Protection

Chapter 10.

A few days after my mother returned home. Her first comment almost amused me.

"You look like a different person Rosa. Why are you suddenly so happy?"

How could I have told her though, how could I have told her about the rough love I recieved from Rob. God, I was going out with an adult! It seemed so crazy and wrong and weird that someone like me would be noticed, let alone loved by someone like Rob. He was perfect, everything I had dreamed perfection would be.

Everything seemed to be turning around. I was getting on better at school, spending most nights at Rob's house whilst lying to my Mum saying I was going to Kim's.

One day however, on the way home from school I encountered something I had only dreamed about.

The police said that they couldn't find him, that he was homeless, had probably moved away, ran away from his past. Yet, there he was, stood directly in front of me, on the same street corner as the first time. Yellow teeth glinted maliciously in the dappled light. The same quilted jacket was pulled up so that the man's unshaven neck was hidden from view. I stopped in my tracks, unable to move. I was trapped in that moment by my own body.

He turned his head to look at me.

"We've grown since last time haven't we?" His gaze rested on my chest. I tried to back up but I couldn't get a grip on my balance and I fell backwards. Damn my lack of equilibrium, I thought as I scraped my elbows. My hair was falling into a puddle and my clothes were wet and muddy from landing on the damp ground. He crouched down next to me, so close to my face I could feel and smell his breath on my face. I tried shuffling backwards with my elbows, desperately struggling for any way of escape. A rough hand clamped down on my shoulder, pushing me back down to the floor and causing me to bang the back of my head on the concrete paving.

"Not that I have a problem with that of course." He whispered in my ear. I was quickly losing consciousness and control of my body. My head was buzzing loudly in my ears, and my vision was blurry and distorted.

"No- Stop I- No..." I tried to choke out as he dragged my slumped body towards a white van parked further down the road. My bare legs were being scratched as the concrete and my skin rubbed ferociously together. And suddenly I thought.

What about Rob? He hasn't been here for me for so long, just to deal with the pain of me relapsing. And what about Mum? Poor, dear Mum who was so happy when I first left the house. And Hugh, and Tristan.

I realised how much I had to fight for, and by God did I fight. Ignoring the throbbing, burning at the back of my head I screamed for all I was worth.

"Get off me you fucking bastard, I swear to fuck when the Police find you, someone fucking help me now-" But my screams were in vain. A disgusting grey rag was held over my mouth and nose. God, the smell was awful. My head started fluttering again and my eyelids drooped. Suddenly, something hard and large wacked me into the wall, out of the eyes of my original attacker. I tried to open my eyes again. It was pointless. One more go. I could just make out the figure of a man, about 6ft 2 or 3 pummelling the other man. My attacker looked an absolute mess, his nose crooked and broken, blood running from his face and seeping through his clothes. The tall man turned around so I caught a glimpse of his face before I passed out.

It was Rob.