"Where is Cody?" Brad sounded angry. "And where is my truck?" He yelled sounding more like a demand for an explanation than a question.
Scarlett grabbed Ashlynn and buried her face in the collar of her jacket and began to shake as she cried. "Scarlett, what happened?" Ashlynn asked growing more and more concerned.
"He was going to rape me!" Scarlett exclaimed between sobs.
"Cody wouldn't do that!" Brad snapped.
If looks could kill Ashlynn would have struck him dead in his tracks. "She wouldn't make it up!" She screamed at him.
Brad pulled out his phone and dialed a number. After a few moments, he must not have gotten an answer because he ended the call. "Cody isn't answering his phone!" He dialed another number. A few seconds later he spoke. "Hey I'm out here on the dirt road that leads down by the river. I need you to come pick me and the girls up. Cody took off in my fucking truck! I don't know where he went!" He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket. "Will just dropped off Amanda, Heather and Rose. He's going to come pick us up."
Brad began walking down the dirt road in the direction they had came. Ashlynn followed him with Scarlett still tucked in close to her. "Okay Scarlett, why did he take off in the truck?" Ashlynn asked softly.
"He threw me on the ground and he was trying to take my pants down..." She paused trying to stop crying. "I kneed him in the balls and he jumped back then he was gonna hit me. I saw him make a fist and I covered my face. Nothing happened, then I heard him scream. I opened my eyes and a huge gray wolf had him by the arm. When it let go he hopped in the truck and took off."
"A wolf saved you?" Ashlynn asked trying not to show her disbelief.
"Yea, it disappeared when you two came running."
Brad turned around and walked up to Scarlett. "First you try to tell me that my best friend, who I have known basically my whole life, tried to rape you! And now you say a wolf broke up the fight and scared him off!" Brad obviously didn't believe anything she was saying.
Ashlynn shoved him. "BACK OFF! You didn't see what happened!"
Scarlett grabbed Ashlynn's arm. "It's okay Ash. I don't care if he believes me. Hell I don't care if you believe me! I'm just glad I'm okay!"
Brad gave them each a dirty look then turned and resumed walking into the dark. Finally, headlights came into view. The car stopped next to them. It was a blue eclipse. It wasn't a new one, but it was nice. Ashlynn flipped the passenger seat forward and climbed into the back. She slid over giving Scarlett room to get in. Brad shot them each another dirty look as he got in the car and Ashlynn gave it right back as she wrapped an arm around Scarlett. He shut the door and just as the light went off Ashlynn thought she saw something on Scarlett's face. "Could you turn the light back on please?" Will nodded and turned it on. Ashlynn took Scarlett's face in her hands and brushed her hair back from the left side of her face. There on the bone below her eye was a huge red mark. It was swollen and looked as if it was starting to bruise. "There's your proof Brad!" She said as sarcastically as she could. "Do you have any other marks Scarlett?" She asked.
Scarlett answered her almost whispering, "My wrists hurt." As she pulled up her jacket sleeves Ashlynn's eyes almost popped out of her head as she saw the green marks on Scarlett's wrists looking as if they were turning blue before her eyes.
"Take a look at this shit Brad! You think she did this to herself?"
Brad turned in his seat and saw the marks on Scarlett's wrists and then looked up and saw the one on her face. He stared into her eyes still filled with tears for a few moments then turned in his seat looking out into the headlights. Everyone was silent for a few moments, then Brad turned back around to Scarlett. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you.", He said with true sincerity in his voice.
Will had a bewildered look on his face. He hadn't said a word since he had picked them up. Finally, he spoke low, "What happened back there? Where is Cody?"
Brad let out a breath. "We took the girls to show them the dens down by the river. Cody and Scarlett went back to the truck to grab some beer. Ash and I thought we heard screams and then heard my truck take off. Scarlett said Cody tried to rape her and a wolf attacked him and chased him away."
Will sat silent letting his mind absorb the words Brad had just said. No one else said a word either. All of them lost in thought. "Brad." Will spoke low again. "Do you remember when Cody and I took that road trip the other summer?"
