“Bloody hell!” I drop my bag on the ground and clamp my gloved hands around my calf. There’s a two-inch gash in my flesh where I caught my trousers on the edge of the metal fencing. I’m so busy cursing my wound and my stupidity that I don’t realize how close Callum is until his feet are less than a meter from mine.
I flinch back, my heart racing. “Callum! You frightened me!” For a moment, I forget about my injury and take a step back to put a little more distance between us.
The fence behind me creaks and I pivot my head just in time to see another boy from school entering the desolate courtyard.
Oh shit.
“Caaaalllll, why didn’t you tell me you were going this waaaaay?” he says in a singsong voice that lets me know his presence here is anything but a coincidence.
“I t-t-think I’ll just walk home the usual w-way.” I try to speak in as bright a manner as possible when I’m about to collapse from fear.
“What? Why would you do that?” Callum says, his dark, lifeless eyes studying my expression carefully as he cocks his head, a delighted spark forming behind his cold stare.
He wants me to be afraid. He likes it.
“Cal, I thought you said this one would be fun,” the friend whines in a mocking manner.
“Ryan, she is fun.” Callum swings his black gaze back to me and steps forward. “Right Ellie? You’re a fun girl, aren’t you?”
Swallowing loudly, I take another step back, my heart pounding so fast that I think it may explode in my chest. The fight or flight response we learned in science class last year is not something I ever wanted to experience firsthand, but here I am, trying to decide if I should claw and kick and scream or turn and run as fast as I can.
I’m not stupid though. I know I have zero chance at either overpowering Callum and Ryan or outrunning them. I am thoroughly and properly fucked. The only way I’m getting out of this yard in one piece is to talk my way out.
“Of course, Callum, I’m loads of fun.” I know I sound completely unconvincing. Damn my nerves! I take off my gloves and clench my hands into fists, digging my nails into my frozen palms in an attempt to use the pain to focus on staying calm.
“See, Ryan,” Callum steps even closer to me. “I told you.”
I resist the overwhelming urge to throw up as he lifts his hand and drags a frigid finger down my cheek and trails it between my breasts, tugging the zipper on my coat down as a grotesque grin spreads across his face.
I can’t let him see fear, so I meet his cold eyes and smirk.
Big mistake.
The smile drops from Callum’s face and turns into a truly frightening scowl. Before I see it coming, his arm swings up and backhands me across the cheek, the explosion of white-hot pain causing me to stagger sideways from the blow.
“I think I liked you better when I thought you were an innocent little girl,” he snarls, his body so close that I can feel his hot, angry breaths on my skin.
I put my hand to my face and drag it over my mouth, wiping a smear of blood from a split on my lip. “Bastard,” I hiss before I can stop myself.
Callum’s dead eyes go wide, then light up with perverted delight. “I quite like a fighter.” Quicker than I thought possible, his hand shoots out and grabs a fistful of my hair, yanking my head painfully to the side. I can’t help the cry of pain that slips out as he pulls me to him, forcing my body against his. “We’ll see how feisty you are when I’m done with you, love.” His whisper caresses my ear in a manner reminiscent of how lovers would exchange tender words.
“Jesus Callum! Stop fuckin’ about and get to it! Someone could come by and see us,” Ryan says as he fidgets behind Callum, blowing on his hands to warm them up.
“Alright, get her arms, then.” Ryan moves to Callum’s side.
My blood runs cold as I finally realize that there is no way out of here. My whole body starts shaking uncontrollably from fear. No amount of soothing thoughts will stop the frantic drumming of my heart or the massive amounts of adrenaline rushing through my veins.
“Oi! Back off Murray, and I’ll let you live.” Startled, I attempt to turn my head to see who’s speaking, but Callum’s hand is wound too tightly around my hair to move even a fraction of an inch.
“Leave, Davies, or you’ll end up worse than her, I promise,” Callum hisses. His eyes flash toward the newcomer and I see a flicker of doubt in them.
“Don’t leave me!” I plead with whoever is here. I hate to drag someone else into this, but my overwhelming sense of survival overrides everything else.
“Shut it!” Callum shouts. He brings his leg up as he yanks my head down and knees me in the diaphragm, knocking the air out of my lungs with a whoosh. I start to collapse, but Callum holds me up by my hair as my legs give out, sending another streak of pain across my scalp.
I haven’t yet caught my breath when I’m suddenly released, left to crumple to the ground in a heap. I immediately curl into a ball, groaning in agony, and squeeze my eyes shut. I’m in too much pain from the blow to my abdomen to
get up and run, even though every cell in my body is screaming at me to get out of this place.