In A Hail Of Bullets

Gerard's P.O.V Astrid sat on my couch as Bob sat with me at my kitchen table. He looked upset. "Sorry, mate." He sighed. "It's just....hard. What happened to her is...horrendous." "It's okay." I assured him. "Take your time." "I guess I should start by saying that all forms of abuse was her life." I don't like the sound of that. "She was a inconvenience to her parents. But instead of having her adopted, they brought her up to be a slave." He run his fingers through his hair. "They constantly reminded her of that fact. Telling her often how pathetic and unloved she was. She wasn't registered as being born. She was never allowed to leave the house. She was forced to sleep on a mattress in the basement. Her only possessions were the clothes she wore. She owned one pair of shoes and three sets of clothes passed down from her mother. She mostly ate leftover food. Surviving on tap water. As soon as she was old enough, they forced her to cook and clean. They'd bring their friends round for drunken parties. They would allow them to push her around. Even beat her. She was forced to thank them afterwards or have both parents beat her till she couldn't walk or move." He took a breath. I ran my fingers through my hair. This is fucked up. I have a feeling it gets worse. "One night, Astrid was cleaning her parents bedroom." Bob paused. He looked angry. "Some guys walked in. They taunted her, pushed her around. Then a woman walked in. The guys dared the woman to make out with Astrid. So the woman pushed her against the wall and made out with her. Then her parents walked in." His face hardened. "They dared all of them to.....to...." He broke off, slamming his hand on the table. "Three fucking guys and one girl....raped her, taking it in turns, while her fucking parents watched." He looked up at me with tears in his eyes. "She was ten. Fucking ten." Fucking hell. I put my elbows on the table and rested my forehead on them. I felt like screaming, crying and being sick all at once. I was so angry too. "It happened again. Once a week at her parents parties." Bob carried on. "Then on her eighteenth birthday, it got even worse. As a birthday present, she was raped again by four guys and the girl. Then she was beaten and stabbed. She woke up by a river when Brenda found her." He looked straight at me. "Her parents were rockstars. The friends were celebrities too." I was wrong. It can get worse. It did get worse. I looked at a very upset Bob. I could feel the tears on my face. "That's why she hates celebrities." I stated. He nodded. "Did she tells you who any of them were?" He shook his head. "She wouldn't." He sighed. "I did ask. But she just shook her head." "I have to try and fix her, Bob." I whined. "I love her." Bob smiled, sadly. "I believe your going to be the only one that can." He said. I smiled back. We both cleaned our faces so we didn't upset Astrid when we went in to see her. It didn't really matter. So was curled up on my couch, asleep. Bob awwed as I gently laid a cover over her. An hour later, Bob went home. So I busied myself in the kitchen with making a meal for myself and Astrid. Just pizza and chips. I was just pouring cream on the two bowls of strawberries, when Astrid walked into the kitchen, nervously. I smiled at her as she sat down. "Hey, sweetheart." I said, cheerfully. She blushed. "I made Hawaiian pizza and chips. We have strawberries and cream for desert." I put a plate with a slice of pizza and some chips on, infront of her. She smiled at me. "Th...thank you." She said, quietly. She ate all the food on her plate and was part way through the desert when she spoke. "I..I'd like to t...take you up o...on your offer t...to live here. W...with you." She bit her lip as she looked down at her bowl. One hand on her knee, the other destroying a strawberry using her spoon. I smiled, resisting the urge to rush to her and pull her into my arms while I swing her around in excitement. "That would be great." I said instead. She dropped her spoon and moved her hand to join the other on her knee. Her eyes still downcast. "You don't s...sound happy bout I...it." I laughed as I walked around the table. I cupped her cheeks and lifted her head to look in her eyes. "I am so happy I want to pick you up and swing you round while I scatter kisses all over your face." I admitted. She smiled. "What's stopping you?" I smiled wider as I proceeded to do exactly what I described. I realized that she didn't stutter. I never pointed it out though. She laughed as I swung her around and kissed her cheek. The sound was like music to my ears. At that moment, I realized that I loved her more than I'd ever loved anyone my whole life. I vowed to do whatever it takes to fix her. I don't care how long it takes. I will fix Astrid Riverside. Even if it kills me.

Notes

How are you liking this rubbish so far?Love as always.xxx