Brad looked at him. "Yea, what does that have to do with anything?"
Will gave him a concerned look. "Well the one town we stayed a couple of nights in, there was this girl there. We were hanging out with her and her friend at a bar one night. Her friend drank herself sick and I walked her home. Cody and the other girl, I think her name was Carrie, were having a good time so they stayed and drank. Cody came back to the motel that night with blood on his shirt, said he had got into a fight with some guy at the bar who apparently was the girls old boyfriend. The next night I had to beg him to go out again. I wanted to go back to the same bar because I hadn't gotten the girls number, but Cody insisted we go to a different one. We partied all night and when we were leaving the bar, the girl I had walked home the night before met us and totally flipped on Cody saying her friend told her Cody beat her and raped her. Cody said it wasn't his fault if she had been drunk and done things she regretted once sober. I defended him and told her that chick had been all over him the entire night. The girl jumped back in her car and took off. Cody didn't seem bothered by it, anything I said about her he told me to forget it, that she was just some drunk whore."
Brad let out a sigh in frustration, but didn't comment on what Will had just shared.
"Why wouldn't you question him about it?" Ashlynn asked angered at the thought of the situation.
Will looked at her through the rear view mirror. "Would you believe it if someone accused Scarlett of something so horrible?"
"Okay, I get it I guess." Ashlynn mumbled.
They drove the rest of the way in complete silence. When they pulled into the parking lot where Ashlynn's car sat, Brad turned back to the girls before getting out so the girls could get out as well. "Do you girls need anything?" He asked. "I feel like I need to do something for you although I don't know what."
"It's okay Brad. We'll let you know if we need anything." Ashlynn replied. He opened the door and stepped out of the car turning to flip up the seat to let the girls get out.
They walked over to Ashlynn's car and as Ashlynn unlocked the doors Brad yelled, "Hey hold on, you guys don't have my number." Brad gave Ashlynn his number and then Will stepped out of the car and gave her his as well. "I mean it, let me know if you need anything!", Brad said as he got back in the car.
Ashlynn nodded and then got into the car with Scarlett. She shut the door and started the car. "Are you okay Scarlett? Really, are you okay?"
"I don't know Ash. I don't think tonight has really sank in ya know?" Scarlett sat with her head down fiddling with the ring on her right hand her mother had given her a few years back for Christmas. "I'm just thankful for the wolf!" She spoke of the creature with awe in her voice.
As Ashlynn pulled out onto the road she said, "About that.." She tried to tread carefully. "Are you sure you didn't like black out or something and imagine a wolf?"
Scarlett shook her head. "No. I questioned it myself wondering if I'd hit my head or something. I know if sounds crazy I've gone over and over again in my head all the possible theories and if I did like go into shock or something and dream all this up about the wolf, then explain why Cody freaked out and took off!"
The girls didn't talk anymore the rest of the way home. They pulled into the driveway and walked into the house without another word. Scarlett started to go to her room to change then turned to Ashlynn and said, "I think I'm going to take a shower."
"Okay, but before you do come here." She said as she walked into her room. She opened the top drawer of her nightstand and pulled out two pill bottles. She opened them and took two
pills from each bottle and handed them to Scarlett.
"What are these?" Scarlett asked.
"Two are sleeping pills and the other two are ibuprofen."
'I didn't know you took sleeping pills!" Scarlett stated.
"Well you know how wound up I get. Sometimes I just can't turn the awesomeness off when it's time to sleep."
Scarlett shook her head and laughed. Happy that her friend could make her smile no matter what was happening. She walked out into the kitchen to get a glass of water and swallowed the pills with a gulp of the water.
