Beyond The Walls

Chapter 22. Unexpected

Scupper (v)

To prevent from happening or succeeding; ruin or wreck

Cherie's POV

I feel as if I'm being pulled limb from limb, it hurts so bad.

I yell out and kick the guard with all the power within me. His nails cut through my skin before I feel something crack against the bottom of my foot and he releases me.

Keely pulls me the rest of the way out of the hole, panting.

"Fuck, man." She complains, letting my arm down gently and sitting next to me.

"Are you okay?" I ask her, needing her to tell me.

She lets out a breath of air, "I should be asking you that. Shit."

I laugh, finally knowing she's safe. This shouldn't have been such a scupper, I thought Delroy and I worked it out perfectly.

"Dude, your ankle," she points.

Following the trail of her finger, my eyes see the damage the guard has done to my leg. The skin is swollen and tiny red splotches surround the area in the form of a large handprint, his finger nails left missing skin in streaks going down my leg. Luckily, his nails weren't long or strong enough to make me bleed, only take my skin with him.

I hope I broke his nose.

Keely helps me up, holding my hands.

My ankle stings when I put pressure on it. I feel like I can feel my bones rubbing together. Papa told me about when he was little and broke his arm. He said his whole arm felt asleep and like fire ants were crawling all over it, biting him. Luckily, mine doesn't feel like that.

I hand her one of the dresses for her to cover herself up with and ditch the rags. She puts it on while I face away from her to give her some privacy.

"What do we do now?" Keely asks, throwing one of my arms over her shoulder so she can help support my weight.

She's taller than me so I look lop sided, but I appreciate the help nonetheless.

A smile forces itself upon my face, even when I try to swallow it down, "we are going to a camp. They're nice there, they will protect you."

She nods, "Delroy...you think you'll ever see him again?"

I shrug.

Not only did Keely escape, we both got caught leaving the Kingdom. King Cassius will hold no mercy, especially since Sarris is pregnant with his spawn. If I return, even if I'm alone, I'll be hung in front of Amias and made an example of for the whole Kingdom.

"I hope so. He put his neck out on the line for me, for us. He's a good man."

She nods, "for once, I think he might be."

It takes a lot for her to admit that a man can be good. Who's to blame her? Almost a hundred percent of her experiences with men have ended bad. They either beat her, manipulate her body, call her names, or play cruel pranks on her.

The sun sets behind the trees, making it dark outside.

The forest is so dense that you can't see the stars or the sky. But I keep my feet on the same trail Bakkhos walked me back home on with Keely next to me.