Anaphase

Phase XIV

I swung helplessly as strikes hit me over and over again, merciless with the intensity of the blow.
I could hear the grunts and welps coming from Evelyn as she punched one girl and took another land in the stomach.
"No," I croaked before only just blocking a punch.
We were outnumbered, as usual.
No matter how many times it happened it still crushed as bad as the first.
But too much had happened recently.
Tears wouldn't come.
The girls snickered and spat around me, their insults making noise but not meaning anything.

Candace threw another blow to my diaphragm, knocking the breath out of me. My posture broke as I struggled to breathe, looking helplessly down at my feet.

Two others shoved me to the floor, my body too slow to reflexively ease the fall. My hip knocked to the concrete, sending a numb shock up the left side of my body.

My despair was replaced with a building rage. Rage at all that had gone wrong. Rage at myself for being so weak. Rage that they not only targeted me but Evelyn also. Rage at my father. Rage at my stupidness to keep hoping and getting disappointed. Rage.

I couldn't accept this. I wouldn't accept this.

Four girls circled me now as I clutched my stomach which felt as if I would never bear children, coughing and wiping the sweat off my brow. I was completely at a loss.

I had nothing left to lose...nothing more for them to gain. 

"What more do you want from me!" I shrieked.

They howled with laughter, spitting more insults at me. 

"Look at the dog crawl!" I heard.

In my horror, I glimpsed over at Evelyn.

She was on the ground now too, propped on her elbows staring up with fear at another two.

Her beautiful curls were now a dreadful mess, her smile replaced with a mask of excruciating pain.

If it weren't for her staying by my side I would have wilfully let them beat my life to an end here among the concrete and moss.
It's funny how you're life can go from not wanting to go to class, to not wanting to go to the next day in a matter of minutes.
How thin ur rope can get before ripping apart.

I looked quickly over at Evelyn once more, shuffling towards her. But the desperation was enough to make my adrenaline kick in like never before.
Evelyn laid on the ground holding her arms to her head as numerous kicks landed relentlessly to her stomach and spine.
I distantly recalled us laughing on the bus, her saying she wanted to get matching tattoos.
This shade of purple and liquid red ink wasn't what she'd had in mind.
"Evelyn!" I cried, bloodshot tears now forming.
They laughed and growled as they continued mercilessly. 

I desperately looked around, surely someone must have heard our cries, a teacher? Mandy? Please, anyone! 
They spat insults at her saying unclean, faggot, ugly, trash associated with trash.
Here she was, taking a beating because she was my friend. Because of me.

Rage. Pure, rage. 
The adrenaline from before sucked the tears from my eyes and the anger out from within. My heaving from pain evolved into heaving from sinister fury.

 Something sparked...no, awakened from inside me as everything went red and quiet. All noise died down, all pain fading to red crimson. I stood slowly, rising like a flickering flame building up further and further until all I heard was my rapid breath.

The girls turned around, their eyes widening as they saw me stand, jaws dropping to the ground. But all I saw in the reflection of their eyes was red.

In.

Out.

In.

Out.

In...

 I lunged at them giving my all. I saw the world spin, a whirlwind of red and crimson. One down, two down, three down, four.
They fell like dominoes as fire raged into me, flowing to my fists and teeth.
I felt indestructible. No clue what I was doing, but empowered and driven by the rage running through my veins.

I felt as if I had been just been released from lifelong chains, a layer of skin that I finally broke free of.

Perhaps in my rampage I imagined the blood split and the screams pierce. It didn't matter. All that mattered was that they leave Evelyn. That she's safe. That we make it out in one piece, together.

I fell to the floor not long after all their bodies laid limp on the same concrete they'd had me on countless times before.

My fists felt electric. But my head throbbed and pounded like a gong echoing on a tin drum.

"Ev-"

I met eyes with Evelyn's wide shock before sinking into darkness.