A Summer of Discovery

Chapter Five

He turned toward Lilly and stumbled before grabbing her by the throat. "Shut up you little bitch you don't get to tell me what to do. Do you hear me"?

"Stop it" I begged.

In seconds he had lifted her like she had no weight to her, holding her by her throat and pinning her to the wall.

"I'm going to make it so you never get to leave me again" he spat in her face.

I panicked and picked up the cherub statue by the door way and without hesitation I smashed it over him. He fell to the floor letting her go in the process. She clasped her throat trying to catch her breath.

"Thank you" She whispered before pushing me away with her hands "You got to go Em you can't be here. He will wake up and he will kill you" She cried as she held her palm to my chest pushing me away. Her eyes wildly begged me to do as she asked but I couldn't leave her. I wouldn't.

"I'm not leaving you" I stated firmly.

"He's dangerous" She said through tears.

"Exactly. I'm not going anywhere" I wiped her tears from her cheeks with both hands before wrapping my arms around her tightly.

I didn't see him stand up behind me. I didn't see the blade he pulled from his pocket.

I felt a seething heat in my shoulder, my mouth opened up but nothing came out. Lilly leaned back and looked at me as she noticed my body begin to slump. She looked up and screamed as he pulled out the knife and she realised what had happened.

I fell to the floor on my knees, blood seeping through my white T shirt, Lilly hit at him trying to get the knife but he was too big, he had her backed into a wall so quickly before placing the knife against her throat.

"You're not leaving me Lilly. You're not going anywhere. You're coming home with me" He said angrily.

I heard her voice shaking with fear as I got the strength to sit back up "I don't want this Brad. You said you would leave me alone. Please don't do this" she whimpered.

"Lied oops" He laughed.

He stuck the knife in the cement behind her with a slamming fist, it dropped to the floor and just as he did that his other hand reached up and began to strangle her.

I looked up to see the life draining from her face. I felt nausea rise up in my stomach and with my last bit of strength I stood myself up, grabbed the knife and just as I was about to hit him a huge frying pan came into vision in the hands of an old lady. The pan smashed into his head so hard he fell forward, his hands releasing Lilly as he slid down the wall, she fell to the floor like a doll, completely limp, my throat restricted at the sight of her body on the ground. I got down on the floor and held my ear to her mouth, she wasn't breathing. I racked my brain trying to remember the resuscitation we were taught in school last year. My hands moved over her chest beginning to pump at the centre of her ribs, my mouth covered hers breathing into her lungs trying and hoping to god I was doing it right. I heard sirens in the background and looked up to see the old lady through teary eyes do the sign of the cross on her chest.

"They will be here in a minute child" she said as she stood in her nightgown over Brad.

***

Lilly pulled through before the emergency services got to us with a huge gulp of air. She had a red mark around her neck in the shape of two hand prints. I though was losing my momentum as the shock set in and the adrenaline slowed, leaving my body to feel the full effect of the stab wound to my shoulder.

I was put into the back of the ambulance quickly and checked over. Lilly got in next to me as they shut the doors and held my hand, her shoulders were wrapped in foil and a paramedic at her side. I couldn't stop myself shaking. "I'm so sorry Em. I'm so so sorry" She had tears streaming down her pale cheeks.