The Wolf Of Penshaw Lake

*Warning: This chapter is going to be quite dark. It will have themes of sexual assault, violence and swearing. If you do not wish to read, please skip past this chapter. I will post a short recap in chapter 11 of the key points in this chapter so you do not miss out.*

The loud, echoing slam of the door against the wall made the two naked figures jump back in fright. The girl let out a scream, and the boy yelled a curse, spinning around to see me stood at the doorway. The teenage boy hastily attempted to cover himself, leaving Ella sprawled naked and vulnerable on the bed. Her face was blotchy with tears and through the dim lighting, I could see purple bruises spattered across her thin body. Some bruises had begun to yellow and some were clearly from today. Seeing the older bruises just made me angrier, it was clear that this boy had been abusing Ella for some time. I glanced over to the sheets where red, fresh spots of blood on the sheets caught my eye.

Had he just forcefully taken her virginity?

The young boy, who couldn’t have been more than sixteen himself, looked at me in shock, displeasure and fury as though he had the audacity to be angry that someone burst in on his assault. By the fury on his face, I could tell he knew he was doing wrong.

It was just like Dan. It was cold, calculating and knowing. Dan knew what he was doing every second, he knew that it was wrong. That’s why he enjoyed it so much. This boy was no better, and he would grow up to be even worse. I couldn’t let that happen to Ella.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” I spat at the boy, as he tried to stalk past me. Clenching my teeth I reached for the door handle and furiously yanked it so that it slammed shut behind me. My hair flew out behind me from the force and my arm ached as I used muscles that hadn’t been used in a year.

“Let me out you psycho bitch,” He cried, clearly afraid of being caught. He lifted his hand, as though to hit me, when I gripped my fingers tightly into a fist and sent it flying straight into his nose.

The boy collapsed to his knees and gripped his bleeding nose with both hands. He looked up at me, fear in his eyes, masked by the anger and pain he was currently feeling.

“You broke my nose you cunt!”

I sent a walloping kick straight to his groin and he screeched, higher than my own scream, lying back on the floor withering in pain and anguish. Silently, I thanked the stars that I had learned self-defense during high school.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t stop you from ever hurting another girl again hmm?” I asked, standing over him as he sobbed in pain.

I was about to send another punch straight into his groin, when I felt arms wrap around my own, holding them tightly behind my back. I struggled in the unknown grip, but it was far stronger than any I had ever known. Even Dan’s.

“Let me go!” I cried, attempting to fling my head back to hit the son-of-a-bitch who had hold of me.

I looked to my right, where Ella sat in shock on the bed. She had managed to cover herself up with the duvet, but there was no mistaking what happened in the room should someone walk in.

“Come on,” whispered the man who held me. I could it was male, I could feel the hair on his arms and the the hard torso I was being pressed into. His voice was deep and masculine, yet held an air of calm softness about it.

How could someone be calm right now?

I let him take me out of the room where his grip loosened on my arms and I finally swung around to get a good look at whoever just saved Ella’s abuser.

Thick, dark hair? Stunning brown eyes? Stupidly attractive beard?

“Fuck you,” I hissed to Mason who stared at me impassively. “You should have let me carry on.”

“It is not up to you to deliver his punishment. The police have been called.”

“That’s your baby sister,” I cried, “How are you so calm?”

“Believe me,” He replied through gritted teeth, “I am not calm. However, it is my job to charge of the situation and that involves not losing my mind.”

I shook my head, “You’re just a dick,” I snarled and turned away to get out of the house before I collapsed myself.

He let me leave, I could feel his eyes on my retreating form, but I did not hear his footsteps following me. I sped up my walk into a jog, running past everyone in the house who had stopped partying to whisper and gossip about what just happened.

I ran past the outstretched arms of Josie, Dee and Kate.

I ran past Jane and Andrew who flew up the stairs.

I ran past the police who had just arrived at the house and tried to stop me for questioning.

I ran down the polished, brick steps of the house, past the beautiful wolf fountain and through the wrought iron gates and towards the forest, who seemed to welcome me with open arms. I didn’t make it far when the tears that were blurring my vision and making it impossible to see, started cascading down my face and my breathing grew too quick to keep running. I fell to my knees, dirtying them in the mud and hugged my arms to my chest as I heaved breaths and sobbed my heart out.

I sobbed for Ella.

And I sobbed for myself. For letting myself get so angry. For seeing Dan in every man I saw. For having all this pain that I couldn’t let go. I sobbed out my anger, my fear and my anguish. I was finally happy, it was like something just had to crush it.

