Nightmare

[puja]

Hey guys, this is my first fanfic so please be nice! I’ve been inspired to do this because of the brilliant fanfics I have read recently on this site.

It’s called ‘Nightmare’ and this fic is based on Jack and Martha.

It’s not a very long fanfic but I’d really appreciate your comments and thoughts.

Chapter 1

Jack let out a small cry as he suddenly awoke from his sleep. He lay on his bed, with his back to the mattress, eyes wide open. Huge beads of sweat began to slowly drip from his forehead, down the side of his face and onto his fiery red cheeks. He sat up-right, trying to take control of the situation but what was the situation? Why had he suddenly awoken in angst?

It then dawned on him. This irregular sleep pattern was now becoming a regular occurrence. For the past month or so, Jack would wake up in the middle of the night having visualised a nightmare of some sort. Once he was awake however, he could never recall what it was that actually scared him or infact, what the nightmare was. He looked around his room and then to his right. There was a small wooden cabinet and on top of it, was a jug of water and a mug. Jack shuffled towards the jug and poured the water into the mug. The dull looking mug was labelled ‘Jack’s mug’ by all of his friends. The main reason for this was because he had it with him always- when he went to work, at home but especially in the last few weeks- since he had been having ‘those nightmares’. The silence of the night made the trickling of the water sound like hail stones. He slowly took a sip and put the mug where it previously was, he was very particular with cleanliness. He looked towards his clock and saw that it was only 11.30pm. Why was it so quiet? he thought to himself. Maybe everyone decided to have an early night.

Jack slowly made his way out of bed and towards the window. The window in his room was small and high up but he often went there to reflect. He would stare out into the night sky, which would be lit up by the purity of the moon, and think. He had forgotten about this nightmare for minute but then the realisation hit him. It often annoyed him that he couldn’t remember what he dreamt about- all he knew was that it wasn’t nice.

After several hours of contemplating, Jack decided that it was time to get some sleep. The coldness his dark, dingy, small room hit across his bare chest like a stabbing sensation and it was time to get into his warmish bed. He knew what he was like, if he didn’t get enough sleep. He would be very cranky in the morning and Martha hated it when he was like that. Martha. Just the thought of her would bring a smile to his face. He sometimes had to pinch himself to believe that she was his girlfriend. She was absolutely stunning. She was tall with the most amazing legs; slim and with the best figure ever. Her long chocolate brown hair and bright blue topaz eyes made Jack’s heart melt every time he saw her. He couldn’t believe his luck. The most stunning girl in Summer Bay chose him even though she could have picked anyone. Their relationship was going from strength to strength after one year of being together.

Deep in his thought, Jack slowly made his way towards his bed. The sheets of his bed were slightly moist from his perspiration after the nightmare. But he didn’t care- he got into bed with the thoughts of his beautiful girlfriend and they kept him warm- both in the inside and out. Without realising, he was soon fast asleep.

[puja]

Thanks for all your sweet comments guys. I’d actually already written the second chapter before but wanted to see what you guys first thought.

The next chapter is a little boring. But I promise, things will become more interesting as the story progresses!

Chapter 2

The golden sunlight began to creep through the curtains as a ray hit Jack straight in the eyes. He woke up and without a moment’s hesitation, headed straight to the shower. He came out of the shower, wrapped in a blue fluffy towel, and went into the living area. The room was relatively subdued and it wasn’t until he got to the kitchen that he noticed Kim.

“Morning mate, sleep well?” asked Kim.

“Yeah I did thanks, what time did you guys come in, I didn’t hear you?” replied Jack.

“To be honest mate, I’m not quite sure. All I know and all I remember is that it was late. We dropped Rachael off round about 1.30am but the journey home seemed to go on for ages. I reckon we must’ve got in at 3.00am. You missed a brilliant night though mate, even if I don’t remember most of it” concluded Kim.

Jack just laughed as he walked towards the sink. Jack had his back to the door and was unaware that Martha was standing at the front step. The door was already open and she quietly crept inside. Kim saw her and was just about to say something when Martha gestured for him to keep quiet- she put her index finger towards her lips. Kim understood and watched her creep around until she was stood directly behind Jack. She moved closer and closer still until she got to touching distance and then planted a kiss on his bare shoulder. Jack jolted because of the unexpectedness of the touch but immediately knew who it was. He turned around and saw a cheeky grin plastered across his girlfriend’s face.

“Hey gorgeous” said a gleeful Jack. “I wasn’t expecting you this early, but I like the surprise”. He gently grabbed her waist and pulled her closer towards him. “You know I can’t resist you when you’re wearing that combination” he continued. For Jack, Martha looked awesome in everything she wore but, this was her favourite. She was wearing a knee length, chocolate brown skirt; a light shaded brown vest and a dark brown cardigan, covered in holes.

“I know that’s why I wore it” she suggested.

“You’re such a tease” he said, pulling her closer to him. He then slowly moved his head down, towards Martha’s face and pressed his lips against hers. He gently slipped his tongue into her mouth which received a moan of approval by Martha. Martha wrapped her arms around his back and began to run her fingers up and down his naked back. The pair had forgotten Kim was still in the room and it wasn’t until he spoke, that they broke off.

“I’m still in the room guys” he said casually as he was reading his newspaper. Kim had now become accustomed to this kind of behaviour and liked to wind them up. “Get a room” he sarcastically remarked.

“Sorry” Martha replied, “My fault!” Jack just smiled.

“Actually, I’m just heading to Noah’s; I’ve got the early shift today. Are you not working today Martha?”

“Yeah, I am. I’m working the evening shift”.

“Well, I best be off then, I’ll see you guys later. You may carry on now” Kim said cheekily as he exited the house.

Jack came out of the bedroom after getting changed and went and sat next to Martha. He placed his hand on her knee and said,

“I’ve got today off and thought I could cook you dinner tonight. I didn’t realise you were working” Jack said, disappointingly.

“Oh, I’m sorry honey. I would try and get out of it but we’re got a lot of bookings this week. Beth and Granddad will need me to work. How about you come down to Noah’s tonight? I’ll be finished by midnight and then we can come back here, if you want?”

“Yeah, ok, that’s sounds great” he said, sounding more cheerful.

“Well, I’ve got to go now sweetie. I said I’d meet Tash and we’d go shopping. I’ll see you tonight though?”

“Definitely, it’s a date” Jack exclaimed. He knelt towards Martha and gave her a passionate kiss. She giggled as she fought to get up. She straightened her skirt, gave Jack a wink and left. Jack just sat there, in awe. Everything was perfect in his life.

[puja]

This chapter is slightly long. I’m working on the next chapters now, enjoy!

Chapter 3

Jack made his way to Noah’s. It was 7.00pm and Martha would have started work about an hour ago. He made his way towards the bar and noticed that it was slowly but surely, starting to get busier. Music was blaring from the speakers and bright lights were circulating the bar. Jack looked towards the bar and saw that Martha was serving drinks. She hadn’t realised that Jack had arrived and continued to work obliviously. This gave Jack the perfect opportunity to watch Martha, in her most natural and best. They didn’t really argue much but one thing that did slightly annoy Martha was when he would watch her whilst she would be working. She claimed that it put her on edge but Jack couldn’t help it- especially when she was wearing her sexy uniform. Her uniform consisted of a light brown shirt, matching skirt and boots. His trail of thought was disturbed when he heard a faint calling of his name through the loud music.

