Page 2 of Justice

My heart pounds frantically against my rib cage, each beat echoing in my ears like a thunderclap. I try to swallow, but my throat constricts, leaving me gasping. My fingers dig into the damp earth beneath me.

I claw at the dirt, trying to push myself up so I can look down at my bottom half. My skirt is pushed up to my hips, and my panties are gone.

What happened to me?

My mind and my body are fighting the other, trying to think of what happened and not wanting to accept the fact that my underwear is gone.

“This can't be happening," I whisper to myself, my voice hoarse and unfamiliar to my own ears.

I force myself to look down again, hoping desperately that I'm wrong, that this is all some terrible misunderstanding. But the sight of my exposed skin, marred by dirt and scratches, confirms my worst fears again.

I’m shaking hard but I manage to stand up, needing to get out of here. I look for my phone, checking my pockets, and I see the flash of the screen on the ground. I pick it up to find out that it’s shattered beyond repair.

The hair on the back of my neck stands up like someone is watching me. My heart feels like it’s going to pound out of my chest, the fear threatening to swallow me whole.

I fix my skirt, running my hands over and over, trying to pull the material down as far as I can even though it’s in place. I stuff my phone in my pocket even though its broken.

I was meant to leave with my friend Debbie tonight. I need to go find her so I can get out of here.

Most of all, I just want to go home.

I don’t want to let the thoughts take over my mind, the pain between my legs almost crippling me. But it’s not just the pain between my legs, it’s the one in my heart.

I stumble toward the sound of music, hoping to find someone who can help me. I see a group of people dancing near a bonfire, laughing and drinking. They look so happy and carefree, oblivious to my nightmare.

I try to call out to them, but my voice is hoarse and weak. No one hears me over the loud music. I feel dizzy and nauseous, the alcohol still in my system.

I collapse on the ground, unable to go any farther. I curl up into a ball, hoping that someone will notice and help me. I close my eyes, praying this is all a bad dream.

There are footsteps crunching along the trail, and I can hear the sound of leaves and tree branches breaking under their feet.

I sit up, getting ready to run away, to protect myself in any way possible.

But to my utter disbelief, it’s my science teacher, Mr. Evans. Why is he out here in the middle of the woods?

“Oh my God, Elle! What happened to you?” He bends down next to me and helps me to my feet, practically lifting me off the ground.

I open my mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. He wraps his arm around me, pressing me into his side and hugging me for a moment.

“Can you take me home?” My voice comes out in a pleading tone. I just want to shower and go to sleep where I feel safe to figure out what happened to me.

He nods, practically carrying me to his car that is parked in the clearing on the other side of the small patch of woods. “Whyare you here?” I have to ask him, unsure why he is at a school party in the first place.

“I love spending time in that house over there, and I thought I heard a scream, so I went to investigate,” he explains, but I can’t bring myself to ask more questions, just thankful I’m going home.

The next morning, I wake to a lot of pain. Every inch of my body screams in protest as I try to move. Sunlight filters through the curtains, casting a mocking cheerfulness over my room. I slowly lift my hands, wincing at the sight of the scratches crisscrossing my palms, tiny pebbles still embedded in my flesh. A vivid reminder of how I clawed at the ground, desperate to get up.

I hear footsteps approaching my door and quickly shut my eyes, feigning sleep. The door creaks open, and I can sense my mom's presence. She lingers for a moment, probably checking if I'm still asleep. I keep my breathing slow and steady, not ready to face her or anyone else. After what feels like an eternity, she quietly closes the door.

As soon as I'm alone again, I force myself to sit up, ignoring the protests of my aching muscles. That's when I notice it—a dark, rust-colored stain on my inner thighs. My stomach lurches as the reality of what happened last night hits me at full force.

"No, no, no," I whisper, my voice barely audible. I squeeze my eyes shut, willing it all to be a nightmare, but when I open them again, nothing has changed.

The evidence is there, stark and undeniable. Someone assaulted me. The realization crashes over me like a tidal wave, leaving me gasping for air. My mind races, desperately trying topiece together fragments of memories, but it's all a haze. The last clear memory I have is feeling dizzy at the party, then… nothing.

I wrap my arms around myself, trying to stop the trembling that's taken over my body. Questions swirl in my mind, each one more terrifying than the last. Who did this to me? How did I end up in the woods? Why can't I remember anything?

The metallic taste from last night resurfaces in my mouth, and a horrible thought occurs to me. "I was drugged," I murmur, the words feeling foreign on my tongue. It's the only explanation that makes sense, the missing piece of this horrifying puzzle.

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