Shadows of Resentment: Dawn and Derrick

The contest was over and it was time to announce a winner. The audience was still and silent, as everyone held their breath. Dawn and two other young women, Olga Wick and Trina Lakes, stood on stage praying they would be the winner.

The announcer picked up the envelope and walked to the podium. Dawn's heart was pounding, her hands wringing with sweat. This win was the last one she needed.

He opened the envelope slowly. Carefully read the card that was inserted inside and then he spoke.

"Ladies and gentleman, let's give all of our lovely contestants a round of applause. They all worked extremely hard to get here and each one of them deserves this win." The audience cheered for all three young ladies. The three girls looked at each other nervously and really had no animosity towards each other. They had been lifting and competing with each other for years and had formed a kinship. Then the announcer read the card.

"Our second runner up and the winner of five thousand dollars is...Miss Olga Wick." Olga hugged her two competitors. He then started to read again. "And the winner of the Miss Beach Body of Scranton and the prize of fifty-thousand dollars is Miss Dawn Marcolini!" The announcer yelled. Gunther rushed to his younger sister and held her in the air. She'd done it. His baby sister took the championship.

The three girls screamed and were genuinely happy for each other. Although Dawn took home the big purse, her two friends had sizable winnings as well. As first runner up, Trina was walking away with ten thousand dollars in prize money.

Dawn Marcolini had just turned eighteen and was headed to college, not just any college, but the Walter Williams School of Therapies. Dawn's dream was to become a physical therapist.

Gunther Marcolini was proud as he celebrated for her because she'd worked hard and deserved this win. He recalled when she first came to live with him. It was a tough time for both of them. Their parents were killed in a traffic accident a year earlier, dying instantly leaving their thirteen year old daughter orphaned.

When then, 20 year old Gunther learned his parents were killed, he was a mess. He was on the circuit, drinking, gambling, and sleeping around. Taking on his kid sister was something he wasn't ready for, but he had to sober up and grow up quickly. It took almost a year, months of rehab, but he was able to gain custody of his baby sister.

Dawn came to live with her brother when she was fourteen years old.

Small, quiet and not sure where she fit, Dawn stayed away from people when she first arrived.

The loss of her parents devastated the young girl and she internalized a lot of her grief. Gunther had no idea what to do with his sister, who was hurting so badly, but he knew she would stay with him and he'd protect her.

Every night he'd listen as she cried herself to sleep not knowing how to help her with her grief. He even asked the other lifters for help and they pitched in as much as they could.

No one seemed to be able to comfort the heartbroken little girl that had lost everything.

One day, Gunther was at work when he got hurt and his friend Tasha picked Dawn up from school.

Dawn walked out and saw Tasha standing, "Where's Gunther?" she asked the much older lady.

"I'm sorry sweetie. He's fine, but he had a accident at work." She explained.

Dawn went ballistic. She'd lost her parents in an accident and now her brother was in one as well.

Tasha tried to calm the girl down, but Dawn was near hysterics at the thought of losing Gunther as well.

Tasha managed to drive back to the park where they were staying and Diane, her companion, came out and extracted the sobbing child from the car.

Tasha called Gunther and quickly put Dawn on the phone. Hearing her brother's voice calmed her down tremendously. He promised her he was fine.

"Little Sis, I won't ever leave you, alright." Gunther promised.

Dawn calmed down and stayed with his friends for a couple of nights until her brother was able to come home.

It was then that Dawn started lifting. She wanted to be strong like her brother and make him proud of her one day.

Gunther worked with her an eventually became her personal trainer.

Dawn was a lovely young girl with a sweet disposition that was gregarious and drew people to her. With a clear peaches and cream complexion with smooth blemish free skin. With a striking figure and voluptuous lips that were full and firm, she was a sight to behold.

She was fit and exercised regularly because she was fanatical about her health. Lifting with her brother helped her deal with the loss of her parents. Although he was a lot older than her, Dawn idolized Gunther. She was able to find a new focus that helped her deal with her loss.

By the time she turned sixteen; she was competing and could easily out press any one that challenged her.

As time passed, Dawn had many admirers. Her lack of a social life intrigued men as well as women. Dawn spent the majority of her time in the gym working out with the guys and very little time with other women so some women assumed she was lesbian and a few propositioned her. She quickly disabused them of that notion, explaining that she was attracted only to men.

