Episodes of Violence Read online

  Her arms went up. He was pulling off her shirt. She tried to stop him, but her arms wouldn’t cooperate. “N… No. P… pl… ease. Stop.”

  After removing her shirt, he flung it to the floor and was fiddling with her bra. A moment later, it was off and her breasts freed. She tried pushing him away, but could barely move. Her strength was gone. “St… op.” Her voice was weak too.

  “Don’t worry, Bunny. It’s going to be good. You’re the lucky one I chose. They’ll all be so jealous.”

  He scooped her off the couch and over to his bed where he tossed her onto it. “My princess.” He pulled off her shoes, socks and sweatpants. Amber tried calling out for help, but her words were meaningless whispers.

  She couldn’t believe what was happening, her thoughts clear. The asshole had drugged her. All the stories she’d heard, the Lifetime movies she’d watched… She was going to be a statistic. She had always been so careful at parties, never taking a drink from a stranger or leaving her drink unattended. How could this be happening?

  She opened her mouth to scream. Nothing. Moving was impossible. But she couldn’t give up.

  His fingers curled around her underwear and she felt them sliding down, her pubic hair region fully revealed. Once they were off, he sniffed them before dropping them to the floor. Looking down at her, he said, “Nice and neat. I like a girl who keeps herself trimmed.” He unbuckled his belt and let his jeans and boxers fall to the floor, revealing a large, crooked thick and hard penis. He stroked it a couple of times and then climbed onto the bed. “You’re going to love this.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  When her attacker was finished, he climbed off Amber, grabbed a few paper towels and wiped his seed off her stomach before tossing everything into his trash bin. He then got dressed and left the room. She lay there naked and cold, tears streaking the sides of her face. Control had been coming back to her little by little. Eventually, she sat up and then got to her feet, but her head was woozy. As the room spun, she sat back down. Her body ached from head to toe. She wanted nothing more than to put her clothes back on, but didn’t want to risk falling and hurting herself.

  She felt so fucking vulnerable. Clothing would help. But she couldn’t rush it.

  Then the nausea hit, seeming to come out of nowhere. Holding onto the bed covers, she leaned over and a stream of golden brown vomit escaped her lips and splattered the carpet. As she wiped away spittle using the back of her hand, the door flew open. Big Bird, the sorority’s vice president, entered and was followed by two pledges, Dopey and Lollipop.

  “What the hell is this?” Big Bird asked.

  Dopey had a hand covering her mouth. Lollipop stared at Amber with unblinking eyes.

  Amber was still nauseous and feeling somewhat numb, and now she could add embarrassed. Weakly, she held a hand over her breasts and cupped her crotch as she sat. Her head was still foggy, thinking difficult but not impossible.

  “You disappear,” Big Bird said, “come up here, get drunk and fuck the frat’s president? Who the hell do you think you are?”

  “I… I… He raped me,” she managed and tears flowed.

  “What?” Dopey asked.

  Big Bird’s narrow, but pretty face went slack.

  “He drugged me,” Amber said.

  “Shit,” Big Bird said and ran a hand over her dark, auburn-colored hair.

  “Oh my God,” Dopey said, a hand still covering her mouth.

  “We have to tell someone,” Lollipop said.

  “Just wait a minute,” Big Bird said. “I need to talk to Turtle.” She headed to the door, opened it and turned around. “You two stay with her. Get her dressed and wait until I come back.” Big Bird shook her head and left, closing the door behind her.

  Amber didn’t know what to do and remained seated. Dopey and Lollipop gathered her clothes and brought them over to her. She felt the hardness of her cell phone and something in her mind clicked. She needed to call the cops. They needed to collect evidence. Pulling out her cell phone, she pressed 9, then 1, and then the phone was swiped out of her hand by Dopey.

  “What are you doing?” Lollipop asked.

  “We were told not to do anything until Big Bird returns,” Dopey said.

  “Give me back my phone,” Amber demanded, feeling more of her strength return with her anger.