“Jack, over here mate” said the voice. He looked through the crowd and saw Macca and Kim sat at a table. Macca stood up and gestured for him to join them. Jack made his way through the growing crowd and sat in between them.

“I know you’re madly in love with my sister but were you aware that you were stood there, watching her for the last 15 minutes?” Macca grinned.

“Erm… yeah, er…I was just yeah…” Jack mumbled.

“Yeah, yeah, I know mate” Macca smirked. “It’s my round, you guys want a beer?” Both Jack and Kim nodded and Macca made his was to the bar.

“When you got a minute please Princess” he said casually. That was his nickname for Martha. Macca and Martha were very close. Macca was only two years older than Martha but was very protective of her. Although Martha was adopted by Macca’s biological parents, he always considered her as his real sister. He would often refer to her as his, ‘baby sister’ and would do absolutely anything for her. When he came to Summer Bay, he was really happy to see her so settled and in love with Jack and the main thing was, he approved her choice. Macca and Jack clicked instantly and that was what Martha wanted, the two most important men in her life were friends.

“Yeah, coming” Martha smiled. She already knew what her brother was going to order and so had the drinks ready. “There you go” she said, handing Macca the three bottles.

“Thanks Princess” he replied. “You do know that Jack was standing over there staring at you for about 15 minutes earlier?” he continued.

“Really? He’s such a dork sometimes” she grinned. “I saw him make his way towards the table but I didn’t see him stare. He knows that I don’t like it when he does that” she continued in a jokingly manner.

“It’s not his fault, he’s in love” Macca said. “Anyway, when is it your break Princess? Come and have a drink with us when you’re free”.

“It won’t be for a while, we’re so busy. But, when I get a chance, I’ll pop over”.

With that, Macca made his way to the table.

It was now approaching 10.00pm and the bar was at its busiest. Both Martha and Beth we’re run off their feet as the crowd continued to grow. Kim had offered to help but as he was doing so, he got a call from a distressed Rachael saying she needed to speak to him. Beth decided to take control of the situation and both she and Martha decided one of them would have to serve the drinks whilst the other cleaned the tables and collected the glasses. Martha offered to do the latter, even though she was slightly feeling under the weather and hadn’t had her break.

Martha had to battle through the crowd to even get to a table. The club was so packed; there was hardly any space to move. There was one particular table, furthest away from the bar which was making the most noise and mess. Martha looked at the table and just sighed. She knew she had to go and tidy it but, just couldn’t face it. She shook her head to get rid of the negative thoughts and made her way towards the rowdy table which consisted of four guys.

“Excuse me, is it ok if I just get passed and collect those glasses?” she asked politely.

All four lads looked at each other in excitement.

“Of course” said the first guy, eyeing Martha up and down. “You can go past here” he said sleazily, moving his left leg out of the way and opening up a small gap. The rest of the lads just laughed.

“Right” Martha said reluctantly. As she tried to get past the small gap, the first guy began to run his fingers on her thigh.

“What do you think you are doing?” shouted a horrified Martha.

“Oh sorry, it was an accident. I had my hand on my knee and you must have brushed it as you walked passed” said the guy, smugly. He stood up and was facing face to face with Martha.

“Oh I’m really sorry” exclaimed Martha, who was genuinely worried about her mistake. “I thought…it doesn’t matter”.

“Go on, you thought what” he pressurised.

“Ermmm…”

“Hey, it’s ok. Don’t worry” he continued. “I’m not a bad guy, honest. My name is Mason, what’s yours?”

“Martha” she said reluctantly. For some reason, Martha felt nervous and uncomfortable.

Mason gently put his hand on Martha’s forearm and said, “What a beautiful name. The name reflects the face” he continued.

Martha began to feel even more uncomfortable and was relieved to see a friendly face.

“Hey” she said in a slightly high-pitched tone. It was jack. Jack pulled out his arm, held Martha’s hand and pulled her slightly towards him.

“Everything ok?” he asked cautiously.

“Yep, everything’s fine, let’s go”. She pulled Jack away as he led her to his table.

“Where’s Macca?” asked Martha.

“He’s just gone to the toilet. What happened over there, were they bothering you?”

“I thought one of them was trying it on with me, but I got the wrong end of the stick. I felt like such an idiot” she continued.

“Are you sure?” Jack said showing some concern as he sat down on the stool. Martha sat on his knees, with her arms around his neck.

“Yeah, I’m sure” she smiled, touched with the concern on Jack’s face. I’m just tired and feel a little under the weather” she explained.

Jack pulled her in closer, put his arms around her waist and gave her a kiss on her soft, moist lips. “That better?” he queried.

“Much” she said, happy to be in his arms.

Mason watched like a hawk as he saw Jack touch, kiss and make Martha laugh. His facial expression came across and evil and determined. He was still in the same position he was when Martha left- stood up straight. He then turned around towards his friends and raised his head. The look of evilness remained as he quietly whispered:

“…I want her…”

[puja]

Chapter 4

Martha looked at her watch and was relieved with what she saw, 11.50pm. Only 10 minutes left to go, then it’s finally over she said to herself. It was a lot quieter now, only a few people dotted around here or there but, she couldn’t wait to go home. Jack left about an hour ago. He didn’t want to as he wanted to walk Martha home but she managed to persuade him to go after Macca offered to stay with her until the end of her shift. Jack had an early shift at work tomorrow and if he didn’t get enough sleep…well, everyone knew what he would be like. She grinned to herself.

Macca offered to help Beth and Martha stack the chairs away and lock up.

“Only 5 more minutes before we close up now” Beth went round informing the remaining customers. Now, there was only one group left, Mason’s group. They remained rowdy and messy but Mason continued to keep an eye on Martha. He watched Martha as she giggled and laughed at the jokes her brother was sharing with her. She had her back to them so wasn’t aware of the sleazy glares that were being directed towards her. But, Macca noticed.

“What’s his problem?” Macca questioned as he noticed Mason looking at Martha. “He keeps looking around here, have I got something on my face?” he joked, asking Martha. She let out a small laugh, but then stopped in her tracks. Macca could read Martha like a book and he knew something was wrong.

“What is it Princess? Are you ok?”

“Erm, yeah I’m fine it’s just…”

Before she could say anything else, Mason and his friends approached them.

“Well, we can see it’s time to close the bar now. We’d best get going. I’m sorry about what happened earlier, please don’t feel bad. I can understand why you must have felt that I was trying something on, but I genuinely wasn’t. Sorry” Mason said, trying to sound sincere.

“Please stop apologising, it was my fault. I was the one who got the wrong impression. I’m feeling really embarrassed about it” Martha said.

“How about we forget about it?” Mason offered his hand towards Martha. She accepted and shook his hand in the recognition of forgetting everything.

“Right, I guess I’ll see you later. Bye”. With that, Mason and his friends left Noah’s. When he got to the corner, out of sight, he looked at his hand, the hand which Martha had shaken. He brought it to his face and caressed his hand around his lips. He then took a deep breath and inhaled the sweet fragrance that came from his hand.

“Mmmmm, sweet perfume, I like it” he whispered.

“Come on mate, what are you doing back there?” questioned his friend.

“Yeah sorry, I think I’ve forgotten something back at Noah’s. You guys go on ahead. I’m going to see if I can find it. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow” he replied.

“Ok, see you mate” replied his friend. Mason watched as his friends disappeared into the night’s sky. I need to find somewhere to hide, he thought to himself. He skimmed around his surrounding and noticed a building of some sort which was directly opposite Noah’s.

