Odette: Path B

"What is this?" I asked, leaning on a rock and looking at the river roll by.

"Millstead creek. I fish it sometimes, but up closer to home."

So I could follow it back to town?

"I've never been fishing," I said, looking at the water thoughtfully. "You'll have to teach me."

"Maybe," he said, noncommittal.

"Are you ok, Ollie?" I asked, concerned. He wasn't being himself and I was a little afraid. Was he about to mood swing back into Ollie-monster?

"Sure. Just wanted to talk."

"About what?" I asked, standing and turning to him. Another inspiration struck and I made myself suddenly look excited as I looked up at him, smiling in anticipation.

His eyebrows twitched in confusion as he looked down at me and he half smiled in confusion. "What?" he asked.

"Go ahead," I said, my eyes bright with anticipation and eagerness. I was practically bouncing on my toes and it was very hard to fake this much excitement.

"Go ahead and what?" he asked, grinning now, but still confused.

I deflated a little bit, letting a breath out. "Didn't you bring me here to ask me?" I asked, feigning confusion. I knew he hadn't, I knew he was going to talk to me about how he assumed I was faking it. "The ring you showed me?" I pressed.

The confusion fled his face as he laughed. "Oh. Yeah. Yeah punkin. I will ask you, promise, but that's not... That's not why I wanted to walk with you."

"Oh," I said, a little dejected. "Ok. About what? Actually, I wanted to talk to you too. I was thinking about it and I really really like the name Wynter. Could we compromise? One Jake and one Wynter?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Sure punkin, if that's what you want. Come here."

I went to him, to his arms and hugged him happily.

He held me tight, then sat down and pulled me into his lap. He locked his arms around me almost painfully tight. "How much of this is real?" he asked suddenly. "Any of it?"

"What? Ollie? Ngh! You're hurting me, that's too tight!"

"Shut up! Is any of this real?"

"Ollie! Yes it's real, please! I can't breathe!"

"Liar. It's not all real, you don't just change your stripes overnight," he said, spinning me suddenly and pinning me to the ground.

"Ollie! You know I haven't. I tell you straight out when you do something I don't like! And I don't like this! I like the you who smiles and makes me laugh and... makes me come. I want..."

He slapped me, a hard, stinging, open handed smack that made my vision swim. "Stop lying!"

I sucked a breath in, my hands scrambling for purchase as I tried to pull away from him. "Ollie! Please don't! I told you I don't like the pain thing! I like making love, I don't like it when you hurt me!"

"This isn't fucking playtime, Odette!" he hissed. "You are fucking playing me and I know it!"

"No," I said, shaking my head, feigning being hurt more than I was. "Ollie, no. Look at me. I like you, but not all of you. I like the sweet and gentle you. The boy I met. Don't do this Ollie, don't be mad at me, it scares me! I want the you that wanted to give me a ring, not this man who is unaccountably suspicious and angry. You know I care for you and you know I love being with you. My body tells you that even if I don't. Please let me up, you are hurting my shoulders?"

"Quit talking, Odette!" he hissed in my face. "You wouldn't just forgive everything, you are playing me! I'm not falling for it. I won't let you play me. You are going to be mine, stop fucking with me. Do you understand?"

"Yes Ollie," I whispered, tears in my eyes. "You're still hurting me."

"I think it's the only way you will learn! If I keep going easy on you you will keep thinking you can fuck with me. What will it take to convince you that you can't bullshit me, Odette?"

"Ollie please! It hurts! Please! My shoulders!"

"Stop talking, Odette. Look at me. You've been doing good, but you are fakin it. Most of it. You come for me like a fucking rockstar, but that's just physical, isn't it? You are good at the physical, but you suck at lying. Maybe I will just keep fucking you until you can't say anything but yes and beg me for more."

"Ollie," I begged, trying to free my shoulders. My hands scrambled for something to hold onto, something to help me pull away from him. My fingertips found something hard and cold. A rock. I scrabbled for it, hoping it was big enough to use.

He let go of my right shoulder, allowing another inch closer, then shoved my shirt up to grope my breast. "I think I need to fuck you blind baby," he said, his eyes on my breast, going glazed with need. He flipped me suddenly and I lost my touch with the rock. No!

He shoved my yoga pants down and pinned his elbow into my shoulder as he used his other hand and his knee and foot to push them all the way down before forcing my legs apart.

