Chapter One-Dane
The scream echoed throughout the car, reaching into my soul and ripping it to pieces. Mere moments before, Korah issued my dare, leaving me staring opened mouthed after her.
It couldn’t be her painful cry.
I didn’t stop to think about it. I dashed from the vehicle, not bothering to close the door behind me, and followed the sound. There were two large dumpsters to the side of the restaurant, cloaked in darkness, and I knew in my gut she was back there. I ran faster, my feet pounding hard against the pavement, my lungs screaming for me to slow.
I couldn’t.
The dark figure raised an arm, fist connecting with bone, and I somehow made my legs go quicker. I saw the outline of a man as I reached my destination. I grasped the back of his clothing, flinging him to the side. Looking down, I saw Korah crumbled in a ball, her face bleeding, her already hurt neck looking worse than before. I screamed, “Call 911!” praying someone would hear, and focused on Christopher.
He wasn’t getting away this time.
His weak, cowardly body was attempting to crawl away, distance himself from me. I pulled him up by his collar, slamming his back against the dumpster.
“You must be Christopher,” I growled. I pulled him enough to lift him off the dumpster, only to force impact again. His head hit and bounced forward. He winced in pain, but I didn’t care. I repeated the action multiple times. “Do you think it makes you a big, strong man to beat up a woman? Well, I got news for you, asshole, it doesn’t. You’re a pathetic waste of a human being,” I said through gritted teeth.
The voices around me barely resonated in my mind. I was blinded by anger. The sirens filled the night, the loud screech causing Christopher’s eyes to pop open wide. I held him in place until they arrived, continually bashing his head against the hard metal. I wanted to kill him, to see him writhe and cry in pain for hurting Korah.
“Dane,” Cale said sternly, grabbing ahold of my bicep. “Chill. The cops are coming. He’s not going to hurt her anymore.” He looked afraid, worried.
Glancing around, I saw the crowd that had gathered. They all looked at me, some whispering, others pointing. I realized Cale was scared for me. I took another look at Christopher and saw why. He was slumped over, his breathing uneven, blood running down the back of his neck. I let him go, and he slid to the ground.
At least he wouldn’t be getting away this time.
I searched for Korah. She still lay on the ground, her neck black from collarbone to chin. He had gripped her over and over, creating more bruises on top of the one she already had. Her cheek was bleeding where a cut from her outer brow to her nose was open. Silent tears fell freely down her beautiful face as Leela cradled her head in her lap and wept with her.
I fell to my knees, crawling over to her. “Korah?”
She stared at me, opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She didn’t move, but held her hand out, reaching for me.
I took her hand in mine, her cool skin chilling me. I squeezed her, pressing her palm to my heart. “I’m sorry. I got here as fast as I could.”
She nodded, her deep brown eyes pooled with tears and fear. She squeezed my hand back desperately, attempting to pull me closer. I inched as close as I could, but there wasn’t much room.
The cops arrived while I sat there, simply staring into her eyes, hoping I could bring her some sort of relief or comfort. The ambulance arrived and the EMTs loaded her up. I reluctantly let her hand go. The cops questioned me along with everyone around. I was the only one who saw him hit her. While the onlookers said I was equally violent, Korah’s injuries spoke for themselves, so they let me go with the promise of further questioning if needed.
Christopher was going to jail.
Leela rode in the ambulance, telling them she was Korah’s sister. Cale ushered me to his vehicle, racing to the hospital.
“Dude, how do you know
The scream echoed throughout the car, reaching into my soul and ripping it to pieces. Mere moments before, Korah issued my dare, leaving me staring opened mouthed after her.
It couldn’t be her painful cry.
I didn’t stop to think about it. I dashed from the vehicle, not bothering to close the door behind me, and followed the sound. There were two large dumpsters to the side of the restaurant, cloaked in darkness, and I knew in my gut she was back there. I ran faster, my feet pounding hard against the pavement, my lungs screaming for me to slow.
I couldn’t.
The dark figure raised an arm, fist connecting with bone, and I somehow made my legs go quicker. I saw the outline of a man as I reached my destination. I grasped the back of his clothing, flinging him to the side. Looking down, I saw Korah crumbled in a ball, her face bleeding, her already hurt neck looking worse than before. I screamed, “Call 911!” praying someone would hear, and focused on Christopher.
He wasn’t getting away this time.
His weak, cowardly body was attempting to crawl away, distance himself from me. I pulled him up by his collar, slamming his back against the dumpster.
“You must be Christopher,” I growled. I pulled him enough to lift him off the dumpster, only to force impact again. His head hit and bounced forward. He winced in pain, but I didn’t care. I repeated the action multiple times. “Do you think it makes you a big, strong man to beat up a woman? Well, I got news for you, asshole, it doesn’t. You’re a pathetic waste of a human being,” I said through gritted teeth.
The voices around me barely resonated in my mind. I was blinded by anger. The sirens filled the night, the loud screech causing Christopher’s eyes to pop open wide. I held him in place until they arrived, continually bashing his head against the hard metal. I wanted to kill him, to see him writhe and cry in pain for hurting Korah.
“Dane,” Cale said sternly, grabbing ahold of my bicep. “Chill. The cops are coming. He’s not going to hurt her anymore.” He looked afraid, worried.
Glancing around, I saw the crowd that had gathered. They all looked at me, some whispering, others pointing. I realized Cale was scared for me. I took another look at Christopher and saw why. He was slumped over, his breathing uneven, blood running down the back of his neck. I let him go, and he slid to the ground.
At least he wouldn’t be getting away this time.
I searched for Korah. She still lay on the ground, her neck black from collarbone to chin. He had gripped her over and over, creating more bruises on top of the one she already had. Her cheek was bleeding where a cut from her outer brow to her nose was open. Silent tears fell freely down her beautiful face as Leela cradled her head in her lap and wept with her.
I fell to my knees, crawling over to her. “Korah?”
She stared at me, opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She didn’t move, but held her hand out, reaching for me.
I took her hand in mine, her cool skin chilling me. I squeezed her, pressing her palm to my heart. “I’m sorry. I got here as fast as I could.”
She nodded, her deep brown eyes pooled with tears and fear. She squeezed my hand back desperately, attempting to pull me closer. I inched as close as I could, but there wasn’t much room.
The cops arrived while I sat there, simply staring into her eyes, hoping I could bring her some sort of relief or comfort. The ambulance arrived and the EMTs loaded her up. I reluctantly let her hand go. The cops questioned me along with everyone around. I was the only one who saw him hit her. While the onlookers said I was equally violent, Korah’s injuries spoke for themselves, so they let me go with the promise of further questioning if needed.
Christopher was going to jail.
Leela rode in the ambulance, telling them she was Korah’s sister. Cale ushered me to his vehicle, racing to the hospital.
“Dude, how do you know
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