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Chapter Eight: Horses, Classes And Terror

The afternoon saw her buying three more horses. The horses were Dark Phantom, or Phantom who was a dark bay Hanoverian gelding, First Love, or Love who was a red dun Trakehner mare and Last Hope, or Hope who was a silver Trakehner mare. On arrival back in her own yard, Crystal put the mares with Fear and the gelding with Finch before putting away all the tack, food, and rugs.

She cleaned out the horse-van again before feeding all of the horses, sweeping the yard then leaving, putting the alarms on again.

After her own dinner, the young woman left for Tai Chi.

"Keep practising Crystal." Matt declared when he saw her. "Come on. You're better than this!"

She nodded, remaining silent.

On arrival at Jeet Kune Do, Lucian said, kindly. "Keep practising Crystal honey, those moves have to be perfect if you are to get your first belt. The grading is in May."

The young woman nodded.

"Okay Lucian." she said quietly. "I'll try harder."

She left for Karate and Kick-Boxing at almost seven o'clock.

"Try harder Crystal." David said, when he saw her. "Improve your technique."

The young woman twitched. "Okay. I will try harder."

David smiled then before saying. "While I know that this place is open seven days a week, you can come in when-ever you feel like it as long as I see you in here twice a week. Okay?"

Crystal smiled. "Okay. Thank-you."

David laughed and went to help a newer student. Chad arrived at eight o'clock and on seeing him, David walked over to the taller and younger man, exchanging a few words with him before he left. Seeing Crystal training herself, Chad smirked and stretched slightly before walking over to her. Not saying anything he watched her, silently being inwardly surprised at how quickly she was improving though she had not improved that much that her chances in a fight had improved very much.

"Come on Ice." taunted Damon. "Fight us."

The young woman narrowed her eyes but otherwise ignored him. Chad lifted an eyebrow in almost pleased surprise before Damon angrily grabbed her, forcing her to fight back. The passage of time seemed to slow to a crawl but at the same moment speed up.

As Crystal fought Eric, she began to really struggle, tiring quickly.

"You are dead Ice." the young man taunted cruelly. "At my hands."

The young woman snarled, her lips skimming back from her teeth.

"I wouldn't let trash beat me!" she ground out. "Nor to kill me!"

Eric narrowed his eyes and flung himself at her. "You can't stop me, you bitch!"

Crystal grinned, nastily, and axe-kicked, hard, knocking the man completely off his feet before she dusted off her hands, smirking. "What-ever."

Seeing that, Chad narrowed his eyes, running at the woman, throwing her off her feet, by his speed alone.

"Don't speak to any of my friends like that, you little bitch." Chad growled, every word accentuated by a punishing clout or kick. "Who the hell do you think you are? Hmm, Little One? Really...? Insulting my friends like that?!"

Wincing in pain, Crystal snarled angrily, her eyes glittering coldly.

"I will talk to any-one... C-c-c-chad, exactly how I wish. It is a free country after all. I can say and do what I like..."

Very angry, the man began to really beat her, the young woman sobbing in anguish as she tried to protect herself.

Panting, she backed away. Chad laughed, cruelly, letting the girl take a break as he had a drink of water, not looking away from her once which further unsettled her.

Having had a very full day, Crystal was starting to get rather fatigued and she knew that he would drag it out to make her pain and fear that much worse. When the fight resumed, Chad began to mock and laugh at the slightly younger and far more powerless female savagely, snickering when she failed to hit him or if she hit him to actually hurt him.

Crystal of course was getting more and more angry as well as becoming terrified and was starting to become unable to think clearly.

"Please, C-c-c-c-had... I beg you..." she pleaded as he lightly ruffled her hair. "Just finish it and have done with the torment and torture of me for today. Please... This is..."

The young man laughed, cruelly and coldly, kissing her neck gently and tauntingly before kicking her in the side.

"No, that is the point. This is fun, watching your inner torture." he breathed past her ear. "It's so much fun and so enjoyable."

Crystal sobbed then, woefully. Seth, appalled at how pitiless Chad was being, shook his head slightly, knowing he couldn't help his cousin and hating how much Chad was scaring her.

~I would help, if I could.~ he thought. ~But I can't... Not this time.~

The tall and slim man shook his head some more before saying, unwillingly. "I will see you later. I have to go and see some-one about a car."

Seth flinched inwardly, feeling Crystal looking at him before he left. Chad kept teasing and taunting the young woman brutally.

