Page 1 of Chomp's Challenge

Prologue

ARIEL

This day is a disaster. I’m not sure why I’m surprised at how this camping trip has gone. It’s always the same; Perry starts out having a good time, fishing and hanging out. And then it goes downhill from there, at least for me. He gets drunk, pushes me around, gets his fill of me, and then passes out. This is the worst, though. He brought his buddy, Ricky, who has always given me the creeps. And they are drinking heavily, and not just beer. Bottles of tequila and whiskey are being passed around, which makes Perry a bit… crazy.

Right now, my goal is to act as though I’m invisible, to be honest. Sometimes, it works. Other days are a reminder that there’s no escape. Perry has seen to that. I send a silent prayer into the sky, hoping I can last the night without his attention. Unfortunately, when I hear Perry yelling, I realize my luck has just run out.

“Where’s yer bitch, Perry?” Ricky bellows. “I got an itch that needs scratching.” His chuckle is evil-sounding and almost maniacal, and I swallow back bile at what he’s thinking.

I’ll fight, not that it’ll do any good. But there’s a part of me that can’t help trying to rebel against my current predicament. And it’s not just Ricky or this camping trip. I wonder how the hell I got to this point in my life. I’m a good girl, or at least, I was one until Perry walked into my life. Things started out normally; he was charming and attentive. I moved in with him about a year after we started dating when my mom passed away.

God, Mom, I wish you were here, my mind whispers. Fuck cancer.

“Ariel! Git yer ass out here,” Perry yells. He’s slurring so badly, it’s difficult to understand him, but even so, I know from past experience he’ll resort to violence if I don’t respond.

“Oh no no no no no,” I mutter to myself as I pretend to be asleep.

“She’s probably sleeping in the camper… why don’t you give her a nice wake-up that she won’t soon forget? She likes it rough,” Perry tells Ricky, cackling as he says it. A frisson of fear courses through me while I try to maintain my charade of being asleep. And that’s when the door slams open.

The next thing I know, I’m being dragged from the camper, kicking and screaming while trying to grab what I can to stop what I know is going to happen. My fingers slide off a nearby wooden picnic table and leave claw marks on the surface, but it’s no use. Splinters gouge the tips of my fingers as I wince, desperate to prevent the inevitable.

“Shut the fuck up, you stupid bitch,” Ricky grunts as he rips off my nightshirt, and then punches me in the face when I try to bite him. My ears begin to ring, and I’m so dazed that I slump over. My face lands in the dirt and grinds against the rough ground as he flips me over and begins his assault, his fetid breath heating my cheek as he grunts out his pleasure. I gag as I try to fight back, even as tears flow down my face. The fire that courses through me as pain wracks me from head to toe has me sobbing.

How did I get here? I wonder. How did he fool me so well? I’m not stupid by any means, but Perry’s treatment of me has beaten me down so low, I don’t have any self-worth or self-esteem left.

What’s worse is this isn’t the first time Perry has allowed Ricky to do this to me, and the only reason I haven’t left before now is that I literally have nowhere to go. Perry controls everything with an iron fist. I have no access to any money. Even my own paycheck has to be fully accounted for every time I get paid.

I’ve got no one.

Nothing.

Mom’s treatments wiped everything out; her savings, my savings, and the inheritance she had left from her parents. Hell, I had to sell the house to finish paying off her medical debt, which is why I moved in with Perry when he offered. I just wish I had known the kind of hell I’d be walking into by accepting.

God, someone help me! My mind screams as tears continue to track down my face and I try to fight Ricky off. It’s hard since I’m on my stomach, but I keep kicking my legs hoping to stop him.

“Ooh wee! I got a buckaroo!” He laughs as I continue to try to push him off of me.

I’m not sure how long this goes on as I begin to shut down and try to minimize the damage. He doesn’t limit the assault to my lower body, but uses his fists to punch, his boots to kick, and then his hand surrounds my throat, cutting off my airway. The chokehold is nearly bliss. I black out with relief.

When I come to, I can hear Ricky mutter something about getting a refill before he comes back for round two. Pain reverberates through every inch of my body. I’m trying to do an inventory of what’s physically wrong with me, and the list is extensive. I’m pretty sure my arm is broken, possibly some of my ribs and my wrist, too. My lip and right eye are busted and swollen, and as I start to drift away a second time, I swear I must be dying because I see glowing eyes.

Is that a wild animal?

God, please don’t let me feel myself being eaten by wildlife. I really can’t take that thought at all. But I’m tired, so very tired. The thought bubbles to the forefront of my brain. Is this it? How many minutes or hours do I have left?

I’m jostled awake from my reverie by Ricky stumbling into me, and a fresh wave of pain hits me, causing me to cry out.

“What’s the matter, sugar tits? Ole Ricky more than you can handle?” He slurs while leering down at me.

I try pulling my battered and bruised body into a fetal position, but I’m no match for his strength, and once again, he begins assaulting me. As he thrusts into me, I suddenly go still as the glowing eyes I thought I saw earlier start moving, and I could swear I hear a hissing bellow.

Suddenly, I hear a god-awful screech coming from Ricky as he is plucked from me. The sudden cool air kisses my naked body, but that’s not what I care about. It’s the vision in front of me, straight from a horror movie. My one eye cannot fathom what I’m seeing.

“Ohmygodohmygodohmygod.” I must be dead and in purgatory, I think. “Shit. Why didn’t I finish catechism class so I would know more about it?” I whisper to myself.

No wonder I got in trouble with the nuns. My thoughts feverishly race as I try to comprehend exactly what it is that I’m seeing. Even though my body is screaming in agony at the damage Ricky inflicted, I almost feel as though I’m floating outside of my body. Maybe I’m in shock? I honestly don’t know, but I’m equal parts fascinated and horrified at the sight in front of me.

Yet, somehow, I don’t feel any fear from the beast that’s attacking Ricky. The sound coming from the scaly beast reminds me of a chainsaw as it starts. It’s gritty and rumbling the ground beneath my stomach. But it’s not directed toward me. All its rage is centered on Ricky. I must be insane because I don’t feel afraid of this wild gator. Just the opposite. In fact, I feel safer than I’ve felt in years. It definitely must be shock from the attack, as well as my injuries, that’s making me feel this way. My vision tunnels. I’m going to pass out again, and maybe I won’t ever wake up.

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