Six - Carine

Returning home she had showered and changed, throwing her torn and ruined clothes away but keeping Vanadine’s coat. She examined it, finding nothing in the pockets and not even a label to say where it had been made. Yet she could tell from the weave and stitching it was a quality garment and probably expensive. With Laura still out, Carine lay on her bed and covered herself with the coat, trying to get some sleep. Yet despite the comfort and safety she gained from his scent surrounding her and the soft touch of the cloth, every time she closed her eyes all she saw was the grinning, leering faces of Glenn and Hann, ready to grab her again.

She woke with a start, a scream on her lips as something grabbed her leg. Thrashing and fighting against the bedclothes and coat, she kicked and grunted, mewling sounds escaping her throat as she tried to escape. When her eyes opened and she saw the lamp beside her bed was on, she looked down to see the bed was undisturbed and the coat lay over her like a protective blanket. Carine groaned and looked at the clock, seeing it was five-thirty in the morning. Knowing she was not going to get much in the way of sleep, she rose and dressed in jeans and t-shirt, heading to the small kitchenette for coffee and toast. On a whim, she returned and slung Vanadine’s coat over her shoulders, feeling instantly protected she returned and swilled coffee until her bladder hurt.

His face grew in her mind, the eyes predominant even though she had not seen them fully last night. They seemed filled with pain and anguish, making her wonder what was troubling him.

‘I’m not a good man…’ She recalled his words. ‘For your own safety put me from your mind.’

Her thoughts turned to his impressive strength, speed and apparent ability to see in the dark, next making her wonder what he was.

Just someone really strong and fast. Her mind said. What else, some kind of superhero or strange creature of the night? Yeah, let’s go with that, no one’s going to think you’re losing it. He’s just a man, maybe an impressive man but a man nevertheless.

After dressing and readying herself for work, Carine scrolled through the photos and messages from the previous night, her phone miraculously unscathed in the trauma of last night. Laura rushed in, her hair a mess and clothing barely put on correctly, in fact Carine thought her skirt was on inside out.

“Late, late, late!” Laura huffed as she darted past Carine, heading for her room.

“Good night?” Carine asked sarcastically.

“Shut up! And no, not really. Pour me a coffee to go would ya?” Laura asked, emerging minutes later in skinny jeans, a shelter t-shirt and battered Nike trainers that had seen more than their fair share of dog crap.

Running for the bus, the driver grinning as he pretended to close the doors on them, the pair just made it in time.

“Morning, Jim,” Carine panted as she flashed her pass.

“Ladies,” Jim said with a grandfatherly smile. “Cutting it fine again.”

Carine rolled her eyes and nodded towards Laura, the older man smiling again. She took a seat by the window, staring out as the world slid by. Buildings and people all going about their business. School kids in matching uniforms pushing and shouting good naturedly while waiting for their bus.

How many of them know? Carine wondered as she sat there. How many people know what lies just a few streets back, just a short walk from where they are now?

“...all right?” A voice came from beside her.

“Huh?”

“I asked if you’re all right?” Laura asked from beside her. “You seem a bit distracted.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Carine said as images of the previous night played across her psyche. “So what happened with Alfonso?” She asked without any real interest.

“Not much,” Laura said. Everything was going fine, he was great; charming, sexy, funny in that way where he didn’t understand some things here. He’s only been here a few months so it’s still a culture shock to him,” Laura droned on, running a hand through her blonde hair. “So we were getting hot and heavy in the club, you know, those kinds of kisses that are lipstick smearing, searing hot and make things squirm downstairs? There’s a kind of promise in them, an expectation of things to come,” she accentuated the last word. “Well it turns out the expectation didn’t match the reality. Are you listening?” Laura asked as Carine was engrossed in the world outside.

“Hmm? Yeah, disappointing was he?” She asked in a bored tone.

“Yeah,” Laura drew the word out, looking at her friend. “You sure you’re all right, you’re usually more interested in my failures in the bedroom.”

“Yeah,” Carine said in a sad tone. “Just got a few things on my mind, is all. Carry on,” she said.

“So we got to his place and it’s really nice, designer touches and views over the city, open plan and split level. He didn’t waste much time, dragging me upstairs and we were all over each other, heat building like it does. You know when you just have to have someone, right there and then? It was like that. So anyway we get down to business and after about three strokes he grunts a few times, rolls off me and goes to sleep! That was it, doubt it was even thirty seconds. Never even gave me a second thought,” Laura said. “Should have robbed him and left then but I was drunk so I stayed, overslept and I won’t be going anywhere near him again.”

“Sorry, babe,” Carine said. “You deserve a stud that can keep going for hours,” she added.

“I’d settle for a stud that makes me feel something,” Laura complained. “And someone who doesn’t force me to finish myself off!” She said a little too loudly.

An elderly woman in the seat in front of them turned and Carine prepared for the outrage and judgemental stares. Both younger women chuffed a laugh when the woman pursed her lips and nodded in agreement before turning back around.

Off the bus, they were walking along the long road leading out of town, heading for the shelter when a car pulled alongside them.

“Lift?” Paul asked from inside.

“Nah, going to enjoy the morning sun,” Laura said.

“Right-o, see you there,” Paul said as he drove off.

“He’s always available,” Carine said.

“I bet he’s a freak when you get him going,” Laura said. “But I could never deny you the pleasure.”

“You make me physically sick,” Carine said.

“No, think about it,” Laura went on. “Geeks and nerds probably spend hours reading about techniques and what to do in case they ever get a lover so when they do they know exactly what buttons to push and where best to put a tongue.”

“Jesus, can you imagine that looming over you?” Carine asked, the trauma of the previous night forgotten for the time being.