  The door opened. Big Bird rushed in, followed by Turtle, the sorority president. Amber didn’t move. As the two women approached her, Turtle stopped and eyed the puke. She shook her head in obvious disgust, and stepped around it. “What the hell is going on, Amber?”

  “I want my phone back.” Amber reached out, felt like she might fall and stopped herself.

  “Okay, you’ll get it back soon enough, but first tell me what happened,” Turtle said.

  Amber couldn’t believe what was happening. Someone should be on the phone with the police while the others were chasing down and beating the shit out of Rex. Clawing his skin. Supporting her. She may not be a sister yet, but she was on her way to becoming one. “That animal drugged and raped me,” she said.

  “Are you sure?” Turtle asked.

  Amber’s brow furrowed as her jaw hung loose. “He. Raped. Me.” She said it as clear and as slow as possible, her own words making the situation more real than ever for her.

  Turtle took a step backward and looked at Big Bird. “That fucking asshole.”

  “You believe her?” Big Bird asked.

  “I don’t know what to believe at this point, but this is a disaster. Do you know what will happen to us? To the frat, too? We’ll be put under a microscope. Placed on probation. Maybe lose our charter, have a letter taken away.”

  Again, Amber was floored at what she was hearing. It was as if she was the star of some afterschool special. These people didn’t give a shit about her, only their precious sorority.

  “You stink like booze,” Big Bird said to Amber. “There are no marks on you. It’ll be your word against his. People saw you two come in here. You need to think this through before you make a decision you regret.”

  “Give me my phone.”

  “Did you hear me?” Big Bird looked ready to throttle her. “This will go public. Everyone will know your business. The sorority will be torn apart. Your past will be on display in the news and in court should it even go that far.”

  “I have nothing to hide.”

  “You need to think—”

  “Fuck the sorority,” Amber screamed. “That pig raped me!” She got to her feet.

  Lollipop had tears streaming down her cheeks. Turtle and Big Bird wore masks of shock before Big Bird’s eyes narrowed. “Look you little—”

  “Amber,” Turtle said, stepping up and pushing Big Bird back. “We understand you’re upset.” She put a hand to her chest. “I get it. But we’d like to deal with this internally. We take care of our own. Believe me. Big Bird is right. You really need to think long and hard about this and what it’ll do to your legacy. We’ll take care of you. Make sure that bastard pays. We’ll get him booted out as president, maybe even the frat. He won’t come to our mixers. He’s rich and we’ll make sure he pays you something. I mean, haven’t you seen cases like this? The victim is always made to look bad. Don’t do that to yourself.”

  Big Bird was standing with her arms crossed over her chest. She huffed, turned and headed out of the room.

  Amber wanted to explode. It didn’t matter what these people said. She had been raped. Violated in the worst way. Tricked. Drugged. And the motherfucker hadn’t even worn a condom. She could have a disease. Have one of his evil little swimmers working its way toward one of her eggs despite his pulling out and spewing his seed all over her stomach—which reminded her that she needed to get those semen-covered paper towels out of the trash bin before she left.

  Looking down, she was still naked, only covered by the small pile of clothing on her lap. She couldn’t figure out why she hadn’t put her clothes on yet, and guessed she was in shock despite being able to think
and reason somewhat clearly.

  As much as she wanted to call the police, she knew she had a long, rough road ahead of her. Worrying about that now was a waste of time. The facts were that she had been violated and drugged—drugged so she could not fight back. Her rapist hadn’t even given her that. He was worse than a street rapist. A true calculating monster. He needed to go to prison. Have his name splashed across every social media site.

  But she also knew Turtle and Big Bird were right. Rex would have lawyers and investigators digging apart her past. Maybe find the people she’d slept with to spill details. Get them to say how she was a party girl. A total slut. They’d bring up the time she had been caught shoplifting at the age of thirteen. Her friends had dared her when she was young and stupid. Though it happened when she was thirteen, she didn’t doubt the record would be discovered. The whole trial would be a he said, she said event. With his high-powered lawyers, the truth might never come out. She could possibly come away looking like a liar, or like someone looking to get a quick buck.