"No!" I begged, searching for the rock again.

He yanked me up to my knees and I screamed as my shoulder popped audibly and I felt a sharp pain as he yanked on my shoulder.

"Shut up!" he demanded, unfastening his pants. He shoved a finger into me roughly and rammed it into me several times before spitting on his hand and rubbing it on my slit. I wailed again, disgusted. He pressed his cock to my slit, but couldn't get a good angle, I was too short. He flipped me again, twisting my arm as he did and I screamed again, unable to move it.

He pushed my knees up to my chest and slid his cock into me as I struggled and my good hand tried to find the rock again. I was so disoriented now, where had it been?

He rammed as hard as he could, pulling screams from me as I searched and tried to keep my focus through the pain. He squeezed my breast painfully and all of the pain was warring inside of me, my shoulder, his ramming his cock into my pussy as roughly and hard as he could and bruising my breast with his fingers.

My fingers closed around the rock and I swung with all my might, hoping it was big enough. It was heavy and it hit his temple with a crunch that made me wince as he fell off of me. He rolled to his back, his mouth open as I crab walked away from him. I stood up, pulling up my pants awkwardly and I could see the blood on his face and on the rock in my hand. He looked dazed as he stared at the sky and I worried until his eyes moved to me and his look turned into rage. I kicked his head as hard as I could and stumbled to my knees, within his grasp. His hands grabbed for me and I hit the other side of his head again with the rock. I dropped the rock and snatched up his phone when I saw it in the leaves, then scrambled away and started running. I ran up the creek as fast as I could, watching the mountain in the distance.

"Please," I whispered to the mountain. "Don't let him get up! Don't let him catch me! He will kill me if he catches me!" I didn't know why I was praying to the mountain, it just seemed like my talisman. Something solid in the distance that I had to run towards to make it to the road.

I ran until I couldn't run anymore and I had to slow down and walk. My left shoulder hurt still, I was pretty sure it was out of socket. I lifted Ollie's phone to try and call someone, but it was locked. I didn't know the code! I hurried towards the mountain, wondering how far the road was.

I heard the roar of his truck engine and I dropped to the ground, panting fearfully. I lay there trembling, listening to it roar by, thirty yards away through the trees. There must have been a trail that ran parallel to the creek. I waited for the sound to grow distant, then I got up and started running again. Several long minutes later, I heard the engine again and dropped to the ground. It was going much more slowly this time. He was searching for me, looking.

Every time the engine quieted, got far enough away, I got up and sprinted all out until I heard it again.

I stumbled free of the woods and fell into the ditch next to the road, then had to turn and scramble back into the woods when I heard the engine coming again. I hid, watching the truck pull onto the road, then turn and head back down the path.

I had to decide, did I want to go down the road and risk him driving up on me or wait for someone to drive by and flag them down?

The decision was made for me as a car rounded the corner, heading towards me. I jumped up, stumbling again as I tried to put weight on my bad arm. I tripped and fell to my knee on the shoulder of the road and tried to wave down the car with my good arm.

It screeched to a halt, swerving and two dirty miners clamored out.

"Det?" a familiar voice asked.

"Joel! Joel, help, please!"

He rushed to me and I screamed as he picked me up, my bad arm pressed into his chest.

"What the fuck happened to you?" he asked, rushing me to the car. It was full, four large, dirty miners piled into it, all of them watching me. Joel sat shotgun, holding me on his lap. "Hospital Arny, now!" he said, looking me over.

"Call 911. Call 911 and tell them to go down that path. Ollie. He kidnapped me and raped me and hurt me. Please," I panted, feeling sick with pain.

"Holy shit!" one of the men in the back exclaimed.

"What the fuck?" Joel asked, confused.

The other man in the back dialed his phone. "Always knew that kid was fucked in the head!"

I let my head fall on the dirty man as I stared at the mountain through the window as we sped into town.

"Hey, kid? Look at me, can you say what's wrong?" Joel asked softly. "911 is asking."

"He's looking for me in his truck," I said numbly. "I got away. I got ahold of a rock while he was raping me and I hit him. I ran. My... I think my shoulder is out of place."

"Ok. You're ok now. We are almost there, dispatch told them to expect you, ok? Can you look at me? Det? Odette? No Lew, I think she is in shock. She's just staring at the mountain."

I was staring at the mountain. I still couldn't believe I had gotten away. I had gotten away? What was going to happen now?