“Perfect” he said to himself. He staggered towards the building. He was slightly intoxicated but was fully aware of what he was doing. He got into position, making sure he wouldn’t be seen, and waited.

The following chapter may contain inappropriate writing/description. I apologies if anyone takes offence.

Chapter 5

Everything was finally put away and now in order. The bar looked respectable again. Macca questioned what had happened with regard to Mason and Martha filled him in.

“Jerk” exclaimed Macca.

“What, why? It was my fault Macca. I was the one who jumped to conclusions; he was only trying to do the right thing”.

“Right thing, I don’t think so Princess. Ok, fair enough. You jumped to the wrong conclusion and apologised for that. But why did he have to bring it up again. He could clearly see you were embarrassed about it. I don’t know. There’s something about that guy that I just don’t trust. I saw him earlier, staring at you when you had your back to him. He’s just…”

Martha cut him off. “Is there not the slightest chance you are saying all this because you are my brother, and you love me. The chances are that you will defend me” she grinned.

“Yes, I am your brother and I love you, don’t you ever forget that” Macca said, winking at his appreciative little sister.

“Thanks, that means a lot” she went over and gave him a hug.

“Martha, Macca; let’s go. I’m so tired, I think I might fall asleep any second now” Beth joked.

They locked the door and left the bar. Beth had offered them a lift but they both declined as it was not too far away. Macca would be heading towards the Caravan Park where he was currently staying but after dropping Martha off at the Diner’s flat first.

“Actually Mac, I was thinking of going to Jack’s tonight. Granddad has gone to the City tonight and I don’t really want to go home to an empty apartment” she explained.

“Fair enough, do you not need to go to the apartment to pick up some stuff?”

“No, half my stuff is over at Jack’s anyway”.

“Ok then” Macca said, taking his sister’s arm and walking down the beach. Oblivious to them, a figure was watching and following their every move…

Macca walked Martha to the door, gave her a goodnight kiss on the cheek, and left. Martha fiddled around her bag to find her keys. As she was doing so, she was sure she heard a noise, almost like a scuffle of leaves or something. She quickly dismissed the thoughts from her head and put it down to tiredness. Eventually, she found her keys and quietly let herself in, trying not to make too much noise. She made her way to the bathroom. A nice hot shower, that’s just what I need she thought to herself. Still in a state of tiredness, she began to undress.

Mason saw that Martha was not in the kitchen or living room. He noticed a fence surrounding the house and decided to follow it. There was a small, wooden gate which acted as a barrier, separating the front and back gardens. The latch on the gate was not fixed properly and this made it easier for Mason to gain access. The sound of water soon grabbed his attention. He followed the noise which led to a window. Mason approached the window, slowly but surely. He carefully peered through the corner of the window and saw Martha.

“She must have just had a shower” he mumbled to himself in excitement.

He stood there watching her. She was wearing a skimpy grey vest top and small, grey shorts. Her hair was wet and the droplets dampened the back of her vest- almost making her top see-through. Martha dried her hair the best she could with a towel and then put on her blue silky robe- it was another one of Jack’s favourites. After doing so, she exited the bathroom and headed towards Jack’s bedroom. Luckily for Mason, Jack’s bedroom was only next door to the bathroom. He moved to his right hand side.

The door knob slowly turned as Martha crept inside the room- carefully shutting the door behind her. She looked up in the direction of the bed and saw Jack- he was fast sleep. He looked so cute and peaceful; she didn’t have the heart to wake him. She undid the knot of her robe and placed it on a chair. Again, doing her best to be as quiet as possible, she walked around to the other side of the bed. Sitting on the bed, she began to comb her hair. Martha didn’t realise but the water drops from her hair were being flicked on by the comb. A couple of droplets landed on Jack’s bare upper arm and on his face. The cold splashes caused him to open his eyes. He moved his head to an angle and was surprised to see Martha.

“Hey” he said groggily.

“Hey, I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

“I felt something wet on my face, what was it?”

“I just got out of the shower, combing my hair, maybe it was that”.

Jack shuffled towards his girlfriend and grabbed her hand which had the comb. He took the comb from her hand and placed it on the floor and gently pulled her towards him and hovered above her.

“Jack!” she squealed. She liked it when he was on top, she felt safe and protected.

“You know what? You look absolutely gorgeous tonight. I mean, you always do but tonight you-“

“Just shut up and kiss me” Martha protested.

“Certainly” Jack grinned. Jack lowered his head towards Martha. He watched the twinkle in her eyes as he removed a strand of wet hair from her face. He softly placed his lip onto hers. Jack felt a small tingling sensation go up his spine. Martha felt it too as she moved her hands up and down his back. They both couldn’t keep their hands of each other as they inevitably gave into passion.

Mason continued to watch Jack and Martha. He peered into the bedroom as he began to feel himself getting angry inside. He hated the fact that Jack could please Martha and needed to think of something quickly. Just then, a plan of action started to come to mind. He went over each detail of the plan that he was thinking of, being careful not to get noticed.

“Yes, yes, that’s what I’ll do” he mumbled as a sinister smile began to emerge on his face.

[puja]

I’m back guys! Sorry for the long wait but the good news is that I’ve finished all my exams and have been working on the fic. Because of your patience, the following chapter is extra long. I’m posting two chapters at the moment but the second is short. Enjoy!

Chapter 6

Jack and Martha woke up in each others arms the following morning. Martha was the first to awake as she carefully crept out of bed, making sure not to wake Jack. She got ready and returned to the bedroom and saw that Jack was lying in bed, wide awake.

“Good morning” she smiled.

“Mmmm, it is, isn’t it” he replied. It’s such a beautiful day today and I’ve got to be at work in two hours time.

“You’re feeling slightly poetic, aren’t you?” Martha joked.

Jack laughed as he made himself out of bed and towards his girlfriend. “Well, I’m just that kind of guy, I suppose” he said. Jack gave Martha a kiss on the cheek and disappeared into the bathroom.

Martha and Kim were chatting in the kitchen when Jack finally emerged, dressed in his uniform.

“I thought you had work soon? The amount of time you spent in that bathroom, I was getting worried, I was just about to send out a search party!” Martha mischievously remarked. Both she and Kim began to laugh.

“Just making myself decent for you baby” he remarked.

“Yeah right” Martha questioned. “Anyway, I’m working the evening shift at Noah’s again tonight and I’m sure it’s going to be just as busy as last night. Actually, it’s going to be busier. A buck’s party has been booked and we’re going to be rushed off our feet”.

“Yeah, Beth mentioned something yesterday. I’d really love to help but I’m going to visit Rachael’s mum today in the City, and we’re probably not going to be back until tomorrow” said Kim.

“Oh, don’t worry. You just make sure she’s ok and give her our best”.

“Yeah, thanks Martha, I will” said Kim acknowledging his friend’s warm gesture. “Anyway, I’d best get going, Rachael will be waiting. I’ll probably see you guys tomorrow then. See you”. With that Kim exited.

Jack finished his breakfast and walked up to Martha. He had noticed that since Kim had left, about half an hour ago, Martha seemed distracted. She seemed to be thinking of something- daydreaming. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her petite waist and whispered in her ear,

“Is something wrong honey? Anything on your mind?”

