His touch was cold and thankless, a little like ice hitting your tongue on a warm summers day except no where near as sweet or pleasant. A struggle was out of the question as I felt his fingers trace up my thighs, reluctantly playing with the hem of my skirt and games with my mind. Wrists bound up by the headboard and tears rolling down my cheeks, I had to tell myself that this wasn't the time to cry - or at least I'd come to believe that. There was little that emotions could do to help the situation other than make me seem pathetic and weak. I was right where he wanted me. Right where my mother had been years before. His breath ran down my neck, creeping like wildfire into my ears as the words which slipped from his lips sung songs of sin in regards to what he was going to do to me. What we were going to do. What I should have felt. Eyes clasped shut, tighter than a venus fly trap claiming it's victim it hit me - that all I was, was a victim..

---

"Charlie just….”

My name bellowing through with the cold breeze that seemed to chase us was the last thing I heard before being pulled along by my sister into overgrown forest and thick canopy. A gunshot had been fired but everything moved too quickly, all too suddenly for me to grasp or make any sense of it. Hearts racing, pulses beating, breath short and legs tired from carrying my weight, my sister told me to keep running – to where I wasn’t sure, but to keep going and not look back.

“Ruby.. I can’t leave you.”
“Charlie. Go!”
“Ru--.”
“Charlie, go.. NOW!”

A swift push in any direction from my shoulders and feet scrambling to make contact with the ground beneath me I could hear people approaching and getting closer. Words and movement of sorts. Fighting through the thick terrain I was faced against and hurdling over anything in my path to get away from what was after me, I stumbled to the ground; crawling on all fours to get my body moving. To keep me sane. Eyes set on a destination unknown and arms scratched with skin torn at – I found a road which could lead to anywhere and nowhere.

“RUBYYYY!”

Short breaths and deep sighs, I tried calling for her again. Pacing around in circles and hands to my lips, trying to keep my cries contained.

“RUBYYYY!”

The sky ahead had turned into the color of a tuned in dead channel on tv. A mix of blues, greys and greens trying to fight each other for a picturesque prime-time adventure. As thunder began to roar above me and bullets of rain came crashing down showing that mother nature meant business, I stuck to the side of the road, following the lines drawn – cautious of the world I’d once felt safe in; and in the distance, could make out a phone-box which I wasn’t sure was real or a figment of my imagination. Shortened strides from tired limbs and a jacket weighing me down; I ripped it off, tossing it to the ground and climbed into the booth, pulling the door shut behind me before my hands felt up the phone. A line between myself and a reality I wasn’t quite sure of.

Picking up the handset reluctantly and tapping it against the dialpad I let my free fingers tuck deep into my jean pockets searching for coins or anything a like. A quarter; I pulled out – that’d be enough for one call. Slotting it into the machine and punching away at keys erratically I held my breath and clutched at my chest waiting for the call to connect.

“The number has been disconnected; please try again.”

Smashing the handset against the side panel of the phone box and a fist mimicking my actions symmetrically across, I cursed myself for not thinking. Of course my dad wouldn’t answer. He was dead. The robotic ladies voice kept repeating the phrase like a broken record. Holding the receiver tab down and buying time to think of someone else who would give a damn, I punched in another set of numbers and waited patiently, hoping I was still alone as far as my eyes could see.

“Hello?”, a voice answered quietly. I couldn’t help but let out a half laugh which choked me.
“Louis… I need your.. I.. you need to come and get me.”
“Who is this?”, he asked with a croak in his voice. Checking the time on my watch, I’d forgotten that at 3am, the civilized portion of the world was fast asleep.
“Ch—Charlie..”, I coughed. I wasn't keen on the sound of my own voice.
“Charlie… babe it’s like 3am”, he explained as I could hear him shuffling around.
“I know. I’m sorry”, I began tearing up yet still trying to come to grips with what was happening, “I wouldn’t call if--.”
“Where are you?”, he asked, the connection becoming static. I internally prayed for hope with fingers crossed.
“Uh.. Highway um..”, I searched outside for a sign. I wasn't keen on leaving my sanctuary. “I’m in a phone box.”
“That doesn’t give me much”, I could hear him laugh. It was all I had though.

The sight of car headlights caused me to drop down and huddle up out of sight against the concrete floor and dried glass walls. Another cold breeze crept through the gaps in the door; perhaps getting rid of that jacket had been a bad idea.

“Hurry…”, I begged. I could hear the sound of an engine approaching - rolling in closer.
“Charlie, I can’t hurry if you don’t tell me where you ar--.”
“Lou there are people after me.”

Notes

Let's get back into the swing of things x