The police met us at the hospital, then followed me to take my statement.

To my shock, they didn't have to go find Ollie, he came to the hospital looking for me. They arrested him and he was genuinely surprised that they did, which didn't surprise me. They did have to keep him at the hospital to tend his head wounds, but they kept him far away from me.

I had no one there for me and I felt incredibly alone as the doctors did the rape kit and left me laying in the bed after putting my arm back in place and seeing to all of my hurts. Thankfully, they gave me something to knock me out.

The next couple of days were long, especially when the police got into Ollies phone and found the videos. The entire town seemed to be angry at me for some reason, like it was somehow my fault.

Getting on the plane back to Atlanta actually made me queasy. I felt like something was off, like I shouldn't be leaving. I could see the mountain from my window and I watched it, wondering why it pulled to me.

A young man sat next to me, a smillish man in a business suit with a smile that showed perfect teeth. He smiled at me like he saw a woman, not a girl and I managed to smile back before turning to look back out the window.

"Nervous?" he asked.

"Yes, but not about flying," I answered softly.

"Ahh, heading to Atlanta for something special?"

"Going home."

"That's what has you nervous?"

"I guess it is."

"I'm Lin Huang."

"Odette Springmeyer."

"That's a name you don't hear a lot."

He smiled and made polite conversation, but I noticed the way he eyed me when I wasn't looking. Part of me liked the attention, part of me hated myself for liking it. Another part of me wanted to be reckless and self destructive. I looked over at him and forced myself to speak. "So, do you know what the mile high club is?" I asked as confidently as I could.

He looked at me a little surprised, then gave me a charming smile. "Give me thirty seconds," he said, his voice low as he leaned in. "Then follow me." He got up and went up to the restroom and I followed. The space was small, but neither of us were large people. He was larger than Ollie, but it only felt good as he held me up against the door, kissing me and shoving into me. When I came, he clamped a hand over my mouth and smiled as he pressed his head to mine, waiting for me to finish as he trembled. As soon as I came down, he spun me and bent me over the small sink and grabbed my hips. I came again after ten minutes and he held me against his chest, his hand over my mouth as he panted into my neck. He kissed my jaw. "Baby, I'm not coming unless I take this rubber off," he said and I could hear the question in his voice.

"Do it," I said, the thought thrilling me.

He slid into me again and let out a low moan, pumped several times, then pulled out and aimed his cock at the sink as he stroked himself. I turned and dropped, taking him in my mouth as he came. His hand slid into my curls as he watched me, biting his lower lip. I swallowed as he shot into my mouth, looking up at him and he looked completely blissed out. When I stood, he kissed me again and grinned. "Tell me I can see you when we get to Atlanta," he said breathily.

I half laughed. "Clean up, then you go back to your seat first. I'll be right behind you."

He was waiting for me when I sat down, watching me expectantly. "So tell me I can see you," he said, sliding his fingers in mine.

"It would have to be after school," I said and his smile slipped as he looked at me in alarm. "School lets out at three thirty and I have to tutor a couple Seniors, but after that I am free. As long as my dad doesn't find out."

He looked sick. "How... how old are you Odette?" he asked, pulling his hand away and real fear in his voice.

I shrugged. "Age is just a number, right? But really, we'd have to be really careful. My dad is a cop."

Lin was very quiet for the rest of the flight and he looked like he was in pain. I actually felt bad after a while. I'd wanted him to leave me alone and not press me for more, but he was genuinely stressed.

"Hey," I said as we were landing. He glanced at me and looked down like he was afraid to let his gaze linger. "I'm eighteen. I am in highschool, but I'm a Senior. I don't have a dad, or a mom, I will be living alone now. Sorry I tried to trick you, I just didn't want to complicate things."

He looked relieved, then pissed. "All you had to say was no thanks."

"Yeah. Sorry. I just didn't want you to press for more and the flight was long. I thought it was the best way to get you to leave me alone, but it was a bitch move. Sorry. Anyway, thanks. I enjoyed becoming part of the club."

"That was sexy as hell, but I still don't forgive you," he said, only half teasing. "I get it though. Guys can be creeps, a girl has to protect herself. You ever want to get in touch, here's my number. Thanks Odette."

I felt better as I walked into the airport and ordered an UBER.

