory away and started the car. Once he was out on the highway, he sped up hoping that maybe, just maybe his adrenaline would kick in and erase every last thought of her.
**** 3 years earlier ****
Scarlet's POV
Scarlet sat on the cold, dirty ground around a fire with her brother, the light making her skin glow in the early morning sun. At just 17, it was obvious she was the spitting image of her mother. Her thick, golden hair glistened in the light and her blue eyes shined with hope and innocence, her lips were the perfect shade of pink and her high cheekbones framed her face beautifully. When she moved, it was as if she was gliding across ice. She could've easily been mistaken for an angel.
She stared deep into the flames as if she was pondering whether or not to jump in, whether or not the fire would be hot enough to burn the memories of her dead mother away for good. She couldn't remember much, but even those few memories were haunting and only infuriated her to the point that she would break down and cry uncontrollably.
It was too late to stop it now, the memories emerged from the dark corners of her mind into the open refusing to let her shove them back into the dark where they belonged. She remembered her mother being gone days at a time only to bring back disgusting, drunken men who looked at her with lustful eyes. She was only 13 at the time and didn't fully understand why they wanted to grab her, why they tried to rip off her clothes. The only thing protecting her was her older brother, Tyler. He shooed the men away and comforted her as she silently wept on his shoulder.
The TV in her head changed channels to her first night. She was 15, her mother was dead, and her brother was sick and couldn't work. There was no other choice. Holding the small, cracked mirror in front of her face, she applied just a touch of the makeup her mom had given her. She slipped on the only dress she owned and a pair of black heels that made her wobble when she walked.
Only one streelight was on and under it, stood the shadow of a girl too young to know the kind of danger she was getting herself into. Police sirens and gunshots rang through the city in the distance and a chill went up Scarlet's spine. A black car drove down the road slowing down for potholes and bumps along the way before finally coming to a halt at the corner where she stood.
"Get in." His voice was stern and made Scarlet jump. She took a deep breathe before opening the door and settling in the passenger seat. Not sure as to where they were going, she decided to examine the man. He was tall with short, dark brown hair. His facial features led her to believe he was about 25 and his eyes were chestnut with hints of amber in them. He caught her looking and she quickly looked away.
It wasn't long before the car came to a complete stop and the engine turned off. The two relocated to the back seat getting as comfortable as possible. Scarlet was getting nervous and contemplated backing out but, it was too late. He held her body tightly against his making it hard for her to breathe as his chapped lips connected with hers forcefully. She did everything she could to get him to stop but her attempts were useless. He was much stonger than her and after another second of struggling, she was out of energy.
"Don't you try to get away from me slut," he spat at her as he drug her out of the car by her hair, "I know just how to deal with girls like you."
Her body was slammed against the hood of the car and he bent her over.
All she could remember is waking up dizzy, confused, and alone. She pulled out her mirror to assess the damage. Her makeup was smeared from the tears and....
She shook her head, squinting her eyes tightly trying to kill the memory.
**** Sorry that's all I have for now but, I enjoy watching you linger in suspense. Actually, I'm going out to get more inspiration :) ****