“Erm…no, nothing. I’m just lost in my own thoughts”. Martha replied. This was not entirely true and Martha felt a little annoyed with herself for lying to Jack. Yes, she was lost in her thoughts but could she tell Jack why? She wanted to tell him how uncomfortable she felt around Mason and that there was something she didn’t trust about him. Would he just dismiss her feelings? Call her naïve? Martha tried hard to get rid of the negative thoughts. It occurred to her that she probably wouldn’t see Mason again- he was just an ordinary customer- and so there was no point in sharing her insecurities with Jack. “No honestly, I’m fine Jack. Do you think you will be able to come to Noah’s tonight? I’ll need something to cheer me up after being so busy”.

“Awww, I’m not sure baby. There’s this new case which I’m working on and it’s getting to the serious stage. I might be working on that till late tonight, I’m not sure. Ask Macca. Throw in a free beer and I’m sure he’ll be there with bells on” he mocked.

“Yeah I will ask Macca” Martha cheerfully replied. “He’s already been here a month and I’ve not had much chance to spend time with him. And, you’re right- a free beer and he’ll be there”.

With that, Martha walked Jack to the bay of the door. Jack stood in front of Martha and leant forwards for a kiss. Martha happily obliged but their ‘moment’ was interrupted when Jack pulled away after noticing something from his left eye.

“What’s wrong?” Martha questioned.

“Look, the latch on that gate it open. I could have sworn I locked it”. Jack moved towards the door, inspecting very carefully. “Did you open it?” asked Jack who was looking at Martha.

“No, I didn’t. It couldn’t have been Kim either because he only came home this morning. He was over at Rachael’s last night. I saw him come home this morning”. Martha then remembered. “Actually…last night, when I came home from Noah’s, I was looking for my keys and I’m sure I heard noises coming from that direction. I dismissed it thinking nothing of it but now…”

Jack saw the worried look on Martha’s face and quickly down-played the situation.

“I wouldn’t worry about it” he said, taking Martha’s hand. “Nothing has been vandalised or stolen, probably just one of those things” he reassured her. “Look, I’ve got to go or I’m going to be late. Don’t worry about it. I’ll try and make my way to Noah’s tonight but if not, I’ll probably see you tomorrow” Jack said, kissing Martha on her forehead”.

“Bye” replied a subdued Martha as she turned around and went inside, locking the door behind her.

On the other side of the door, peering behind a bush, was Mason. It wasn’t his intention to sleep in the garden all night but he wasn’t aware when he actually fell asleep.

“Right” he mumbled to himself. “An element of doubt as been placed in her mind. The plan is going to perfection” he grinned.

Chapter 7

Martha walked along the beach as the sun began to slowly set. She looked out towards the sea and took in the breath-taking view. A tint of red hit the sea as the reflection from the evening sky bounced off the water. Martha had arranged to meet Macca at Noah’s. She felt a little stupid and selfish asking her brother to meet her. Macca had just started his new job as a lorry driver and worked the most distressing hours. Martha had expressed her concerns to her brother about the strenuous hours he was working and she felt especially contradictory knowing that he was tired, but still asked him to meet her. Macca, without any hesitance, agreed to do so. He would do anything for Martha. Martha was really touched by his protectiveness but she wasn’t surprised. He had always been like that, since they were kids. Martha had actually missed Macca and his mannerisms. They had not seen each other for just over a year and a half after Martha left America to come to Summer Bay. She missed Macca the most when she left America. Dwelling on those thoughts, Martha arrived at Noah’s preparing to work the evening shift for the consecutive day.

“Hi sweet, I’m so glad to see you. It’s not even 7’o clock yet and look how busy we are” Beth said in disbelief as Martha made her way behind the bar”. And I’m afraid it’s just the two of us again. They are short staffed at the Diner so Alf’s had to cover Leah’s shift. How are you then?”

“I’m ok thanks Beth. I feel a little better than yesterday which is good” Martha said, hesitantly scanning the ever-growing crowd”.

“Looking for anyone in particular love?” Beth asked. Is Jack keeping you waiting?

“No” Martha left out a nervous laugh. “He’s working the late shift tonight so he probably won’t be able to make it. Macca said he might be coming later on though. I’ve not really been able to spend that much time with him. When he first arrived, I was busy with work and he was looking for a job. Now that we’re both working long hours, it’s hard to spend time with him”.

“Yeah, I can imagine. You’re pretty close aren’t you?” Beth remarked. “So it was Macca you were searching for amongst this crowd then?”

“Yep” Martha lied. She was really looking to see if Mason was at the bar. She was mighty relieved to see that he wasn’t there. But, just as she was beginning to feel relaxed, a large group of people entered. It was the buck’s party. Martha and Beth both sighed but soon turned their gloomy faces into smiley ones as customers began to emerge, thick and fast. However, Martha’s ‘smile’ was turned upside down as a figure charged his way through the crowd and made his way to the front. Martha’s heart sank and the sense of insecurity began to take hold. It was Mason.

[puja]

Chapter 8

Mason looked up and straight into Martha’s eyes. He maintained eye contact for what seemed like ages. But, Martha also didn’t look away. For some reason she was drawn to his eyes but for another reason. She felt really uncomfortable but didn’t want Mason to see it. Unlike Mason, she had no romantic feelings towards him and wanted to show that she wasn’t intimidated. Mason however was beginning to think that perhaps she did feel something- because of her stare. He then finally broke the silence,

“Hey, fancy seeing you here” he joked.

Martha tried to come across as short-hand as possible. “What can I get you?”

“Just a beer thanks” Mason said. He was a little surprised with her abruptness but still continued with the conversation. “Yeah, I’m with the Buck’s crew. My best friend, Simon, it’s for him. He’s decided to get hitched and listen to this- he met his fiancée at work- they are both Doctors. Can you believe the odds!?” he exclaimed.

“Oh” Martha whispered

“Speaking of the devil, here he is”. Simon made his way to the front of the bar and Mason was quick to introduce the two. “Martha, this is Dr Simon Webster, Simon, this is a friend of mine, Martha”.

“Nice to meet you” Simon politely said, putting his right-hand forward for a handshake.

Martha didn’t respond. She was still reeling from Mason’s introduction, introducing her as his friend.

“Martha” Mason said, watching her delve into deep thought whilst his friend still kept out his outstretched hand.

“Oh, I’m sorry, nice to meet you” Martha replied, acknowledging the hand and shaking it. “Sorry, can’t stand and talk we’re getting really busy. It was nice to meet you Simon and I hope you have a good night”. Martha then left the bar and went to collect some glasses.

“She’s beautiful mate. So this is the girl you’ve been talking about all afternoon. I can see why you like her. I mean if I wasn’t getting married in a week’s time, I might have given you some competition for her affection” Simon grinned. “Your luck as no bounds mate. You’ve found this stunning girl and she’s unattached. She is single isn’t she? Mason? Simon looked at his friend.

“Yeah, yeah, of course she is. You know that’s not my style- hitting on women who are otherwise unavailable. You know me mate”.

“Yeah, that’s why I asked” Simon smirked. Both began to laugh. “Anyway, I’d best get back to the Buck’s party. If you want, ask Martha to come join us, when she’s not busy”.

“I think I will, thanks Simon” Mason replied. Simon returned to his large group of friends as Mason pulled up a stool at the bar and sat down, watching Martha and her every move.

“Come on Macca, pick up” Martha mumbled to herself as she tried ringing her brother. “He was supposed to be here ages ago” she mumbled again. Martha had been trying to ring Macca for about ten minutes now. The phone would ring but no one would answer. She decided to try Jack. Martha dialled his number and waited for him to answer. After several rings, Jack finally answered.

