chapter one. unlawful death

It had been a warm day for Rochester. But not warm enough for the sun to come out. I was in a happy and in an up right mood, but why wouldn’t I be, it was a couple days from marrying my fiancé Royce, he came from a wealthy, and respectable family my father had chosen for me. It was only right Royce and I was betrothed together. It was all about how the public viewed the family, I was told that from my mother at a very young age, I was also told that I would make the family very pleased when I was older as I would be the most beautiful girl in all of the world and I deserved to be around people who treated me like a queen. I never really believed my mother when she said that, I always thought that she had to say that because she was my mother, and I could never be more beautiful than her, she had a flawless skin that always seemed to bring a slight glow to her face when ever she smiled, even in the darkest and stormiest times, her eyes were a bright blue, brighter than the skies deepest blue but never darker that the oceans seas –I was always slightly jealous that I didn’t have her eyes, god has giving me the same dark purple eyes as my father, my eyes always reminded me of violets but they never sparkled quite the same as my mothers did when she was truly happy- I was given the same beautiful golden locks that sat perfectly no matter which hair style you wore it in as my mothers, but she was also blessed with a beauty spot just off to the left of her chin right below the end of her mouth, this completed her heart shaped face and was the reason why I would never be as beautiful as my mother. She was the perfect wife and mother who stood right by my father’s side even if she didn’t agree with the situation. Late one night I was hiding in my mother closet with my face covered in her make up, and wearing her favorite pearl necklace my parents never saw me as my father barged into the room throwing my mother to floor beating her, once he was done he stormed out the room and my mother fled to the bathroom, I made my escape positive that the next day me and my mother would be leaving without my father, but instead she got up as nothing had happened the night before and stood by my fathers side again as he accepted a promotion from the bank where he worked, I realized than that she would never leave him because she thought it’s not what you think about yourself, it’s how the public sees you, and that’s how life is, but I didn’t have the same views as my mother and would never be taken advantage of like that and still stand by there side. When I was only 8 years old I figured out my mother was right, I was the most beautiful girl in the world, well I must have been the attention I got from the males proved it, they always wonted to do things for me, give me thing, I never had to lift a figure I was treated as a queen. Just like my mother said I deserved to be treated. That was when I started paying attention to my looks, making sure I always had the nicest clothes, the best hair, and the whitest teeth, smelled well. Looking the best out of all my peers. My parents were pleased by the way guys looked at me and were every pleased by how many parents wished for there son to be worthy enough in my fathers eyes to marry me. But my father had one guy in mind. Royce King the second. Royce didn’t have a problem with accepting the idea that we would be married, he had always had a keen eye for me and when the word got out that my father approved of him for me roses started turning up on my door steep with love litters and poems. It was only right Royce and I was betrothed together, we would make the perfect couple from the “publics’” eye. And my mother was certain he would make me feel like a queen, and never treat me the way my father treated her. And for that I would accept his hand in marriage. We only had dated for a less than two months before he had asked for my hand in marriage, we had spent the past 5 months together, attending parties and other social events he was a gentleman and I could see my self falling in love with him to an extent but I don’t think I could ever truly love him like how my good friend Vera loved her husband. I had just finished visiting them and I was walking down the street to my fathers house, it wasn’t to dark out, the sky was a turning a dark blue and the street light hadn’t turned on yet so I didn’t bother calling my father to escort me home I decided to enjoy the rest of the warm evening and walk the short distance. While I was walking I couldn’t stop thinking of how different my relationship with Royce was compared to Vera’s relationship was with her husband. Sure Royce sent me roses and violets after he had noticed what I had always thought, that my eye’s reminded me of them. And the way he treated and respected me I was positive that he would never hit me. But I could never get over the fact that Royce had never kissed me in public, when he had kissed me it never felt like he was doing it to declare to anyone that we were together or that he wonted to kiss me but more like he only kissed me because I wonted him to. Thinking like that only made me feel depressed, like that he didn’t even think of me like that, and we would never have the kind of relationship I thought we would, the kind of relationship I wonted. I wonted to have kids that were all beautiful and would have my good look, I wonted to teach my daughter all about make up and play dress up with her I wonted a son that would follow in Royce’s foot steps in society that was sporty, smart, hansom, and all the girls would fall in love with like the guys fell in love with me, I wonted to have family picnics in the park were the kids could run play together, I wonted to host the best birthday parties and give my children everything they wonted. A tear slipped from the corner of my eye which broke me out of the deep thought, I quickly wiped away the tear and pulled out my compact and fixed my make up. Than I looked around where I was I noticed I had been walking for a while the sky was now black, clouds have covered the sky so I could not see the stars or the moon, all the street lights were on at this point and I could see that no one was on either side of the street I was completely alone, this made me anxious I didn’t know who could out here and what there intensions they had at what ever time it was, I briefly remember passing a street a few yards back I decided I would go back and re find my way home, I must have passed my street ages ago with out even realizing, I should be home safe running of last minute wedding plans with my mother right now but instead I’m lost along the back streets of the neighborhood, I walk back towards were I came from, I was walking for about 5 minutes before I passed the street I thought would take me back into the safety of the middle of the town. But to my disappointed it was only a short side street, I could just make out that there were four people walking towards the street I had been walking along for the last who knows how long. They were stumbling along, tripping over everything and nothing that got in their way of were they were headed towards, spilling their alcohol on their way. This couldn’t have been the street I thought I saw. I was going to continue walking the way I came when I heard one of them call my name.