Over the years, Gunther started a college fund for his sister and all of her winnings went into the account while he used his earnings to support them. Life on the circuit was hard and he wanted so much more for his sister. She'd have a normal life; he'd make sure of it.

Tonight's competition was the icing on the cake. She needed this win to secure the money she needed to cover her tuition. She could focus on school now and not worry about money.

Tomorrow Gunther was driving her to the campus to pay the rest of her fees and get her dorm assignment. In two more weeks, she was headed to school. She'd finally get to do things normal girls did.

After the contest, Gunther was approached by his friend Henri. He knew that Henri was attracted to his sister, but he was too afraid to approach her. He also realized that his baby sister had never been taken on a proper date. She was extremely shy, so she never dated.

When Henri approached him and asked if he could ask Dawn out, Gunther had no problem with giving his permission.

Henri stood outside the locker room waiting for Dawn to exit. She walked out, her hair still damp from her shower wearing a simple pair of jeans and an AC/DC shirt.

Dawn stood before him, around six feet tall, with long, dark hair that hung well past her shoulders. Henri stared, transfixed by the sight of her. She had a rather plain face, thick lips, a round nose with a straight bridge, and a square chin. She was wide and flat across the chest and muscular.

Henri could see her biceps rippling through the short sleeves of her shirt. Her hips were slim but her thighs, encased in form fitting black jeans that that fit her body perfectly, leaving nothing to the imagination. She was a perfectly sculpted bodybuilder's dream.

She looked like she could bench press 250 pound weights easily. But it wasn't her plain face or her huge, muscular frame that caught Henri's attention. It was her stoic stand, the way she carried herself that attracted him. She walked and moved with grace and confidence, never doubting who she was. Hidden behind thick, dark lashes were the grayest, most vibrant eyes he'd ever seen, set in a plain face, the color of peaches.

Henri was struck dumb and froze. She fascinated him and he was overjoyed at the thought of spending an evening with her.

"Um, Dawn," Henri walked up to her."Congratulations, I'm happy you won."

"Henri, Thanks" replied Dawn, her voice although feminine, deep and throaty, simply powerful. Laughing as she bumped into his shoulders in a show of solidarity, she asked "What's do you want?"

Henri's was her brother's friend, and even though they chatted on occasion, she wasn't a person he hung around.

Swallowing nervously Henri forged forward, "Dawn, we can go out to celebrate your win this weekend. I'll understand if you say no-"

"Yes, sure, Henri. It'll be fun. Who else is coming?" she asked not really listening. The guys on the circuit hung out all of the time.

"No one else, just us. I want to take you out on a date." Henri explained looking extremely nervous.

Dawn had never been asked out before; she wasn't quite sure on how to respond. She knew Henri was her brother's friend so he wouldn't try anything.

Besides she liked Henri. He was nice. "Um, OK. When?" she answered.

"I understand you don't want-"Dawn interrupted him.

"Henri, I said yes." She explained.

Henri smiled and rushed to tell her he'd pick her up Saturday around seven.

At this point they'd arrived back at her trailer and Henri walked her to her door before turning to head to his own trailer. Dawn walked into her home smiling and for once feeling good about herself.

"Hey, Gunther, Henri asked me out. I told him, I would go. He's picking me up on Saturday."

Gunther smiled. He knew his sister had a hard times meeting guys and he wanted her to experience dating.

Saturday and Henri arrived at their trailer to pick up Dawn.

Dawn was excited about this date. She liked Henri, but wasn't quite sure what to expect. She didn't date and this one would be her first. She wished she could ask someone for advice, but her brother was the only person she trusted.

Gunther called her "Dawnie, your date's here."

"Coming right out." She replied.

Dawn took a moment to look at her reflection in the mirror.

Wearing a denim skirt and a printed t-shirt, Dawn felt she looked presentable enough for her date. She walked out to join her date.

Henri was speechless. Dawn was lovely. She stood straight and tall, her raven hair hanging to her waist. Her grey eyes sparkled as he assessed her and was flabbergasted that she would go out with him.

