New Story - With new ideas and directions to hand. I'm writing this and posting it straight onto Steemit - You can not get more exclusive than that! 35

Five hours later, Ash struggled to clamber through the upstairs window.

She moved like a hunched-over, miniature old woman. Faltering and shambling her way down from the roof of the single storey building.

She fell over as she landed and clutching her fists to her stomach, she made her way back to Justin’s house.

Limping along, keeping to the shadows and away from the streetlights, Ash managed to get back to the safety of the house.

Robin opened the door to her feeble knock on the window and he all-but caught her as she stumbled forward into the kitchen.

“Ash!” he said.

Justin caught the panic in his tone and he called from the living room. “What’s wrong? What’s happened? ROBIN! For fuck’s sake!”

Ash stumbled into the living room and collapsed onto the sofa. She curled herself up into a ball, her back toward the room, face buried in the cushions of the sofa and she whimpered, too weak to cry properly.

Justin could do nothing but watch. He looked at Robin standing in the doorway but couldn’t voice the question of what had happened.

“Someone’s really gone to town on her this time,” Robin said to Justin. “Her face is cut. Not just punched – someone fucking cut her!”

“Call a fucking ambulance!” Justin said.

“No… no ambulance,” Ash muttered. They only just heard her words because the sofa muffled the sound of her voice. “Don’t want to do anything until this is over. Make the calls, Justin. Nigel will be here tomorrow night.”

“Did that bastard hurt you?”

“No, not him…” Ash said.

“Who?”

“Don’t matter. Make the calls.”

Justin made the calls and the arrangements were set.

He didn’t want to question Ash; she’d obviously gone through enough.

A couple of hours after she arrived back, Ash woke up. A blanket had been placed over her and a light set at the side of the sofa. The rest of the room lay in darkness.

Justin was asleep in his chair, Robin slept at the end of the sofa, leaning on his arm.

Ash kicked Robin and he woke up. He rubbed his eyes and tried to focus.

“Are you ok? Do you need anything?”

“Yeah, I need you to get him onto the sofa. He needs his rest. I’ll go up to the bed.”

Robin nodded and moved the blanket. He shook the cushions and made Justin’s ‘bed’ up. Then he helped Justin onto the sofa and sorted him out for the rest of the night’s sleep.

“Is she ok?” Justin asked.

“No, but she will be, she’s tough.”

“She’s only a kid,” Justin said.

“Yeah, I know. I love the little shit too.”

Justin nodded. “We’re gonna get this bastard.”

“Yep.”

The ceiling creaked as Ash moved about upstairs. They heard the bath running and Justin swallowed hard, his fists clenched and unclenched on the chair’s arms and Robin wanted to ask, but thought he knew…

Robin didn’t go up to see if she wanted anything. He knew she’d let him know if she did.

Late the next morning, Justin and Robin sat watching the television. They could hardly hear it because they didn’t want to disturb Ash’s sleep and Robin wanted to know when she was moving about.

He went up the stairs to listen a couple of times but the bedroom was silent.

They both looked up to the ceiling as the door to the bedroom creaked. They could track her footsteps as she made her way to the bathroom.

The bath started running again…

More than once they heard the hot tap running as she topped-up the water in the bath. And when eventually, she pulled the plug, they gave her a few minutes before they expected her to either go back to bed or come downstairs to face them.

The bedroom door opened and Robin went to put the kettle on. If she was coming down, she’d be getting dressed first.

He found a blister pack of painkillers. He placed the tablets next to the cup of tea just in time for Ash to come through to the living room.

Justin turned around and looked at her. His expression told it all. His mouth dropped open, eyes wide.

“Yeah, I know… I look fucking awesome, don’t I?” she said as she limped to the sofa, still clutching her fists to her stomach, bending forward slightly as she walked..

She’d changed her clothes from the night before, she wore baggy jeans and a baggy jumper.

“Is that one of my jumpers?” Justin said.

“Yeah,” Ash murmured.

“Are you sure you’re ok? What happened?” Robin asked. He sat down beside her on the sofa but she cringed away from him and he backed off to the opposite side. He looked at Justin and Justin looked back at him.

Justin shook his head and Robin stood up and backed right off, away from Ash.

“I’m sorry Rob,” she said. “It’s not you, I know it’s not you.”

“Oh that dirty fucking bastard scumbag NONCE!” Justin growled.

Ash looked at him and nodded her head wearily. “You made the calls?” she asked.

“Yeah, and I’m gonna make a few more before tonight,” he said.

“No, don’t.”

“What? Why not?”

“Don’t use up all your favours on me. I’ll sort it, I promise,” she said.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Robin said.

Justin flashed him a look of pure venom and Robin took the hint.

“Not yet, Rob,” Ash said in a strained whisper. “Maybe one day, but not just yet.”

“Stand up,” Justin said.

Ash looked at him, sighed and stood up. She hunched over, clutching at her stomach.

“Has he cut you on your body?” Justin asked. “Rob, bugger off out for a bit.”

Rob turned to leave but Ash said, “No, you can stay.”

Everything about her was subdued, muted and slowed-down. Justin seethed in impotent fury and Ash gave him a wan, washed-out smile.

Images from Google