TEARS FROM THE MOON

Chapter 32.

I now sat there, on the ground in amongst the gravel and the leaves from the hedge with my legs still tucked up beneath me and my arms wrapped around my poor sore and painful body.
Tears streamed down my face as I tried to comfort myself within my own embrace.
What had happened tonight was truly terrifying.
What could have happened didn't dare thinking about.

It was strangely quiet now with a stillness and a serenity that somehow seemed comforting to me.
My breathing was much calmer too, although my body ached from so much pain and my head hurt with such confusion and so many unanswered questions.
How someone, who I had considered a true friend to me was able to act like that was beyond comprehension.
Why did he do it?
How come he had turned so nasty?
Had the alcohol he'd drunk changed him into some kind of a monster?
Or had he always been like that and just hidden it well?
Maybe he'd purely been an opportunist, who just spied his chance to get laid at any cost.

I shuddered at the thought of all these scenarios.
How could I have been so very stupid as to have even trusted him though, in the first place.
He didn't deserve my trust whatsoever.
He certainly now did not deserve my friendship!

I wiped the back of my hand across my nostrils for within my tears I felt my nose was also running but as I then looked at my hand afterwards I noticed a distinct colouration from the moonlight.
It was blood.
My nose was now bleeding and when I looked down at my arms and legs, I could also see scratches, bruises and blooded marks all over them.

I then reached up and touched tentivily at my head.
Ow, that bloody hurt.
I could feel a lump on it the size of a large egg and knew that there was also blood in my hair, for it felt sticky and gelled together.
I was an absolute wreck and I also felt rather stupid.

As I sat there, trying to make sense of it all, from out of the darkness, I heard someone shout my name followed by the sound of footsteps coming down the path towards me. I huddled closer to the hedge. I wasn't sure if it was Sarah or my Mother. I hoped it was the latter.

"Gwen where are you?".    The voice shouted out.  "Are you out here?".  

I sighed deeply and realised that it was indeed my sister who was shouting out my name.
I shuddered as I didn't want my oh so perfect younger sister to see me like this. But on the other hand I wanted to be found. I felt so vulnerable and weak and scared and humiliated.
I just wanted to curl up and hope that the whole awful experience could just be forgotten.

I sat still, trying my hardest not to move. I even tried to breath quietly too. If she did find me, well that would be alright, but I preferred that she didn't.
I listened as her footsteps began to walk away, back towards the house again as I then allowed myself to exhale deeply.
I wondered for a moment what she would now be telling our parents. Maybe they would just presume that I had gone off in the car with Ashcroft.
I looked down at myself.
Not dressed like this though.
I was only wearing a dressing gown and a pair of Mothers old slippers.

I got unsteadily to my feet and looked about me.
The moon looked so wonderful and bright. It was just so magnificent and the light it was emitting gave everything such a magical glow. I could also see everything so clearly as well for it wasn't at all dark, even though it had gone well beyond midnight.
I took a big breath and decided that there was really only one being that I now needed to see at this very moment and I needed to see him straight away.
I began to walk, pulling the dressing gown tighter around me as I did so and quickly glancing up at the lighted kitchen window as I went past.

I was now on the little pathway that ran along the side of my Father's garden. As ever it was vastly overgrown and I quickly realised that my footware as well as my attire was not really very practical for roaming around the countryside in.
Nevertheless. I carried on with my lone trek to find the one thing that I knew would never judge me, never intentionally harm me and would certainly always be there for me.