The Blossom in the Snow Pt. 02

I was snapped out of my stupor, looking out the window as I sat on the windowsill of the main room, by a gentle knocking on my door. I walked over and sat on floor with my back against it with a small thump. "Mr Buvelle, I have your order. May I come in?" I heard Stuart call from the other side. I opened the door a crack and took the bags from him. His blue and gold trimmed suit a nice reminder of outside formalities, after being locked away in my apartment since the event in the alley.

I shivered at the memory and opened the door slightly wider, walking over to the kitchen to put the shopping away. Stuart followed me into the small apartment and closed the door behind him, looking at his hands almost nervously. "Mr Buvelle, if there is anything you need, even if you just want to talk, I'm always at your beck and call, you understand, don't you?"

"Of course I do Stuart, thank you for bringing up my groceries as well." I said with a fake smile. I didn't turn to him, not wanting to look him in the eye. The man in his early 30's had looked after me since my parents left me. They divorced just after I was born, and I lived with my father. We moved into apartment 4C when I was 4, Steward himself just starting there. My father was almost never home, and my mum wouldn't even call, not that I knew her well, so Stuart had always looked after me, keeping an eye on me whilst I played in the lobby, or ordering food for me when my dad was out late, a better father than my own.

One day, when I was about 11, my dad went out, saying it was for a business meeting, but he never came back. He left me alone in the apartment, and only Stuart was there to care for me anymore. He let me stay at the apartment for free until I was old enough to get a job that paid well enough for the rent. Almost 8 years after my dad left, and here I was, Stuart still looking after me like a lost child.

I offered a drink which he politely refused, still concerned. "Stuart, please. You don't need to worry, I'm fine-"

"No, Ashley. You are clearly not fine!" I turned to him in surprise at his sudden outburst, having not said my first name in a long while. "Just look at yourself! You're a mess! Even when your father left you never got like this!" I looked from him, to my reflection on the stainless steel draining board. My hair was a ragged mess, flicking and curling uncontrollably, red rings and small bags hung under my eyes and the blanket I wrapped around myself made my already small form look tinier. I was a mess, I admitted to myself.

My eyes started to burn as tears began to form at the edges, my lip quivering before I full on sobbed like a child. Stuart pulled me close to him, rubbing my back and whispering reassuringly as I cried into his chest. A few minutes passed, and my tears had stopped. I pulled away with a sniff and wiped my nose with the corner of my blanket. "You go sit over there and I'll pop the kettle on for you."

I nodded in comply as I shuffled over and slumped into the nearby sofa. A moment later he came over, handing me a mug of hot tea, and sat just opposite me with his own; "Now, can you please tell me what's wrong? I've never seen you like this. I really am worried" He looked at me with concern.

"That man. The one from before..." I whispered, looking across at him, seeing him nod.

"You mean the large man, the one with no name?" I nodded myself and continued,

"H-he scared me. He kept looking at me, watching like I was dinner or something" I whimpered. "Anyway, I made my way over to the shops the following morning, and I thought I was alone" I choked, trying to hold back fresh tears as I continued on "I wasn't. He was there, he must have followed me or something, because I turned to see if he was there and he wasn't, then he grabbed me and pulled me away" I said, stuttering my words as the memories came flooding back. "He held me against the wall, he touched me, trying to take off my clothes. If I hadn't been wearing the coat you got my Steward I don't know what I would have done!" I choked before crying.

He simply sat there, watching me with concerned eyes as I calmed myself down before continuing "He, He was going to do things to me Stuart. I didn't know what to do. I managed to slip out my coat and get away, but he was snarling and roaring, chasing after me, I... I don't know anymore. It was all just so horrifying." I said, shacking as I stared wide eyed into the cooling tea in my hands. I sniffed and took a sip and he stood up, walked over to me and knelt beside my chair.

"You should have told me sooner. Why didn't you call the police?" I shook my head. Ever since that day I had been asking myself the same question, why hadn't I? I didn't know, I felt like there was nothing they could do to help me. I never even saw his face properly, just a grin and his malicious stare, boring straight through me.

Stuart pulled me closer and gave me a quick hug, before standing up and straightening out his uniform, "I'll see what I can do, otherwise, have a good day, Mr Buvelle." I turned to him as he bowed politely, and I stood up with a warm smile, the first one in a while now. He left and I followed after him, ready to close the door when he turned back to me, "Oh, and Mr Buvelle, promise me you will be out of here soon, you are getting so crammed up in here. I couldn't possibly understand how you feel, but I think it would be better for you to get a bit of fresh air." I looked at him for a moment, before nodding. With a quiet thank you, I closed the door behind him.