"Come on, Baby Girl." he smirked, his voice perilously soft. "Hit me with your hardest punch or kick, in fact with both. Do the best you can to hurt me."

Scared, Crystal hit him before she sobbed as Chad threw her over his shoulder, and laughed as she landed hard on her back, winded.

"Try harder." he taunted, nastily, before tapping her irritatingly on the nose. "Try everything that you know. Come on, Little One."

Eventually Chad got bored of teasing her and started to really fight her, and she couldn't dodge because he was faster than her, or so she thought.

"Will you ever stop fighting us Crystal?" Each one of his hits making Crystal sob with pain; the tears that were pouring down her face coming faster the more she was hurt. "I mean, we could do this until the end of time, but can you deal with it?"

"Please... I beg you. No more. Enough. It hurts..." she sobbed, struggling to stand up again, staggering a little as she couldn't put her full weight on her left leg. "You have beaten me, and you know it. Please... Stop... C-c-c-chad... Please?"

He ignored her and intensified the velocity and force of his hits. Time passed, and he caught the young woman in a throat-hold and because her begging had displeased him so much he kept it tight, the girl rolling beneath him, trying to dislodge herself as her air supply rapidly diminished. All of the tightness and the rolling enhanced Crystal's fear as well as bruising her neck further. The young woman's shape went almost limp as she croaked. "I give in C-c-c-c-chad."

Hearing that he hauled to her feet by her neck before kissing her cruelly on the lips. Chad let her go then, smirking and left, Crystal shivering and sobbing with pain and fear. She left then, arriving at Judo soon after and started to train as hard as she could. Just before she left at ten o'clock Hector smiled at her, kindly. "You can come in when-ever you like Crystal. As long as I see you training in here twice a week since you will be grading in April. Do you understand?"

Crystal nodded, bowing slightly. "I do, thank-you Hector."

She left then and started to walk along the road to her Jeep. The exhausted young woman was about to take the car-keys from her pocket when she was grabbed and dragged backwards into a shadowy alleyway. Crystal struggled before she was gagged, and her hands tied behind her back. She sobbed, noiselessly as a rope was slung around her neck before she knelt, her head lowering as tears began to stream down her face once more.

"There." smirked Jacob, seeing the young woman's fear-bright eyes. "She can't say a word nor struggle which is bloody marvellous since her whimpering is so annoying."

Matt smirked but remained silent, stepping close to Crystal, and stroking a cold hand across her cheek. The woman flinched, her shape shivering as she rose to her feet before she edged away, tugging at her fettered wrists. Chad watched her then grabbed at the rope around his captive's throat before yanking on it, pulling the young woman to her knees, choking. She turned fearful eyes to him then and whimpered, muffledly.

"Don't worry Crystal honey." Matt taunted, nastily. "We will not kill or sell you, yet."

"We want to torture you first, for all the pain you have put us through over the years." added Chad, cruelly." We have so much to pay you back for."

The younger girl cowered, curling up and sobbing. She struggled a little before she became still as the rope around her throat was changed for a harsher one. Chad leered, cruelly at her as her struggles dwindled to nothing, tears flowing down her face, even faster.

"Have you quite finished?" he said nastily, as he double-knotted the new rope. "I mean... You can go on if you want, you'll only hurt yourself."

Hurt and scared, Crystal tried to head-butt Chad, but being far faster than her, Matt seized her long hair before she did so, stopping her.

"Don't even think about it." Matt hissed, his breath tickling her throat. "Stop it... Stop struggling!"

She sobbed, muffledly then lay perfectly still. Chad finished attaching the rope then and handed the end to Hector.

"Bind the end of that leash to that hook in the wall." Chad growled, darkly and furiously. "While we drag our girl over there."

Hector leered, cruelly at her. "With pleasure."

Hector slung the rope over the aforementioned hook then tied the end to a lower hook as Crystal was dragged over to the wall. The hook was at the young woman's head height and the rope was the classical execution rope, hessian.

Crystal whimpered unevenly, but did not struggle, tears tracing down her face.

Chad smirked then, nastily. "Haul on that rope until only Crystal's toes are on the ground. Let's see how long she lasts, before she croaks. I hope that it will be quite a while."

Hector snickered and did so, the young woman struggling and choking, her eyes closing before she became still and silent, though completely alert to her surroundings.

