The Last Shadow Witch

My feet scurried fast on the wet ground, my heart beating faster than my chest could take. I could barely breathe and my feet hurt a whole lot but I had to get away, far, far away from the dogs chasing me. I didn't like the idea of being someone's meal for the day, at least, not today.

They were catching up, all I needed was a clever turn to escape and I would be free for three days. With one last look over my shoulder, I jumped into the crowd of busy people, letting them hide me until I was safe away from them; the dogs. My heart leapt with joy, I was no longer a prey for the next three days, I was free!

My happiness morphed into horror as I came to the familiar route to the dreadful hostel I stayed at. If I escaped from the hellhounds, I sure wouldn't be free from Maribeth and her group of plastic doll wannabes. The mean popular hot girls I shared a hostel with.

Oh well, today isn't my first bad day.

I did the sign of the cross as I came face to face with the hostel gate, the open evergreen lawn welcoming me to hell. I dragged my miserable self to the door. They were obviously in their rooms because everywhere was quiet. I ran to the stairs, a glimmer of hope rising in my heart, but as fortune would curse me, they were all there chattering in a whisper. All eyes turned to me, the ugly cursed toad.

"Hey, look who we have here," Maribeth, the barbie doll leader said jestingly. "It's the dock queen."

"Good evening, Maribeth," I greeted, rubbing my sweaty palms at the side of my thighs.

"Come here," she commanded with a smirk.

"Ma'am?"

"Come here!" She shouted angrily, so fast to anger. I trembled like someone who just got out of a snowstorm as I made my way up the stairs, my heartbeat palpitating beyond control again. I stopped three stairs away from them, my breath on halt. "Come closer," she purred with a sweet menacing smile. I knew I was going to get badly hurt, I braced myself and walked closer to her.

Immediately I reached her, I found myself screaming as I tumbled down the stairs. The pain never seized, the spinning seemed like it would last forever. Try as I must, I shielded my head with my hands the best way I could, the impact on my forearms greater than the other.

Then it all stopped, the pain seizing as no light shone on me, not a single movement. It was peaceful.

____

I woke up to embrace the loud ringing sound in my ears, the great thumping in my head and motionless body. I heaved a sigh, my mind giving me info of where I was, my hostel room. I forced my hand to move to my head, the sharp pain radiating from it jolting my slow pacing heart into action. My head was bandaged, my ribcage was probably seriously broken.

"You're awake!" A familiar voice squealed with delight, who would care if I was alive… oh yes, the girl who always took care of me after I get beaten like fuck. She reminded me of my sister, only that she wouldn't ever stand up for me like my sister would. I turned my head slowly, a small smile crawling up my lips. "If you keep staying in this school, you will get killed. The bullying is becoming too much for you to handle, I would have been dead by now if it were to be me. You broke three ribs on your left, one on your right, a cracked spine and shifted elbows."

"And Maribeth?"

"You know her, cause the damage but never fix it." I smiled despite my pain.

"Guess what?" I asked smilingly. "I don't get to go to school for weeks, I'm somewhat free." When you live in pain, you get used to it, it becomes your everyday normal.

Unfortunately, being the fast healer that I am, I healed in less than nine days. I flew from one class to another as fast as I could so I would escape before Maribeth or the Hellhound. After all my missed lectures were accounted for, I hurried through the hallway before any living soul came out; my life was all run or get killed.

"Marinette!" I didn't bother stopping, the voice calling my name increased my fright. I ran as fast as my feet could carry me. Almost at the college gate, I can make it… When have I ever been lucky? Two hands pulled me back, their grip on me too strong to escape.

"No! Let go!" I screamed, kicking the air as the hands carried me out of human view. I was forced to kneel in a deserted corner, in front of the leader of The Hellhounds.

"You wanna run away without paying your weekly due like you haven't for the past three weeks," his deep intimidating voice barked. He was the one guy that made me feel like a piece of worthless shit, the one guy that took my dignity away from me. The one guy that assisted in ruining me for any other guy that would ever manage to look at me; he ruined my life. "Answer me when I talk to you!" He snapped, yanking my pathetic hair up.