“Hey sweetie, you ok?” Jack asked.

“Mmmmmmm”

“Are you sure” Jack said, showing concern in his voice.

“I’m ok, I just wanted to hear your voice” Martha explained.

“Can you speak up Martha, I can’t really hear you”. Martha was in the storeroom and therefore the signal was not great.

“Is there any chance you could come over tonight?” she asked hopefully, wishing the answer would be yes.

“Probably not honey, the case is really developing at a rapid pace at the moment and so probably won’t get the chance. Is Macca not there yet?”

“No. I’ve been ringing for ages but he’s not picked up. He’s probably asleep or something. He has been so tired lately. Anyway, I’ve got to go now Jack. I love you” she said.

“I lo-“Jack was cut off.

“Jack” Martha exclaimed. She looked at her phone in anguish-her battery was dead. She smiled to herself whilst looking at her phone. “I love you” Martha gushed.

Martha emerged from the storeroom feeling a lot happier. Even after talking to Jack she often felt protected and secure and this was the case again. She walked towards the bar with a smile on her face. Even though she saw Mason sat at the bar she didn’t feel intimidated anymore. Martha in fact felt a little stupid. Mason was probably just being friendly and she thought he was being creepy and possessive. Martha made her way behind the counter and with a smile on her face approached Mason.

“Another beer?” she said sounding cheerfully.

“Yes thanks. I hope you don’t mind me saying so but you seem a lot cheerier than you did about half an hour ago” Mason queried.

“Sorry about that, I was just having one of those moments. Actually I just spoke to Jack. I know it sounds silly and I did see him this morning but I was really missing him. You know my boyfriend Jack” Martha said handing him a bottle of beer.

“Yes” Mason replied, gritting his teeth. He clasped his grip on the glass bottle as it got stronger.

“Are you ok?” Martha questioned, noticing the change of tone in his voice.

Mason soon realised and took control of his emotions. “Yeah I’m good” he smiled. “I was just thinking, I don’t know that much about you, tell me about yourself”.

Martha smirked, innocently agreeing. “Well…” The two engaged in a long conversation. Martha was now comfortable but little did she know the scheming taking place in Mason’s head.

The following chapter may contain inappropriate writing/description. I apologies if anyone takes offence.

Chapter 9

“Martha, you can go early today if you want. The crowd has seemed to have got quieter and it’s not as busy as I expected. You were saying earlier that your headache has come back so go if you want” Beth said.

Martha looked at her watch. She hadn’t realised that time had flown by so quickly. She had been talking to Mason for several hours now and three hours had gone by.

“11.30pm. I can’t believe it” Martha exclaimed in surprise. “You must come in here more often Mason” she innocently claimed. He just laughed. “Thanks Beth, I think I will go. Granddad has gone on a fishing trip this weekend. He’s been working so hard this week and after covering Leah’s shift earlier, he could do with one. I’m just going to go home, run myself a nice hot bath and just relax”.

“That sounds nice sweet”.

“I’m just going to head to the storeroom and get my things and then I’ll be off. Thanks Mason for a lovely evening, you made work a lot fun today. See you later” said Martha.

“Yep, enjoy your night” Mason replied in a sleazy manner. “But before you go, let me buy you a drink”.

“Erm, ok then. Let me get my things and I’ll be back in a minute. Can I have a Coke please?” she said as she disappeared into the storeroom.

“One Coke please Beth” Mason asked. Beth handed him the drink in a glass and when she wasn’t looking, he slipped a small white tablet into the liquid. Fizz started to appear around the rim of the glass but eventually went down. He held the drink in his hand and as soon as Martha arrived, he gave it to her. “There you go; this might make you feel better”.

“Thanks”. Martha drank the drink in one go. “I didn’t realise I was that thirsty” she giggled. “Anyway, I’m definitely going now. See you Beth, see you Mason”. She picked up her bag and left the bar.

“Can I have another beer please Beth?”

“Sure Mason, there you go”.

Just as Beth was beginning to relax, another group of people entered Noah’s. “Great, that’s all I need and Martha’s gone as well” she sighed. “No rest for the wicked I guess” Beth tried to joke. “Next please…”

This was the opportunity Mason was looking for. The bar had got busier…no one would notice he had left. Mason slowly got up and exited the bar.

He got outside and felt more refreshed as the cold sea air brushed across his face. He didn’t feel drunk as he had only drank two beers. Mason looked across the beach as the wind howled on the deserted night. There was hardly anyone about but Mason saw a figure in the distance. The figure looked slightly unstable and he knew it had to be Martha. “She got further than I thought she would” he whispered to himself. Mason slowly but surely made his way towards the oblivious Martha. He was beginning to approach her from behind. Mason was now within touching distance. He out-stretched his arm and touched Martha on her right shoulder. Martha was not fully aware of what was happening but stopped.

“Jack?” she mumbled. “Is that you?” Her vision was blurry and the night sky didn’t help. She slowly began to turn around. Martha stared at the face but couldn’t make any sense of it. Just before she could reach out to touch the face, she collapsed in a heap. Mason glared at the motionless figure.

“She’s so beautiful even when she’s unconscious” he said. Mason then fell to his knees and removed a strand of hair that had fallen across Martha’s face. He began to unbutton his shirt and leant further forward, kissing Martha on her moist lips. He glided his fingers against her upper-arm as he pressed his body against her. Mason then slid his hand underneath her shirt- being careful not to hurt her- but caressing her perfectly toned stomach. His touch continued to move upwards along her body. Martha was still unconscious. There was nothing she could do…

[puja]

I’m putting the next two chapters up now guys. Chapter 11 is quite long. The area I’m covering is so sensitive; I hope I’m able to portray it in the right manner.

Chapter 10

Mason returned to Noah’s after his evil deed. He rushed towards the Buck’s crew and quickly mingled with the rest of the group. He looked towards the bar and saw Beth drying glasses. Then, he glanced towards the door. Mason was beginning to feel nervous. Even though he was aware that the tablet dosage he had mixed in Martha’s drink was long lasting, he was expecting her to walk in any minute now. Mason looked towards the entrance another time but this time his face dropped. The person who just walked in didn’t look happy. It was Macca.

“Beth, have you seen Martha?”

“She left about half an hour ago. I told to leave early because it had gotten quieter and she was complaining of a headache. I think she said she was heading back to the apartment, back to Alf’s. I thought you were coming to meet her earlier?”

“I was supposed to but I fell asleep. All those long nights are finally taken its toll. My phone was on silent and when I checked my phone, I had about five missed-calls from Princess. I was worried” Macca said in anguish.

“Don’t worry about it sweet, she was a little bit off colour earlier but soon cheered up as the night progressed” Beth explained. Infact she was actually having fun by the end of the night talking to Mason. He’s reall-“

“Mason?” Macca interrupted.

“Yeah, they seemed to have formed a friendship. They were talking all night. He seems like a lovely person- very happy and cheerful”

“Where is this Mason now” Macca questioned.

“Probably in that large group somewhere, he’s with the buck’s party. Oh look, he’s there. The one in the black shirt and jeans”.

“Yeah I see him”. Macca moaned. “Anyway, I’m going to the apartment and see Martha. Goodnight Beth”.

“Night sweet”.

Mason let out a huge sigh of relief as he saw Macca leave.