Why can’t I just be happy? I thought, cursing the heavens.

Through my panicked state of mind, my subconscious drew up a memory I had shoved way down into the depths of my mind, never wanting to relive it again. The time Dan turned his attention to me, instead of my mum.

It was five years ago. I was sixteen and celebrating a pretty measly birthday in which mum had managed to get a reduced cake from the shop and a little card on offer. It was hard buying anything when Dan controlled all of the finances. Dan was at work, or the pub, I wasn’t bothered in the slightest. I was just happy that it could be just me and mum on what was supposed to be a big birthday.

Hannah from school had a huge party. With a band. And a pony.

But this was fine. In fact, this was a better birthday than previous because at least Dan wasn’t here this time. As I blew out the one candle mum had managed to find in a drawer, I heard the door slam and suddenly my birthday was over.

Dan stumbled into the living room, stinking of alcohol, and shrugged off his coat so it fell on the floor. Mum quickly picked it up for him and hung it on the banister of the staircase.

“I forgot it was your birthday,” he slurred, as if it was the most normal thing to say. “Here.”

He passed me a can of cider, warm from his pocket. I took it, pretending to be thankful.

“How old are you now?” He asked, dipping a finger into the icing on the cake and licking it off.

“Sixteen,” I whispered.

I saw Dan’s eyes light up. “Sixteen ey? I wonder how many young lads will want to take advantage of that?”

Mum looked horrified, but she was still nursing a bruised eye from this morning. She stayed silent, watching the scene unfold like a horror movie in which she had a front row seat.

“I don’t think anyone will want to Dan,” I said, trying to stay lighthearted.

“Sure they will. I had better make sure I’m first hmm?”

Dan pointed a finger upstairs, his command clear and immediate. I threw a worried glance at mum, who started to protest but only received a ‘shush’ from Dan who warned her with only his eyes what would happen if she tried to stop him. Terrified, I walked upstairs, hearing the heavy breathing of the despicable man behind me. When I reached the landing, Dan grabbed my arm and pulled me in his bedroom. I wasn’t normally allowed in there, but clearly tonight he was making an exception.

Pushing me towards the bed, Dan began undressing himself and gestured with a flick of his hand for me to do the same. Tears threatening to fall, I slowly peeled off my jeans and pulled my top over my head. I fell back against the bed as Dan slowly crawled on top of me.

“I was beginning to tire of your mother,” He sighed, tracing a finger down my trembling body. “But now I’ve got you too.”

I closed my eyes and gripped the sheets as Dan took away my purity and took away any last respect I had for men.

Footsteps crashing through the forest echoed in the back of my mind, but they didn’t stop my tears. I was too upset that I couldn’t barely breathe, let alone focus on anything else. The memory of the night that Dan stole my virginity continued to echo in my mind and play over and over again like some sick, broken record.

I felt arms around me for the second time that night, but this time they were comforting. They felt as though they were wrapped around my whole body, encasing it in warmth and protecting it from the dangers outside.

“Breathe Sophie,” whispered the same voice that took me out of the room. I had no doubt in my mind that Mason was the one holding me and slowly stroking my hair. “Breathe,” he whispered again and I slowly felt my breathing return to a normal pace and my heart stop racing out of my chest.

I looked up at Mason whose eyes were filled with worry and I finally felt my tears stop flowing. Mason didn’t let go of me, instead he held on to me tighter, slowly rocking me on the forest floor.

“I didn’t mean to,” I sniffed, my words catching in my breaths as I continued to try and calm down. “I saw red.”

Mason nodded, “I’m glad it was you. I don’t think I would have had the same restraint. I had to remain calm, for you and for Ella. I wanted to kill Oliver, I still might.”

“Do the police have him?”

“Yes. He was arrested.”

“Good.”

We were silent for a moment, the only sounds being the wind whistling through the branches and Mason’s breathing near my ear. I felt so comforted in his arms, there wasn’t a spark as such, but I felt happy within them, like they were drawing out every negative emotion in me and leaving me with a sense of warmth and content.

Like home, I realised. They felt like home should. When you first walk into your home on a blustery winters night after a long day at work to see the fire going, your favorite person on the sofa and a film on the TV. That was what being in Mason’s arms felt like.

He finally helped me to a shaky stand and I wiped the remaining tears from my eyes.

“Thank you,” I said, with some stronger conviction, finally feeling like I had my voice back.

Mason sent me a small, sad smile, his eyes filled with a strange emotion that I had never seen before.

“Come on,” he said, “let me take you home.”