Chapter 40 #2
She tries to fight them off but it doesn’t seem she has the strength to do so. And when her back hits the column, she’s trapped.
Their hands are everywhere, pulling at her clothes, tearing them off her.
“Stop!” I shout, running toward her.
I’m not sure I’ll be able to take on four males, but I’m not about to stand by and watch a female be hurt like this.
They don’t even mind me. They continue to harass her, their sneers loud and jarring.
Her top ends up in tatters, thrown on the ground. Bare skin now meets their touch.
I run faster.
But just as I’m about to get there—just as I’m about to stop in front of them—I find that I cannot move.
An invisible barrier forms in front of me, and no matter how much I push against it, it won’t give way.
“Stop!” I yell again.
No one hears me.
The female continues fighting. She still has a small piece of material covering her chest, and those males are trying to strip her of that next.
She struggles with them and falls to the ground, rolling in the sand until she’s just a few steps away from me.
So close…
I try to break through the barrier again, but it’s impossible.
And then she raises her face and looks at me.
I freeze. My entire body stops moving. Eyes wide, mouth open, I stare at her in shock.
“Moe,” I whisper.
No, no! This cannot be happening. It can’t be Moe.
She was in bed sleeping when I left the room. She can’t be here. She can’t… Unless she followed me.
She woke up, did not see me in the room and went in search of me.
“MOE!” I cry out.
She gazes at me, tears dripping down her cheeks.
Her pale arms are now red with hand prints.
My eyes rove over her, seeing the damage those brutes have done.
I wasn’t there.
I didn’t protect her.
It’s all my fault.
And now I can’t move. I can’t go to her and comfort her. I can’t—
The four males are on her again. Two of them hold her arms. Another holds her legs, immobilizing her while the last one tears the rest of her clothes.
Their hands are everywhere, touching her, hurting her.
“No! Get off her! Get off!” I cry and beg, pushing against that invisible wall.
Something breaks inside of me as I see her eyes, still watching me, waiting for me.
No, no. Please, no.
“Wait for me,” I whisper. “I’m almost there, Moe. I’ll be there!” I promise her.
“Nyk…” her broken voice hits me right in the chest. “Where are you?” And that one question steals my breath away.
“I’m here. I’ll—”
I bring my fists agains the invisible barrier and punch with everything in me. I kick at it, then throw my entire body weight against it.
Nothing works.
The males continue to touch her. Now her chest is uncovered…bare.
Her expression shifts to despair. In one last attempt, she wiggles to the side and hits one of them with her head. But it doesn’t do anything. It merely elicits laughter from him.
Then the worst happens.
The one who tore her clothes stands up, his hands undoing his pants.
“No!” I cry out, a wail and a prayer to the heavens to grant me mercy; to allow me to move, to go to her, to help her.
He takes out his cock, and moving closer, he relieves himself on her, aiming straight to her face. She averts her face, but the piss lands on her cheek, then on her chest and—
I fall to my knees, my nails digging into the dirt as everything within me breaks apart.
I can’t help her.
I’m here, forced to watch, unable to do anything.
She’s suffering and I’m not there for her.
I failed her.
I—
Bringing my head against the invisible barrier, I hit as hard as I can, hoping for some physical pain to dull the one inside.
This is just the beginning. They will hurt her more. They will…
“Moe…” I whisper. I need her to know I’m here, even if I cannot help. I need her to know she’s not alone. That if I could, I would break my own bones and limbs to get through this barrier.
Suddenly, something gives way.
As I bring my head forward, it goes through the barrier.
Hope blooms within me. I may not be able to win against four, but I will die trying.
I get to my feet and move toward them, ready to lay my life down to protect her.
They all hear me and turn toward me. Moe, too, finally sees me, and her eyes glint with renewed hope.
“I’m here,” I tell her. “I’ll always come for you.”
She slowly shakes her head. “You’re late, Nyk… Why are you so late?”
“I—”
She gets to her feet. The males take a step back, allowing her to move past them.
She comes toward me, almost fully naked.
Her eyes on mine, she only stops when her face’s a breath away from mine.
“I called for you,” she murmurs. “I called and you didn’t come.”
“I tried to. Please trust me, I tried to come in time, Moe. I just—”
“You couldn’t?” She raises a brow.
I nod.
“Why?”
“I’m not strong enough. There was a barrier and—”
“Then you’ll never be strong enough.”
“What?”
“Will you do this forever? Watch me get hurt? Watch me die? And still do nothing? Because you have your silly little excuse that you’re not strong enough?”
“What are you talking about, Moe?” I frown. “Are you alright? Let’s go back to our room and—”
Her palm connects with my cheek. I feel the metallic taste of blood flooding my mouth.
“Why? Why are you doing this?”
She tilts her head to the side, her lips tipped up in a sinister smile.
“Because it’s always your fault.”
“What’s happening?” I whisper.
“Come here, Nyk,” Moe murmurs as she curls her finger and beckons me closer.
As if entranced, my body follows her commands.
“Closer.”
I move closer. When my mouth is close to her cheek she stops me.
“Now lick it.”
I blink, awareness flickering inside of me. She wants me to lick…the urine?
For a moment, I try to fight it. But she has full control over my body.
When she speaks, I obey.
So I do it. I peek my tongue out and lick her cheek, tasting the acrid urine mixed with the saltiness of her tears.
Suddenly, she moves her head, her lips colliding with mine. But they merely touch for a second before she pulls back just enough to speak.
“Humiliation has never tasted so good, has it?”
“You’re not Moe…” I finally say in a moment of clarity.
She smirks. She doesn’t confirm it or deny it.
“How does it feel, Nyk, to be the main character for once?”
“What?”
“It’s you. Always you. Only you.”
She steps away. Slowly.
I stare at her in disbelief. The background flickers with movement.
The four males from before all reach for their masks at the same time, pulling it off their face.
They’re…
I blink.
They’re all me. All four of them. They’re me. I’m them.
Then they start laughing, an evil sound that continues to haunt me.
“No… No… This isn’t real. You’re not real… You’re not—”
“Nyk!
My body is being shaken by something—someone.
My eyes snap open and my surroundings have completely changed. I’m staring at the ceiling of our room. Moe’s face comes into my field of vision as she leans over me.
“Are you alright?” She asks, her expression worried. “You were screaming in your sleep.”
I frown.
“I was?”
She nods. “What were you dreaming about?”
“I—” I pause. “I don’t remember. Did I say anything?”
“You were just making some sounds and kept saying no.”
“I really don’t remember,” I say honestly as I pull myself in a sitting position. “Perhaps it’s the stress of being in this place. It’s finally getting to me.”
“You stayed all night to study that book, didn’t you?”
“You…know?”
“I felt you get out of bed. I tried to sleep but I was worried about you.”
“So you didn’t sleep either?”
She presses her lips together. “I had to be awake to make sure nothing happened to you in that meditative state,” she grumbles.
“So now we’re both tired, and it’s already a new day.”
“Well…” She bites her lip.
‘Thank you,” I tell her sincerely. Already, whatever bothered me in my sleep is quickly forgotten as I stare into her lovely face. Just knowing she was awake, watching over me, makes my heart skip a beat.
“You’re welcome,” she says lightly. “Now let’s get dressed and go to the obelisk. We need to find another easy opponent.”