The Girl From Bourbon Street

Trigger warning: Contains graphic descriptions of abuse, suicide, and harsh language.

The night is cold and wet from the falling rain; it's close to midnight. Running down Bourbon Street, Venus chokes on her sobs. The street lights glimmering off her wet tear streaked cheeks. Covered in soot and her clothes tattered with burn marks, she reaches what looks to be a nightclub called Medusa's. Her weak hands reach for the handle, pushing the heavy steel door open. She squints, her eyes needing to adjust to the bright flashing lights, as she goes further in she notices the club is filled with women and... drag queens? She shakes her head, never having been on this side of town before, she ignores the people in search of a bathroom. She pauses in defeat not knowing where she is going. Suddenly a woman in a short red silk slip dress and black heels approaches her. 

"Darling, are you okay?" The woman's smooth British accent asks, her dark grey eyes twinkle with concern.

"Y-yes, b-but can you p-please show me where the bathroom is?" She stutters out, shaking from her cold damp clothes.

"Of course, follow me." The woman says with a warm smile, her eyes not leaving their concerned state, she holds out her hand for Venus to take.

"T-thank you." She chokes out, taking hold of the womans hand. 'Her hand is so cold, yet so soothing at the same time." Venus thinks to herself. The woman grips her hand tightly, but not too tightly she doesn't want to hurt Venus. They finally make it through the crowd of people and into the bathroom. Venus lets go of the womans hand and rushes to the mirror. She lets out a gasp, she hasn't seen herself since the incident with her boyfriend Blake. The woman rushes to her side and rubs soothing circles on her back.

"Just breathe, love." She whispers. "You're going to be alright."

Venus looks over at the woman with tears in her eyes. "What's your name?"

The woman looks into her eyes, smiling warmly "Andromeda, but everyone calls me Andy." Venus offers a small smile. "That's a very pretty name."

"Thank you, what's your name Darling?"

"Venus." the timid girl replies.

"That's a very unique and lovely name. Venus." Andy says letting her name slide off her tongue like soft velvet."Now would you care to explain why you look like a chimney sweeper just got into a fight with a raccoon."

Venus lets out a sad chuckle. "W-well, my boyfriend and I got into an argument and..."

"And..." Andy says ushering her to continue.

"He got angry with me and punched me, knocking me off of my feet causing me to fall into a lit fireplace. I don't have any burns, the fire went out pretty much the second I hit it, but 

my clothes are burned from the hot embers, and I think my skin is a little aggravated, but otherwise I think I'm alright."

"He what?" Andy practically yells, causing Venus to flinch. "Oh my, love I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you."

"I-it's alright." She says with a small smile.

"How about this, may I take you back to my apartment and we can clean you up?" Andy says with a hopeful and genuinely kind smile, her eyes still laced with concern.

"I should really go back to my boyfriend, he'll be mad I've been gone so long and I don't want him to be angry with me. He loves me he really does, and he says that if I ever leave him he'll kill himself and I don't want him to do that because of me. It would be all my fault."

Andy's eyes darken from pure rage. "You're not going back to him, he hurt you, you see and you're too sweet of a girl to realize he doesn't love you. If he loved you he wouldn't have caused you physical and emotional harm. He clearly doesn't deserve you and nothing he does is your fault. All couples fight, but no significant other should harm the other unless the other harmed them first, do you understand me?" She says in a stern and dangerous voice. Venus gulps and nods, she casts her eyes down to the gray stone tiling. Andy hooks her index finger under Venus' chin lifting her head up. "I'm sorry, but it's the truth. Plus I wasn't really giving you an option." Andy flashes her a grin. Venus smiles sadly. "Okay." She says with a breathy sigh. Andy hooks arms with the petite girl.