  Screw that. No one was going to treat her like a piece of trash. Let the Internet know all about her. Screw what happened to the college and its fraternities and sororities. This was her life, and she needed to protect others from the frat boy named Chaos.

  The door flew open and banged against the wall, knocking a plaque free. Rex rushed into the room with Big Bird in tow.

  “You lying little bitch,” Rex said.

  “Get him away from me,” Amber screamed. Suddenly her nakedness was overwhelmingly apparent. She began dressing, never wanting the monster to see her naked again. She knew it would have been best to remain without clothes until the cops arrived, but she couldn’t stand to be unclothed for another moment, especially in front of HIM.

  “You wanted it,” Rex said, pointing at her. “Hell, you were all over my shit. Attacked me.” He threw his arms up. “I can’t believe you’re pulling this crap.”

  Damn, the guy was a good actor. Maybe the only way she’d ever get retribution was if she killed him.

  “Turtle,” Rex said, “you can’t let her do this. She’ll ruin my name. You know I’d never do what she’s saying I did.”

  Amber finished dressing. “You can’t even say it, can you, pig? You raped me.” She turned to Dopey and held out her hand. “Give me my goddamn phone.”

  “What phone?” Rex asked.

  “She wants to call the police,” Big Bird said.

  Amber lunged for her phone, but Big Bird pushed her aside and grabbed it herself before handing it to Rex.

  Infuriated with revulsion, Amber growled and tried to take back her phone, but Rex shoved her away. She flew back, her foot coming down in cold vomit, causing her to slip and hit the floor.

  “I bet the real reason she wants her phone,” Rex said, “is because she recorded us fucking on it. It’ll reveal the truth.”

  “Yeah, she’s trying to destroy evidence,” Big Bird said.

  Amber hadn’t gotten up yet, the blow from the fall had been a jarring one.

  “Let me do you a favor, Bunny the Lying Slut,” Rex said and threw the phone across the room where it collided into the wall and broke apart.

  “What the hell, Rex?” Turtle said. “That could’ve helped you.”

  “I don’t need my sex life broadcasted over the Internet or in front of a D.A. The truth is: she ain’t going to do anything because she’s a liar. She only wants money.”

  Amber finally got to her feet, the ass of her pants soaked through with her vomit. Regardless, she was fuming at how no one was sticking up for her, and attacked Rex. She clawed at his face, her nails gouging four crevices along his cheek.

  “Cunt,” Rex shouted and threw her to the ground.

  Amber sprang back to her feet with feline agility, fingers out like claws, and went to attack him again when Big Bird slapped her across her face.

  “Get out of here, Rex,” Big Bird said and wrapped up Amber in a bear hug. The rapist left, slamming the door behind him.

  “Guys, I don’t think I should be here,” Lollipop said. “I’m just a pledge.”

  “You’re going to be a sister and this is a good thing to see so you’ll know how to handle it,” Big Bird said as Amber swore and struggled to break free. “Stop it, Bunny. This isn’t doing us any good.”

  Like a match being snuffed out, the fight left Amber. She slumped in the vice president’s arms. The tall sister then released her and she crumbled to the floor. There, she cried and cried and cried. The only thing she heard was Big Bird complaining about getting puke on her, and then nothing. What had happened to her finally hit her, the blow like a sledgehammer. She didn’t open her eyes for some time, hoping that when she did, the room would be empty. But when she finally looked around again, Big Bird and Turtle were still there. The others were gone.

  “Look, this sucks,” Turtle said, squatting in front of her. “But we want you with us. We picked you because we believe in you. Believe that you’ll always look out for us and we’ll always look out for you. We can’t allow anything to jeopardize what we have. To destroy what our former sisters have built. There can be no dark clouds over our family. Can you understand that?”

  “We’ll give you all the support you need,” Big Bird said, sounding supportive for the first time. “Make sure that prick is removed as president and stays away from our pledges.”

  Amber could not believe what she was hearing. The whole evening had to be a nightmare. These girls were sick, pathetic, and selfish. She couldn’t have been the only girl Rex raped. There had to be other victims. She wondered what would happen if she spoke out. Would any of the sisters back her story? Say nothing? Or worse, contradict her? Support whatever story Rex told?