Scarlett went into the bathroom to take a shower and Ashlynn locked the door and closed all the blinds. She went into her and Scarlett's rooms and grabbed blankets and pillows. When Scarlett came out of the bathroom Ashlynn patted the sofa beside her and placed a pillow on her lap. Scarlett walked over to the sofa and laid her head down onto the pillow. She pulled a blanket up over her and rolled onto her side curling up into a ball. Ashlynn sat there and played with Scarlett's hair until she fell asleep. After Scarlett was sleeping soundly, Ashlynn slipped out from underneath her pillow and balled up on the chair next to the sofa. She covered up with one of her blankets and drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 6
Ashlynn woke up and looked at her phone. It was 10am. She wasn't sure what time her and Scarlett had gone to sleep but it was almost dawn so she was guessing around 6am. Scarlett was still sleeping on the sofa. She looked so peaceful laying there cuddled with the blanket. Ashlynn rubbed her face trying to get her mind to come to grips with what had happened the night before. Cody! She thought to herself. I'm going to track him down and kill him! She stood up and threw her blanket down onto the chair making her way to the kitchen. She pulled the coffee can and filters from the cabinet and prepared a pot off Folgers french vanilla. She sent Brad a text and asked if he'd heard or seen Cody. When the coffee was finished she poured a cup and sat down at the little table in the kitchen. She pulled the blind open to the window next to the table so she could see out. She sipped her coffee and made a face when it burnt her tongue. As she blew down into the cup to cool it off she stared out the window and saw birds hopping around and squirrels scampering through the trees. She imagined how peaceful it must be to live in the forest and frolic around all day. No worries of war and crime or disease. She decided then and there that those squirrels had it made.
When she was finished with her second cup of coffee she started to wash the dishes piled in the sink, trying as hard as she could to be quiet so she didn't wake Scarlett who was sleeping only feet away. As she rinsed the last of the dishes she saw Scarlett begin to stir. She wiggled a little where she laid on the couch and in the process she had uncovered herself. Ashlynn stood silent for a moment then made her way over to the couch and pulled the blanket up over her. Scarlett didn't move anymore as Ashlynn covered her. Ashlynn stood there over her friend for a minute looking at the shiner on her face. She wished there was something she could do to take away her pain and the marks on her face and wrists.
Ashlynn took off into her room. She dug through some boxes on her floor and pulled out some computer paper, scotch tape and markers. She taped together pieces of paper making a big poster and wrote on them in big letters 'Scarlett and Ashlynn BFF's forever!' She hurried into the bathroom and taped it over the mirror on the medicine cabinet. She stood back smiling; pleased with herself that she could at least give her friend this much. She wouldn't have to look at her beautiful face flawed by what that bastard had done to her.
~
She spent the next few hours doing laundry. After she washed all of her things she threw them into the dryer and went into Scarlett's room and gathered all of the dirty clothes she had piled in the corner of her room. She had her things all washed and dried and put them away and was just finishing putting Scarlett's away when she heard Scarlett scream. She dropped the clothes in her hands and ran to the living room. Scarlett was sitting straight up on the couch, pure terror on her face. She was sweating, crying and had red blotches all over her skin. Ashlynn jumped down onto the couch next to her and wrapped her arms around Scarlett. She made 'shhhh' noises like you would to calm a fussy baby and Scarlett's breathing finally started to slow down. "It's okay Scarlett! You're here with me, you're fine, you're safe!"
"It seemed so real Ash! That is the most life-like dream I've ever had!" Scarlett was still panting a little.
"It's okay now. You're safe!"
Scarlett turned and sat back into the sofa. "I'm so thankful last night didn't turn out as bad as it could have!"
"That makes two of us sister! I know it's hard but you need to just drop it. At least for a little while. Let your mind rest!"
Scarlett pushed herself up and let out a loud grunt. "My wrist really hurts. I'm beginning to think it's sprained or something."
Ashlynn took Scarlett's arm examining her wrist. "It's a lot more swollen than the other one and the bruising on it is worse. I think you should see a doctor."
Scarlett smirked at her friend. "I hope you're not using my misfortune as an opportunity to see 'Hotty Docky'!"
Ashlynn laughed. "I'd be lying if I said he didn't cross my mind, but no I really do think it needs looked at!"
"Well I'm going to take a shower before we decide anything else!"
Ashlynn nodded understanding Scarlett still felt vulnerable and dirty.