Macca began his walk along the beach heading towards the apartment. He hadn’t been in the Bay for long but it was now beginning to feel like home. What made him happier was the fact that he could see his baby sister so happy and so in love. Macca really liked Jack and it was plain to see how much he loved his Princess. Lost in his trail of thought, Macca looked up ahead and saw someone or something lying on the beach. He picked up pace and ran towards the figure. He bent down and rolled the figure to see the face. Macca was horrified.

“Martha!!”

Chapter 11

Macca froze. He didn’t move, he couldn’t move as he watched the lifeless figure of his sister draped across his knees. After what seemed like ages, he finally snapped out of his deep trance.

“Martha?” he let out a small cry. “Come on Princess, talk to me. What’s happened to you? Who did this? I can’t bel-“. Macca stopped in mid sentence. He noticed a slight movement in Martha’s face. He waited. Martha began to slowly open her eyes.

Everything was quiet. The only sound that surfaced was the fierce waves crashing against the bottoms of the cliff and this was more apparent because of the secluded atmosphere. Macca had left Martha’s side momentarily as he headed towards the sea. He knelt down and using both hands, cupped a small volume of water and returned back to his sister. Macca sprinkled the water across her face. Although Martha had opened her eyes for a moment, it was not for long. She kept on drifting in and out of sleep for the last ten minutes or so. Macca had hoped that the water would act as a repellent- the coldness of the fresh water would help her regain full consciousness. If not, the last resort would be to take her to the hospital but Macca didn’t want to do that. He needed to know what had happened first.

Macca’s idea finally began to work- Martha was now waking up. He leant in forward to console his sister and to make sure that she was ok but, he was not prepared for her reaction.

“Get away from me! Don’t touch me! Please, please, please don’t do it again. Don’t touch me!” she screamed. Martha was sat up-right but hesitantly began to shuffle backwards. Even though she could see a figure sat in front of her, her vision was still not clear. Macca looked on in amazement.

“Princess, it’s me Macca” he said reaching out his hand and moving forward.

“NO! NO! Please don’t do it again. Please” she wailed hysterically. Martha then placed her right hand across her stomach and looked down towards it. Her stomach was aching. It felt like a stabbing sensation shooting across the lower abdomen. The pain was becoming unbearable as the raw but seemingly numb feeling circulated around. The uncomfortable and distressing feeling was slowly making its way towards the top of her legs. She felt horrified but without a second thought, she sharply rose and got to her feet. With one sudden movement, she turned around and with her back to Macca, ran as fast as her feet could carry.

“Martha!!” Macca exclaimed as a small tear trickled down the side of his face. “Martha please wait, it’s me, your brother”. Macca was now beginning to sob. It was the first time his sister was actually scared of him and to the extent that she had to runaway from him. He was her brother. Macca controlled his emotions as he didn’t want to be weak, he had to find what happened and the only way to do this was to speak to Martha. Before he could do that, he had to sort his head out and prepare himself for what Martha could tell him. He fell on his knees and looked out into the sea.

Martha reached the apartment with tears streaming down her face. She let herself in and locked the door behind her. She had cried so much and so hard that even though she was still crying, no tears were falling. It was like they had all dried up. She moved a few paces making her way to the sofa but then stopped. On looking directly ahead she saw her reflection in the mirror. Martha moved closer to the mirror which reflected the horrific reality. The numbing sensation was returning as she turned away from the mirror- feeling disgusted and unable to look at her self. Martha rubbed her hands across her opposite arms. The feeling on disgust made her physically sick and she needed to get refreshed. It was the only option, she thought to herself as she headed towards the shower.

The warm water started to trickle from the shower-head as Martha undressed and got into the shower. Even though the warm water was soothing for awhile, horrific, graphical but unclear visuals began to creep into her head. The images were not clear but that’s what made it worse. Everything was so vivid and no sense could be made. Martha examined her body. She noticed a bruise was starting to emerge near her hip and there was a small, but visible, scratch on her right shoulder. But, it was the pain that she was feeling inside that was untreatable- the mental and emotional hell she was going through- and this was only the start. Violently, Martha started to scrub herself clean. She needed to feel clean again. She reached out for her shower gel, mango and vanilla, it was Jack’s favourite. Jack…Jack. With that thought, Martha fell in a heap at the bottom of the shower. Water droplets became a convenient substitute for the tears that had long ago dried.

Draped in a full length robe, Martha finally found the courage to leave the bathroom. She’d put her uniform from Noah’s in a container and brought it out to the garden. It was one way to get rid of the thoughts, by burning them away. Martha lit a match and threw it on top of all the items of clothing she was previously wearing- she wanted no traces. The clothes soon turned to ash as Martha sat watching the element do its work. From the corner of her eye she saw someone walk towards her. Martha didn’t have the energy to stand up and walk away, she felt so drained. As the figure got closer she realised how apprehensive she was feeling and with every ounce of fight, began to slowly return to the flat. She felt scared and didn’t know who the figure was.

“Princess” let out the voice.

Martha turned around and to her relief saw that it was her brother. Macca wanted to run to her and give her a big hug but after her reaction last time, he was more cautious. He walked slowly as Martha remained in the same spot. As Macca got closer however, Martha started to slowly edge backwards.

“Princess, please wait. Tell me what happened?” Macca went closer and closer still. Martha just stared at her brother’s expressionless face. She could see the pain in his eyes and the hurt he was feeling. Taking one step forward towards Macca, she only managed to whisper one small phrase.

“…I’ve been raped…” she solemnly concluded, falling in her brothers arms.

[puja]

Chapter 12

Macca and Martha were sat in the flat. The last couple of hours were spent by Martha reliving the vivid images and flashbacks that were regularly occurring. Macca did the only thing he could do- comfort his sister. After a period of silence, Macca finally spoke,

“It’s 3’o clock in the morning Princess, you should try and get some sleep”.

“I can’t” whispered a subdued Martha. “I’m really scared Macca. I…I…I’m scared to even go to sleep. I’m here in this apartment, with you and I’m terrified of my own shadow. I know that I’ve been raped but don’t know who did it. How can I ever get through this?” Martha began to cry. It was after a long time that beads of tears began to fall from her soft, delicate cheeks.

“Princess, I’m going to suggest something and you might not like it but I have to say it. Maybe the only way for you to start to overcome this ordeal is by talking to someone. I mean the police could-“ Macca paused after Martha let out a small gasp. Martha, who had buried her head in her brother’s chest, got up from her position and started to walk towards the kitchen sink.

“The police? I can’t go to the police. I won’t go to the police. Macca, you’ve got to promise me, this stays between the two of us. You can’t tell anyone. Please, please, promise me”. She started to cry hysterically. Macca got up from the sofa and crouched down to his bewildered sister- wrapping his arms around her.

“Hey, hey. I’m sorry. Sssshhhh. Come one Princess, please don’t cry. You know I can’t see you like this. I promise, we’ll handle this in the way you want it. Any decision you make, I’ll be behind you 100%. But, what about Jack?”

Martha looked up at her brother. “Jack” she said. “I…” Just then the phone rang. After several rings, Martha eventually got up and picked up the phone. “Hello” she gently whispered.

“Hey baby, it’s me. I’ve just got in from the station and really wanted to hear your voice. I know its bit of a strange time to be calling you. I tried your mobile but there was no answer. I hope I didn’t wake you?”

“Jack” she whispered. Martha couldn’t talk to him. She felt that she had betrayed him; the feeling was getting stronger and stronger as it took over. Martha dropped the receiver and ran into her bedroom, locking the door behind her.

