Island Rush (75 page)

“Oh,” he chuckled as I slowly recovered, sitting back up. “Wrong choice of words.” The next thing that happened was shocking.  It was something that made me ready to throw up.  Alex slammed his mouth down to mine, kissing my lips hard and it made my insides twist.

Ugh god!  Oh no, no! It was disgusting — he was disgusting! So gross, I wanted to throw up!  I whimpered, hating him. Despite how hard I tried pushing him away from me, he was much stronger and kept me still with tight hands. When he broke away, he smirked. “Oh, you little whore. We’ll see how he is compared to me.”

Before those eye-opening words could even register in my aching head, he moved.  Alex got to his feet, taking my arm roughly and pulling me to my feet too.  Everything that was hurting stopped for a split second.  His words took me over, and they were all I could focus on. 
He couldn’t mean that, couldn’t have meant what he was saying!  Dad – dad would stop him!  No, no, no!  This wouldn’t happen and it couldn’t!
  My whole being tried making absolutely sure of that. I tried digging my heels into the floor.

Oh God! No! He began to drag me to where the stairs were, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle this! Even accept that this would even happen!  Eyes huge and wide, I tried pulling away. “Wait, wait! No!” I screamed at him, trying to stop him from pulling me up the stairs. “No! Stop! Dad! He can’t! He can’t! You can’t do this!” I cried.

When we reached the start of the stairs, I grabbed at the railing, holding it hard. I let my weight drop, anything to stop him!  My ass hitting the second step, I gripped the railing harder.  Alex tried to persist, but my dad interfered.  It wasn’t what I was hoping for, though.

Coming to the base of the stairs and looking down to me, he scowled. “You betrayed us.  Alex has a suitable punishment for you,” he put simply.

“I don’t want to die!” I cried out, my sob starting to break free. However, at that moment, death wasn’t all I feared. I didn’t want to be violated, helpless and dirty, and I didn’t want to leave this world feeling that way! No!

“I might decide to let you live. You will cooperate and cause no problem for him. Or I’ll have a problem with you, and I won’t be as nice.  I’ll end you if you make me. Go with him,” Dad said, looking down and away.

“No! Don’t! Don’t! Please! I can’t take any more!” I screamed. I couldn’t go through that pain, especially knowing my brother was going to be inflicting it!  I didn’t want this! Killing me would be better than this!

I held onto the railing with my free arm, feeling Alex try to pull me up and along again. “Come on!” He ripped my hand away from the railing, forcing me to face him. He smacked me hard again, my head hitting the railing roughly. As my head came into contact with the hard wood, I heard myself gasp, and I groaned. 

Everything changed when my head collided with the railing.  I was battered already, but that impact did me in. I felt detached from my body, making all my reflexes slow. It didn’t matter though because, by the time I was jerked forward, I was too dizzy! I couldn’t see anything to grab or hold onto even if I had the ability! I couldn’t stop him or focus on anything now!  I was forced up the stairs without much of an issue no matter how hard I tried to resist. I tried so hard to bring myself to fight him as he dragged me but I couldn’t.  My senses seemed to move further and further away from me…

“You don’t have to worry. I’ll take good care of you.”

One thing I could do was speak through the blur and horror of him dragging me along. “Just like you took care of mom, right? Rot in hell!” I growled, but it was hard to sound menacing with how out of it I was. I was breathing uneven gasps among the tears falling down my face too. 

All I could see was the shaky and darkening sight of my bedroom door he dragged me through.  Once he did, he pulled me to a stop and stared at me with hate. It did nothing, though; it was hard keeping my vision steady and on him. “Mom got what she deserved! She cheated on dad when he gave up his life for her!” His hands gripping my arms to keep me steady tightened. “Dad needed to make her pay, and it was a chance for us to finally get our hate out! But I know cheating means nothing to a whore like you!”

I pushed myself to resist and could feel my numb body try, but it was impossible!  Especially when my mind was having a hard time staying present and his grip was unbreakable. I was slipping away… I could feel it! I was going to black out any second. Perceiving anything became harder as he continued dragging me.

Once I realized Alex threw me onto my back of my bed, I tried forcing a lot through my head.  I tried thinking of how to stop this, fight back, or that maybe I shouldn’t fight back if I wanted to live.  It was too much of a chore to think for long though. No matter how much strength I put behind my mind, everything started to fade more and more.  I was losing touch with it all….