The next morning, I felt much more at ease. Having the relief of telling Stuart did a world of good. I felt much more at ease. I got up and turned on the tap to my bath like any other morning, but rather than making a cup of tea, I did some tidying up, wiping down the sides and dusting and polishing everywhere until the apartment was its usual state, before I got in the bath. When I was out and dressed, I made myself a small lunch and flask, and wrapped myself in a woolly jacket and gloves.

I decided to follow Stuart advice, and took a small stroll down through the park and walking down the road, trying to find my coat. It was nice. There were parents sat at benches and their children running around gleefully throwing snowballs and making snowmen, making snow angels in the frozen fields. I sat and watched them quietly, sipping on my flash and eating the sandwich I had made, when I felt someone else staring. I scanned the edges, looking into the thick brush that ran around the park, turning behind me to see if anyone was there. I couldn't see anything and played it of as my imagination, but my heart began to beat faster and my hands became clammy in fear. I knew someone was watching, just please for the love of god, let it not be him.

I turned back having noticed the quickly emptying park, and decided to leave myself, before I get caught out alone again. I decided to take a different route to one I would normally take to go back home, and went through the town square. Safety in numbers, right? Either way, I decided to walk through the people gathering around, the bright lights of the Christmas tree illuminating the windows filled with toys and assorted goods for the festive season. I weaved through the bustling people, having lost the feeling of that anonymous glare at my back a little while after having left the park.

I did a little more shopping, buying a few decorations, though I didn't really feel in the mood to start throwing tinsel up around the apartment. I made my way down various other streets, people thinning out until it was just me on the road leading up to the apartment block. I fumbled around in my bag, trying to find a small tree I had found for Steward, when an icy rush shot through my spine. I looked up when I saw him standing in the lobby.

My heart leapt to my throat and I whipped my head round and hid with my back against the wall just beside the door, heaving heavily. I calmed my breathing and peaked my head round. I saw the mystery man hunched over the desk, his body shacking as if he were yelling. Yelling at Steward. My eyes widened in panic and was about to whip out my phone for help, but decided against it; Steward simply stood there, his hands crossed over his chest with a stern look on his face.

What the hell is going on? I thought to myself. A few minutes of the two of them simply talking, I saw Steward huff, before going into the back room, with the mystery man straightening himself out, then reappearing a few minutes later in a large jacket, change of clothes and a large rucksack. I gasped when I saw him cocking a small silver pistol than he then stuffed in his pocket. They both turned towards me and I just whipped my head back behind the wall, hoping they didn't see me. I jumped round a corner and hid behind a couple steps leading into the side of the apartment block. I sat there silently, peeking over the top until I saw them walking past

"I can't believe I have to do this for you, think I'd prefer the mess instead" I heard Stuart say. Mess? What does he mean? I heard the other man grunt distastefully as they both came up to the alley. I held my breath as they stepped into it and out of the street, only a few meters from my hiding spot. Stuart hushed to a whisper, "I've had it up to here with all the attention you're drawing to yourself, I'm wearing myself thin having to cover your little escapades. Do you know how close you were to blowing it last time?"

I had my hands clasped over my mouth to stop my whimpering, tears streaming down my cheeks as I continued to listen silently. Stuart sighed, "Just remember; 4C. I won't be telling you again. Can't believe he got away from you, fucking moron."

I gasped silently and my heart sank at hearing my room number. The mountain of a man growled angrily and I heard a heavy smack and Stuart gasping and grunting. I turned my head, peaking over the top slowly, seeing the mystery man holding him by the throat a few inches off the ground. I almost cried out to get him to let go, when I remembered my current situation and simply sat silently, watching in horror.

"Say that again. I dare you." He growled in his face. When the struggling man said nothing, he huffed and dropped him. He coughed and rasped before getting to his feet and walking out of the alley. The taller man stood there huffing. He turned his head deeper into the alley, his near black eyes glinting in the darkness, slit into a frustrated scowl.

I bit my lip, making sure not to make a noise, when I heard Steward shouting back; "Rae! Get a move on!". He stood there for a moment longer, staring into the darkness with a scowl, almost as if expecting or looking for something, before turning after Stuart. After a few moments, until I couldn't heard the snow crunching under their feet, I took a deep breath, quivering and shacking at this sudden revelation. I got to my feet, staring blankly out the mouth of the alley, thinking about what I had just heard.

Stuart? With him? Why? And why my apartment? Oh god, what do they want with me? My chest tightened like a rough knot pulling at my heart and lungs. It was hard to breath as I gasped, sobbing between breaths. This creep, Rae, knew exactly where I live now. My exact room, and worst of all was that my only family was helping him with whatever he had planned.

