The Lady's Game (Completed)

6 - Help

Chapter 6

'Bess!' a faraway voice calls, echoing around my brain and sluddging slowly through my deafened ears.

Who's Bess?

'Bess!' the voice yells again, sounding closer. I hunch my posture, blocking everything away and staying locked inside my caccoon of hazy hearing, with only my heart beat pumping in my ears.

Slowly, I feel arms shaking me. I try to curl into a tighter ball, protecting myself from whoever wants to hurt me. I feel my inner self tensing but my body stays unresponsive.

'Aw, Jesus Christ, her pulse is slowin',' says a frantic voice.

Good.

My head lolls back as he picks me up and starts to run. My whole body is rattled and I groan at the discomfort. After a few minutes of running, he slows down and starts to yell for someone to open the door. He bangs the door with his side, making me shake even more.

Finally, someone opens the door just as I let out a soft sigh and sink into a black abyss

***

My eyes move aimlessly under my eye lids. I slowly peel them back and come face to face with a very worried yet relived face.

'Mae?' I ask hoarsely, wincing as pain shoots through my heart.

'Oh, yer stupid, STUPID gal!' she cries, pulling me into a hug. I wince but don't pull back.

'Why are you here?' I ask, reaching to the left to try to reach the cup of water I put on my side table this morning. Not feeling anything, I frown and look to the left, my frown deepening when I realize that there is no table there.

My hand slowly comes back to my side, when I realize that this bed isn't mine: it doesn't deep to the right.

I jump up, eyes wide.

I'm not home.

'Mae,' I ask uncertainly, looking around, 'where am I?'

'Hush, yer at ma 'ome.' She peers down at me, worry plain in her eyes.

'What the blazes am I doing here?' I exclaim. I look around the room, eyes wide. 

She regards me carefully. 'Don't yer remember?'

'Remember what!' I shout, angered by my confusion and stupidity. And then I remember: the rain; the wind; the warm bread in my hands; Jack's mockery and insults. My breath catches and the urge to cry resurfaces. I blink forcefully, only seeing Jack's eyes as his gaze burns through me.

'Bess, calm down,' says a male voice.

Jack?

I jump and scramble back, gritting my teeth to force myself not to cry. My breathing becomes laboured and uneven, despite my efforts to calm my jumping pulse. I close my eyes.

I want to go home.

Behind closed eyes, I try to forget about him. But all I see are memories of his face, his smirk and mocking voice. 

Ye'll never be safe from me. 

I can see yer scared.

Yer 'oldin' on ter yer bread pretty tight.

This is where yer belong, on yer knees before me.

You're a useless tart.

They don't care. 

'She thinks yer Jack!' cries a voice, floating over my consciousness and yet not registering in my mind, just like words in a foreign language.

'Wot do yer want me ter do? She wouldn't stop shakin'!'

'Stop talkin', Jesus! Yer scarin' 'er!'

A gentle, unthreatening hand places itself on my shoulder, and soothing words start to surround me. Pull yourself together, dammit! I snap, feeling foolish. Taking a deep breath, I open my eyes and look Eddie straight in the eye. 

Eddie?

'What are you doing here?' I demand, rubbing my arms and trying to warm them up.

'I'm Mae's brother,' he says, feeling my forhead and frowning at me. I blink at him and look between Mae and him.

'I see,' I murmur. 

Eddie pushes a cup of water into my hands. ''Ere, drink it,' he says. I look down at the cup blankly before throwing my head back and drinking the whole thing at once.

'Better?' she asks softly, and I give her a small nod, thanking her quietly and settling back down.

'Why am I here?' I ask, looking at both of them in turn.

''Cause yer 'urt,' says Mae firmly, sitting on a chair in front of me whiles Eddie stands at the end of the bed.

I frown at her. 'You don't know me,' I state. 

She shrugs. 'Do we really know anyone?' she asks, and I shut my mouth. 

Coughing, I pull the blanket back and swing my legs out of bed. 'I need to go,' I say quietly, touching my cheek and flinching when I feel a throbbing bruise. 

'No, yer don't,' says Mae, getting up and trying to put back into bed. 

'Mae,' I say forecfully, 'I need to go. There's things I need to do at home.'

'But-' she starts. 

'Mae, leave 'er,' interrupts Eddie from where he's standing passively, calm and collected. I wish I could be like him. 

She lets out a fustrated sigh, but stops talking and doesn't move when I get out of bed and walk to the door. Fighting a headache and a throbbing pain in my cheek, I manage to get to the door before my legs give way at the door and I collapse against the wall, breathing heavily and fighting tears that threaten to fall. 

'Oh, Bess...' says Mae, sounding close to tears herself as she crouches in front of me and presses a cold, wet cloth to my head, 'Yer so damn ill, Bess. Yer need ter eat and' get some sleep.'

Eyes still closed, I shake my head and protest in a hoarse voice. '... Can't .... uncle .. might ... ' I cough dryly and push myself to my feet, taking deep breathes and doing my best to ignore everything but the steps my feet take. 

I arrive outside and so does Mae. 'Mae?' I ask. She looks up at me. 'Why am I so pathetic?' I ask quietly.

'Yer not, I swear it,' she says, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me so that I look at her. 'Yer strong, Bess. Even if I know yer wanna lie down an' cry, yer still pull yerself tergether an' force yerself up just ter go check on yer Aunt. That's the bravest thin' I even seen som'un do, that's fer sure.' 

I rub my eyes and smile at her. 'Thank you,' I whisper. She pulls me into a hug, and I hesitate before hugging her back and smiling to myself. 

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Hey gys!!!

wow, this took a decade to write :/

anyways, nothing special, but pretty emotional (I think).

hope u like it! vote and comment plz :)

lov ya!!

xxx