Under the Arches

happened to her?’ asked Mr Foster helping them into the car.

  ‘I think it was the punch sir. There must have been something nasty in it.’

  ‘Why has she got a cut on her face.’

  ‘She fell over as she was getting off a work surface. I’m so sorry.’

  ‘It’s not your fault. But that does look nasty. Maybe we ought to run her down to A&E just in case. Do you mind if we drop you home?’

  Angelina shook her head. ‘Just let me know that she’s all right,’ she said.

  It felt like only a few moments had passed before Angelina found herself standing at the entrance to her block of flats, watching as the Foster’s car disappeared out of sight. It was eleven o’clock and her night had ended in the worst possible way. Crestfallen, she turned and headed inside.

  She took her shoes off before climbing the staircase to the first floor. Her feet were hurting. She wasn’t exactly sure why – the two of them had not managed to even get as far as the dance floor. It must have been the shoes themselves. She was feeling pretty tired and was looking forward to her bed.

  She reached into her handbag for her keys and opened the front door. A light was on in the lounge.

  ‘Hi mum,’ she called as she hung her coat up on a hook in the hallway.

  ‘Your mum’s out,’ came Derek’s voice, shortly followed by his big round head from over the top of the sofa, where he was lying watching the TV. ‘She won’t be back until later.’

  Then he caught sight of Angelina all dressed up and whistled through his teeth. ‘What have you been up to?’

  ‘I’ve been at a party,’ said Angelina with a look of disgust. ‘I’m tired now and I’m off to bed.’

  With that she went into her room and closed the door behind her. She flopped down on her bed, closed her eyes and tried to figure out where the evening had gone wrong. She and Amy had been having a good time, and while Amy had been drinking punch from a large bowl all evening, she had not shown any adverse effects until she had got up to go dancing. Doubtless Chardonnay had raided her parent’s drinks stash beforehand and mixed in a few choice ingredients. Angelina had seen drunken people before. It was hard to avoid them in Watford, especially in the evenings, but this was the first time she’d had to deal with one herself. Poor Amy. Her head would be sore in more than ways than one in the morning.

  As Angelina lay there lost in her reflections, she almost missed the sound of her door closing again.

  She opened her eyes. Derek was standing there at the foot of her bed with a rather unnerving smile on his face.

  ‘Don’t you know how to knock?’ said Angelina angrily.

  ‘Err… your mum told me to tell you that she’s sorry for having to work late tonight.’

  Angelina stared at him. She was not sure what worried her more, Derek being in her room, or Derek actually stringing a coherent sentence together.

  ‘I thought she wasn’t supposed to be working late any more,’ she replied flatly.

  ‘Well she still has bills to pay,’ said Derek. ‘She also said that since she and I have been together a while now that you and I should make more of an effort to get to know one another a little better.’

  With that he perched himself on the end of her bed. The mattress springs creaked under his large bulk. Angelina tucked her legs in close to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. This was the last thing she needed to be dealing with.

  ‘Well I’m fine with that, but it’s a little late now and it has been a long evening,’ she said, willing for him to get up and leave the room.

  ‘I bet it has. So, who’s party was it you went to dressed up like that?’

  He was ignoring her hints and Angelina was starting to become really uncomfortable about the way he was looking at her.

  ‘Just a girl from school,’ said Angelina looking anywhere but into his leering eyes.

  She felt the mattress move and looked up to find that he had shifted closer to her.

  ‘You know, I get to see an awful lot of young girls all dressed up like that in my line of business, but you… you’re something special.’

  Now Angelina was starting to panic. There was no way she could escape such a huge brute of a man. Her only hope was for him to leave of his own accord.

  ‘Please, I’m tired, I want to go to bed,’ she said, recoiling further so that she was sitting entirely on top of her pillow.

  ‘But that’s what I want too,’ said Derek reaching out and stroking the bottom of her leg.

  The physical contact caused Angelina to spring to her feet, knocking over the lamp on her bedside table as she went.

  ‘I think you should leave,’ she spat, pointing at the door.

  ‘Oh I’m not going anywhere,’ said Derek getting up off the bed. The false look of friendliness had evaporated from his face.

  ‘Get out!’ shouted Angelina.