“Rose!”
I stopped hesitantly, -I wouldn’t have stopped but only people I know personally and that are my good friends know me by “Rose” everyone else called me “Rosalie”- turning my head to see that one of the men was jogging toward me. I was going to continue walking –thinking whoever it was would be too drunk to comprehend my whole name- when I noticed that all the four men were dressed to nice to be from around this neighborhood and must come from a higher class.
“Ah here’s my Rose” the man called again coming to a walk a few yard away from me.
“Royce?” I gasped as I recognized the man walking toward me, my heart beat slowed as I knew I would be safe with him around.
“The one and only” he said raising his arms sounding please of himself that I had recognized that it as him. As he came close enough to touch me I could smell the scotch, vodka, and various other alcohols lingering off his breath. I suddenly had a thought in the back of my mind that I had never seen him drink anything heavier than champagne at parties when they toasted, but he never really liked it -he liked something a lot stronger than champagne- and that he was too drunk to think reasonably for himself. My first instinct was to get him home so he could sleep it off, this was definitely not something he did a lot, and I would feel worse not knowing he was going to be ok tomorrow. As he wrapped his arms around me and gave me a hug, almost pushing us to the ground when he lost he balance I steadied him and he moved his grasp on me so one of his arms was around my around my body tucking me into his side –giving me a half hug- he spun us around facing the other three men who had almost caught up to us now, he started to pull me along with him while he yelled out to the other men, “look who came join us this time, my beautiful fiancé Rosalie”
“This time?” I said with out thinking, picking up on that he must do this quite often I suddenly felt anxious and scared of this side of Royce I never knew.
“Yes, this time, we do this every week, same time, same place, and same people” he replied, obviously not aware of what he was saying.
“Well sorry to inform you dear, but I can’t stay this time I am supposed to be running over last minute wedding plans with my mother, and I’m terribly late as it is, so if you don’t mind I must be heading off” I said quickly realizing I was probably safer on my own and that Royce would be ok because he did this quite often. But something I said must have aggravated him he tightened his hold on me and started walking faster so I couldn’t escape from him.
“Well than we have a problem, my boys and I were hoping for a little fun tonight and if you leave than we don’t get to have our fun” as he was saying this I started feeling really nervous and scared for my life. I wonted to run, and scream for help, but knowing that Royce was a public image he would have to chose a location were no one would be around until early the next day or later so he could act so unacceptable, “you don’t wont us to have no fun and make me angry do you?, now your late and were cold” he laughed to the end of his sentence, we had caught up to the others by this time and he unleashed me from his tight hold spinning me so that I was in the middle of the four men. I could see the street that I had come from and that it was to far away for anyone to hear me scream if there was anyone around. I knew I wouldn’t be able to escape the four men as they are all bigger than me, and I was in the wrong shoes to try and run.
“Didn’t I tell you John” Royce crowed “isn’t she lovelier than your Georgia Peaches” he laughed
“It’s hard to tell, she’s all covered up” he replied laughing and the other three men joined along, Royce pulled my arm closer toward him and for a second I thought, hoping that he would leave it at that and he would take me home to safety, but all the hoping in the world couldn’t save me from the torture I was about to experience. Instead Royce grabbed the jacket that he had giving me as a gift and ripped it of me. The brass buttons went flying as they popped off jacket and scattered along the street almost missing the one called John.
