A budding writer with a bunch of ingenious rebels risk their lives to try and overthrow an oppressive government to earn back their liberty of expression. They need to unify and put aside their differences, interests and pasts, and race against time...
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NINA
"Aaah a line there and a dot here annnnddd I'm done," Nina squealed in excitement, twirling twice before coming to a halt. Derek was at the door, watching her with his arms crosses over his chest. He looked visibly amused.
"You look cute while you work you know," he complimented, before coming into the room, "the way you stick your tongue out and how the tongue follows your brush."
"No one told you to observe me so closely, you creep," she turned away, picking up the paint cans, closing the lids and arranging them according to the order used. She liked meticulous planning at work and didn't like undue interference.
"Why do you hate me so much?" he came closer now, extending his arms for emphasis.
"Because you stink, man!" she wrinkled her nose at the whiff of stale air that came along with him. "Why don't you make yourself useful and go shower?"
"Fine," he huffed, turning around without another word and strode out.
Nina felt bad about ticking him off. He was just trying to be a friend after all. But he did smell like a zombie. Lost in her own thoughts, Nina escaped the living quarters and took the lift to the servant quarters. Whipping out her phone she checked for messages from Ash. The lift door opened at the ground floor and she got out, still looking at her phone.
She heard a rustle of feet before somebody shoved her hard. A warm body had flattened her against the wall. Her phone flew off and hit the ground with an audible crack. Nick...Nicholas Flounder, the useless son of her employer.
"Aaah babe. You smell delicious. I want to eat you out," he slurred. The alcohol in his breath nauseated her as she tried to fight him off.
"Get away from me," she tried to wriggle out of his grip but he had caught both her hands in one of his and his grip was iron. His entire body was pressing her against the wall.
"Come on. I know you want it," he crooned.
"Get lost," Nina screamed even as his fingers had swiftly undone two of her buttons.
He quickly pressed a hand to her mouth. She struggled fruitlessly, looking around but the servant's quarters were empty at this time, "You're so hot... " he whispered against her skin, as his hands skimmed over her breasts.
"What the fuck!" another gruff voice sounded at the end of the hallway. In the fraction of a second, big muscular arms were dragging the jerk off of her. Derek pushed him roughly and he staggered a bit.
"I'll tell dad and have your job," Nick threatened.
Derek's eyes were burning coal. He rapidly seized Nick by the collar and slammed him against the wall before he could utter a squeak. "Listen here, young man, " Derek's voice had the menacing edge to it, "Next time you touch a woman without her permission, I'll kill you on the spot before you even go and complain. And as for today, your father shall know of it from this young lady."
Nick's head lolled to one side. He really was drunk.
"Now get your sorry ass to bed before your dad knows of your midnight addictions," Derek jerked him twice before letting him scamper off.
"Thank you..." Nina's voice was choking up as Derek looked at her.
In one swift motion, he was in front of her and engulfing her in a hug, "It's okay. He won't dare come near you again. You need not worry."
"He groped me. He tried to rape me..." Nina shuddered, still in his arms.
"It happens all the time. Rich people exploiting their monetary power. And us poor are forced to zip our mouths as they gag us with money."
"I'm sorry I've always been so rude to you," Nina whispered.
"Hey. I'm your friend, okay? Look at me, " he gently held her chin and lifted it up so that their eyes met. "Besides I know what it feels like. I was raped when I was hardly sixteen."
"You what?" Nina's tears now escaped freely from her eyes.
"Hard to believe but yes. Boys are raped too and people don't just speak about it or take out a candle march for the dead. I didn't get justice. He was a senior at school and he violated me. The police didn't register a complaint even when they saw I was bleeding." The edge of sadness in his voice was evident.
"They say the old world was a bad one," Nina commented.
"The new one is even worse, lady... trust me." Derek gave a small smile that didn't teach his eyes. "And that's why we need friends."
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