I was glad to get to go back to Atlanta, but now that I was here, it felt wrong. I didn't know why. I thought about Mabel and wondered if Marge was still taking care of her. I was her only family, how did I take care of everything from Atlanta?

I made an arrangement with the school to set up all my classes online, packed up my things, and drove back a short week later after saying my goodbyes to my Gemma. I went completely under the radar when I arrived, slipping in to see Mabel.

She was staring at her TV.

"Hey," I said politely.

"Hey yourself."

"How are you doing? Are you hungry?"

"Aint dinner time. Lewis's night."

"So they are still bringing you food? That's good. Mabel? If I were to get a house here, would you move in with me? A nicer place? With a real nurse? A good nurse?"

"With a TV?"

"Of course."

"A big one? One of them real big ones?"

"If you want. I will even get you cable. Would you like that?"

"The boys still bring me food?"

"You will eat three squares a day," I promised.

The harder part was getting her out of the trailer. Marge had plenty to say to me through her window. I ignored her for the most part, but it hurt me to my core that she saw no fault at all in what Ollie had done. It was all my fault for coming and tempting him and messing with his head, playing games with his feelings.

I moved Mabel to a little three bedroom on the other side of town, one with a huge picture window that faced the mountain. I got her a nurse and I got the house a maid who cooked. I also got rid of every single cat. Mabel seemed happy with a better hospital bed and company to help her and sit with her.

I tried to focus on schoolwork, but most days I found myself staring out at the mountain and daydreaming.

In another life I could have lived on that mountain and been happy I think.

The year passed quickly and I did not leave the mountainside home. Almost four years later, I buried Mabel. Marge showed up at the funeral, along with a few of the miners.

She glared at me through the whole thing, then found me after. "How dare you come back here!" she hissed.

I smiled at her. "I have been here the whole time, Marge. You look well. Lost a lot of weight, you look good."

"You shut your filthy little mouth! I'd have known if you were here!"

"Ok," I said with a shrug and a smile. "Well it was nice seeing you." I started to go, but she grabbed my arm.

"No apologies for what you did to my boy?" she asked angrily.

I turned to her, trying to stay calm. "Which part, Marge? The part where he kidnapped me? Raped me repeatedly? Hurt me? Tortured me? Filmed all of it and put it on the internet for profit? Do you know what he had my age listed as, Marge? And all the other girls he had done similar things to, they were all on his site too. I know you saw the things on his phone, Marge. Things he had done long before I ever showed up here. So whose fault it is, Marge? Who raised him to be such a monster?"

Marge pulled her hand back to slap me, but I stepped out of her reach and looked at her hand. "Like mother like son," I said, then turned and walked away.

It was the next Spring and I was sitting and looking up at the mountain. Not for the first time, I was considering just walking up one of the lower trails I had heard about, or to the overlook point where the kids made out.

A knock on my door made me frown. I wasn't expecting my grocery delivery until this afternoon?

I opened it and looked up at the tall man standing there. He smiled at me and too late I recognized Ollie. Not a boy anymore, a man, his curls cut short, he'd filled out from the skinny boy.

He slapped his hand on the door and I realized I had instinctively tried to shut it. He stepped in and I backed up as he shut it behind him. "Nice place," he said, looking around. I swallowed hard and tried to calculate my chances to get to the kitchen and get a knife. "I know I am not supposed to be here," he continued. "Against my parole and all that, but when Ma said you lived here in town I couldn't hardly believe it. I had to see for myself. Also, I wanted to show you something," he said, then pulled his sweater off.

There, glaringly, in huge black ink across his chest was my name. 'Odette' in fancy lettering so over the top I could hardly read it. The one on his arm was in a cursive that was easier to read. The one across his back was the easiest of all. As he turned a slow circle, I swallowed hard. I counted seventeen. Seventeen 'Odette's' tattooed on his torso and arms. It was insane.

"I have a few more," he said with a smile. "I had nineteen done, then a new one every year on our anniversary. I will keep getting one every year."

"Why didn't they tell me they let you out?" I asked stupidly.

He smiled again and stepped closer. The man was much more terrifying than the boy had been and the boy had been scary. "Guess they thought you were in Atlanta too. That's what happens when you try and hide yourself in a small town. Have maids do your shopping, have groceries delivered. It didn't take too much prying to find out where you lived. You look good Odette. Really good. I've missed you. I wanted to write, but I didn't have an address. What have you been doing here this whole time?"