"And we have ourselves a punching bag." sneered Chad. "Isn't it nice?!"

They all snickered nastily before Chad started to lay into Crystal, her shape swaying with every hit. Rendered sightless by pain and fear she began to go limp, her toes slithering out from under her and she began to genuinely hang.

Chad narrowed his eyes.

"Let her down enough that she is standing on her feet but no more than that." he said, coldly, eyes glittering. "We don't want her dead just yet after all. We truly want her to suffer, severely, first and wish that she was deceased before we actually grant her that. Not that we ever really will grant her the luxury of death, but still... We can give the illusion that we will."

Hector did so, watching intently. When she was standing, Crystal weakly opened her eyes and yowled as Chad spoke. "Get that bitted muzzle from my car will you Matt?"

Matt nodded and pelted off. Chad carefully undid the gag, the young woman whimpering weakly before trying to nuzzle at his hands, pleadingly. Chad sneered a little and shook his head. The slender man that was Matt returned then, sniggering under his breath cruelly, with the muzzle. Crystal threw up her head, whimpering before she opened her mouth to shriek for help, eyes widening.

Chad moved like lightning and fastened one hand over her mouth and nose.

"Shut up." he growled. "Now!"

Her anger and pain overcoming her fear and common sense for once, Crystal sunk her teeth into Chad's hand, growling savagely. She let go almost straight away but did not stop snarling. Appalled into motionlessness they all glared at Crystal, the girl cringing before Jeremy ran to get a bandage or at least a large plaster.

"You bitch, Crystal!" Chad ground out, wincing in pain. "I have told you, more than once, never to bite me. You will suffer for this." He eyed the quivering woman. "Force that thing on to her Matt, watch that she does not harm you, her teeth are like needles."

Matt scoffed, doing as asked before nipping at the imprisoned woman's ear. "I hope this hurts Crystal."

She sobbed and growled weakly before she was subdued almost completely. She did try to spit out the bit but when Simon hit her hard across the head she bit down on it instead. Matt snickered, tightening her bonds as she began to struggle. Feeling them tighten, she sagged slightly, her head lowered, soft whimpers slipping from her.

Jeremy returned soon after that with a large plaster and a bandage before he put first the plaster then the bandage on to Chad's hand. The tall man that was Chad nodded, appreciatively to Jeremy before stalking over to Crystal and back-handed her across the face with almost all of his strength.

She collapsed, weeping, forced to bite down on the sharpened bit before she glared at the Manchester born man, her eyes glittering with hatred, fear, and pain.

He snickered. "I think we all need to do some training do we not?"

Aaron jeered and nodded. "Yes. We do."

They all started to lay into Crystal then, the girl sobbing muffledly in pain. When they had all beaten her up, Chad started on her again, using all of his strength.

She almost fell, limp and semi-conscious.

Chad eyed her. "Hector, let her down, but don't remove the rope from her throat."

Hector snickered, slackening, and untying the rope from the two hooks before he cackled as the slim woman crumpled in a heap, unable to resist them.

Chad jeered and dragged her over to a bin, tying the rope on to it after rolling Crystal on to her belly.

"Simon, go and get that horse whip from my car." he said. "Quickly."

The young man dashed off, doing as the taller and copper eyed Manchester man said.

Chad crouched next to Crystal's head, stroking through her hair gently before waving smelling salts before her nose. She became livelier then before whining a note and nudging at Chad's hands with her face.

The tall Crime King stared her, coldly before he laughed at her, voice cold, and cruel.

"I only wanted you awake and conscious Crystal, so that you feel the bite of what I am about to do to you." he sneered, coldly. "A tractable victim is worthless."

Crystal sobbed raggedly, muffledly in terror as she saw Simon return with a long horse whip.

Chad stood then.

"Tie her arms to the bin and her legs to the ladder there." he said. "Tie her legs spread-eagled."

Jacob did so, and Chad snickered, carefully removing the clothing from Crystal's upper half, baring her back.

"This should be fun." he sneered. "Hearing your pain... And seeing your flesh tear!"

The young woman sobbed pitifully but did not struggle.

Stretching a little, Chad grinned cruelly before starting to flog her as hard as he could. He stopped hitting her after he had done so over one hundred times, his arms achy.

Being very close to being knocked out Crystal couldn't feel anything but the severity of the bit and the whip-cuts as well as the cold firmness of the ground.

Chad crouched beside her head again, tilting her face so she could look up at him.

