Chapter 8

**Mature content Warning**

The music was still going strong when I went back inside to help clean up. Tonight was my night to lock up. Everyone looked exhausted so I told them to head out and they tried to argue with me, but I insisted they all go. Making sure they had all their stuff, shuffled them out the door and locked it behind them. I searched the bathrooms, locker rooms, offices and all the small areas where anyone could hide or pass out. Empty and spotless. The money in the safe, receipts and papers in the office, everything locked up, I grabbed my stuff and headed to the back door. I stepped outside and the chilly night air hit me, making me shiver. I shut the door, locked it and as soon as my keys were in my purse I saw a group of guys near me.

"Wanna dance pretty lady?" The drunk guy from earlier asked. But now he was even more drunk.

"Sorry, I can't. I gotta get home. My roommates are waiting for me." I said smiling at them as I tried to walk around them, but one of them caught my arm and slammed me against the wall. Pain radiated from my back as the air was knocked out of me.

"Aww come on, just one dance" he got closer. His breath practically dripping with alcohol.

"I said no thank you, sir" I wasn't going to let them see how scared I was so I tried to act tough. I kneed the guy who was holding me against the wall in the groin and as soon as his grip loosened I tried to run. Only to get yanked back by my hair.

"Where do you think you're going? I didn't say you could leave." Drunk guy number 1 spat in anger.

"I told you I have to get home, I have people waiting for me." I said as I winced as his fist gripped my hair tighter. A car passed by and made them jump a little. So they pulled me deeper into the alley. I tried to fight free but I was outnumbered. As I tried they laughed, saying how pretty I was and what they were going to do to me. Fear was coursing through me and my heart was pounding.

He threw me up against a wall but I tried to push away, suddenly one of them punched me in the face and I fell to the ground. More pain. Now they were all laughing.

"Not so tough now are you, princess" drunk guy number 1 said. From all their bantering I overheard them call him Gary. Then he grabbed the back of my neck and yanked my head up. He flipped me over so I was on my back and he was on top of me. The water on the ground soaking through my clothes, rocks digging into my back and I started banging my fists against him, but he slapped me hard across the face. My lip cracked and blood started to seep out. The ting of copper on my tongue. My head began to spin and stars danced across my vision.

Gary saw his opportunity and his hands went down to the button of my pants. That snapped me out of my haze and I tried again to get him away from me. I was weak compared to him and he got my pants down to my knees. My heart beat wildly and my fist met his cheek. Which only made him laugh as two of the other guys flipped me over onto my stomach and held me down. He then climbed on top of me. I began to tremble, my breath came out rapidly and my heart was racing.

"Get off of me you drunk pig!" I screamed in anger and fear.

"No one can save you now" I heard him unzip his pants and then he violently pushed himself into me. He thrusted his manhood inside me farther as he grabbed my hair. I felt nothing but pain all over my body.

I screamed for help as loud as I could as tears ran down my face. One of them just covered my mouth as I kept screaming. I tried to get my arms free but the grip on them just tightened until they went numb. I could feel something inside me ripping as he pushed himself on me harder. My vision was starting to go black and I could start to feel the numbness taking hold of my body. I was terrified that if I blacked out what would happen? Would I wake up? At this point I just wanted it to be over.

Suddenly I heard screams that weren't mine. The pain from him thrusting into me was gone. No one was on top of me or holding me down. I tried to roll over, tried to pull my pants up but I was slipping into the dark. My body didn't want to respond. The trauma had taken over.

I saw a figure above me and I wanted to scream, but nothing came out. I wanted to move away, but I couldn't. I was afraid that he was going to finish what Gary started.

"Please....no...." my voice barely a whisper came out. More tears rolling down my face.

Then the figure was pulling up my pants and lifting me into his arms.

"Hold on, you're safe now" he said to me.

My body was pulsing, I could feel some pain but mostly it was numb. Then everything went black.