“Can’t and won’t,” Laura said. “But if he was behind…” She grinned.

Carine made retching sounds.

“Sick…” she said. “In my mouth!”

The Daniel Colefax rescue and re-homing centre was set back from the road a little and comprised of a number of squat buildings behind which sat around forty individual kennels. Small, rectangular cages with a small run and shed-like structure for the animals to shelter from the weather. Lonnie was already cutting the grass out front, raising a hand to them as he made lines in the lawns.

“Dunno what we’d do without volunteers like him,” Laura said as they waved back. Lonnie was one of the numerous volunteers that helped in the shelter, some dog walking, others helping with maintenance while Lonnie took care of the grounds with a keen eye. Carine had never noticed a hedge that needed trimming or a stray weed in any of the beds.

They walked past the few cars that had parked there and headed inside, the powerful smell of disinfectant assaulting Carine’s nose as she entered.

As strong as the stench in that cellar. She thought as she raced for the toilet. Her gorge rose as she slammed the stall closed behind her and brought up the coffee and toast she had eaten that morning.

“Carine? You okay?” Laura asked from outside.

“Yeah, just a bit sick. I’ll be there in a mo,” she added in a hopeful voice, wishing Laura would just go.

I don’t want anyone to know what happened, they’ll blame me! She thought darkly.

Don’t be ridiculous, no one’s going to think that. A more rational part of her said.

Then I don’t want everyone to know and treat me differently. She argued with herself.

Rinsing her mouth and washing her hands, Carine tried to put the ordeal out of her mind, concentrating instead on Vanadine’s face.

Yeah, think about him instead. Her mind told her with a slightly salacious tone.

Outside she saw a pair of feet, crossed at the ankles as someone lay on the floor with their torso and head in one of the small rooms that were used to assess the dogs and as vet’s rooms when they visited.

“Paul?” She asked, taking in the brown slacks and knitted cardigan she could see.

“Hi, Carine,” he said in a quiet, calming voice. “Got a new one,” he muttered in the same voice. “She’s scared shitless,” he added in the same tone.

Having never heard him swear, Carine looked inside the room to see a pile of dirty white curls had backed into one corner, trembling as it tried not to look at Paul.

“I’m going to come out, maybe you can try,” Paul said gently so as not to spook the animal.

Slowly and calmly he crawled back out of the room and stood.

“Maybe it’s men she doesn’t like,” he said quietly. “Give it a try?”

Carine nodded and stepped into the room, squatting to appear smaller.

“Hey, sweetie,” she said in a soft tone. “You going to trust me?”

The dog looked at her but made no attempt to move and she looked at what Paul had brought in. There was a small tray of food, some beef jerky treats and a small teddy. She slid the food towards the dog and backed off. Nose twitching, the animal looked at the food and then at her.

“Go on, baby, you can have it,” Carine encouraged.

After half an hour of wheedling, pleading and cajoling, the dog took a few licks at the food before taking a bite.

“Good girl,” Carine said, feeling relieved and pleased she had been able to get through to the animal and start building a bond.

The dog finished and looked at Carine as if unsure what to do. The crouching woman offered one of the treat sticks but held it where the dog would have to approach her to get. After a few minutes of indecision the dog stood and limped over to where Carine held the treat, keeping her hand where it was so the dog knew she could be trusted. As the dog ate, Carine sat cross legged on the floor and spoke to her in low tones as she chewed.

“Get Janine in,” she said to Paul who had poked his head in for a second. “She’s been through it. Where did she come from?” She asked.

“Dumped out front,” Paul said darkly. “Tied to one of the posts and left in that condition,” his tone left no ambiguity as to his feelings towards the kind of people who just dumped their animals somewhere.

At least they left her here, not at the side of a motorway or on some patch of waste ground. Carine thought as the dog tentatively sniffed her hand.

“Hi, girl,” she said, risking a bite as she stroked the shivering creature with one finger,

The dog allowed it so she carried on while Paul called the vet and by the time Janine had arrived the dog trusted Carine enough to let her lift her up to be examined.

Janine, a severe older woman with steam coloured hair pulled back into a tight ponytail looked at the dog, noting there was a broken leg, dehydration and several older injuries, both healed and healing. Her fur was matted and missing in places.

“There’s a puncture here,” Janine said shortly. “See the fur moving as she breathes?”

“Yeah,” Carine said noticing the flutter.

“Been used for fighting I expect,” Janine said. “We don’t do anything for a puncture,” she added. “But I’ll give her some painkillers and take some bloods to see if she’s got anything nasty.”

Carine stayed with the dog until she was settled in one of the indoor pods, a small, clear cage where she could be monitored. She returned to the small room. Beginning to clear up and clean.

“Evil,” Paul said from the door.

Carine spun, shock chilling her system

“What? Who?” She asked in a high voice.

“Whoever dumped that poor dog,” Paul said. “I, uh, I don’t suppose you want to go for a…” He began before Carine cut him off.

“No, Paul,” she said in a harsher tone than she intended. “Just leave it.”

“You didn’t let me finish,” he complained. “I was going to ask if…”

“No!” Carine shouted, panic from the previous night rising inside her. “It’s never going to happen. I’m not interested! I don’t like you in that way! And I’m never going to let you wear me down!”

Pale and shaken, Paul actually stepped into the small room.

He’s blocking me in! I’m trapped. I thought he was gentle and kind but he’s just like all the others. He’ll be nice till he doesn’t get what he wants and then he’ll force me. Just like those two last night!

Images of her attackers flashed through her mind and a wave of panic flooded her mind, washing away all reason and leaving behind nothing but the pure need to escape.

“Carine, are you all…”

“Fuck off!” Carine yelled at the top of her lungs. “Fuck off and leave me alone!”