The Other Half

Chapter 5

Merliana's red hatchback car with a two-door compact Audi stopped in front of my house. For the love of God! My butt really enjoyed the soft and thousand dollars’ worth of car such Audi. Now, I envy Merliana for having such wonderful car. I look at my cell and found that it's almost six. I opened the car's door and then went out. Merliana pulled down her window giving me a time to thank her for the ride and for the day.

"It's no big deal, sweets." She smiled.

"Alright. Thank you, Merliana. Take care,"

"Copied. Bye, bye!" she wave her hand and then closes her window before speeding away. Safe hours is gone and I have no else place to hide. Mom will probably ask about school and dad about the Beetle when he gets home. Damn Jackson for giving a problem I doesn't deserved! I made my entrance as silent as possible but Gab called me as soon as he saw me.

"Bree! My new school is cool! The playground is bigger than before and the girls are very cute," he stated excitedly. If Gab is a cartoon I bet his eyes must be shinning with glitters because of excitement.

"Mine is big too and better. Where's mom?"

"In the kitchen making dinner,"

"I'll go to my room. And oh, Gab!" I called while I am on my way to upstairs.

"Yeah?"

"I hope you are kind enough to bring me some hot chocolate and crackers. I love you," then I flew up as fast as I can so he could not refuse my request and too escape from mom.

*

Dinner. The time has come and I know I cannot avoid this one. Oh my goodness. Oh my holy goodness! How am I supposed to tell that my car is already useless and... and cannot be fix?

I looked at the dishes. Mom cooked steamed lobster, oysters, bites of cod, and one asparagus stalk with potatoes and nuts. I am eating silently and praying this time to pass by without mom and dad mentioning school or car. I am chewing the potato when mom spoke up.

"Where's the Beetle? I didn't saw it on the garage, and who is that red Audi owner that dropped you off? Is he a he or a she?" her question made me choked and cough, making me all red. Mom then took a spoonful of oyster and continued eating.

I stayed silent until dad saved the dinner. He said, "Honey, we're eating. Please save the question later."

After the dinner, I was about to run upstairs when mom reopened the whereabouts of the car. Taking a deep breath, I speak in my ever so fast voice.

"Somestupiddickinmydamnnewschoolbeatthealreadybeatupbeetleandhecrushedituntilitappearstobeatotaljunk." I said nonstop, I catch my breath afterwards. Mom and dad's eyes were asking, their faces confused because they probably didn't understand even a word. Looking at their faces, I already knew what they wanted. I closed my eyes and took another deep breath before saying, "The beetle's gone. It crushed and it looks more horrible than of those you see in a junkyard. I'm sorry." And from this very moment, I found the floor very interesting to look at.

"W-what?" mom asked with arising anger on her voice and emotion. "What did you do? It wouldn't end up like that if you were  careful enough to take things in good line!" Mom shouted. Her cheeks and nose fade into red color because of anger.

"It was not my fault! I was careful! It's just that-"

"It just crushed like that? You know we're not rich to afford new car! Your dad needs that car! WE need that car! If you are not happy that you are using beat up beetle you should have left it home and not crushed it some fucking where!" her scream echoed on the whole house. If there's a house next to ours they would probably hear mom's loud outbursts.

"Honey, enough. Let's listen to your daughter's side," dad tried to hush mom, but she wouldn't just stop.

"Where is it! Where did you throw it away!?"

"I did not throw it away! If you are so concerned on the damn car we shouldn't have left Chicago! My schoolmates in Chicago didn't beat a car! My life in Chicago is what I want! What I needed! It's not my entire fault why the damn car is broken!"

"So it was our fault, is that it?" mom asked calmly, her voice, flat and balance which scares me even more. However, I'm mad, as mad as she is right now.

"Yes, it was! It is your fault!" and right after screaming those hateful blame, mom slapped me hard on the face. My head swung to right and my hair fell all over my face. Loud cry started escaping my mouth. My hands made its way to my face, and from what I see on mom's reaction, guilt and pain is what it shows. Not wanting to see her face any more minutes, I started running away and exited the house while crying so loud.

I run on the street. I run from home. I can hear dad calling my name, but my feet are too fast to run away, causing his voice to slowly fade away in the air. I run, and run and run until my lungs is almost drain of oxygen. I am already too far when I realized the street were so dark, the surrounding rather. There's a moon but it does not produce light at all. With trembling hands, I pulled my cell out of my jean's pocket. I turned on the flashlight and starts walking. It's so dark and I'm in unfamiliar street with no house at all, just trees and forest.

I am afraid of dark, blackout and silent night. But my pride tells me to keep going. From afar, I heard a speeding car. I look back hoping it's a bus or any public vehicle. As the car approached, loud screams and laughter of group of guys echoed along with the sound of their speeding 1990 Mustang. They're driving recklessly and from my instinct, the guys were drunk and having some fun on the road. Fear suddenly took over. I'm alone in the street, I'm a girl, they're guys, a group of guys who were drunk and look a total maniac. The car passes, so fast. A sigh of relief comes out of my lips when they vanished from my eyesight. Moments after, the car filled by screaming guys come back, slower this time. It stop 3 feet away from me, the car's light is as if a spotlight focused on me.

Then the guys, they hop out of the Mustang.

"Hi, darling..." one of them says with crack voice.

"Woooohoooo!" they screamed while sticking out their tongues that disgusted me. I couldn't scream, I was too scared to make a single sound. Before they could get a hold of me, I do my instinct. I dropped my phone and then starts running away, I entered the woods and run as fast as I can. The guys chased me, all of them are laughing and screaming. Their laughs... it sound so scary, it sounds so... so disgusting. My tears are falling down as I tried to seal my sobs and cry.

Their voices is echoing in the forest, where no one could save me, no one will come to rescue me. I hide, at the back of a huge tree. My skin is full of scratch and wounds, I'm bleeding. My both palm is holding my mouth, holding back the loud cry I'm making. After a moment of silence...

"AHA!" two men appeared on my both sides. I screamed because of shock, my heart almost jump out of my chest. "Playing hide and seek, huh?" one of them said while giggling. Both of the guys hold my wrist and then dragged me out of the huge tree.

"Little kitty is here!"

"P-please! Don't touch me!! Please! Don't touch me, I'm begging you!" I cried while struggling. They just let out a loud chuckle.

One of them walk slowly and stop in front of me, he then, did the most terrifying thing. He started kissing my neck, smelling it, and without putting too much effort, he tore my blouse apart. I cried loudly which makes them even happier. The guy started touching my breast and my scream disturbed the sleeping birds and other animals that very moment.

"Help! Help! Help me please!" I cried.

I am too tired, but still, I keep struggling. The addict laugh hard, and then he stands up, about to unbuckle his jeans. Right after standing up, a big animal smacked the guy down and I felt a thick sticky liquid on my face. Blood. It's a blood! The laughing guys earlier started screaming. They runaway while screaming, "Wolf! It's a wolf!" My body trembles. The guys who tried to rape me started whining, and screaming in pain, and crying, just hearing their voice makes me visualize an extreme pain of death. My whole body shakes, my bare flesh. I can feel death, I did not witnessed but I heard how painfully the guy's death was. I am crying while crawling, trying to run away from the beast.

But there was no beast. Instead, warm and strong arms lift me up. Panic attacks and before I could scream for help, darkness took over.