Heartdriven

50. Beast

Trigger warning: This chapter contains content that some readers may find upsetting.

Fernando stood in the parking lot of the motel, awaiting the arrival of Alice and Sebastian, as they pulled up next to him. He opened the door for Alice, and helped her out of the car.
"I just need to talk to the event organisers, explain why we are a bit delayed this morning," he looked to Sebastian, as he walked around the car to them.
"Do you have service around here?", he held Alice's hand.
"Yes, of course. In the internet café," Fernando pointed towards the registry building, smiling.
"The internet café. Right. I'm gonna call the newspaper then, okay? If you need any help, just wait for me."
Sebastian smiled to Alice and she meekly nodded back, as he walked to the internet café with Fernando, and she went to her room to pack her things.

Having packed most of her stuff, Alice went to the bathroom to pick up her toiletries, collecting them in her toilet bag. She heard the door close, and headed back out in the room, she hadn't needed Sebastian's help and was ready to leave.
"Almost there," she said and placed her toilet bag in her suitcase, zipping it close, turning to him in the corner.
But it was not him. It was the other him. It was the guy. That guy.
"Oh. I thought you were... someone else...", she ran towards the bathroom, but he grabbed onto her and sat her back down on the bed, standing in front of her.
"You know, we were denied entry for the race. My son and I. That's weird, huh?"
She could feel his eyes intensely on her, "Yes, that's... hmm," avoiding his eye contact.
"I only have my son for a few days each month. This was supposed to be a good memory, now it's no memory at all... Why don't you find me some photos of my son, karting yesterday?"
She nodded slowly at him, "Mm-hmm... I don't have my computer here, it's in the car, why don't I go get it...", she moved to get up, but he put his hand on her shoulder, holding her down.
"No, you stay here."
She sat completely still, as he put his hand to her neck, up under her chin, and holding her head to face him, but she was still avoiding his eye contact.
He moved his thumb over her bottom lip, and she pushed him back, rolling over the bed, and crawling away from him. He climbed after her on the bed and grabbed onto her legs, pulling her towards him, as she kicked after him. He grabbed her hair and pulled her up, rolling her back around, while she was writhing to fight him off, pushing him away.
He slapped her across the face and she fell back down on the bed, attempting to roll away from him again, but he held her down and punched her face. And she disappeared... she was gone. She left her body behind and let go.
He touched her chest and ripped open her buttoned shirt, moving his hands over her motionless body, down to her pants... he was forced to the side, and pushed off the bed, as Alice found her way back to body.
She sat up on the bed and saw Fernando standing next to her, knocking him down, kicking him in the process. She crawled off the bed and ran to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.
She hid herself down under the sink, covering her ears and closing her eyes, to hide herself from the commotion, punches, grunts... the violence from outside.

Sebastian came back to Alice's room, surprised to hear several voices from inside but none of them belonging to Alice. He slowly moved the already open door aside, and saw Alonso stand next to a bloodied man sitting on the bed — Alonso's knuckles matching his bruised face — with two more men beside them.
Alonso walked towards him, and pulled him aside, "Alice is in the bathroom, she won't come out."
Sebastian was trying to digest the information he wasn't given.
"Why is she in the bathroom? Is she okay?... Who is that guy?", he didn't know where to begin.
"That is the guy who shoved her into the table yesterday," said Alonso, pointing towards him with his thumb.
Sebastian looked back at him, confused, "S-shoved her?"
Alonso grabbed him by the arm and pulled him outside of the room, as a police car showed up.
"She did not tell you?", Alonso crossed his arms and frowned his eyebrows.
"She has barely said a word... Fernando...", he grabbed him by his shoulders, as the police officers walked by them, into the motel room.
"Yesterday, I walked in on Alice having words with him, he was holding onto her and she was pushed against the table...", Sebastian remembered the bruise from her side, "... She became quite unwell after that."
Fernando was telling it slowly, but Sebastian needed the whole picture now.
"Who is he? Why is he here now? What happened? Fernando, the blood... Alice...", he moved to go inside the room again, but Alonso stopped him.
"I do not know, Sebastian. I do not know. She ran to the bathroom when I showed up...", the police officers escorted the guy past them to their car, handcuffed, "... He was on top of her."
Sebastian walked right past Alonso and back into the motel room, headed for the bathroom, knocking on the door, "Alice... Alice...", he grabbed the door handle and the door was unlocked, and slowly opened it, "I'm coming in, okay?"
He went through the door and saw Alice sitting on the floor, under the sink, rocking herself back and forth. She had her eyes closed and was covering her ears, her face bruised and her nose bloody. She looked so vulnerable.
He walked slowly towards her and sat down in front of her, gently touching her arm.
"Alice..."
She opened her eyes and reached for him, grabbing him by his shirt and pulling him close to her. She was cold and he could feel her entire body trembling in his arms, as he held her close.
"I want to disappear," she managed to whisper to him.
He helped her up, she could barely stand as she was shaking, her torn shirt hanging from her body. He gave her a hug, covering her up and held her extra close in his arms, feeling her relax a bit more.
Alonso quietly walked in behind them, "I am gonna go with the police to give them a statement. One of them will wait for you when you are ready," and he left them quietly again.
"The photos. I need to find photos for his son."
Sebastian let go of her and held her by the shoulders, "What do you mean, Alice?"
She looked confused around. "His son. He wanted photos. Karting photos."
He held her close again, "You don't need to worry about that, Alice."
He walked with her out to the police officer and sat with her as she gave her statement, stammering through her words.