"We will see you tomorrow Crystal. If you survive the night." he snickered. "Though I doubt you will live on, what with all the stray and unhealthy animals around."

Crystal sobbed muffledly. "You prick!"

Chad narrowed his eyes, squeezing her jaw, and forcing the bit to dig into the sides of her mouth, making her bleed, somewhat heavily.

"I dare you to repeat that." he growled. "Go on!"

"I called you a prick, C-c-c-chad." Crystal repeated, raggedly, foolish courageousness filling her. "Because that is exactly what you are."

The man snarled and squeezed her mouth shut tightly, her lips starting to shed blood even more heavily. Crystal howled, knowing that the smell of fresh blood would draw any creatures to her.

~I am so dead.~ she thought. ~Really dead.~

The Manchester born man that was Chad snickered nastily, before hitting her hard again and leaving the alleyway. Matt was the last to leave and he crouched beside her, running a cold hand over the whip-cuts softly but even so Crystal shivered, tears gushing down her face.

"I really do hope that you survive this, Crystal, since I don't really want you dead, but I won't help you." he said, almost compassionately. "And I hope that it makes you understand that you can't challenge Chad, or he will kill you. As painfully and as slowly as he can, Crystal, as well as being who he is... Well... He would get away with it."

Crystal sobbed weakly, nudging at Matt's hands pleadingly.

"No." he denied. "I will not release you from this. You had this coming to you." he smirked then and lowered his head to her neck, kissing gently before he sank his teeth into her neck, teasing her savagely. "It will be a shame if you do die, but I will get over it." he snickered, withdrawing his teeth from the wound and standing up. "'Bye Crystal."

He left then after pulling her clothing back on to her, leaving the girl whimpering in pain and fear, shuddering hard as she started to get cold. When she was alone, Crystal began to struggle hard, trying to free herself. All her efforts did though was to tighten her bonds, tire her out and increase the amount of blood flowing from her shallow wounds. She sagged then, silent, and unmoving apart from to scare off the irregular rat that meandered past.

Seth drove past the Judo Hall some-time later and seeing Crystal's Jeep, stopped his car in front of it before getting out and looking around.

"What is that doing here?" he muttered to himself, confused. "Every-where is closed. There is literally no-where for Crystal to be. Even the cinema is closed now..."

Hearing a car then Seth's voice, though faintly, Crystal shrieked raggedly, her voice shaking as she did so.

"Seth..." she whimpered, almost incoherently. "Please..."

Looking around again and remembering what had happened of late, Seth sighed, heavily.

"Where would Chad take her?" he asked.

Hearing the whimpering, Seth narrowed his eyes before trying to track it to its origin, wondering what was causing it. "What is that noise...?"

Entering the alleyway, he called. "Crystal? Honey?"

Crystal barked very softly as she heard Seth get closer.

"Where are you, Crystal?" he asked, hearing the soft noise, his eyes narrowing. "Keep making sounds so that I can hear you. You are really worrying me. Come on, where are you?"

The young woman sobbed, raggedly before sagging, her voice fracturing. That was sufficient for Seth to find her though and he winced on seeing how tightly she was trussed.

"Oh Crystal..." he sighed. "Did Chad do this?"

She nodded, her voice softened by the bit. "Yes."

Seth carefully untied the neck rope, removing it from her before flinging it into a corner then he untied her arms and legs. He eyed the blood encrusted muzzle then and helped his cousin to sit up before he raised his slender hands to her face. Crystal cowered for a second before she lowered her head, trembling. Seth sighed, heavily before carefully loosening the leather strips. He held his hand out for the metal bar, keeping the straps out of the way. Weakly, the young woman pushed the bit from her mouth with her tongue. Seth eyed the gag then and put it into a large pocket of his coat as Crystal collapsed against his chest, shivering but still cognisant, although only barely.

Seth helped her to stand and half supported her as she limped beside him on the way back to his car. He was just unlocking it before she gave a soft cry and crumpled in a heap, fainted. He picked her up and set her in his car before checking that her own was locked, and then drove her home.

Once there he set her into her bed then checked all of her horses, a little surprised that she had so many before making a pot of hot tea. Taking a cup up to her, Seth was pleased to see that she had come round.

"How do you feel Crystal?" he asked carefully as he handed her a mug of tea, watching her face intently. "Child?"

Crystal swallowed a mouthful of tea before she croaked brokenly. "A little better Seth. Thank you for rescuing me."