“show them what you look like, Rose!” ha laughed than tore off my hat pulling the hair pins so rough that they pulled some of my hair out by the roots, I screamed in pain as my hair fell to the side of face, -I knew exactly what my hair would look like, I liked to watch my self in the mirror at home when I got ready for bed and I knew I looked hot when I just pulled my hair out of a bun like Royce did and the look on the guys faces’ conformed my assumption- the look that was in Royce’s eyes I had never seen him look at me like that before, for a split second I thought it was the look that I had always hoped would be in the eyes of my husband the night of our honey moon, but this look that Royce had was a much more evil look and I knew what was coming next.
As he grabbed me I struggled to free my self but that just excited him even more, he started to push me towards the dark forest that were on the outside of the town, when I heard one of the guys behind us called “she got more of a fight in her than the other girls” other girls? He’s done this before? This was not the Royce I knew how someone so kind and so thoughtful could have this evil side to him that I never knew about. As soon as we got into the dark edge of the forest Royce ripped the rest of the clothes of my back –leaving me exposed for every one to see- the other men laughed, -I never realized they had followed us into the forest until they laughed- at how scared I looked most likely, I could feel the expression on my face but I couldn’t chance it, my face was frozen like that. All of a sudden Royce picked up one of the empty alcohol bottles from the ground and was holding it like a weapon. The next thing I saw he was plunging the bottle towards my head. I felt the bottle hit my head with such force that it sent me flying towards the ground. I heard the sharp loud crack from the bottle as it broke on the side of my head from the impact of the blow. My body hit the cold hard surface of the forest ground and I felt the little shards of the broken bottle fall on to my face. All the guys laughed hysterically. I tried to open my eye, but my sight was all blurry. I couldn’t make out anything. I reached for the side of my head, it was throbbing from the impact of the bottle and I felt the sticky moisture leaking from source of the pain. I tried to roll over onto my back when I heard someone say “she trying to get up, hasn’t she learnt anything?” all the four men laughed. Then Royce grabbed my arm with his right arm holding me to the ground. I could barely make out that he was couched down on one knee over me and with his left hand he was trying to take off his belt. I leaned my head back shutting my eyes swallowing. I didn’t realize but Royce had moved his head next to mine his mouth by my ear and whispered “Don’t be nervous Rose I’ve done this many times before. You’ll be out cold for the worst of it” than chuckled softly I felt another blow to my head and I was out cold like he promised.
I was only out cold for a short time I have never imagined my first time would be like this. I tried to pretend that I was still out cold when I awoke but my emotions failed me and a tear ran down my face. I heard one of the guys say
“Ah she’s awake I was hoping she wouldn’t still be out when it’s my turn” I opened my eyes to see who said that and to my surprise Royce wasn’t on top of me like I thought. He was over by one of the trees with another bottle of booze in his hands laughing along with the other guys at my shocked expression. I was being past around like a piece of meat. I swallowed again knowing I wouldn’t be able to stop this even if I tried they would just knock me out cold before I even got to my feet and continue doing what they pleased to me so I just lay there taking everything they gave me. I started to think of the other girls that had been victims to this unlawful act. And not know how they could not speak up and say anything to anyone. I thought about how they must feel violated, assumed, embarrassed, and unloved I knew I felt like that right now along with wonting to die, angry, upset, confused, used, and many other emotions that only last a few seconds than changes to anger. I must have passed out again because the next thing I knew was I was waking up from the cold wind, and I could see the four dark figures walking away from me and the closest one throw a rock towards my head, just clipping me enough to shut my eye, my eyes felt heavier than the first night I stayed up till dawn -marveling at the diamond ring on my left hand Royce had given me the day before. I was so happy that night my mother even said my eyes sparkled like hers- even though I couldn’t see anything I could hear what the four “strangers” were saying while they retreaded away from my cold body which was left to die.
“That should do it”
“She will be dead before anyone finds her anyway”
“She was fun at first”
“Royce, you definitely pick the feisty ones”
“It’s not a challenge if they allow you to do it”
I heard them stumble and fall over something on the side of the street were they came from. I tried not to listen to the comments they had made or try to let them effect me but it didn’t work once the first tear slipped from the side of my eye I couldn’t stop. I just lay there waiting for death to come.