I struggled to pull myself up the stairs and opened my apartment. I couldn't stay here. I had to leave, stay somewhere else for a while. I grabbed a bag and started stuffing things into it, thinking about where I could possibly stay. For the next few hours, I was sorting bags and making calls, calling colleagues in hopes of finding somewhere else to stay, somewhere far from here, but luck wasn't in my favor and turned up with nothing. My heart sank as hopelessness settled in. I looked out the window at the setting sun. I had to get moving, and now. Rae would be in here tonight and there is nothing I could do about it. Stuart wasn't going to help me, and there was no one else I could contact. I was on my own, and I was scared.

I watched the purples reds and blues as the sun set behind the horizon, over the buildings and with one last look at the apartment, my home for as long as I could remember, and closed the door. I made my way down the stairs, the lobby still empty. I thought about leaving a note on the reception desk saying something like I was staying at a colleagues, but then again, he was working with Rae, so decided against it.

I made my way to the door, dragging my bags behind me in haste. As I held my hand out to open the door, a shadow befell me. I looked up, gulping in horror as I came eye to eye with a mountain of a man, dressed in black, his wolfish grin and permeating stare drilling straight through me.

I gulped and my breathing became shallow as my chest began to tighten again. I backed slowly away from the door as he opened it and came inside. "Hello, Little one. I hope you weren't going to leave" he said with a small chuckle resonating deep in his throat. I whimpered and stumbled backwards further. He simply kept strolling forward as if he had all the time in the word as he slowly backed me against the wall. My eyes widened in fear,

"W-what are you going to do to me?" I stuttered, barely above a whisper. I choked back tears as I could tell the answer. He chuckled to himself and his grin widened.

"I'm going to use you. Make your pretty little body mine, and when I get bored with you, well..." He passed off with a slight shrug, before leaning in, inches from my face, "You better hope I don't get bored, because you won't be given another chance."

My heart was beating so fast and hard I felt like it was going to burst, his intentions made clear, I couldn't even cry anymore. "But first, you're coming with me, Little one." I was frozen stiff, wrapped an arm around my waist and hoisted me over his shoulder with ease. I was petrified. Images of the slaughtered bodies from the news flooded my mind. Is that what he was going to do with me? Would he slaughter me when he was done? I asked myself, my vision fading to grey as he carried me out of the building.

That's when it hit me, a blast of cold air. It bought me back to reality, suddenly my whole body trembled and I scream. I screamed as loud as I possibly could, trying to wiggle out of his iron grip, hopping someone, anyone, could hear me, help me. The icy cold of the winter air burnt my throat and lungs as I inhaled to scream more, I leaned up beating against his back, when I heard him growl impatiently when my world went into a spin and he pinned me by my throat against the wall causing me to splutter and choke, clawing at his hand, trying to break free.

"Why? Why me? Why are you and Stuart doing this?" I cried in his grip. He came up close to my face again, smiling with his demonic grin as usual, and whispered into my ear.

"You found out, huh? Well, Steward has nothing to do with it, other than clean-up duty, Little one. You're all mine to play with for as long as I like" He said, breathing against my cheek. My mind flashed back to a week ago in the alley, the pain when he bit into my nape, the chill of his hand feeling under my top and trying to go further before I got away, and I whimpered.

I lost the tension in my body, still clinging to his wrist. His hand shifted down, clenching my shirt, his other hand caressing my cheek, wiping a tear. "Don't cry, Little one." He whispered, making me shudder. "You don't need to cry anymore. This body belongs to me now, and I will take extra special care of it." I screwed my eyes shut in hopes it was all a dream, when he stopped.

His eyes widened and his grin disappeared. Keeping his grip on me, he suddenly pulled up straight, his chest rumbling. Then next moment, his head snapped to look to the left when he went tumbling backwards. I screamed as he went, wrestling with a bundle of black on top of him. I looked over and saw another man on top of him, struggling with holding him down, the two of them thrashing about. Rae's face with pure hatred, his eyes darting to mine, then back at the man on top of him, before roaring in his face and throwing off and into the road. I watching, awestruck and horrified, tumbling back wards as I watched these two impossibly strong and face men brawling in the middle of the street when I heard my savior shout in my direction from the whirling mas of black leather, "Run! Get out of here! Move!"

His voice shook through me, and on its own, my body picked itself off the ground, and without another thought, I ran in the opposite direction, running through the darkness as night fell, Rae's monstrous roaring in anger filling the air. I ran as far as I could, stopping when I finally reached the park. I panted unevenly, walking wearily to the bench at the edge of the park, under a street light that lit up the path. I sat down, and in a few seconds, the grip of the cold, the shock of this evening and the stress my body had been put through suddenly hit me, and I was out like a light, my last conscious thought being a flash back at my saviors face, and hoping he would be OK.