Chapter Five

William was the first to inspect her wound. The silence was the only thing that filled the room. William ran his thumb over the red mark. The confusion and shock clear on his face. He turned Layla around and inspected Layla herself. She looked the same as she always did, her heartbeat to the same rhythm that it always had, and the intake of breath followed with the out take of it. She seemed exactly like the girl he has always known.

“How did this happen?” William asked as he rolled up Layla’s shirt and pulled it over her arms and then over her head. Layla pulled the shirt down over her black sports bra. Their interaction seemed natural and common, like a married couple that followed the same routine every day.

“I walked home from the art studio after I finished my day. When I came home, the lights weren’t working, so I sat all my things down to go back outside to check the power box, but someone grabbed me from behind. Everything happened so fast. He pushed me against the wall and b