EDGE
Seventeen years old“Just wait here.” I slam the door shut before David even has a chance to say anything or stop the Tahoe.
My eyes take in all the fucking idiots laughing and dressed up in ugly clothes. It’s straight out of a bad eighties movie. Music spills out as I scan the crowd for her.
Great, I see one of her cunt friends smoking with a couple of other girls I think I saw with Dolly before.
“Where is she?” I don’t even say her name as I tower over them, and for the first time in my life, I see myself through their eyes. If I wasn’t in such a hurry to get to her, I would like this feeling of power. Because I smell fear and I love it.
“Where?” I snarl. All three stare until one points to the back. “I saw her go out the back way,” she rasps. Turning, I walk in that direction.
“Troy is with her,” the dumb bitch calls after me and I freeze for a second. I don’t even feel rage. It’s almost indescribable… like cold liquid has been injected into me.
“Stop it, Troy!” Those three words have my feet moving and my fists clenching until they’re almost numb.
I see him on top of her.
I see him touching her.
My head is buzzing, like bees have swarmed inside and taken over. I’m going to kill him.
She’s pinned and it looks like—No!
“No, no, no!” I grab the sick fucking rapist.
Kill.
My hands are not even feeling the flesh as I reach for his face, jerk him up, and start to beat him.
I beat him like my dad used to beat me, but this time, I know he will die; whereas, with me, I always lived. My beautiful Dolly lies still and I feel a strange wetness on my cheeks as I talk to her. My fists and hands are hurting as I keep hitting, pounding. The bees are loud, but I can still hear bones break and people scream. Someone dares to touch me and I growl until they seem to be gone.
I don’t look at him. All I can see is her beautiful body, so small.
“No,” I roar, lifting my heavy biker boot, and with a strength I’m proud of, I connect with his head. His neck snaps and he lies there looking deformed.
“Fucking piece of shit rapist.” The bloody mess that was his face is still.
“Jesus Christ.” I hear David from above as he picks up Dolly and she starts to cry.
“Edge?”
“I’ll kill you.” My boot hits his ribs and blood comes out of his mouth. Someone screams that he’s dead…
“Edge, we need to go.” Why the fuck is David holding me back?
“Police.” Bright light flashes in my face as I struggle to get to the rapist.
“Hands in the air.”
“Edge, stop. Think of Dolly.” David’s voice, which was so far away, comes blaring back into my head like someone has removed headphones.
“Dolly,” I holler.
“Edge.” Her small body is in my arms.
“Hands in the air. Let go of the girl.” It’s then that the blood starts pumping again and I blink. The cops have their guns drawn. I kiss Dolly’s head, but I can’t risk her getting hurt as I raise my hands. The sounds of ambulances, police, screams all mix together. I don’t even look at the rapist. I only hope he’s dead. It’ll save me a bullet later.
“Hands back,” the cop states almost in a bored voice. He cuffs me and I face a pale Dolly. She holds her dress up over her breasts as the paramedics look at her back. A woman tries to talk to her, but our eyes are locked.
“Are you…?” I can’t voice it.
“He didn’t. You saved me.” She nods. Her porcelain neck looks bright red where he was strangling her.
“Why are you arresting Edge?” she asks a cop who is talking to other students and what looks like a teacher.
“Dolly?” My voice is strong as she turns to me. “He didn’t, did he?”
“No.”
“She needs to go to the hospital for DNA. Obviously, he was going to,” the woman paramedic interrupts.
I nod as they take her away and move to go with her. “You’re going to jail. I hope you have a lawyer because…” The sound of the ambulance drowns out whatever he’s saying. As the vehicle pulls away, I assume the rapist is inside it.
“Is he dead?” I ask the officer leading me away.
“Not yet.”
I don’t say anything and glance over at Dolly who’s being draped in a blanket. David stands next to her talking to a cop. He looks over at me and holds up his finger to the cop. “I’m going with Dolly to the hospital. She needs to be checked out and cared for.” His silver eyes look serious for a moment.
“Good, you take care of her. Make sure she’s okay.” I open and close my bleeding knuckles. A paramedic comes over as I stand at the police car and does his best to get my hand wrapped up.