The Girl Next Door

Chapter 18.

I froze.
Alex.
This was Alex.
Sarah's ex girlfriend.
Her ex girlfriend from Australia.
What the hell.
Tears were steaming down my face and Sarah was still screaming at her. My head went back and fourth between them. Sarah had rounded the back of the car and was close by me now, grabbing me by my shirt and pulling me towards the footpath at the front of the house. Alex was gaining on us now, rolling the bat in her hands.
'You fucking bitch!' Alex screamed, speeding towards us, catching up and grabbing Sarah's hair with one hand, pulling her upwards, then swinging at me with the bat. She missed and I fell to the ground. We were both screaming out and Sarah was sobbing, her breath uncontrollable, trying to prise Alex's hands off her. But Alex was built, strong and kneed Sarah hard in her back, winding her and the brunette let her hands drop, her neck convulsing.
' You leave me,' Alex raged at Sarah, trying to take a swing at me again, 'and end up hooking up with this?' Alex motioned to me, and I grabbed my phone that had fallen from my hands.
'How do you like your slut?' Alex screamed at me. I watched Sarah's terrified face as Alex held her hair tight, pushing her down towards the ground, yanking her head up and down, Sarah screaming with pain. I staggered to stand, brought the phone to my ear, screaming for help into the receiver as Alex took another swing at me.
'Alex, stop, please stop,' Sarah cried, her voice shaking as she tried to look over to me to see what was happening. She cried out again in pain as Alex pulled her to her feet by her hair, Sarah standing and arching her back to try and relive Alex's grasp.
'Alex! Alex!' I tried to say calmly, taking the phone away from my ear and holding my hands up in almost a surrender, knowing that Baker was surely on his way, and after my phone call, with more cops too. I dropped the phone to the ground, the line not disconnected, hoping the 911 dispatcher was still listening.
Alex pushed Sarah to the ground, bending down to her, pushing her right knee into her back to hold her there, the other resting into the grass, bat still in hand. I stood above her shaking, she was a buxom woman, long dark hair draping down her back, her brown eyes wide and frantic.
'This slut,' Alex said, holding one hand up at me to stop me moving,' left me. I'd done nothing to her and then suddenly she was on a plane here. She's a fucking slut.'
Sarah was whimpering and coughing, spluttering her breath.
'Alex, please, please,' I begged, my bloodied hair and face shaking from side to side, my whole body ached.
Alex just stared at me, shaking her head slowly and looking down at Sarah, 'She said she was going to the store and she never came back.'
Alex yanked Sarah's hair hard, her head at a painful angle, and her scream tore through me. I dropped to my knees,'Leave her alone, please, Alex.'

Before I knew it there were strong arms on my shoulders and everything moved in slow motion, I saw Alex raise the baseball bat with both arms, high above her head, she was then thrown backwards and off Sarah, I suddenly blacked out. Only hearing the deafening thud of my heart as it pounded in my chest and then a shrill gutted scream from Sarah.

Moments later my eyes shot open, my ears filling with the sounds of sirens, people yelling, shouting orders, Baker's face in front of me, my neighbour across the street crouched over by Sarah, her body limp. I shook my head, not hearing the words being spoken to me by the officer. I tried pushing him out of my way, attempting to clamber up off the ground. His hands were the ones that I'd felt on my shoulders, they were still there. I heard nothing again, just silence and a shill piercing noise, almost like a deafening echo of some sort. I blacked out again.