3

I jolted to a pang inside my head, a burn in my chest, and sight so much as a blur.

When my eyes came to fully register the view of the space I had awoken to, I was found trying to steady myself to stance.

A haze-That was all I could make out, while I tried making sense of this place I knew not of.

I staggered on my feet, figure moving here to there, and only when I came stood before the mirror on the wall, did I bear the state of the girl peering back at me.

Stark naked she was, hair a mess, and with such bruises formed around her bosoms, her breasts appeared even perkier than ever.

What happened to me? That thought churned in my heart.

I was in a room whose air was nothing like the air I used to awake to.

And with my underwear to be found littered on the floor, I was only left wondering whatever had happened to me.

Of course, I was troubled knowing so well I jolted lone on a bed whose sheets were now rumpled all over the place, and how could I forget that damning throb inside of me.

Beep!

I heard that tone, and at once I hurried to the dresser fetching my phone from there.

Sweet heavens!

Whatever had happened to me that I had missed out on a swarm of calls, messages, and voice mails.

Thirty of those calls were from Valerie, fifty-five from mother, and not even bothering to check on the rest, I opened the message from Siousxie.

The picture which remained staring back at me had in a moment, turned all of me numb.

The girl in the photo, seemed exhausted, naked body wrangled in some fellow, whose hands remained clutching at her.

They were a sight to behold, such allure even, but when I recognized that profile in the picture, I felt the life slapped out of me.

And that was when I checked the message underneath.

Siousxie: What the fuck, Heather?! Why do I have a picture of you with Asher Rikkard bombarding my phone?

And that was when the rest of the mails poured in.

Blog write-ups, magazine articles; all which amassed to one thing- My naked figure wrangled in that of Asher Rikkard.

~~~

I sank to the floor, eyes gaping at my environments.

What had happened to me, what really had claimed me that I had in fact slept with the one person I had been on the hunt for all these years, and much so oblivious to his game, I laid with him.

He took advantage of me, stripping of my integrity, slowly ridding me off my sanity. He had circulated my picture all over the internet, a means of saying he had won at this round, but I tell you he was far from winning,

The door to the room burst open, and in hurried Valerie, gaping eyes falling gloom, the instant crouched behind the dressed.

"Jeez! Heather. What happened to you?"

And that was when I divulged all.

At each word I spoke, more memories of last night uncovered, memories which left my heart in shambles. For I had laid with the man who murdered my father. And spitting on my own words, I mocked that which I sought to stand by.

I let Valerie pull me into her hold, her grip on me tightening, and with her voice coping me to a calm, I wailed my heart out.

I was ashamed.

Ashamed that father was somewhere watching me, all the while I lingered in the guilts of laying with his murderer.

I had mocked my own father last night, spat on his name even, having myself mellowed with my own enemy, his enemy.

"Where's my gun?" I let out, at once tearing to my feet, throwing my dress on.

"What are you doing?" Followed Heather. "You're not in the right state to wield a weapon" She followed.

But save the talks for when I am in the right state of mind, for I only hungered for one thing.

By this Glock, I swear to bring Asher Rikkard down.

I would kill the man who murdered my father, the same one who now left my heart broken.