Harrowing Read Free Page B

his fists and knuckles against the sturdy wood with a dry, rapping noise.
    I backed up against the far wall of the room and curled my knees up against my chin. My teeth were chattering and my hands shook uncontrollably. I clasped my knees. It felt as if less blood was trickling out now, and I grasped my ankles gratefully, shivering against the frigid floor. The person on the other side of the door continued to batter away. I didn’t dare imagine what would happen if the lock caved in or the door splintered.
    I heard voices in the corridor then. People approaching. I hoped they weren’t planning on giving Bruno the key to the bathroom. It wasn’t likely, but the wild idea plopped into my head illogically.
    “Sir,” I heard on the other side. The voices were muffled, but I could understand them. “Sir, you have to stop banging on the door. That’s the ladies’. You want the gents’. Here, come this way. The gents’ is over here...”
    The voices moved away and the banging stopped. I expected that as soon as my saviours left, Bruno would be back. But then other voices joined the first, and soon a whole bevy of people were gaggling in the corridor.
    The voices persisted for a while. To my relief, when silence finally fell again, no one returned to the bathroom door.
    I waited with bated breath, not daring to hope that it was possible that Bruno had actually left for good. I don’t know how long I huddled there, cramped into that uncomfortable posture. I could see, from the arc the faint sunlight was tracing through the frosted windows, that some time had passed, but I didn’t know how much.
    At last I relaxed enough to let go of my ankles and stretch out my stiff, ungainly legs. The sharp pain between my legs had settled into a dull throb, and it felt like the bleeding had stopped.
    My numbed-out brain began to react and sort itself out. The first hint of some sort of logical plan began to form against the back wall of my grey cells. I had to get out of here somehow, without bumping into Bruno. Had to get away from Bruno forever. Had to run to the nearby temp agency as fast as I could, let them know what had happened.
    I didn’t know exactly why I had to go there. Perhaps it was so they would believe me, and I would get paid. Otherwise Bruno could simply put in a complaint. Make it seem like I was the one found wanting, and then they wouldn’t pay me. Money was tight right now, I could never forget that.
    I could phone them, but I didn’t think they would believe me that way. They had to see me with their own eyes to understand.
    I wanted to stand, but my legs still refused to hold my weight and my knees wobbled like jelly. I wondered if I would ever be all right again.
    I began to drag myself towards the door, my heart in my throat. I glanced down and saw myself encrusted with blood from my waist to my feet. I looked like a zombie. I was sure there must be blood on my face as well. There was no way I could show myself like this at the agency. I felt violated, dirty, degraded. I could still sense his slimy hands all over me. If they saw me this way they’d know what had happened to me. They’d be able to see how I felt. They’d see my pain in my eyes and pity me.
    I thought I could wait until night and slip home under cover of the darkness. But then I’d be like a sitting duck here, just waiting for Bruno to find me. I had no doubt he’d be back to scout me out, after all the building was empty. No. I had to get away now, while I still had the chance. In the bright light of day.
    But I just couldn’t bring myself to face the world looking like this. Maybe I could phone Calvin, ask him to come for me. Maybe he could bring me a long skirt to cover my bloodied legs. Besides which, Bruno wouldn’t dare to approach me if Calvin was with me.
    With shaking hands , I pulled out my mobile.
    It was dead.
    I’d forgotten to charge it last night.
    Illogically, the thought of a shower popped into my mind. And then, as if