Figure you out

. 1 .

This is not where Lucy had imagined she would be in 7 years when she was 10, and she wasn't quite sure how she got here in the first place.

"Get off me you son of a bitch!" Lucy yelled at the intimidating man, who pinned her against the wall, tugging at the hem of her shirt. His eyes were filled with drunken lust and hunger and greed.

"Hush doll, it'll be over soon. Don't worry, it won't hurt, too bad." He smirked as he spoke.

Cringing as she smelt the cigarette smoke and whiskey on his breath, Lucy prayed. She wasn't sure what for, she just wanted to be okay again.

His face was much too close, and although Lucy was usually an incredibly strong girl, she was becoming intimidated. Most situations she thought she could get out of, but now she didn't know.

The man frustratedly pulled at her shirt, trying to get it over her head with his dirty, rough, greasy hands.

"Let me take off your shirt you bitch!" He grumbled angrily, much too close to her face.

Tears pricked her eyes, but she refused to be weak. She hadn't been weak when her father left, she hadn't been weak whenever her mother had hit her, she hadn't been weak when the only person she cared about was killed, and she wouldn't be weak now, when she was about to lose the last sliver of dignity and innocence she had left.

Why did she have to take a short cut? Why couldn't she had just sucked it up and took the long way? Why had she worn such revealing clothes to the bar? Why had she worn heels that made her want to take a short cut? Why had she been stupid enough to aggravate this obviously drunk man? Now she was going to get raped and she was too weak to do anything about it, as strong as she liked to believe she was.

Finally the mans patience ran out and he ripped off her shirt, the red fabric torn to pieces, and yanked down her shorts.

This is it. This is where I lose everything I have left. My dignity. My innocence, or, what little I had left of it, my self respect, everything.

She accepted that fact with a deep sigh and let her body go limp.

Her stomach turned, she was sure she was going to be sick. Maybe throwing up on him would make him grossed out and hed leave her alone. She tried, but couldn't force herself throw up eother.  Her head throbbed. Her limbs tingled. Just like every other time. She didn't let it affect her, at least she tried not to. Pretended she was still strong and fearless and brave. Told herself she could get through this. She could get through anything.

The man struggled with Lucy's bra and she squeezed her eyes shut. She'll be okay.

Luke had been walking to the liquor store for pack of beer, and maybe another pack or two of cigarettes, when he heard a man shouting in the alley. He'd heard it before. He knew what was happening, and he knew it was a waste of time and a horrible idea to get involved, and he'd ignored it before, letting the guilt get to him instead of getting himself hurt. Today, though, something was different. He had a new sense of moral justice making him want to help, damn it. He didn't know what was different this time. Maybe it's that woman he'd seen on the bus earlier, covered in bruises, holding back tears, sitting uncomfortably by an intimidating and gross looking man. Maybe it's that he couldn't hear the girls cries, as he had before. He couldn't hear her sob, and maybe it worried him.

He glanced into the alley, hesitantly, and saw the gorgeous girl, half naked, eyes squeezed shut, brunette hair tangled and messy, not even trying to stop it, but he could see she was in so much pain, the way her eyes glued shut tight, the way she winced and cringed as the man sucked on her neck and ripped away at her small amount of coverage, and he couldn't just not help her.