Hi, I'm A newbie to this site.... and I'm a bit apprehensive about posting my "ideas" as I call them. I will greatly appreciate every critique. I have a few other chapters and the rest is finished in my head.
Here it goes......
I had never felt more vulnerable than I did standing in the middle of chaos. Though, I had no desire in my concise mind to place myself in such situation, I was brought to mingle amongst those who didn’t notice. So I stood, dazed, completely submersed in a paralyzing state that claimed my entire body and numbed my searching mind. My eyes pacing to find an escape from the maze of loud strangers flying past me.
Blaring music, senseless chatter and glasses upon glasses of swirling temptation spinning around in my sight. Characters in random places mauling each other while others take pokes to entice. The world set on surreal.
A world I was unaccustomed to, a world I would have to learn to live through. Questioning why I’d let Émile talk me into coming to this hell house, I realized he couldn’t see my position. He’d done it dozens of times but he was the one who got the invite, not the younger sister who was told to tag along. Always so social, from the sports teams to parties, confident senior-year student to a teenage musical wonder. Émile could never understand that awkward girls like me never belonged to this world. It was pretty lame that at sixteen you become a social reject. Of course it stung most of the time but I learned quickly to just shrug it off even though it blistered.
I took a deep breath and started to turn around to see who called out my name when what felt like lead landed on my right limbs, tackling me down to beer stained carpet. “ahh...” was all I could whisper underneath the pressure. I had to get out of there; some superhero took a high dive off the large mahogany pool table without making sure the surrounding area was clear. He picked up his round little figure and walked off laughing, as f he landed on a trampoline and not on a sixteen-year old boney female. Lifting myself off the smelly carpet, I concentrated on breathing in through my nose and releasing out of my mouth until I could find my brother and drag ourselves out of the zoo.
Balancing one foot in front of the other trying to fight nature’s need of falling down the hard and probably sharp wooden steps. Watching myself putting one shiny black flat in front of its pair, when all I could feel was something hooking around my ankle and warm palms grabbing for my shoulders. My spine started to tilt backwards and a falling sensation surfaced from my flying core. Gasping and reaching for the warm palms or the solid railing, I saw a face that would haunt my soul for the rest of eternity. His perfect amber brown eyes wide with panic and his strong hands caught hold of my sinking body and braced me against his. The world seemed to have stopped.
“Are you alright?” a flute voice rang. It was Heather, My closest friend.
“Yes” was all I could breathe while my breath taken by his gaze. I saw a smirk widen across his face and soften his hazed eyes.
Heather pounding up the steps behind restarted my stolen heart. “For a second I though you two were going to do damage to Luke’s railing”
“ Sis, you know I can hold better balance then that” the smirk flowing in his words. His breath was burning.
“Under better conditions, maybe. Come on Oliver, no arguments, your drunk and we’re going home before you get caught” she said pointing to the split entry door above.
“ Sure, sure.” Was his sweet reply. Then un-expectantly, he leaned forward and brushed his smooth warm lips against my high icy cheek bones. Oliver spun around, hopped up the rest of the stairs, opened the heavy metal door with ease and vanished.
“See you on Monday Natalie, oh and tell Luke why I had to leave, thanks” Then she too disappeared into the final night of August.
My posture frozen to the shape he held it in. His face forever imprinted in my mind. His solid amber melted my heart beyond the ability to re-solidify. A rush of warmth spreading from my fluttering heart to my ivory cheeks. Natalie Mallard was awakened. It was as if I was born to feel this for him, life now starts living. Looking into is captivating, glowing eyes and felling his gentle hands on my pricked skin. But now he was gone. A shocking quiver shook through my body, weakening my knees.
“Natalie, are you ok?” It was Émile.
“Yes” then I realized that I was standing in the middle of the staircase, clinging to an imaginary person.
“Right, go get something to drink, you look flushed” he barked. I nodded. “Where did our buddies go?”
“Home...um... Oliver’s not... Heather thought it would be best to...” I stumbled, trying to focus in on my words and not of the perfect picture that fit with the name echoing in my mind.
Émile replied with a slight grin and pointed up the stairs, encouraging me to quench my assumed thirst. Emile seemed stable as he retreated back to the madness. He wasn’t much of a drinker; one or two then attended to others far over their own limits, let alone the legal ones. Unlike his two partners in crime Luke and... Oliver, Émile always seemed grounded while Luke the wildest. They had been friends since kindergarten and inseparable ever since. The three most attractive and desirable seniors and they all for the most part, live in my house. Whether it be the kitchen, living room or bathroom you will often find one of them there. I’d never really minded them yelling at the game on T.V, the lack of hygiene or their remarks towards me. The only thing I could never shake was I always had a feeling come from the acid in my stomach about Luke. I couldn’t be sure about it but it greatly applied to the way he looked out of his empty eyes that made me feel as though I had no control, inferior.