Scarlett tossed her blanket up onto the pillow she had slept on and went into her room. She gathered some things and then made her way to the bathroom. She laid her things on the bathroom counter and looked up into the mirror. She stood staring at the note taped over the mirror 'Scarlett and Ashlynn BFF's forever!'
Ashlynn was folding up Scarlett's blanket piling them all on the floor beside the sofa when Scarlett appeared out of no where and wrapped her arms around her. "Thank you!" She mumbled. "Thank you for everything you do for me! You are the best friend a girl could ask for!"
Ashlynn hugged her back. "We've been friends a long time! I'd kill for you!"
Scarlett let go of her and smiled at her one more time before turning and going back into the bathroom. Ashlynn heard the shower come on just before her phone went off. It was a text from Brad. 'truck was in driveway when i woke up no word from cody' Ashlynn snorted as she read the text. She replied, 'let me know if you do'
Fifteen minutes or so passed and Scarlett emerged from the bathroom. Ashlynn grinned at her and said, "I've decided some massive junk food binging is in order! Let's go to the store and get cake and brownie mixes, ice cream, whipped cream, syrup... ya know the works!"
"I don't feel much for shopping, but I'll ride with you. Sure not staying here alone!"
"You need to go to the doctor and I hate to bring it up... but what are your thoughts on going to the police?" Ashlynn tried to ask as gently as she could.
"I think I should! Would you mind going with me?"
"Why would you even ask Scarlett? Where you go I go! BFF's for life!"
"Well I'm ready when you are."
Ashlynn looked down at what she was wearing. "Give me five minutes!"
As she said, five minutes later she was dressed and both girls headed out the door. They got into the car and Ashlynn started the engine. Before putting the car in reverse she paused then turned to Scarlett. "I want you to know you don't have to go to the police. Don't feel pressured like you're obligated to."
"I feel it's the right thing to do Ash. As much as I don't want to go through the questions and re-living last night in every detail, it needs to be done."
"Okay then." That was all Ashlynn said as she backed up and started out of the driveway.
When they made it to town Ashlynn wasn't sure where to start looking for the police station. She just drove through town hoping that they would spot it. They did. She drove past the grocery store and the movie rental into downtown and the police station sat there on the right. Ashlynn parked to the side of the building but didn't turn the car off. She didn't need to say anything, Scarlett answere
d her unspoken question. "Yes I'm sure." And with that she pulled the keys from the switch and they got out of the car.
About an hour and a half later they were leaving the police station. Ashlynn was asking Scarlett what kind of ice cream she wanted trying desperately to keep her talking about anything but what was on her mind. Scarlett interrupted her, "Do you think that was what the fortune teller saw?"
Ashlynn was surprised at her question. "I never thought about it. I actually forgot all about that whole ordeal."
"Just crossed my mind." Scarlett replied.
Ashlynn was looking around at the street names as she drove trying to remember the directions the officer had given them to the Doctor's office. "Do you remember the name of that street?"
Scarlett pointed, "That one right there! Just up the street is a sign 'Black Forest Community Health'."
Ashlynn giggled. "The cop said his name is Dr. Johansen. Bet he's some old geezer!"
She parked in front of the small building and her and Scarlett got out of the car and walked into the tiny office. There was a bell on the door that rang as they walked in. They stepped up to the desk and Scarlett looked down at a sign-in sheet stuck to a clip board. "Should I sign this since I don't have an appointment?"
"I'd just wait." Ashlynn said as she looked around. The office wasn't set up like most Doctor's offices. There were six chairs to the left of the front door and there was an office type desk to the right with two chairs in front of it. Ashlynn looked back the hall. "Helloooo..."
"Be out in a minute!" A voice said coming from one of the rooms.
"He doesn't sound old!" Scarlett smirked.
"I know that voice!" Ashlynn said beaming from ear to ear.
Before another word could be said Adam came out the hall. He smiled when he recognized the two girls standing before him. "Hello there. What can I do for you two?"
"Well... Scarlett needs her wrist looked at." Ashlynn said knowing what was coming next.
Fate's Intentions Page 4