He smiled gently and ran a hand carefully through his cousin's hair.

"Would you like me to stay here with you Crystal?" he asked."I can, I have nothing to run home for."

The young woman nodded. "Please."

Seth smiled. "Okay."

The following morning Crystal felt a lot better and Seth, still worrying about her, left for home, having things to do that couldn't be put off. An hour after that the young woman went to pick up her Jeep. Once home again she fed all the horses, mucked out then went to get herself some food since she was really hungry. After she had eaten, she went Christmas shopping, returning home with a full car several hours afterwards. Crystal fed the horses again, swept the yard then went to get her own dinner since she was really hungry.

Once she had eaten she rang a Ninjutsu Hall.

"Hello there." said a familiar voice. "Chad speaking. How may I be of assistance?"

Crystal winced inwardly and rubbed at her scarf covered neck.

"I would like to join your club." she replied, calmly. ~I can do this...~

"Okay. Come on down to the Hall at six o'clock and we will sort it out then." Chad smiled. "You do know where we are right?"

Crystal smiled, bitterly even though it did not show in her speech. "Yes. Across the street from Tait's Gym."

Chad nodded. "Yes. Bye."

"Bye." said Crystal, simply.

Hanging up the phone, she shivered and swallowed hard before ringing a Jujitsu Hall.

"Greetings." smiled another familiar voice. "Jeremy speaking, how can I help you?"

"I would like to join your club." the young woman stated, coolly. ~Why is it that him and all his friends seem to own martial arts clubs?!~

"Come down at seven o'clock and we will see what we can do." Jeremy said, clearly. "We are next to the Aikido Hall."

Crystal nodded, biting her lip. "Yes, I do. Okay. Bye."

Jeremy chuckled, warmly. "Bye."

Crystal chuckled bitterly after hanging up then went to shower. She left at almost six o'clock for Ninjutsu. On arrival there, she shifted uneasily, whimpering, and sobbing under her breath and tempted to just turn and run. Kneading at her hands a little, she trembled before tugging on the scarf about her neck, tightening it slightly without that she made herself uncomfortable by doing so. Chad stepped from his office and couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Crystal's back in front of him. He scoffed then and moved silently towards her before resting both hands on her shoulders, stilling the smaller woman's shaking.

"Hello there, Crystal, my dear." he purred, darkly, past her ear, looking at a tear slide down her face and wiping it away with a soft, yet vicious kiss as a second tear rolled down her face. "... Are you... Nervous perhaps?" the man snickered softly and cruelly as he kissed away the second tear, then the third. "I wonder why that is, hmm?" his question was rhetorical, and he fell silent, his hands tracing over her hips and belly, lightly. "It's only me... Little One... "

The young woman closed her eyes for a second, whimpering, before she opened them again and calmed slightly before she nodded, silently. Chad finally let her go and stood before her.

"Please come this way." he said, firmly. "Miss Blackwood."

The young woman did not move and displeased, Chad turned to face her waiting for her to speak up, his eyes narrowing and going hard.

"Can I trust you C-c-c-chad?" she whispered, her voice thick with fear. "I-I-I mean... "

The man eyed her shuddering shape, silently.

"Yes, you can Crystal honey." he said finally, smirking as she quailed under his gaze and his words. "If I hurt you while you are within these walls, and it's during class time, I am sorry, but I am only doing what I am paid to do, to teach you the art of Ninjutsu. Do you understand?"

Crystal swallowed hard then nodded. "I do understand C-c-c-chad."

He smirked and nodded in acceptance before leading the way into the main room of the Hall. Chad started to teach her the very first things that newcomers to his hall learnt.

"This is just like all the other Arts that you are learning, Ice. You have to defend yourself at all costs, regardless of the harm you may cause to your attackers." he said, eyeing the bandage on his hand wryly. "Like you did last night. Even though you did not succeed." his voice was low, him making sure that no-one else could hear him. "It was a good attack. Your problem was that I am physically bigger and far stronger than you."

Crystal flinched then swallowed hard.

"So, I wouldn't get done for defending myself?" she asked finally. "The attackers would get done for attacking me?"

Chad nodded. "Yes."

She left some-time later for Jujitsu.

On arrival there, she smiled nervously at Jeremy who smirked then took her through to the main room before teaching her the moves that all beginners learnt.

Crystal left at eight o'clock and went home.