Golden Boy. What they all want. Want to see it?” He yanked his pants out of the heavy belt he wore around his waist and pulled them down. She gasped. Something stuck out of his body, the most horrifying thing she’d ever seen. She struggled, but couldn’t get away.
“Yeah. That’s the big boy. Pretty impressive, huh? You’re going to love it. How do you want it, baby? Front, back, or suck my dick?” He was rough, pushing her toward the bed. “Because, sugar lips, I know that big Mama Mercier thinks you’re the hottest thing since shit. You’re the top dancer in the school now, not me. So you’re going to get what you deserve, you stinking bitch. No one takes my place.”
He shoved her into the metal boxes. She hit them and bounced; her shoulders hurt and she felt stunned. He pushed her against thehard boxes. “This is fine for a start.” He held her wrists in one hand and shoved his forearm against her throat.
His other hand felt between her legs. He cursed. “Where is it?” He finally found what he wanted and shoved his fingers in, hard. “Do you like it, baby? Does that feel good?” He rotated his fingers and she shrieked. That made him laugh. He bent his knees and fumbled against her with the big thing.
Her eyes rolled back; she was about to leave her body again. As she lost consciousness, she saw a wavy impression of sharp white teeth filling the room above them. Long, flowing hair. Ferocious eyes. A snarl bounced off the lockers.
“Wha—” Richard looked up. Massive jaws closed on the back of his head. She heard crunching sounds. He was dead, she knew. She wanted to weep for what happened, but a voice in her mind said, “Run. I’ll guard you.”
She grabbed her coat and ran out the door. There was only one way she could go, toward the end of the pitch-black hallway. She could hear growls and snarls from the room she had left. Something was knocking over the metal boxes and banging them around. She heard the mirror smash. The lights in the room went out.
“Shaq,” she whispered.
Eliana knew she was in danger. If she went back to the dancing room, Madame would hit her again. The only way out was down the black hallway away from the dance studio. She entered the corridor, turning left into the darkness. She extended her hands in front of her, but it was so dark that she couldn’t see them. She felt her way along. Her hands told her that one side of the corridor had no doors; the other side, the side Richard’s room was on, had lots of doors. They promised places to hide, but she knew instinctively that they were traps. If she went in one of those doors and hid, she’d be found.
The way out was at the end of the hall. She felt her way, hoping to find the rear wall. She felt for a light switch or a door. She could find neither. Finally, her hands struck the end wall. She turned to her left and lightly touched the surface. An indentation a door.
There! She found the handle. She shook it, trying to remember how the humans opened doors.
The door flew open. Arms reached out of the blackness and pulled her in. A hand covered her mouth. “Don’t make a sound,” a voice commanded. She was pulled inward and heard the door lock behind her. Everything was black.
“Be quiet!” The voice was rough.
Her eyes rolled back and she disappeared into unconsciousness.
14
V al stalked into the dance studio, gun held before her with both hands. Her team flanked her, with Mercier somewhere behind them. The practice room was empty.
“Stand down,” Val barked and turned to the teacher. “Where is she?”
“I have no idea. She was there,” she said, pointing at the spot.
Val scanned the room. Empty. She saw the bank of windows to the left, the grand piano at the far end, the door to its right. A ballet studio in an old school. Unremarkable, except for one thing.
“This is a new room.” Except for the wooden floor and windows, the room was new cement. The edges and corners of the poured concrete
“Yeah. That’s the big boy. Pretty impressive, huh? You’re going to love it. How do you want it, baby? Front, back, or suck my dick?” He was rough, pushing her toward the bed. “Because, sugar lips, I know that big Mama Mercier thinks you’re the hottest thing since shit. You’re the top dancer in the school now, not me. So you’re going to get what you deserve, you stinking bitch. No one takes my place.”
He shoved her into the metal boxes. She hit them and bounced; her shoulders hurt and she felt stunned. He pushed her against thehard boxes. “This is fine for a start.” He held her wrists in one hand and shoved his forearm against her throat.
His other hand felt between her legs. He cursed. “Where is it?” He finally found what he wanted and shoved his fingers in, hard. “Do you like it, baby? Does that feel good?” He rotated his fingers and she shrieked. That made him laugh. He bent his knees and fumbled against her with the big thing.
Her eyes rolled back; she was about to leave her body again. As she lost consciousness, she saw a wavy impression of sharp white teeth filling the room above them. Long, flowing hair. Ferocious eyes. A snarl bounced off the lockers.
“Wha—” Richard looked up. Massive jaws closed on the back of his head. She heard crunching sounds. He was dead, she knew. She wanted to weep for what happened, but a voice in her mind said, “Run. I’ll guard you.”
She grabbed her coat and ran out the door. There was only one way she could go, toward the end of the pitch-black hallway. She could hear growls and snarls from the room she had left. Something was knocking over the metal boxes and banging them around. She heard the mirror smash. The lights in the room went out.
“Shaq,” she whispered.
Eliana knew she was in danger. If she went back to the dancing room, Madame would hit her again. The only way out was down the black hallway away from the dance studio. She entered the corridor, turning left into the darkness. She extended her hands in front of her, but it was so dark that she couldn’t see them. She felt her way along. Her hands told her that one side of the corridor had no doors; the other side, the side Richard’s room was on, had lots of doors. They promised places to hide, but she knew instinctively that they were traps. If she went in one of those doors and hid, she’d be found.
The way out was at the end of the hall. She felt her way, hoping to find the rear wall. She felt for a light switch or a door. She could find neither. Finally, her hands struck the end wall. She turned to her left and lightly touched the surface. An indentation a door.
There! She found the handle. She shook it, trying to remember how the humans opened doors.
The door flew open. Arms reached out of the blackness and pulled her in. A hand covered her mouth. “Don’t make a sound,” a voice commanded. She was pulled inward and heard the door lock behind her. Everything was black.
“Be quiet!” The voice was rough.
Her eyes rolled back and she disappeared into unconsciousness.
14
V al stalked into the dance studio, gun held before her with both hands. Her team flanked her, with Mercier somewhere behind them. The practice room was empty.
“Stand down,” Val barked and turned to the teacher. “Where is she?”
“I have no idea. She was there,” she said, pointing at the spot.
Val scanned the room. Empty. She saw the bank of windows to the left, the grand piano at the far end, the door to its right. A ballet studio in an old school. Unremarkable, except for one thing.
“This is a new room.” Except for the wooden floor and windows, the room was new cement. The edges and corners of the poured concrete
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