“Honey, Martha, are you ok? You still there? Hello, hello”.

“Jack mate its Macca. Martha’s not feeling well so I’ve told her to get some sleep. Is there a message that you want me to give her?”

“Er…no it’s fine mate. Shall I come over? Is she really sick?”

“No Jack, don’t come over mate. She’ll be ok. I’m staying over tonight because Alf’s gone to the City so I’ll look after her mate”.

“Ok but if she needs anything, ring me mate” said Jack showing concern.

“Yep will do. Goodnight”. Macca put the phone down and knocked on Martha’s door. “Don’t worry Princess, I didn’t tell him anything. He doesn’t suspect a thing”.

Martha turned the doorknob and let Macca in. She went straight to her bed and started to cry. Macca sat beside his sister and started to cradle her.

“Macca, I’m really tired” she said.

“Go to sleep Princess, I’m not going anywhere”.

Chapter 13

Martha woke up after hearing a knock on the door. She looked around her room and didn’t see Macca. She got out of bed and made her way out of her bedroom. Martha walked into the dining area and saw Macca sat on the table, drinking his coffee.

“Sorry Princess, I accidentally slammed the door shut. There was no milk so I went to buy some and when I came back, I slammed the door behind”.

“I thought I heard a knock on the door- that’s why I woke up. What time is it?”

“It’s 9.30am” Macca replied.

“What time did you actually get up Macca?” Martha looked towards Macca who was yawning. “You didn’t sleep at all did you?” she questioned. Macca shook his head. “I’m sorry” Martha said.

“Do you want some coffee Princess?” Martha nodded. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Without thinking, Martha instinctively went to open the door. It was Jack.

“Hey gorgeous, how are you feeling?” Jack said, grabbing Martha by the waist and pulling her towards him and trying to kiss her on her lips.

“Jack, please don’t” she said, struggling to get free from his grasp. Jack assumed she was just kidding and continued to kiss her. “Jack get off me, don’t touch me, don’t-“. Jack stopped. He was amazed at Martha’s strong reaction against him touching her.

“What’s wrong?” he said in a state of shock.

Martha looked up at Macca and ran towards him, falling in his arms as she started to cry. She only seemed to feel safe and protected when she was with Macca. He was the only one that knew and this acted as a form of consolidation to Martha.

Jack remained in utter shock as he tried to make sense of what was happening. He could feel himself getting angry inside- all he did was touch his girlfriend, what was her problem?

“Can someone tell me what’s going on here?” he finally erupted. “Macca? You tell me mate, what’s going on?” Macca looked down at his sister’s face. He observed the red rings around his sister’s beautiful eyes and it broke his heart.

“I think you ought to tell him Princess” he whispered in her ear. “He doesn’t deserve to remain in the dark. Jack loves you and he will help you get through this very emotional time. I’ll be right here if you want me to stay”. Martha nodded. “Jack mate, you might want to sit down”.

Jack moved towards the sofa and the closer he got to Martha, the further she would shuffle away. Jack sat down. “What is it? I’m getting really worried now, tell me what it is”. Martha sat on the single sofa whilst holding Macca’s hand, who remained upright.

Martha took a deep breath and slowly began to describe her ordeal. “Jack, something happened last-night after my shift at Noah’s…”

[puja]

The following chapter contains strong language.

Chapter 14

The room was in silence. It had been approximately half an hour since Macca had left after he decided Martha and Jack needed space to talk. Since Macca’s departure, there was no talk. Martha remained sat down on the sofa, looking down at her sweaty palms. Jack was stood up with his arms folded across his chest, whilst he looked out through the window. He tried to comprehend what he had just heard as Martha’s words continued to circulate inside his head, subconsciously. Martha couldn’t take the tension any longer. She felt slightly hurt by Jack’s reaction. Although understandable, Jack didn’t once turn around to comfort her, least of all say something. Martha was beginning to think that he couldn’t look at her as he felt disgusted by the act and maybe even her. She slowly stood up, holding her stomach as the soreness had not completely gone away, and made her way to where Jack was stood. Standing directly behind him, Martha wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch him, hold him and make her feel safe again- but she couldn’t. Instead she whispered,

“Jack”.

Jack turned around and looked into Martha’s eyes. He could no longer see a strong and battling character but instead, a vulnerable and dependent individual. The watery and redness of Jack’s eyes revealed his heartache and anguish but as he went to reach out for Martha’s hand, she backed away. Martha’s hesitation released an unexpected reaction on Jack’s behalf; Martha had never seen him like this. He abruptly swivelled around and punched the hard dining room wall. He then looked back at Martha,

“I’m sorry” he said sincerely as he quickly realised his mistake after noticing Martha’s scared and frightened expressions. “I hate the fact that all this has happened and I wasn’t there for you. I hate myself for not protecting you- what kind of boyfriend does that make me? I hate that bastard for doing what he has and it’s effect means that my girlfriend can’t stand me touching her!” Jack shouted, unable to control his emotions.

“Jack, please” Martha began to cry. “I need you to be strong, I’ve tried to carry this burden alone and I can’t do it! I just can’t! I told Macca for the very same reason and now I’ve told you. Please, I really need your help and support” she hysterically exclaimed.

Jack looked on in horror as Martha fell to the floor. “Oh God” Jack said, fiercely drying the tears that were rigorously falling down his face. “I’m so sorry baby” he said. “Can I-“

Martha nodded and gestured for him to come closer. Jack was there in a flash as he wrapped his strong arms around Martha who positively replied by returning the gesture. The two remained like this for what seemed like ages, holding and comforting each other.

“Martha, we need to go to the police” Jack said. “We need to catch this sick pervert before he can do this kind of thing again. It will only be then that we can start to get some perspective on this and try to get through it. I’ve seen this kind of thing before and I’m not going to lie to you. Catching this bastard, identifying him and taking him to court will require all your strength and courage. You need to be emotionally and mentally strong but I’m going to be with you, every step of the way”.

Martha took solace with Jack’s constant referral to, “we”. She nodded in acknowledgement as Jack helped her to her feet.

“We should go now” Jack said holding Martha’s hand and guiding her to the door.

“Wait Jack” Martha said. “I can’t go dressed like this; I’m still in my pyjamas”. A small smile began to creep from the side of Jack’s lips. “I’ll only be a minute” she said as she walked towards her room. Instinctively, Jack followed Martha towards her room. He had momentarily forgotten about the incident but a tentative look by Martha soon reminded him.

“I’ll just wait out here then” Jack said after acknowledging Martha’s tentative plight.

“Thanks” she replied as she brushed Jack’s cheek with her lips and disappeared into her room.

Jack remembered when he last kissed Martha and it was yesterday morning. He was happy with Martha’s progress in the sense that she was not so hesitant when he touched her anymore but was aware that they had a long journey ahead of then to get back to the way things were before…before that scoundrel turned their lives upside down.

Lost in his thought, Jack snapped out of his daze as Martha emerged from her room. He looked at her and she still looked beautiful. She had her hair in a ponytail and was wearing blue jeans and a full-length black shirt.

“Shall we go? Martha asked.

“Hmmmm, let’s go”. Jack took Martha’s hand in his and led her out of the apartment. They got into Jack’s car and drove to the police station.

Jack walked slightly ahead of Martha but her grip of his hand began to get tighter the closer they got to the station. They entered the police station and Jack scanned around the room.