As I reached the kitchen I realized the party resided to the basement area. I was sure there was not a soul around. Then I saw our host, Luke.
“Have you seen Heather?” Luke grunted, leaning against the sink. I never could see was my best friend saw in him or any girl for that matter. He always sounded aggressive.
“She told me to tell you that she had to bring Oliver home” I tried not to whisper. He grunted again, his muscular hand looked as though they were going to shatter the fragile glass he was pouring water into. His grip was inappropriately tense, which made me wonder what he was trying to control.
“Here. Émile told me no alcohol. You look thirsty” He barely held the glass away from his body.
I tried to be cautious and walked over to retrieve his offering. “Thanks. Do I look that bad?” I gently lifted the glass out of his paws and caught a glimpse of his onyx eyes. The expression behind them changed. Like from impatient to intrigued.
“Just flushed but you have changed this summer” Luke’s tone sounded as though he was a loin trying to allure his prey.
He puzzled me at first. I hadn’t grown taller, I had gotten my braces off, and I had a shorter hair cut that morning. Nothing was clicking. As he stroked my cheek bone, tracing it behind my ear, down my neck, across my sharp collar bone and smoothed down my small but noticeable chest in my lower-cut shirt. It occurred to me what he meant. This realization startled instantly that his path turned to ice and I dropped the glass, clattering to the floor. I jumped quickly once I seen his mouth creasing.
“I’m so sorry” my constant phrase “let me clean it up.”
“There’s some paper towels in my room, I think. Come with m while I check.”Luke’s voice gave the impression there was no choice. I raised up off the floor, and slowly followed him to the end of the never ending hall.
At first the glowing red numbers on his alarm clock gave the only light. He flicked on the lamp by the clock, luminating the dark blue room as he securely closed the door behind us. I quickly glanced around the room while Luke kept inching closer to his bed in the center of his room.
“ I don’t see any here. I’ll look under the bathroom...better yet the kitchen sink.” My voice shaking with panic as the backs of my calfs halted.
He chuckled “you’re funny” wrapping his arm around my back and held the back of neck with his hand.
Numb with disbelief that I hadn’t realized how far my body sunk until it was horizontal and his face was hovering over me. That when bells went off in my head.
“Please don...” my eyes began to fill.
“This is better than I thought” excited tones rising, his body leaning closer.
Frantically, I pressed my weak hands on his rock-hard shoulders, trying to get leverage. My effort came unsuccessful when he took one free paw, clasped both wrists together and strained them above my head. As he began devouring my lips that hardened to a solid line, I caught a scent of his breath. It didn’t have the hot burning scent of Oliver’s... his was plain as water. Fear and rage began to float in my veins. He knew what he was doing. I couldn’t move. My legs and hands pined. When I felt my pants loosen, along with the sound of its zipper I screamed. Before I caught my breath, a tingling sting ripped across my jaw. This forced to look to his eyes. With his teeth clenched and round nostrils flared, it seemed as though he was fighting the urge not to strangle me. His hands tightened.
“Dare it again.” His final warning.
By this time his belt thudded on the floor. The sound rang in my ears and tore through my core. I turned my head so I could only see shadows. Biting the inside of lips as two streams flowed down and I closed my eyes as what felt like every nerve being cut off, leaving me numb again.
***
A few nerves reattached when the monster left me for dead; leaving me in the same crippled position, without speaking. Pain began spreading further. Not even opening my eyes, I froze, lifeless. My body turned to ice and began to shut down. Repulsed how I couldn’t fight back, how I let this happen and how weak I was. I let the cold darkness dig in the emptiness as I closed my mind off until I heard voices and that the pounding had stopped.
“She said she felt sick but wanted you to stay and enjoy yourself so I let her lay.” Luke covering his tracks and I didn’t care.
“Yah, she looked ill a few hours ago. I’ll take her home now.” Concern spread throughout Émile’s voice. I didn’t pay attention. All I wanted was to be left alone.
I felt a warm embrace around me, releasing a few more nerves as it carried me out of the room, down the steps and finally in the front seat of our little red sunfire. Only then my eyes opened. Though I could not yet let myself feel the physical pain, I could feel the torturous slicing of each artery in my body.
“Natalie, are you ok?” I couldn’t analyze an answer.
“What time is it?” That would have to do.
“Two in the morning. Go back to sleep.” He felt my forehead with the back of his hand and I closed my eyes again, hoping for the last time that they would not open again.
But then I remembered Oliver and how I had to find him again. It only occurred to me then that why would he even want to find me? No one wants the used and weak. I caught the last fading glimpse of his amber eyes, shaggy short black hair, beige-cream skin, pink cheeks and perfect smile. An onyx cloud hazed over my brilliant sun as I slipped in to its eye.