Tonight she even though she'd dressed like a girl. Her muscular body was clearly visible as the muscles in her broad shoulders flexed as she moved towards him, showing the strength he knew she possessed. Henri knew he was a lucky man. He always thought Gunther's little sister was cute, but tonight she was truly an Amazon goddess in all her glory. He was glad he'd asked her out.

Henri and Dawn left for their date. They went to the movies to see a new action flick, and Henri paid for the tickets and bought their snacks. Henri was a good-looking guy and before long had drawn the attention of several young women who were at the theater.

The girls openly flirted with Henri, but he promptly ignored them. His attention was on his lovely companion, Dawn.

When they left the theater, they went to a local restaurant to have a nice quiet dinner. Unfortunately for them, some nefarious characters were also at the restaurant they were headed to.

When the young couple entered the restaurant, one of the young men made crude remarks to Dawn.

"Hey girl," one guy jeered. "What are you doing with him? Come with me and I'll show you what a real man is like."

"Man, you can't handle her. She's as big as you. Hell she might even be a man." They laughed. Dawn was hurt. The cruel remarks cut her like a knife. These men were calling her a man. Did she look like a man?

Henri, being the gentleman that he was, came to her defense and cautioned the young man.

"Look, guys, first of all apologize to my date and then please leave us alone" Henry spoke lowly as to not draw attention to them.

The manager heard the commotion and walked over. Looking at Henri he asked, "Sir are these men bothering you?"

"Yes," Henri replied, "and they are harassing my date as well."

The manager looked at the three men and ordered them to leave. The men glared at Henri and Dawn as they left. Dawn watched them and felt uneasy, her feelings still stinging from their insults.

Eventually, the hostess came and showed them to their table. Henri and Dawn promptly forgot about the men that were pestering them earlier and went on to enjoy their dinner.

"Hey, Dawn, are you alright? Don't listen to them. You are beautiful." Henri assured her.

Dawn smiled at him and her entire countenance shone through, "Thank you, Henri."

"Little Dawnie is headed to college. Are you sure you want to leave the circuit?" he queried.

"I hate to leave my brother, but I want a different life. Besides, I've always wanted to work in a hospital.' Chuckling she added, "You just want me around to protect you from Gunther."

"Yea, you're right." Henri laughed.

They talked about all of the adventures they'd had over the years. Henri realized he would truly miss her.

A couple of hours passed and they decided to head home. Walking back to Henri's truck, they saw the men from earlier loitering around.

Both Dawn and Henri were more than capable of defending themselves; they weren't worried about those three guys.

"Dawnie, call the police." Henri ordered stepping in front of her effectively placing himself between her and the men.

As they approached Henri's truck, the guys surrounded them.

"We don't like gays," They jeered, "especially men that dress like women." One of the men spoke angrily to Dawn.

"Look, fellas, we don't want any trouble. First, you owe the lady an apology and I suggest you guys go on and leave us be." Henri growled.

Although she kept her face neutral, the taunts hurt. Dawn knew she was not pretty. She wasn't dainty, but to be called a man, that hurt.

What the fuck am I going to do, I can take two of them, not all three. Henri thought his heart racing.

Laughing, one of the guys grabbed her breast and Dawn pushed him off of her and slapped him. The guy became incensed and tried to strike her, but Dawn dodged his punch and a fight ensued. Henri her date was engaged in a fist fight with the other two assailants.

Dawn managed to get her assailant on the ground and subdue him when one of the guys attacking Henri attacked her knocking her to the ground.

Forcing her to the ground, he shoved his hands under her skirt grabbing her between her thighs hurting her. He ripped her panties away and attempted to assault her pussy with his hand.

His buddy joined in and continued to forcibly massage her breast ripping her top and bra in the process. Dawn kneed one of her assailants in the nuts and managed to clock the other one in the temple with a sharp right hook.

Henri had managed to subdue the guy that was beating him and come to her rescue as she knocked the second guy off of her.

Hearing sirens in the distance, their assailants grabbed each other and ran off, leaving Henri and Dawn alone. The police arrived within minutes and took their statements.

They refused medical treatment and Henri started to drive them back home. Clearly shaken and distraught, Dawn dealt in silence with the avalanche of emotions she was feeling.

Neither person spoke. They didn't even really look at each other. Henri just drove as Dawn stared out of her window.

Dawn noticed a change in Henri's demeanor on the drive back to her house. He was stiff, angry, and refused to even speak to her. She became nervous.