"I'm sorry," I sobbed. "It won't happen again."

"Good girl," he smirked, patting my head like I was his obedient dog. "Now stand up." He commanded, I stood up, my eyes counting the guys around me. After my eyes counted, my mind calculated a possible escape plan. Like I was possessed, I kneed him damn hard and sprinted for my dear life.

I ran all the way back to the hostel, my trembling body a sweaty mess. I was done bearing the humiliation, pain and everything I'd faced in that school. I shoved some important items into my backpack, added a few clothes and shoes, I don't need the scholarship any more.

I made my way downstairs, hoping I would get out through the backdoor. I sighted three of the Hellhounds talking to Maribeth and five of her puppets, my survival instinct kicked in immediately so I ran towards the backdoor.

"There she is!" Have I ever been lucky? I ran faster, with everything I've got. My heart would soon fail me, I was certain of it. Heart failure wouldn't matter, nobody cared about me so I had to live for me and me alone.

‘Marielle cares…’ My subconscious chimed in. I snorted at that thought, if she cared, she wouldn't have left me all alone to face the cruel and selfish world.

I stopped running, my energy completely drained as memories of my sister invaded my head. I missed her so much yet she was nowhere but somewhere, avoiding ill luck like me. "There!" My heart jumped again, I resumed running. It was of little use because a black mini race car stopped beside me and two Hellhounds members jumping out. I was apprehended, forced into the car and carried away. I cried like a baby, death seemed like a very easy option to end my miserable life but I wouldn't just die.

The car pulled over at the Hellhounds' House, originally owned by the leader, Roy Roland. The other guys were the errand boys, all wanting the fame, power and authority that came with being a member of the dreadful Hellhound Cult Boys. I was dragged up the stairs to his room, not because I couldn't walk, but because it was fun for them.

"Don't move," one warned before shutting the door against me. I curled up on the bed where I was thrown on, you can imagine what due I pay. I wasn't as pretty or classy like Maribeth and her girls, didn't have their signature golden blonde and pink hair, or their shiny blue eyes and perfect legs. I didn't have their slender bodies, neither did I have their perfectly toned and waxed skin nor their fancy outfits, expensive cars and perfumes or their sweet voices and laughter, yet he found my body worth frustrating.

What did I have? Lame blue-green eyes, slightly plump baby pink lips and stupid black hair that couldn't grow beyond my mid-back level and letter "I" body. I was ugly and plain but he still found it interesting to satisfy his sexist urges.

It wasn't the first nor second, neither was it the third, fourth or fifth time he was forcing himself on me, I lost count. It started six months earlier, I was released from his sexual disorder. How? He loves causing pain to his victim when having sex, I was the open candidate for his course. Calculate thrice a week in six months and you will get the answer to how many times I had suffered and do minus the three weeks I skipped. I had been beaten, assaulted and molested not just by him, but by other minor fools in the school; he however remained the number one.

The door opened gently, he strolled in with a smirk on his face. "Marie, you really angered me today," his menacing voice made my blood run cold. "You think you can run away from me?" He laughed as he walked closer to me, making me shift back in fear. "You will pay with extra pain, five days locked up here. If you don't die by the time I'm done with you, then prepare for next week's torture."

I was tired of crying my eyes out, tired of the constant pain. I wanted it all to end but I was always lucky enough not to die but hapless to always get caught. I stayed locked up in there for five days, facing the torture he dared say he would bring. I tried killing myself but my hands refused to let the knife plunge in.

After the death week, I was thrown at the dirty corner of my street, the rain mocking and adding misery to my existence. My body ached allover, I was sore, bleeding to my death, hopefully. I stood up, swallowing the lump in my throat, I made my way to a little hospital, deciding not to die just yet, being a college dropout was better than dying.

Who am I? Marinette Karnowsky, age 19. I don't have a mother, neither would I proudly say I have a father because he no longer is. My father married my mother's best friend after she died. That evil woman turned me to a slave but luckily, her daughter, my step-sister loved me. We used to do everything together, even though she was older, she was my only joy before she left for college and never returned after the first year of college. After she left, all light in me disappeared, I was a nobody and that is certainly what I will remain.