The Revenge of the Succubus

My whole body ached, my mind was foggy as if a smoke curtain shrouded everything around me. My vision was blurry, and I couldn't open my left eye. My right arm hurt, and I could barely move my body. What was happening? Where was I? Panic and fear grew alongside the loud music around me. I tried to take a deep breath and remember what had happened.

I remember being at college, walking across campus on another lousy day. A girl bumped into my shoulder, and I fell, scattering my books and papers all over the ground. People passed by as if I weren't there, stepping on the papers and laughing.

"Stupid rat!" the girl who bumped into me said angrily. "Are you blind on top of being poor?" All the girls with her laughed and stomped on my books.

Being mistreated by others was part of my routine. Everyone saw me as a charity case, someone who didn't deserve to be at Tulane University. But, I was one of the top students in the art history program, with a scholarship for arts and humanities due to my above-average performance. Standing out made me a target for bullying, and I didn't have a wealthy family to help with expenses. I had been on my own since I was sixteen when I emancipated myself. I lived with the help of others and worked short stints in various places.

On that day, I was particularly sensitive, and everything was going wrong. Even one of the professors came to ask if something was wrong because my grades had dropped that semester. If it continued that way, I'd lose my scholarship. Being humiliated only made me feel worse, and I had to fight hard not to start crying as I gathered my things alone.

I continued on my way, trying to go unnoticed by the group that enjoyed tormenting me the most. But Jacob West saw me. A cold shiver ran down my spine when our eyes met. Jacob had been particularly cruel several times before, including the nickname by which I was known at the university, "rat." I just wanted to get to the cafeteria, eat, and return to my dorm to study. I didn't want more trouble than I already had, but someone must have thought I could take more.

"Why are you running, Little Rat?" Jacob said, humor in his voice.

He knew the reason better than anyone else, but he seemed to take morbid pleasure in psychologically torturing me. I tried to smile without slowing down. I was very close to the building, and if I could get inside, he wouldn't be able to do anything to me. But Jacob stood in my way, blocking my path and forcing me to stop. I clutched my books to my chest, my whole body trembling, not knowing what he would do to me at that moment. Jacob also studied arts but specialized in performing arts. Unlike me, his grades were terrible, and he was always getting reprimanded. But, because his family was extremely wealthy and well-known throughout New Orleans, Jacob's graduation was guaranteed, regardless of his grades, and anything he did to me would be covered up. I took a deep breath and lowered my head, trying to disappear into my own shadow.

"I'm just hungry, and I have some work to finish," I said with a low, weak voice. Jacob grabbed one of the papers I was carrying, glanced at its content, and then crumpled it, tossing it on the ground between us.

"You know, that's why nobody likes you, rat. You're always making us seem like lousy students," Jacob remarked before menacingly approaching me, his towering six-foot frame towering over my modest five-foot-four. I raised my eyes in disbelief.

"Help me?" I said, frightened. Jacob gave a sinister smile and signaled to those sitting farther away. His two friends, Benjamin Cooper and Mason Brooks, approached. They surrounded me in a way that made me feel like I was about to be beaten by these huge men.

"We've decided to give you a chance, Little Rat," Jacob grinned as he spoke, and his friends also seemed to be enjoying themselves, which made me even more frightened by the whole situation. "We want to get to know you better, maybe even become friends. We can start by having lunch together since you were heading to the cafeteria anyway." I didn't know how to respond, so I just nodded in agreement.

The days passed, and the three of them followed me around campus. We had lunch together every day, but they continued to call me a rat and tease me in a more subtle way than before, which was much worse. Before, I only had to endure it a few times a day, or not at all when I managed to avoid them and their large group of fans. Another thing that got worse after Jacob, Benjamin, and Mason started following me everywhere was the unwanted attention I began to receive from the girls who used to hang out with the three guys. Several times I was cornered in a bathroom and suffered at the hands of these girls.

"Look, the little rat thinks she can come out of the sewers and walk among people," one of the girls said while another locked the bathroom door. I tried to pass by them, but I was pushed to the ground.

My hair was pulled, and I was dragged into one of the stalls. It felt like those clichés from teenage romances, but unfortunately, it was my reality. I was almost drowned in the toilet water. Not satisfied, the girls grabbed scissors and cut my long brown hair to shoulder length. I was left in the bathroom, picking up strands of my hair scattered on the floor, crying. The only relief was that Mardi Gras was coming soon, and I could have a day of peace in my life.

I had to spend the little money I was saving to go to the salon to fix my hair, forcing me to work extra hours at my part-time job, besides focusing on my studies so my grades wouldn't drop even further.

"I, little rat," Jacob's voice calling me made my heart stop and my blood run cold. He and his friends approached with smiles on their faces. "I heard about what happened. You should pay more attention to things."

Of course, it was my fault. It was my fault for being poor, and for receiving one of the most competitive scholarships at Tulane University. It was my fault for not having a wealthy family that could cover up any scandal with tons of money. It was my fault for being the "rat" of the university. I was angry with everything and everyone. I just wished they would disappear and allow me to live my life in peace.

"But since we don't want to see you with that face, we've decided to invite you to our party," Jacob continued to speak.

"Party?" I asked, confused. Jacob gave a sinister smile and then put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer.

"That's right. We're going to celebrate Mardi Gras with some friends, and we've decided to help you fit in with the crowd a bit," they all seemed eager for my confirmation. I felt overwhelmed and frightened by their looks.

"It sounds nice," I said automatically, out of fear of being intimidated. Jacob tightened his grip around my neck, making me tremble.

"Great! It's going to be amazing," Jacob said, looking at his friends, who smiled back. At that moment, I realized I shouldn't have gotten involved with those men.