"Henri, are you alright?" she queried concerned by his sudden change in attitude.

Henri looked at her with a frown on his face, angry about the attack and not sure how to deal with his emotions he lashed out at her viciously. "Damn it, Dawn. Why can't you look like a normal woman? I should have listened to the other guys and not gone out with you. I should have charged Gunther more money."

Hurt and confused, she could not believe what he'd just said. Dawn was crushed. She really liked Henri. When he pulled up to their trailer, she exited his truck.

"Wait, are you saying Gunther paid you?" she asked before she got out of his truck.

Henri didn't answer, just drove off. She was barely out of the truck before he sped off. Dawn was devastated.

Letting herself into their home, she realized her brother wasn't home, so she collapsed on their sofa and crying uncontrollably as she recalled the hateful words Henri spewed at her and the events that happened at the end of the night.

Gunther came home an hour later to find Dawn asleep on the sofa. He went to awake her when he saw the tear tracks on her cheeks. Instantly alert, he demanded to know what happened.

"Did you pay him Gunther? Did you pay Henri to take me out?" Dawn asked her older brother.

"No Dawnie," Gunther denied. "He asked you out on his own. Baby, what happened? Tell me, Dawnie." Gunther pleaded.

Crushed , heartbroken, and distraught, Dawn began to bawl once more. Gunther moved to hug her, but she pushed him away. Gunther was devastated, because he never thought his friend would hurt her like this.

"He said you paid him Gunther. He said I don't look normal and he never should have gone out with me." she sobbed brokenly. He never meant to cause his sister pain, and Henri would pay for hurting her.

"Dawnie, please listen, Let me explain." Gunther begged his baby sister.

"No, Gunther, no. I am hideous. No man will ever want me and you can't even pay someone to want me. I am ugly and I'm a freak." Dawn cried into the sofa.

Gunther sat next to her and gathered his sister in his arms. "Listen, Dawnie. You are not a freak. Any man that chooses you will be damned lucky. I did give Henri some money for tonight but not as any kind of payment. I wanted to make sure he had enough to pay for your date."

Gunther took a deep breath. "Dawn, what happened? Please tell me what happened. Did Henri hurt you? What did he do?"

"Some guys were at the restaurant we went to and they started harassing us. The manager made them leave, but they waited outside until we left. When we walked to Henri's truck, they attacked us." She inhaled.

"Gunther, they kept calling me a man. Do I look like a man Gunther? I know I'm not pretty, but do I look like a man? Henri said-" she asked her brother. With tears streaming down her face.

Gunther gathered his baby sister close. He vowed to protect her and learning that some guys deliberately hurt her simply because they could fueled his anger. "Dawnie, you are perfect. One day you will meet a man that will help you to know that."

"Can you finish telling me what happened?" Gunther queried shaking with fury knowing some creeps did this to her.

"Two of the guys grabbed Henri and the third guy grabbed me and grabbed my breast. I fought him off, when one of the guys that was beating Henri joined in on attacking me. He ripped my panties off Gunther. He hurt me. The other one tore my bra, finally the police came and they ran away.

Henri accused me of causing it because I look so freakish. He said he only went out with me because you paid him, then he pulled up, put me out of his truck, and drove off." Dawn sobbed.

Gunther was furious. Henri was his best friend. How could he hurt her like this? How dare he say these things to her?

"Baby girl, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I promise, no one will do this to you again and I will deal with Henri, alright. Dawnie, it's late. Let's get you in bed and we will deal with Henri tomorrow. I love you little Sis." He assured his baby sister.

Gunther sat with Dawn until she fell asleep. He could not wait to morning; he was heading over to Henri's trailer tonight. He knew better. No one hurt Dawn, so Henri had a beat down coming.

Meanwhile Henri was thinking, I'm a fucking idiot. How could I say that shit to Dawn. I'm a fucking coward. Shit! I've got to tell her I'm sorry, if she even talks to me again.

Boom boom boom Gunther beat on the door of his friends trailer.

"Gunther, what in the hell? Do you know what time-"He was cut off when Gunther wrapped his hand around his throat.

Slamming Henri into his wall Gunther demanded, "What the hell did you do to my sister? How dare you say that shit to her?"