On Your Mark

Chapter 32

*TRIGGER WARNING for SA continued*

I sit on the ground holding my knees to my chest, shivering and shaking. But I don't feel the chill, I am numb. Tears fall freely from my eyes, shining on my cheeks with the glow of the moon, and I can't bring myself to wipe them away, to give him the satisfaction. He stands in front of me pulling up his pants, zipping them and grinning down at me.

"Get dressed," he spits. He kicks my jeans at me, but I don't grab them. I sit naked on the ground, quivering and disgusted with every inch of myself. I couldn't fight him off - I have no fight left. I bite my bottom lip to stop from sobbing. He squats down in front of me, an irritated sigh on his lips as he shuffles my pants back on. "Don't make this difficult for me, Alexandria."

My neck burns where he marked me against my will, but I can't touch it. I don't want to. The brush nearby shakes and crinkles and someone steps into the clearing behind him. I hope that it's one of my brothers, here to kill him and save me, but Gregory approaches the individual with a smirk and the two talk in whispers.

"Is it done," Gregory asks.

A familiar laugh echoes around and I pull myself to look at him. His bald head glistens under the moon and his broad frame comes into view. Marcus.

I shudder, gasping for air and allowing the sob to escape me. The pair of them look at me with disgust and contempt.

"How was she," Marcus jokes.

"Give it to me," Gregory demands, ignoring his friend that should be dead. Marcus pulls something out of the duffle bag at his feet and Gregory takes it, bringing it to me. Squatting down, he pushes my baby into my arms. "Here, I've brought this for you so you'll behave."

I pull Samson to my chest, holding him tightly and spitting at the man who has taken him. Taken us. He wipes his face with a smirk, removing the insult.

"Don't come near me or my son again," I threaten.

He shakes his head, clicking his tongue at me and holding up his arm. "We're mates now, Babe. I'll come near you whenever I'd like."

He walks away from us again, laughing with his friend in the darkness.

"The job is done and ready whenever you'd like for it to begin," Marcus says.

"Excellent," Gregory responds cheerily. "There's no hard feelings, right man? You know I had to kill her."

Marcus freezes, swallowing hard at his words, but nods. "Of course."

Gregory takes a cigar from the square on Marcus' shirt and pats him on the chest. He cuts it, toasts it, and then lights it - a billow of smoke surrounding him. Everything about him repulses me. I am nauseated just by the sight of him. I push myself off of the ground with the help of my rock, and stand shakily on my feet.

"What job," I ask. "What have you done?"

"Don't you worry about it," he hisses at me. Puffing on his cigar again, he smiles, "you're safe all the way out here with me, and so is your child, so shut it."

"I'm not staying here with you," I spit at him, scoffing at the idea.

I attempt to walk out of the clearing, but he's faster and stronger than me. He grabs my arm, ripping it and twisting me around with a wicked laugh, "I don't think so."

"Help!" I scream, but he slaps me across the face with the back of his hand - nearly knocking me out. I blink away the fuzzy black dots and keep a firm grasp on my baby as I stumble backwards. He holds my arm tightly in his so I don't fall, but he guides me in the opposite direction of my house and further into the woods to a parked car.

"Get in," he snarls.

Marcus is close behind me, blocking any sort of escape. Gregory nods in his direction, signaling him for something - my gut starts to ache and I know something is wrong. Marcus pulls out an old, nearly busted, walkie-talkie and speaks into it, "now."

A thunderous roar rips through the spring air and the swirling yellows and oranges of fire burn through the darkness. I gasp, covering my mouth with one hand. The fire spreads quickly in the distance, burning hot and high.

"What have you done," I cry.

I tug my arm out of his grasp and run towards the fire, towards my family, but he catches me, snatching me up by the waist. He shuffles me back to the car, shoving me inside and slamming the door shut. The lock clicks and I am trapped inside while everyone I love is trapped out there. I bang on the window, screaming for him to let me out, drowning out the sound of Samson's wailing. We cry together as the fire rages.

Gregory walks around the front of the car and gets in the driver's seat.

"Let me out," I shout, growling. He smirks as I carry on, "you Bastard!"

With one swift punch, my head hits the glass, cracking it. My vision blurs as I start to fade into oblivion, a trail of blood oozing from my skull. The car hums beneath my feet and we pull out of the woods, driving around the flames. We pass my house just as the stained glass window breaks, flames billowing out. Samson lays on my legs, lulling himself to sleep as our home and our family burns in the reflection of his bright blue eyes.

I can hear their screams and feel their pain as the fire takes them. My father and mother, searching for their children hand in hand, are gone forever. Daniel, cursing himself for not coming with me, for not protecting me, for losing Isaac - he is scared and alone and far too young to die. Frederick and Veronica holding their baby girl in a tight embrace, leaving this world as a family. At this moment, I am grateful that Samuel is not here to feel this, to witness this great tragedy as the fire takes everyone far away from me forever.

I rest my head against the window, nauseous and faint, my life burning before me. I feel the darkness coming on, but before I slip away, I feel his snakelike hand in my hair.

A soft yet sharp exhale escapes me as I whisper, "you win."