The Blood Crown

Chapter Two

  Chaeyoung pressed her finger to the knob of her camera. It clicked as she spun it to the next roll. She raised kicked the dusty carpet and snapped a picture of it falling into place, the dust hanging in the light. With a good sneeze, she clicked to the next roll. She had a project, to take pictures and make a story out of them. She didn't know what story she wanted to tell, but there was no better place to start then the abandoned house. Nobody went there, it was her own personal playground. Her feet left traces on the dusty floorboards as she walked to the old kitchen. The appliances sat lonely and decrepit. Each was prepared to fall apart, each abandoned and no longer useful. She lifted her camera, the solid metal touching her skin as she looked though the lenses, lining up her next shot. The dripping faucet in the corner, the abandoned clamp with its knife for opening cans dangling helplessly from rusty hinges. Her eyes burned as she pressed her finger down, taking the shot.

  "Dammit, what's wrong with me." She scowled and waved her hand in front of her eyes, trying to stop the tears that edged at her eyes. "Must be the dust." Chaeyoung scowled, her teeth clenching as she rolled the dial again, clicking it to a fresh spot in her roll. The image of loneliness, perhaps that was why she felt that way, or maybe it was the way everything in the house laid abandoned, knowing it could never be used for what it was meant. Maybe it was the universes means of mocking her, letting her know that she would never amount to anything, making her aware that her talents would be left in the dust, rusting from disuse. Whatever the reason, it meant nothing to her. It had to, she had things to do. Chaeyoung dropped her camera, letting it bump against her breasts, dangling from her neck. She wasn't going to let herself get too emotional, instead she was going to do what she came for. She walked to the door of the basement, gripping the knob to open it. Her eyebrows furrowed when it just clicked, not opening. "Locked huh? Not a problem." She pulled a pin for turkeys out of her pocket, she expected it some things to be locked, so she came prepared. She inserted it into the small hole and pushed until she felt the lock pop, opening the door.

  Stuffing the pin in her pocket she opened the door, the door opened silently. It was odd, that the door was so quiet and well taken care of. It was as if someone had taken care to keep it silent, taken care to clean the hinges of rust. She stepped onto the wooden steps, feeling unease at how silent they were. Chaeyoung had been looking forward to the noise. The sound of solitude and abandonment. She wanted that, but the basement was oddly lacking. She closed the door behind her and slowly made her way down the steps. By the time she hit midway, she could see light brimming at the edge, unable to cut through the darkness. By the time she hit the cement floor of the basement she could see the light sitting beside a messy bed. A lonely lamp sitting beside torn blankets and a ratty pillow.

She raised her camera to the bed.

He raised his hand to her neck.

  Chaeyoung screamed when she felt lips brush her skin. She threw her elbows back trying to attack the person, she heard the attacker grunt. She felt them grab her and shove her forwards. She hit the bed, chocking on the dust that rose to meet her. She squeezed her eyes shut as hands dig into her arms, shoving her against the metal bar of the bed. Her knees ached, she could smell her blood and feel her damaged skin pressing into the cement, sending pain through her body.

  "Get off me!" Tears fell, warming her cheeks. She didn't think that would happen, not to her. She was scared, who would hear her scream? Who would save her? Chaeyoung fought to get up but he was against her and her camera was under the bar, each time she fought to rose it was thump against the bar stopping her and her attacker would push her against the side of the bed, forcing her head to hit ratty blankets. "Leave me alone!" She felt his legs press against hers as he knelt on the cement. His fingers brushed her hair, gently moving it away from her neck. "Get off! Please!" Her wails echoed against the walls, tearful, weak. Chaeyoung shook, sobbing as his trembling fingers gripped her neck. "Please!" Her begging did nothing to him.

Hopeless.

She couldn't do a thing.

Shaming.

How could she face her parents?

  She screamed when she felt him bit into her. Chaeyoung's eyes widened as she felt her whole body shudder, her throat ached from screaming, her neck burned from his bite. "Get off of me!" Each time she shook against his chest she felt pain rip through her body, and heard his animalistic grunts. "Someone save me!" Her screams met empty air. She gripped the metal bar of the bedframe, her knuckles going white from exertion. She sobbed, her body shaking as she felt his teeth dig deeper, smelt her blood hitting the air, dripping onto her shirt. Her vision blurred as the pain overwhelmed her. "Stop, please! Please!" Chaeyoung fought the blurring sensation that hit her mind, she fought as hard as she could, but she couldn't fight it. She fell into the darkness.

  Chaeyoung felt weak. Her knees felt like they were lit aflame, her hands felt stiff and refused to move, and her neck felt like she had been stabbed repeatedly. She forced her eyes open, whimpering from the pain. Her eyes saw a cement wall infront of her, her nose smelt dust and blood, and her skin felt ratty sheets scratching against her arms and cheeks. She was still in the basement. Her body shook, she couldn't stop it, she was scared. What if he was still there? Was he watching her? Her chin wobbled, threatening to fall open with a sob. She covered her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut trying to stop the tears. Anger flooded through her as she laid on the bed. She took a deep breath and forced herself up, looking around the room. It was empty. The light was still on, illuminating the empty room. She could see dried blood beside the bed where she had torn her jeans. Her camera was on the floor beside the light, the roll had been pulled out and exposed.

  Chaeyoung scrambled to her camera, shaking as she held up the roll. She shoved it into her jean pocket and put the camera around her neck again. She hobbled to the door, gritting her teeth as her knees sent pain through her body. She had to get home, she had to get out. She gripped the railing desperately, using it to pull herself up the stairs. Her fingers wrapped around the knob of the door, opening it easily. Chaeyoung ran for the door, moaning in pain. Her feet thumped against the hardwood, her shadow chasing her through the halls. She ran out the door, falling down the front steps. She covered her mouth and screamed in pain as she hit the overgrown path. It was still nighttime. The streetlights were waiting for her at the end of the path, and the stars were overhead, hiding in the clouds.

  She forced herself up again, she forced herself to walk home. Chaeyoung lifted the hood of her coat to hide her tear stained cheeks and stumbled along the sidewalks until she was home. The mahogany door stood between her and her parents. She walked in, slipping off her shoes. She walked up to the washroom, turning the light on and locking the door behind her. Pulling her hood off she stared at herself. Her cheeks were blotchy and shiny from her tears. She stared in disgust at her swollen eyes, then her tied her hair up. She tilted her head biting her lip in pain, staring at the two holes in her neck. They had swollen up and itched, looking similar to a mosquito bite. Her fingers raised slowly to touch it. She yelped and stared at the marks in disgust.

  "Repulsive." She scowled at her reflection, hardened eyes glaring back. Chaeyoung couldn't believe she had let that happen, let herself be overwhelmed. She felt fall down her cheeks again, growling she rubbed them away. She undid her jeans and pulled them off, moaning softly in pain. She stared at her knees with the same angry look she stared at her neck with. She could see specks of dirt and stones nestled in her skin. Wearily she pulled off her underwear and sweater, taking her clothes off. Before she went into the shower to clean herself she stared at her naked body. She took in every curve and  bruise with an angry scowl. She looked at the wall and sniffed, clenching her teeth. Disgusted, that's all she felt. She should have been strong enough to protect herself. She should have been smarter. She shouldn't have done anything so stupid.

  "Whatever." She breathed out, feeling her chest ease as she shook her head. She had to get past it, just forget about what happened. She couldn't let it consume her. She may have been weak enough to let it happen, but she would be strong enough to control herself, that's all Chaeyoung had left.