Summers snowflake

The meeting

I was normal once. I had a life. I could think straight and my mind wasn't filled with nonsense. Although I never considered it nonsense, that's just what the therapists used to tell me.

I could feel the soft breeze brush up against my skin, swirling my long wavy black hair around in the wind. Leaves crunched under my feet as I moved through the tree's. My heart filled with hope that he was somewhere out here. My leather jacket kept my body heat inside, but my legs were shaking, not from the cold but from the nervous feeling that went all the way to my bones.

"How ya doing today little girl?" He called. I swirled around not finding the source of his voice, it sent a tingling sensation through my body and I couldn't help but smile.

"Up here" he called, I turned and looked towards the tree tops. Sitting on an overhead branch smirking down at me. His shirt was off showing a lean, tan well built body, his abs and shoulders glistened with beads of sweat. He looked wild and unpredictable but still safe, the one thing that made me want to step into his arms and stay.

"Hey" I greeted

"You okay? You look a little shaky" he raised a slender brow

"I'm fine, just been thinking a lot" I sighed settling down, I crossed my legs and leaned against a tree, the rough bark was uncomfortable at my back. He jumped from the tree landing as quietly as a cat. He smiled down at me, reminding me of the first time we met.

It was warm out, I was smiling and I wasn't even sure why. The moon shined through the canopy of leaves overhead. Soft grass tickled my ankles as I walked. I could hear music from a nearby party. The store wasn't far now, I could rent a movie and buy some skittles before my mom even got home from work. Movie... what was the name of that movie I wanted to see so badly? I begged mom to take me to see it and had pouted the whole way home when she had denied me. Of course Matthew had offered to take me after that. He was always so nice. Three days from now we will be dating for eight months, maybe that's why I was smiling. I felt something stirring inside me, something I didn't recognize. The shouts were getting closer, I could distinctly hear a mans voice? or many men? I wasn't sure. It was late Friday so it wasn't a surprise that there would be a party going on at this time of night. My heart beat was racing, when I noticed I picked up a light jog

"Oh look at this one" I stopped dead in my tracks as five men came out of the darkness surrounding me. Their hoods up the darkness concealing their faces, they sounded and looked young. Maybe even my age, I was fifteen but they could easily be sixteen or seventeen or so.

"She looks classy, I like her" one drew a little to close for my comfort and I backed up a step met with the hard chest of a man behind me, he grabbed just above my elbow spinning me to face him, he laughed at my pure look of terror. I could smell the licker on his breath and almost gagged

"I understand you have been drinking, just let me go and I'll leave" I pulled from his grasp rubbing where his tight grip had been.

"What if we don't want you to leave?" another snickered

"Maybe we like pretty girls" they closed in on me

"Please just let me go" I swatted at their hands but there were to many, I tried to push my way through but they weren't letting me move. I shrieked as they pressed closer. See most people would be thinking 'why me?' All I could think was 'what if they leave me here to die? My mom will have to do the chores alone if I don't come home'. I lashed out and caught one of them in the side of the head, he brought his hand to his face muttering a curse as he took a few steps back

"You're going to regret that" he had said, but I wasn't listening. I had seen my opportunity, I pushed through the small opening as they grabbed and tore and my clothes. As soon as I was outside of their circle I ran into him. His face was leaner, harsher, with sharp angles and pointed features. Combined with his bright auburn hair and emerald eyes. He was unmistakably beautiful. He sighed shaking his head

"Not terribly bright are they?" he asked me, gazing at the leader who only looked at him with a shocked expression. He was taller than them, and I would rather face all those men again then the deadly grin he had on his face while staring them down.

"Scram" the larger of the boys stepped forward, I could see his face in the moonlight now, pale with big brown eyes, dark hair and a scar just below his eye, probably from a fight no doubt. The man behind me didn't budge

"Are you deaf?" the leader attempted to grab at me but the red headed boy grabbed my arm gently and pulled me behind him. Standing straight and lifting his chin to glare down at them

"Is she your little dog then?" the others drew forward surrounding us like a pack of hungry dogs. I stood so close to my guardian I could feel the heat radiating his body. I didn't dare move. There was a flash of silver as three of them pulled knives from seemingly nowhere.

"Please you don't have to do this" I said softly. The red headed boy only smiled wickedly, tensing his muscles

"You can still walk away, because in about eight seconds you're not going to be able to" he laughed, the drunk chuckled and slashed forwards, I backed away from them all but a second man stepped forward. He grabbed me and I wasn't quick enough to pull away. He held tightly to my arm as I slapped and his shoulder

"Let go of me!" I shouted. I felt a hotness erupt from my abdomen. The force bent me over. The air leaving my lungs in seconds. A ragging fire consumed my body. I would have screamed or cried but the air had not returned to my lungs. And now I was terrified it never would. Somewhere I heard someone scream to me partly in rage the other in terror

"Little girl!" He yelled out to me, I still didn't know who he was. The man pushed the knife even further melting my sight. Blackness clawed at the edges of my sight. I was going to die. I looked to the grass. My blood leaked out of me onto the ground between me and my attacker. I didn't want to die. Not like this. Reality was slipping away from me now. I fell to my knees able to keep my balance for only a few seconds. My head stuck the ground. I saw my saviour jerk back as a blade whizzed by his cheek, then stepping forward he slammed his fist into the leaders nose, hearing it break under his fingers. He whirled on the second man who was stabbing at him from the side, my vision blurred and when it refocused I saw him with one man in a headlock. It blurred again. His mocking laughter rang out over the howls and curses of the men. He dodged the knife of a foe and kicked him in the knee, it snapped back as he hit the ground. They attacked viciously, the red haired boys lips were pulled into a vicious grin. His eyes narrowed in rage, but it was the kind of rage that was terrifying. He was shirtless, barefooted and wild looking. His red hair stood out to me though. I closed my eyes for what only seemed like seconds but when I reopened them he was staring down at me. A sad smile on his face

"You're going to be okay little girl"

"I'm not little" I choked out

"Shhs, don't speak" and then he was holding me, his grip firm around my body, holding me close to him. His grip was strong but soft as he carried me. I can't remember what he had said to me after that, only when he set me down on the cool grass a sob came from me, one I didn't intend to. I didn't want him to put me down, I didn't want to die alone

"Don't leave" I sobbed "I don't want to be alone"

"You'll be okay" he grinned