Then… something reached my ears. I could hardly see or feel anything as I was slipping from myself, but I could still hear.  The sound that reached my ears… it made my heart race faster!  Off to my side, I heard something ringing. It took me a second to recognize what it was until I knew it to be the phone on my bedside table.
Oh God! Help! Any help!

With the little strength in me, I reached over quickly and was able to grab it.  The moment I picked it up though, Alex slapped it out of my hand roughly. It clattered to the floor before he shouted in my face.  “Think you can stop me, bitch?! God, I’ll show you…”

Even with my mind slipping away in a dotty blur, I recognized what happened as a failure on my part.  The phone ringing was my only small hope.  Now, that hope was gone.  It added to how pointless and helpless I was feeling.  That was just a fraction of the shame, the hate, and the disappointment I held towards myself now.

It didn’t really matter. Those feelings disappeared into the darkness just like everything around me a moment later. The last thing I heard was the sound of Alex’s belt dropping to the floor. Then, I finally blacked out into unconsciousness.

Chapter 77

There was nothing but blackness and blankness for I don’t know how long. That was until something broke through the walls of my unconscious state and disrupted my oblivious mind. I was being introduced to reality again with the same sense I experienced before going under: sound. There were voices… shouting and arguing. I couldn’t make out what was being screamed, but my shred of consciousness didn’t care. What mattered was who owned each voice. There were three of them, but only one of the voices specifically helped draw me back to reality.

The louder they became, the closer I was to consciousness. It allowed for my senses to start returning.  I was able to feel again.  My head ached like never before. Pain, burning, and strong stinging sensations ran over my entire body. That was nearly nothing compared to the burning ache between my legs once more feeling came back to my body. Then, the worst part of regaining consciousness happened: realization of why I blacked out to begin with.  

Oh God.  No, no, no! It happened. It actually already happened!  My painful body was evidence enough of that! Eyes still shut, I just wanted to close them tighter. What happened after I blacked out hit me with shock and disgust like a ton of bricks!  All possible emotions wanted to flood and ambush me, but I didn’t need that. I couldn’t face that! How could I? The temptation of going back under into unconsciousness again was already physically there. Now that I knew what happened, it made me want to race into the darkness. I knew I couldn’t, though. I needed to know what was happening and what the shouting was. 

              It was a struggle to get my eyes open. When I did, though, and sight reached me, I noticed I was still on my back.  My eyes found my dark ceiling above me with streaks of moonlight across it.  It was hard to keep my eyes open but I did. I even tilted my head slightly, making my limp arm against the bed come into my blurry view.  What I saw made me realize what those stinging sensations were all over me. There were cuts and lashes on my arm, causing blood to cover it. From that and feeling the same stings all over me, I knew the rest of my naked body was in the same state.

Eyelids becoming heavy as I mindlessly stared at my arm, I was holding hardly any energy to even think! However, my eyelids flew back open when the noises grew. The voices became more clear and it made my mind not give up.  I heard my dad and Alex but… who was that third person? Someone else was here and whoever it was had the voice that attracted me to the surface of my consciousness. Because dad and Alex were screaming loudly, I couldn’t figure out why that other voice willed me to stay awake.

I heard not only shouting in my room, but now stumbling. I didn’t have the energy to look up or move much, but it didn’t matter a moment later. A hand roughly grabbed my weak and limp arm, another grabbing my other in a rush.  With that and confusion flushing over me, my vision became more clear and steady. 

I was being pulled… pulled up into a sitting position and could feel someone pressing into my back from behind me. Whoever it was, they were holding me up by the arms to support me. I was able to take in everything in front of me from where I was being held on my bloody bed.  My observation started with the person across the room and in front of my line of sight.

There was a man with a weak figure, breathing hard. His brown hair was messy and his eyes… oh God, those eyes! Even in the moonlight, those eyes killed me. The damp brownness was begging with so much sadness. I never saw eyes so sad before.

I was hurting already and that was an understatement.  Somehow, this made it so much worse, to see him. To see his broken eyes take me in. I didn’t deserve those eyes! He didn’t deserve the sight of me before him! He shouldn’t be here and, at first, I didn’t think he really was. The thought of him here was so absurd and crazy that, for a moment, I questioned if I had actually died! That I was maybe dead and I was seeing him dead as well. After all, dad did make that phone call, instructing a man to kill Casey in the hospital.  Plus, there was already a chance I was going to die too. 

