Page 56 of Behind the Bars

“Don’t worry about him. He was just feeling down in the dumps,” Todd joked before someone pounded their hand against thedumpster.

“Eli.” Though her voice was steady, I could tell Katie was terrified. I didn’t want her to worry aboutme.

“Run, Katie!” I shouted, my voice burning as I kept pounded against the cage I was trappedinside.

“I’m not leaving,” she replied. “Don’t worry. I’m calling thecops.”

“No, hold up. I think we should talk first,” Toddsaid.

“Give me my phone back, jerk!” shehissed.

Todd laughed. “Do you know my parents took away my car privileges after that stunt your shit brotherpulled?”

“Well, maybe if you weren’t a complete pig, you wouldn’t have gotten in trouble,” Katie barked, not a tremble in her voice. I loved that about her—she wasn’t afraid of anything. At least not on the outside. Even with everything she’d been through, she always held her head up high in the face ofconflict.

“You got a slick mouth, don’t ya? What else can that mouth do?” Todd said ever soslyly.

I pounded against the lid as I shouted. My veins popped out of my neck as my hands bled from hitting the lid repeatedly. I kicked, clawed, and punched the lid. The skin on my knuckles ripped and tore. My body was beat and bruised as I tried to escape the cage I was locked inside, but nothing worked. I used everything I had, I used every inch of my body to try to escape, but still, Icouldn’t.

I’m not strongenough.

I’m not strongenough.

“Let me go!” Katie yelled. The fact that his hands were on her made me livid, but still, I couldn’t budge thelid.

“How about you use those lips for something other than talking, huh? I know my brother loved your mouth,” Todd hissed before I heard him shout in panic. “What thefuck?!”

“What happened?” one of his friends asked, leaping down off the dumpster. I took the chance to push on the lid once more, but I still couldn’t moveit.

“The bitch sprayed me with pepper spray!” he hollered. “You’re going to fucking pay, you slut. Get her, Tim! And, Ryan, don’t you dare get off thatdumpster!”

There was a loud commotion, and I listened to Katie try her best to get out of theirgrips.

“Let me go! Let me go!” She fought, trying to get to me as I tried to get to her, but nothing was working. Nothing I tried worked. “No,” she cried. “No, please,” shebegged.

Then, Katie’s voicedisappeared.

“Dude, Todd, you’re choking her,” one of the guysmuttered.

“Shut up, Ryan! I got this!” hesaid.

“What the fuck are you doing, man?” Tim said, his voice soundingshocked.

“She’s a fucking whore,” Toddhissed.

“She’s not breathing!” Ryan hollered, and I felt him leap off thedumpster.

I shoved on the lid, and finally it opened. I saw Tim and Ryan trying their best to pull Todd off my sister. One of his hands was wrapped tightly around her neck, and she gasped for air while his other hand was down herpants.

No…

Todd slammed her body against the concrete wall repeatedly as Katie clawed at hishands.

I hurried out of the dumpster right as the guys forced Todd to let go. I watched my sister’s body fall to the ground, saw the blood from where her head had pounded against the wall. I saw the panic in the guys’ eyes as they stared at her motionlessbody.

“Dude!” Ryan cried, terror in his stare. “What the fuck did youdo?”

I tackled Todd the moment my feet hit solid ground. I knocked him to the ground, shouting at him, screaming, crying, beyond logic. He was bigger than me, they all were, but I didn’t care. My hands flew into his face continually as I punched him. His blood covered my hands as I kept swinging. I hadn’t a clue what I was doing, but I needed him to suffer, needed him to stop breathing, needed him to hurt the way he’d hurt my sister. Tim and Ryan took off running, and Todd shoved me hard. The moment I went flying, he took off down thealleyway.

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