“Jack” said a voice. Jack looked over to where the voice came from and it came from the front desk. It was Lara. “You’re eager aren’t you?! You only finished your shift a couple of hours ago and now you’re back for more. I think someone is trying to impress the new Sarge!” she joked. “Oh hi Martha, I didn’t see you there”.

“Hi” said a subdued Martha who was still refusing to loosen her grip on Jack’s hand.

“Lara, is Sargent Harper here?” Jack finally spoke.

“Yep, he’s in that interview room, go through”.

Jack looked at Martha as she took a deep sigh. “You ready?” he whispered in her ear.

“Let’s go” she said.

Jack knocked on the door and let himself in. “Holden, what are you doing here? Ah, this must be the lovely Martha. It’s nice to finally meet you love, I’ve heard so much about you, it’s nice to eventually put a face to the name” Harper joked. He looked at both their faces and they were expressionless. “Is everything ok?” Harper asked with a hint of concern in his voice.

“Sarge, we’ve come to file a report…” Jack said, trailing off. “Of rape…” he completed.

[puja]

Chapter 15

“I know we’ve already been through this several times Martha and I can’t even begin to think how hard this is for you but, is there anything you can tell us about your attacker that can help us in the investigation? Something like a distinct chararcteristic- an accent? Hair colour? Anything that could possibly narrow the investigation down”. Harper persisted.

“I’m sorry, I really don’t know. Like I’ve already said, it was dark and I wasn’t feeling well. I was drifting in and out of consciousness and my vision was blurry. All I remember is feeling pinned down…like somebody was on top of me…someone strong and they…he…he was touching me…and I tried to fight him, to stop him, I really did but he was so strong…and…” Martha paused; she couldn’t go through it again, re-living it over and over. “Please, I can’t. We’ve been in this interview room for over an hour now and I haven’t been able to tell you anything different from the first time I went through it with you” she said as she felt herself getting angry. “I don’t know what else you want me to say”. Martha looked at Jack who had been sat with her throughout the whole duration of the interview. “This is beginning to feel like an interrogation and I can’t deal with it” she began to weep. “Maybe this was a bad idea, I want to go home” Martha said getting up from her chair but her momentum was stopped by Jack’s firm hold of her hand- he had not let go throughout the interview.

“Martha, please sit back down” Jack pleaded. “We need to get to the bottom of this. Do you really want the jerk that did this to you to get away with it? That’s what he wants. And if you don’t take this further, it will be like he’s won and that sense of authority will remain over you forever” Jack concluded. Martha looked into Jack’s eyes and witnessed the pain he too was going through and because of this, she sat back down.

“Martha, what I am about to say may be a shock but eight out of ten rape victims are raped by people they know. It’s a horrible statistic but unfortunately, it’s true. Is there anyone you suspect?” said Harper.

“You mean someone I know could have done this to me?” said a shocked Martha. “So I have to suspect all my friends now. How can I do that? Why would any of my friends do this to me? What do you want…do you want me to name names…ok then, Kim, Robbie, Dan…Ric, he’s my cousin but he might have done it” Martha felt herself getting angrier and angrier at Harper’s suggestion. “Well, if no one is being spared then you can throw Macca into the equation. I’m his adopted sister so I’m not blood therefore maybe he did it. Plus, he was the one that found me. And, just to round it off, Jack. Yep, he’s my boyfriend but he could have also done this” she ranted as rage took over and this was clearly showing by the redness of both her cheeks.

“Martha! Stop it!” Jack exclaimed.

“No Jack, I won’t! I need the support of my friends and family the most at this time and this man (pointing to Harper) wants me to suspect them! I can’t…I won’t…how can I ever look these people in the face? This doubt has been placed in my mind and every time I’ll see them, I will question, do they have an ulterior motive? Have they raped me?!”

“I’m sorry love but I’m merely stating what I know. I’ve been in this job now for almost 27years and as much as I hate to say it, I have seen it happen. Look, I can see you’re upset so let’s change our angle of concentration” Harper said.

Martha nodded and she had calmed down. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to have a go at you and I know you’re only doing your job and trying to help. I’m really sorry” Martha said sincerely, sitting back down on her chair and facing Harper.

“Don’t apologies love; you have every right to be angry. Anyway, I’m use to this now…been married to the wife for nearly 30years” he joked. This brought a smile to both Jack’s and Martha’s face. “I’ll tell you what; let’s have a ten minute break. You collect your thoughts and get that lazy boyfriend of yours to make some coffee and we’ll resume again in ten. That sound ok?” asked Harper.

“Thanks Sarge that will be great” answered Jack.

“Ok, I’ll give you two some space. I’ll be back in ten Holden, look after her” Harper replied as he exited the room.

Ten minutes went by in a flash and the three resumed their seating positions from earlier. Martha had gone to the bathroom and freshened up and was feeling a lot more comfortable now than she did before. During the break she rang Macca and informed him of what was going on. She knew he would be worried and she was right. When Martha told him that she was at the police station he said he was proud of her bold and courageous decision and this made Martha even more determined to control her feelings and emotions and do everything she could to catch the leech who did this to her.

“Martha” Harper began, “I know you said that after your ordeal, you went back to your apartment and had a shower. What did you do with the clothes you were wearing when…when the rape took place?” he said bluntly.

“Erm…I burnt them. I couldn’t stand seeing them so I just burnt them. After that Macca arrived” she said.

“Damn!” Harper exclaimed. Martha saw his somewhat annoyed expression then she turned to look at Jack who also shared Harper’s annoyance.

“Why, what’s wrong. Have I done something wrong?” she nervously and anxiously said.

“If we had the clothes available then we could have sent them to the Lab and had them tested. The DNA sample would have helped a great deal” Jack explained to a bewildered Martha.

“Oh, I didn’t even think. I was so angry at the time, I just…”

“Hey sweetie, don’t worry” Jack said comforting Martha as he kissed her on the forehead. “It doesn’t matter, I’m sure something else will come up” he said, looking over at Harper. Jack knew that losing the clothes were a big blow to the case and so did Harper, but he didn’t want Martha to feel guilty, especially after everything she had been through.

“Don’t worry love. I want you and Jack to go to the hospital and if it’s ok by you, have a full examination done. We’ll also ask for blood tests. From what you’ve said, there is a possibility that something may have been mixed in your food or drink to make you lose consciousness. Seeing as though you work in a bar, that would not have been hard to do. Also, it would be an idea if you can make a note of the names of people you can remember who have been coming to the bar when you’ve been working; if anything strange has happened during the last week or so etc. Is that ok?” asked Harper.

“Ok then, I’ll try” replied Martha.

“Great, now if you two want to get going now, I’ll inform the hospital that you’re coming” said Harper.

Martha stood up but Jack remained seated. He was repeating, subconsciously, what Harper had said, “anything strange has happened during the last week or so”. He remembered the incident with Mason and how Macca was always saying how he didn’t like him. Jack then felt a sinking sensation deep inside of him. Maybe Mason has something to do with this he thought to himself.

“Jack, you ok?” Martha said breaking his deep trail of thought”.

“Oh yeah, sorry, I was just…it doesn’t matter. Let’s go to the hospital then” Jack finally spoke. He didn’t wan to say anything just yet or worry Martha anymore. He didn’t have any evidence, it was just a gut feeling and the law is not based on gut instincts. With that thought, the two left the police station and headed towards the hospital.

NEXT: Martha’s test results are back: will they have a shocking effect?

Also, after going in hiding, Mason makes a shock return…