The Magician's Assistant

[13] Time Cut Short

          “God, would you calm down?” William snapped, putting his hands up in the air in surrender.

          “Rape!”

          A hand from behind me covered my mouth and muffled my screams.

          Everything was silent for a moment before the group of guys burst into loud chuckles. They tried to muffle them with coughs when William glared at them, but otherwise failed.

          They sure had a sick sense of humor. I wasn’t just going to let them get away with it. I licked the hand that covered my mouth and they immediately released their hold.

          I tried to get up from my position in the grass, but soon realized I was surrounded. I’d rather have gotten hit by the car then get raped in that moment.

          Unwilling to let them see how weak I felt, I avoided my tears by screaming, “Help! Someone help –“

          The hand was back, except this time, gloved.

          “We’re not going to hurt you!” William hissed, “You need to get the sweatshirt off so I can see your goddamn injuries!”

          My writhing in their hold lessened. The guy behind me released his grasp over my mouth. I looked suspiciously at William and glared. “Like heck.”

          William’s glare faltered for a minute before a smile twitched at the side of his mouth, “’Like heck’?” he echoed.

          “Stop it,” I hissed, “Just let me go,” I began thrashing again. My arms pushed against his chest violently.

          “And how are you going to explain this to your parents, huh?”

 My movements stilled.

“Exactly, now take off your sweatshirt and let me see your hands and arms,” he ordered, holding out his hands.

I tossed off my sweatshirt, but not before elbowing the guy behind me in the ribs in the process. “Sorry about that,” I muttered.

“Like heck.”

The chuckles erupted again.

I mumbled underneath my breath, unimpressed by their mimicking skills.

 “What was that?” William cupped his hands around his ear, pretending not to have heard the words I had garbled.

“What do you want with me?” I asked quietly, raising my arms out for William to examine. He frowned, squinting in the dark.

“I can’t see one thing in this shitty lighting. Adam, come here,” William beckoned with his finger for a boy to step forward.

“How bad are her injuries?” he demanded.

Adam glanced at my arms and shrugged. “It needs to be cleaned and bandaged.”

“Helpful,” William pursed his lips distastefully. “On a scale of one to ten?”

“I don’t know, man, a seven,” Adam tapped his fingers against his jean-clad legs and shrugged again.

All of a sudden, a first aid kit appeared in William’s hands. He set it on the ground and snapped open the hinges. The container was empty. The moonlight glinted off of the cream colored plastic.

“I’m an idiot,” he sighed.

“What are you talking about?” I frowned.

“Shut up for a second, I need to think clearly.”