-Luci In The Sky-

Hey guys, it's short, but let me know what you think. It's a bit full on and i haven't really introduced many of the main characters yet, but i dunno, i think Luci could be really interesting. Okay, babbling is stopping now, there's more down the bottom.

One year ago

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I stared up at the plaster ceiling until my eyes went blurry and all the cracks shifted into one. I did realise that no matter how much I stared it wouldn't make me feel any better, but what was realistic and what I wanted to do, were two very different things. What I wanted to do was crawl into a hole and stay there until everything was better. I just wanted to run away. But reality was that it had been months and I'm still holed up in this hell of a place.

I heaved myself off the double bed in the middle of the room and stumbled through the dark to the bathroom. It was too hot to keep the lights on and besides, I didn't want to risk seeing myself in the mirror. I splashed cool water on my face. Revelling in the way it took away my anxiousness. My hands wrapped around the edges of the basin and I leaned all my weight into it, needing something - anything - that could take away some of the strain.

*Flashback*

It's cold and I wrap my arms around myself, cursing at my decision to have not brought a jacket out. I wander along hand in hand with Mark, feeling content. We'd been together for a few months and I moved in with him last week. It felt good to rebel against everything my parents told me. I was running on a weird high, that only came from defiance, and I was naive.

Mark pulled me up onto my toes and brought me down gently, nuzzling into my ears and whispering, "Luci, how much do you love me?"

His grey eyes probed mine for a second, seemingly anxious.

"I love you to the moon and back." I smiled at him at kissed his hand, as the anxiousness wiped off his face.

"Good," he said smugly.

---------------------------------------End Flashback-----------------------------------------------

I scrunched my eyes together until they turned white, trying to dispel the pain that now came with that memory. I flicked my gaze to the mirror, watching the dark blob that was my shadow, heave with the tears that fell down my face. My fingers traced my brow, following the curve of the bone that now felt chipped and broken all the way down to my cheeks. I flexed my shoulders. I felt stiff, like I had been sleeping for a long time. It was a strange outer body feeling, every joint felt as if it was creaking, stuck in slow motion. I traced the outline that was the shape of my once tamed hair in the mirror, astounded at how such a thing could defy gravity. I longed to turn on the light. But I was afraid. Afraid of what I might see, afraid of how it might make me feel. My hand twitched towards the light switch.

*Flashback*

I twisted my face upwards to look at Mark, he was a few years older than me, a big shot at a local bank. He made me feel safe, he looked as tough as a lion and just as proud. I should have known then that even lions eat their young if they feel threatened. He unlocked the door to the two storey apartment on Main Street and ushered me inside. He offered me the shower, so I took the opportunity eagerly so that I could heat up before my toes fell off. I sang in the shower, content to listen to my own out of tune voice, I was the picture of happiness. I finished up and cosied down on the sofa next to him, his hand played in circles on my hip.

Mark's hand wrapped around my chin and tilted my face to his, pulling me up for a kiss. I leaned in, happy to play along, but begrudging what Mark obviously wanted it to lead to. His hand slipped down my shirt and pulled me higher, but I wanted none of it.

I stopped suddenly and faced him.

"Mark, no. You know I don't want to do this." I frowned lightly, trying to dispel his anger. "It's not you, I'm just not ready Mark. Let it go."

His face went hard and he pushed me off the sofa next to him.

"Well then Luci, maybe you should stop being such a tease!" Mark spat, "Goodnight." His lips were now pressed hard in a line, and he left, leaving me alone in the dark room.

-----------------------------------------End Flashback-------------------------------------------

I pushed through the pain and flicked the light switch. A wave of hopelessness engulfed me. Taking in my sight, was an eye opener. My tear tracked face, eyes brimming with smudged mascara. I had a black eye and the bruising on my cheek and jaw had turned blue, with splotches of red from the blood vessels popping. Gingerly, I ran my finger along my collar bone, lining my hand up with a bruise in the shape of one much larger. My shoulder was red and inflamed. I held my wrist in my hand, noticing for the first time the shard of bone I could see straining through the skin. I felt raw, as if even standing here clothed, I'd been stripped of who I was, my self worth.

*Flashback*

I woke suddenly, the weight of a pillow on top of my face waking me from my sleep. I could feel somebody's body straddling mine, pinning me in place. I thrashed my neck around, trying to get purchase, bucking in fear.

Then I heard Mark laugh. Only then did it dawn on me that Mark was smothering me with a pillow!

I felt consciousness fading when Mark removed the pillow and I sucked in a haggard breath. He slapped me across the face. It stung, but it was the degrading action that stung the most. He told me I was a piece of filth, for flaunting my body around but being so frigid when push came to shove. I was such a tease. He bound my wrists and legs, hitting me repeatedly, venting his frustration out on me. Twisting me in painful ways, fondling me on invasive terms.

"Please Mark, stop it. Why? Please" I sobbed.

"You deserve this Luci, so stop complaining." His venomous words lashed at me.

It was horrible and all the while I couldn't help but think it was my fault. My fault for not being better to him, for not complying. For not loving him enough.

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I shuddered at the thought. Love. That was not love. His warped sense of self righteousness was sickening. He won't break me, I will find a way to move on, but how?

Hey, hey yeah so i really like the idea of this character but what do you guys think??

So let me know, if you like, maybe i'll keep going :)

but i think for now, i should just keep it going, who knows what might happen? It's not really far into it, and i think this is just like the prologue or something, cause it's not really part of the story........mmm, yeah, it's still-a-happenin guys, so comment, vote, whatever, just let me know.

It's a new story, so just a vote or two could help, thanks guys.

Fleur out xx