The Fallen Ones

Chapter 6: James POV

Her beautiful grey eyes go wide as if she couldn't believe what I just told her to do. "I'm sorry, what?" She says, voice sounding hoarse.

"Show me. Please. Show me the bruises and cuts you're hiding behind that shirt." I say stronger. I try so hard to hide my anger but I can tell it's leaking through. Her father deserves to die for this. Skarlet's beautiful, amazing in every way. From her selflessness all the way down to that cute thing she does with her lip when she gets nervous. I'd never met a girl who puts a child like Jills priorities ahead of her own so fast. She was terrified, fighting tears of her own but set her determination on making Jill smile. Remarkable.

The look she gives me plays my very soul. Her eyes stare into mine, confused and terrified. Very, very terrified. As if she expects to get hit if she says one wrong word. "I don't know...I've never shown my body to anyone...not with my control I mean..." She looks at the ground and blinks her tears away. What did that mean? 'Not with my control'? Has she been...?

I shake my head. Not important right now. If she wasn't so fragile, i would've taken her shirt off them and would've taken her by surprise. I need see what he's done to her. But if I did,

she'd leave. And I'd lose her before I even had her. No, I have to take my time.

The shirt she's wearing hides any hint of a figure. It was very big on her. The black shirt I had given her was from when I was Jacobs age. It'll hug her body. Is that another reason why? I hadn't even thought of that. "Please," I whisper softly, trying to comfort her, "you can show me. It'll make it easier to show them." I motion downstairs. "It's gonna be okay, I promise. No bruise is gonna change our opinion of you. My opinion of you."

"The tank-top I have on is tight..." Her voice trails off as mine had moments ago. Like what had happened to me, she was no longer here. But in her head. Trapped in the clouds of a terrible memory.

"It's okay Skarlet," I don't know what else to say. I try to help more, but my touch doesn't have the power hers has on me. I can't snap her out of her gaze. Tears roll down her cheeks but you can tell she doesn't feel them. I stay there calmly by her side but nearly fall off the bed as she covers her own mouth and screams.

"Skarlet!" I scream and shake her violently. She stares into my eyes but shows no recognition that I'm here. She curls into a ball, whimpering, tears rolling faster. What is she replaying?

I take a deep breath. I can't believe I'm going to do this. I hate going into people's minds. But I have to know what's going on. I close my eyes and force my mind to be clear. I open my eyes and look into Skarlets and slowly, very slowly, I slip into her mind.

*****

"Common, we've been dating for two weeks now. I'm ready." I'm in a dark bedroom, a guy about mine and Skarlets age is laying down on top of Skarlet. But from the look on her face, it's not to her pleasure.

"Andrew, stop. I'm not ready. Plea-" Andrew slaps her and her eyes go wide. His hand, with was originally on her butt, snakes it's way under her shirt and up her body.

"Did I ask if you were ready? No. But I am. Now either play along like a good girl or this won't be as much fun for you." His smile grows wider as he reaches his other hand into her pocket and pulls our her pocket knife and opens it, placing it near her head. I can't believe this guy. Is she still dating him?

He starts to pull her shirt up but she squeals and try's to move away. He punches her in the jaw and she goes motionless. Staring at him in pure terror. "Andrew please. Stop. Beat me, do anything to me but this, please!"

"Shut up!" He picks up the knife and slashes it across her stomach. Leaving a huge cut from one of her sides to the other. She starts to scream but he covers her mouth with his hand. "No use princess, who's gonna hear you in here? Your dad? You think he cares? He's the one that told me you always carry a pocket knife."