Looking around though, regaining some energy, I knew that wasn’t the case. I could feel Alex’s rough arm pressing his chest into my back. With a sluggish look behind me and a grunt, I saw we were sitting against the headboard, me in his lap. I also felt something else. His other hand that wasn’t wrapped around me… supported his already bloody knife. That must have been what he used on me to cause all those cuts.  I could feel the wet and cool blade press into my neck.  He held it there in a threatening way, ready to kill me.

In front of me, at the foot of my bed, was where that beautiful man was standing. It hurt so badly… just seeing him and knowing he could see me. That he now could see how dirty I was, how pathetic I became.  He was seeing the lashes along my naked and used body.  He saw the blood over me as well as my pointless tears that began streaming.

“Janice… Oh my God,” he said, his chest heaving and tears falling.

Oh, God, no, no, no!  Why does he have to worry? Why does he have to cry over me? Why does a man so beautiful hurt himself for caring for me? Doesn’t he know that I am worthless? Why did he come? Why? Why risk such a beautiful life to come and find me?!

Why? Why did he do this? He was going to die now along with me. Because of me! I knew it from how close Alex was pressing the knife into me, ready to kill if Casey took one more move towards us. But as he held me with the knife to my neck, I couldn’t help but look at Casey.  It was crazy, but I felt as if I wasn’t even worthy of looking at such a strong man.  He was perfect. Yet he was such an idiot for wanting to help me.  What would he accomplish in that?!  He should have stayed away.  I am used, bloody, hurt, but I still might have lived.  I knew he didn’t know that, but I didn’t want him dying over me like this. I was not worth it, not even close.  If we both lived, I was convinced I would end up ruining his life anyway.  All I would do is drag him down with me.

He looked dizzy and very weak. I honestly couldn’t believe he was even standing. I didn’t believe he was alive! He looked ready to fall over. He was swaying on his wobbly feet. Casey looked nearly as pale and tired as he had those last hours on the island. Now, though, the fear he held could be added.

All I could think that moment was that he needed to leave me here! He needed to go! Go and live! Find another woman to love! One that would be worth his time! One not so damaged and insane, so dirty and used, so gone and worthless! Why couldn’t he have just left me here?

I loved Casey so much. And because of that, he should leave now. Because when my eyes traveled down more along his arm, I knew he didn’t have a chance. Unlike when I saw him after surgery, Casey had a temporary prosthetic in place now. The end of it had a little hook on it. My shattered heart sank deeper when I saw his other arm and hand.  He held a handgun. 

Though he had a gun and Alex was holding a knife to my neck, Casey was not stable on his feet. He was dizzy, swaying, and weak. His eyes were on me but would wander on their own too. He was so weak! He couldn’t shoot Alex, not with how weak he looked. Alex would kill me first, and then probably him. That is if my dad didn’t come in any minute.

“Come to drop off some homework, teacher?” Alex asked, amusement in his voice. I saw Casey stumble back a bit, leaning into my dresser for support.

Oh God! Why did he love me as I loved him? I was not worth this. That was all I could think.  Casey was going to die because of me. Me! Did he not see how important he was?

“I-I’m here…” He was breathing so hard, eyes blinking, and his voice breaking with his sad face. “I’m here to get the girl I love. The one you… you hurt.”

To see me like this… it was killing him. He loved me, he cared, and the sight before him was torture. He was hurting at the sight of me, and he wasn’t a man that should experience hurt! Why did I have to hurt him? I would always hurt him! If I were with him, I would drag him down with me! 

Alex laughed, his chest rocking from behind me. “So it was more than a good lay.”

Casey didn’t say anything. His priority was trying to keep upright. His eyes remained on me, occasionally flickering up and watching him. He was still trying to take me in too. I knew from the look on his face that he was having a hard time doing it.

I watched as Casey raised the gun, pointing it in our direction, my body was in front of Alex’s. The only thing exposed from his body was his face since his chin was resting on my shoulder.  A few inches would make the difference in whether I die or Alex if he decided to shoot. Not to mention Casey’s hand was shaking!  He was still dizzy with blinking eyes, struggling to support himself against my dresser.

