He stagger in hall.
I seeing
the red eye,
lip licking,
bull sniffing,
the predator animal ready to make kill,
this guy who does
trampoline on her mum.
‘Who’s this?’ he say.
He zigzag to me
at bathroom door,
looking my body
up
down.
His finger goes below my
neck apple.
Prod.
Jab.
Stab.
‘Why-the-fuck-are-you-wearing-my-stuff?’ he asking.
‘Terry, the boy’s had …’ Jess mum start.
‘Was I asking you?’ he scream at her.
‘Nicu’s my mate from school,’ Jess say.
‘Yes, I friend,’ I say.
‘We’re just going out. We’re in a bit of a hurry,’ Jess say.
‘I don’t think so.’ He growl.
Jess Mum try:
‘They were just heading to …’
‘Louise!’ he bark. ‘Stay out of this.’
All time he keeping finger and red eye on me.
‘Nicu? What sort of name is that?’
‘It is Romanian name,’ I say.
After everything that happen
to me
now this.
This bastard man.
So close
he nearly kissing me.
His smell shoot into my nose
like poison.
‘Well, there’ll be no foreigners in this house.’
‘We’re just leaving,’ Jess say.
‘He is. You’re not.’
‘You don’t tell me what to do,’ Jess say.
‘Wanna bet?’
‘We go now,’ I say.
‘You better believe it kiddo,’ Terry say.
‘But before you piss off back
to where you come from,
get those clothes off.’
He put big hand on my hip,
tug
and
yank
at my T-shirt.
‘Get it off!’ he shouting.
Jess shout, ‘Leave him alone!’
And still he pull,
assault
and
attack.
But I no more have
my Swiss Army.
Threw it in drain hole.
I am protectless.
I hear sirens
in distance
outside.
Nee naw
Nee naw
Nee nawing
in my brain.
What to doing?
How to escaping?
His hand pressuring my neck.
‘See you and your type –’
‘Terry!’ Jess mum scream more.
I seeing Jess body tight,
her mum face full of fright.
His pressuring gets stronger
until Jess grab his arm.
Sirens
screams
shouts
brain
pain.
Jess kick his knee with all her muscle.
In super slow motion
it happen.
Terry’s hand
exit my neck
and
connect with eye of Jess.
Sirens
screams
lights
blue
red
mist arrive.
I think to using my other self-defending.
Wrestling days again appear.
I escape from the hold,
then
advance my head with full force
and
connect with Terry’s
nose.
Crack
break
bleed
fall
howl
and again we’re
running …
running …
running …