Learning To Trust Again

The narrow lane, running between the pub and a shop, which was closed at that time of night, was dark and felt cold and damp. There was a narrow strip of dirty water lying in the middle at its lowest point and large steel bins littered the walls at the end. A rancid smell of rotting food scraps filled Rebecca’s nostrils, making her feel sick.

She tried to pull out of his grip but he was too strong, so she concentrated on not tripping on the uneven surface as he dragged her along.

‘Let me go’ she yelled as he stopped and allowed her to pull her arm free. His nails scraped the skin of her upper arm through her shirt as she yanked it away. She could also feel a bruise forming from his hold on her. She rubbed her arm.

The man smiled. They were pretty much out of view of the street now, unless someone was looking down the lane. He moved his body closer. ‘Now don’t be like that’ he said touching her cheek.

The contact caused a shiver of revulsion to pass through Rebecca as a cold sweat formed on her skin. The other three men moved in closer, forming a tight circle around her, cutting off all avenues of escape and filling her with dread.

‘As much as I like a bit of fire in a woman, it’ll be much nicer for you if you don’t fight’ the man with the good teeth said with a smile, sounding for all the world as if they were having a normal conversation.

But the smile made Rebecca shiver again. While it made him look agreeable it seemed all the more evil to her, because the implication of his words was anything but pleasant. Terrified, she stared at each of the other three leering male faces surrounding her, hoping to find one that looked like he would listen to reason. But she couldn’t see anything in their expressions that gave her any hope. Her heart was beating so fast now, it was painful and she could feel beads of sweat running down her back as she looked around, desperate to get away. With her back against a solid brick wall though, and the lane a dead end there wasn’t much hope of that. The men hadn’t really touched her as yet, but as she listened to the distasteful comments they were making, she knew it was only a matter of time before they did. When that happened there was no way she was going to be able to hold them off. They were all bigger than she was so she wouldn’t be able to stop one, let alone four. She pushed her back against the wall, moving as far away from them as she could get. Tears loomed. She bit her bottom lip to stop its trembling as she tried not to show how scared she was. But as the man’s hand moved from her cheek, down her neck, she jerked and the handle of her bag slid down her arm. She wanted to yell. However, when she opened her mouth, she wasn’t able to make any sound. She knew it was all over for her.