Free Parker's Island by Kimberly Schwartzmiller

plate and I handed him his cola.  “Um, I believe there is a bit more food on my plate now than when I left .”
    “Oh yeah, sorry, I ran out of room on mine.”
    I laughed and said, “I didn’t mean to starve you.  Now you’re going to make yourself sick with all of that.”
    “I always eat like this.”
    “Oh.”   I guess it took a lot to fill that huge frame.
    We sat down with Molly, Jason, Carrie, Jim, Beth and Ted and before long we were all laughing and carrying on about stupid things w e’ve all done over the last four years, when suddenly I wasn’t feeling very well.  “Are you okay , Delaney?” Brian asked me.
    “I’m kind of warm .  Can we go outside and get some fresh air for a few minutes , please?”
    “I’m a little warm myself , ” Brian agreed and escorted me outside.
    We stood outside on the back deck, enjoying a quiet moment and the cool air.  “I forgot how pretty it is here , ” I said , looking at the lights dancing on the water and listening to the waves crashing on the shore .
    “Not as pretty as you.   Here, you should w ear my jacket .  I t’s pretty cool out here, ” Brian said, wrapping it around my shoulders once again.
    “ Thank you.  You are too nice to me. Whoa, I really don’t feel very well.”  I grabbed on to the railing to steady myself and noticed Brian was looking a little pale himself.  “I wonder if it was something we ate.”
    “Well, let’s focus on what you ate, because I ate everything.”
    “Oh, yeah, you know I really don’t feel … ”  The last thing I remember was Brian calling my name and reaching out to catch me.
     
    I woke up alone and in a room I didn’t recognize.  I looked around, trying to figure out where I was and how I got there.  My eyes were really out of focus and my head ached.  I sat up then, and was horrified to realize I was naked on a bed.  I reached for the blanket and covered up with it.  I looked over and noticed my dress on the floor, next to a man’s dress jacket.
    “That’s Brian’s jacke t,” I said to myself, remembering standing on the deck outside the banquet room with him.  “How did I get here?” I asked aloud.
    Suddenly I was shaking and I was certain that whatever had happened wasn’t good and it had happened without my consent or knowledge.  I wrapped the blanket around me and got off the bed .  I reached down for my clothes and made my way to the bathroom .   I noticed my dress was torn in more than one place .  I wasn’t sure if I was in shock or denial, but I put my underwear and dress back on as best as I could , but m y bra was torn in half .  I walked back toward the bed and pu lled Brian’s jacket back on, grateful that it was so large and long.  I saw my shoes and sat down on the edge of the bed to put them back on .  A s I bent over to put my shoes on , I noticed s treaks of dried blood that had run d own the inside of both of my thighs .              
    I closed my eyes and a flash of male laughter echoed in my head.  I was shaking again as I realized what truly had happened and who was responsible.  I had only one memory after Brian reached out to catch me and that memory sent chills down my spine.  I finally understood what Chad said about having something special planned for later .  I was the plan.   The image of him leaning over me was so vivid ; it sent me running from the room, terrified.
              I ran out of the room and out of the hotel.  I didn’t know what time it was or where I was headed .  A ll I knew was that I had to run far away from that room.
    I was running along the beach again, not sure where I was heading. When I couldn’t take another step , I droppe d on the side of the road .  I was trying to catch my breath so that I could run some more, when a car pulled up beside me.  All I saw were headlights and then I heard a door open.  Suddenly I panicked, and I got up to start running again when a familiar