Alex laughed at seeing him struggle to keep the gun still. “Come on!” he yelled at him. “Shoot me! Let’s see how you do.”

“Just shoot,” I heard myself saying, but I doubt he heard me.

Casey tried standing straight again and forcing his hand to stop shaking. But as the moonlight lit up the sweat on him, it also cast light on the door and the person who appeared in it.

My eyes were slow, my brain tired.  However, the movement was fast enough to keep my attention.  My dad ran through the lines of moonlight cast from the window. With a grunt from him and Casey, dad tackled him to the floor and towered over Casey’s weak body. I felt Alex want to move and help but knew he couldn’t. He needed to keep the knife to my neck. 

I watched as they fought on my floor. Dad reached over to Casey’s hand in fast motion, trying to grab the gun.  Thank God, he was stubborn and didn’t let go. Through my hazy vision, I made out that Casey kept his arm outstretched over his head, trying to keep the gun out of his grasp. When dad had no luck reaching it, he tried a new tactic that made my gut retch. Hovering over Casey, he cocked his arm back and balled it into a fist, driving it forward and down. He punched Casey hard in the face, leaving him stunned and in a worse condition than he was already in.

Watching this… it didn’t feel physically worse than the pain I could feel thriving over my body.  Mentally, though, it felt like torture. This hurt on a completely different level. I wanted to move, jump off this bed right now and help him. Though I knew he was probably going to die, I wanted to go to him and help. Yet, I could barely move, and I felt the need to go back under! It was as if I hadn’t slept in forever and it would feel nice to just… drift off again. Though I didn’t deserve any rest, any form of peace, I couldn’t stop my body from going towards it again.  No matter how hard my mind was fighting now.

Seeing his fist come down, I wanted to help Casey and I couldn’t. But when dad did that two or three more times, I felt like I was going to throw up. His nose was bleeding, and his body was exhausted. He didn’t need this done to him, yet it was happening. When dad punched him for the fourth time or so, Casey’s head hit the floor hard.  Dad reached for the gun.

Then something I didn’t expect happened.  Casey was able to wedge his knee up between their two grappling bodies and, with a strong force, moved his foot to the inside of his chest. He pushed him back and away him. I watched my father fly back and hit the dresser Casey was leaning against a few moments ago. Hitting it hard, he then fell to the floor. It was unexpected in my struggling gaze. I didn’t think such a weak man would be able to do that to my father!

Casey wasted no time and knew he was close enough to my dad. He rolled over with a grunt, moving over my father with the gun still in hand. On top of him, he straddled him, pinning him down.  He put to use that temporary hook at the end of his limb.  He slashed it across my father face several times.  Then, with the hand holding the gun, he whipped the gun against his jaw.  “You sick fuck! Letting this happen to your only daughter!” He growled at him as he punched dad in the face again.  It seemed to work from the sound he was making with every impact. “Fuck!” he screamed in his face.

While Casey was screaming, dad tried to move. He shifted or maneuvered in a way that made Casey lose his balance over him. Pushing him off, dad scrambled out from under him, making Casey land on his back with a grunt. At least he remained aware as my father tried to get away from him. From where Casey was on the floor, I saw him quickly raise his hand with the gun. He didn’t hesitate when it was raised towards my dad a few feet away.

He shot the gun. The bang rang through the air, making me jump. Even more, it made Alex jump and gasp like a surprised and scared little boy.  Dad landed back on his back, a hard grunt coming from him. I saw him collapse next to where Casey was.

I never did get a good look at my father, not when Casey was in action the next second. The moment after he shot the gun, he whipped his head towards me, getting to his knees and raising the gun again. Hand steady, eyes focused on the sicko holding the knife to me, a sure look crossed his face. He fired the gun again, this time, aimed my way.

I heard myself gasp after the shattering sound of the gun went off. In that same second, thanks to Alex’s bare chest pressed into my back, I felt a rough and definite jerk from him. His body moving back, I heard the sound of his head hitting the headboard. His hand fell away from where it held the knife at my neck.

It took me a second to move and a second to take my eyes off of Casey’s wide and scared eyes. I was so sure he would have missed, that he would have hit me. However, looking into Casey’s eyes now, I could see how sure he that he would hit Alex with that aim. I don’t think he would have shot if he wasn’t confident.