  Derek lunged forwards and she barely had a chance to scream before a huge hand clamped over her mouth and an arm like an anaconda enveloped her body. She tried to struggle free, kicking and punching and scratching for all she was worth, but it was hopeless. In a single movement he picked her up and threw her face down onto the bed, pinning her body down and burying her face into the pillow with a hand on the back of her head.

  She screamed out silently, tears streaming from her eyes and her breath ragged from the lack of air. She heard the rattle of a belt buckle, then a zip being undone and she cried in fear and humiliation as she felt his hand tugging at her skirt. She knew what was coming. They had all been warned at school about strange men, but she never in her life thought that it could happen in her own home. In her own room! With every gasped breath she pleaded with him, but the words fell dead upon the pillow. Then in a moment of utmost defeat she just closed her eyes and prayed.

  Through the darkness that had taken over her world there came a voice. It was soothing and peaceful, filling Angelina with calm. She felt a huge weight lift from her body and found that she was able to move again. Gasping, she rolled onto her back and scrambled away, cowering in the furthest corner of her bed as the room swam back into view.

  Zeus was there. It did not surprise her that he was the first thing her mind picked up on when she could see clearly again. He was everything to her. Her heart had longed to see him again. Where he had come from and how he came to be in the room she did not know. He was there and she felt safe.

  ‘What the hell are you doing here?’

  It was Derek talking. His voice had a hint of surprise as well as anger.

  ‘You know exactly why I’m here,’ said Zeus, his face as calm and unmoving as a millpond. ‘I’m here to ensure that you do not lay another finger on that poor girl.’

  Derek snorted. ‘You can’t make me do anything. How about you leave while you can still walk?’

  ‘How about I stay?’ said Zeus taking a step into the room. ‘That girl has done you no wrong. You will not touch her again.’

  Derek bristled. ‘I’m warning you mate. Get lost before I punch your lights out.’

  Zeus looked at him blankly. ‘This should be good,’ he said with the slightest of nods in Angelina’s direction.

  ‘Right, that’s it,’ said Derek. He raised his huge pumpkin of a right fist and swung it with all his immense strength at Zeus’ head.

  Angelina cowered further into the corner.

  At the moment of impact there was a blinding flash and Zeus’ voice could be heard saying, ‘I will carry out great vengeance on them and punish them in my wrath…’

  He remained completely motionless as Derek’s huge body was cast down on to the floor in crumpled heap.

  ‘… then they will know that I am the Lord, when I take vengeance on them.’

  He looked over at Angelina, a kind smile on his face.

  ‘Ezekiel 25 verse 17,’ he said.

  Angelina stared back at him blankly. She was shaking. Zeus sat down on the edge of the bed next to her.

  ‘Come here my child,’ he said, reaching o
ut his hand.

  Angelina buried her face in his jumper and burst into floods of tears. She felt betrayed, humiliated and empty. But at the same time Zeus was with her and she felt safe and secure once more. Never before had such a torrid mixture of emotions overrun her heart, and her mind was in no fit state to reason with them. So she just clung tightly to Zeus, blocking out the world that had let her down so cruelly, and sobbed her heart out.

  Some time later Angelina heard the front door go. She had no idea how much time had passed, or whether or not Derek’s body still lay prostrate on the floor. She kept clinging hold of the one person she knew would never let her down.

  ‘Angelina? Angelina?’

  Her mother’s voice entered the void that had filled her mind. The next thing she heard was her mum screaming. She looked up with bloodshot eyes.

  ‘You! YOU! What have done to hi… GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF MY DAUGHTER!’

  Angelina’s mum was in her bedroom looking from Zeus to Angelina to Derek and back again, aghast. Her face was bright red with fury and she looked like she was seconds away from throwing something.

  ‘My dear…’ started Zeus, his arms spread in supplication, but Angelina finally found her voice again and interrupted him.

  ‘Mum it’s OK. He’s OK. Please, stop shouting.’

  Her mother stared at her tear stained face for a moment. Then she looked bewilderedly from Zeus to Derek and from Derek to Zeus, unable to fathom what was going on. Slowly Angelina got to her feet and embraced her, tears welling up in her eyes once more.

  ‘My darling, what on earth has happened?’ asked her