  “Has this happened to any other girls?” Amber asked. The look in Big Bird’s eyes told her all she needed to know. Turtle’s face was blank as usual. She was such a sweet, Southern Belle of a girl most of the time. The sorority president seemed so undecided, weak and clueless. Amber wondered how the girl came to own the position in the first place.

  Because Big Bird is the muscle, a voice inside her said. She’s the enforcer. The real power. Turtle is only the face.

  “I don’t understand,” Amber said. “Why are you protecting him? Allowing him to rape your fellow sisters?”

  “We’re not,” Turtle said. “We’re protecting you and this sorority.”

  “Really, we are,” Big Bird said, placing a hand on Amber’s shoulder. “We’re here for you. Now, let’s get you back to the sorority house where we can get you into a hot bath. Best place to start, I would think. To relax.”

  “Relax?” Amber asked, laughing, unable to stop. She wasn’t sure why everything was suddenly so damn funny. There was no getting through to these girls, these so-called human beings. No reasoning with them.

  When she calmed down, she saw the two girls staring at her, concerned looks on their faces. They probably thought she’d gone insane.

  Maybe you have.

  “Guess I’m on my own,” Amber said and headed for the door.

  “Where are you going?” Big Bird asked.

  “Campus police.”

  “Pledge Bunny,” Big Bird said. “Get your ass back here right now.”

  Amber stopped and looked back. “Or what, you going to try and stop me?” When neither girl said a thing, she opened the door and left.

  Chapter Fourteen

  On some form of autopilot, Amber marched through the frat house. She ignored the stares of the onlookers, despite feeling their eyes on her like scurrying cockroaches crawling over her flesh. Surely not everyone knew what had happened. Regardless, she despised them all. No one had come to her aid or defense. That rapist pig had blamed her and would make her life hell on campus. Give her a horrible rep.

  She wondered what he was thinking. If he was afraid of what she’d say. Did he think she would simply go away and do nothing.

  Never!

  She’d never forget.

  Never
let him get away with it.

  And she was going to make sure everyone knew he was a rapist and a coward.

  After leaving the frat house, she headed across campus to the security office. She would have preferred alerting the police right away, but with no phone and no one to borrow one from, she had no way to do so. But that was okay. Campus police would call the authorities. An officer or two would be sent, and then take her to the hospital so a rape kit could be administered.

  She hoped Rex’s DNA was still present under her fingernails from when she’d scratched him, and on her flesh where he had ejaculated, and if it wasn’t, then as disturbing as it might be, she hoped some of his come was still inside her. Pre-come and all that jazz. “Boys leak, you know,” her mother had told her once. “Gotta always have them wear a condom.”

  Along with his DNA, she prayed for vaginal tearing. The more evidence, the better her case would be. But it wasn’t likely. He’d been gentle at first, invading her slowly. Not knowing how rapists thought, she guessed he had hoped to avoid bruising her in the event she went to the cops.

  You were quite moist down there, remember? the voice in her head said. And his DNA? It’s probably in you alright, ready to bond with your egg and make a child. You’ll have a rapist’s baby. A rapist’s baby. A rapist’s baby.

  Amber stopped right outside the security office’s entrance and shuttered. The thoughts running through her head—this other voice—was terrifying. She’d always had an inner voice, something she supposed everyone had, but it was nothing like the voice she had been hearing since she’d been raped.

  It’s just a symptom of what you went through, she told herself, and then pulled open the door to the security office.

  Bright fluorescent light pierced her eyes like millions of tiny daggers. Squinting, she raised her hand up to her eyebrows to shield herself.

  “Yes, Miss, may I help you?” a deep voice asked.

  Unable to see properly—from the drugs you were given, they made you sensitive to light—Amber approached the counter, still not completely herself. Whatever Rex had given her was lingering. A large, burly man with a full, but neatly trimmed beard stared at her. He wore a black and gray golf T with a matching ball cap that stated he was security. The name tag on his shirt read Officer Sherman.