I tried to get up but the gash on my head made any sort of getaway impossible. I had been pummelled and couldn’t recall any of it. I shouted Maurice’s name. I couldn’t see him in the dimly lit room with my blurred vision. I tried to cast my mind away and focus. That’s when I saw three boys drag him from another room and throw him on the floor in front of me. The relief that came over me was immeasurable. For a brief moment it crossed my mind that he might be dead. I didn’t know what Holly was capable of and I didn’t want to find out.
“Fam, are you alright? Talk to me Maurice,” I said in a croaky voice. Seeing his face made me kind of happy even in a situation like this.
“Blood my head's killing me,” he mumbled. “I’m aching all over,” he added, rolling over.
“Are you sick in the head? You told us to come here so you could beat us up!” I shouted directly at Holly. As much as I wanted to shout my head off my body ached ridiculously with every word. My voice slowly faded out and, feeling dizzy, I put my head back on the floor.
“Well you see guys, I loved Maurice. He was so sweet and took me in when nobody else would, but then when he broke things off over something so silly. It really hurt. And I don’t like getting hurt. So let me cut a long story short, I set you up. Now I want to see you get hurt,” she said, lighting a cigarette. The only word to describe what I was hearing was madness.
“You’ve got what you want. You had your people give us a bruising so let us go. Let’s just end it all here,” I said, starting to feel desperate. All was not as it seemed. There was a sinful look in her eyes that made me know we had to get out of there straight away.
“You think a little beating was going to make this go away? Think again Jayden,” she replied, puffing smoke.
“What are you gonna to do to us?” said Maurice dazed.
“Don’t ask me any questions, Maurice. Just know that it’s your own fault. You picked the wrong girl to disrespect,” she said smiling smugly.
Moments later the three guys in ski masks came back into the room. I was getting worried. I didn’t mind holding another beating if that was all it was going to be but the way Holly was talking it seemed like she had other plans for us. I was confused and there was blood gushing from my head and running onto my face. Out of nowhere two of the guys pinned me down to the ground and held my eyelids open. I was fighting now; wondering what they were doing; why would they be holding my eyes open? Kicking my feet and swinging my shoulders - it was no use. With my weak, battered body they overpowered me easily. I finally conceded defeat with the unbearable burning of my eyes. I was being tortured. The only word that ran through my mind was torture. I wondered what they were going to do but then I thought it best to just keep a clear mind and hope that whatever it was would end soon. I wished they would do it already because I was starting to feel sick. My eyes were in excruciating pain just being held open, watching Holly and her third companion chit-chat like we weren’t there. He then walked over to Maurice and kicked him in the head, knocking him out again. It was one of the hardest things to watch. Not being able to help when your literally metres apart. He then did the unthinkable. It made me sick. It made me shiver. It made the blood rush from my face.
