C2 Chapter 2

I switched on my bedside lamp and sat upright, reaching for my pepper spray under my pillow.

I always kept either a knife or a pepper spray incase we got robbed or Steve had too much liquor to drink—like tonight.

He walked closer to me, and sat on my bed, his eyes sparkling with unhinged lust. "You've grown from the ugly, skinny Sheila to a very pretty girl, you know?"

I nodded, tightening my grip on the spray.

"I'm sure you know what they're going to do to you there?" He asked as he stared at my exposed thighs.

Tears stung at my eyes at the very thought of it. "Please don't sell me off to those men." I pleaded, my gaze meeting with his wrinkled eyes.

"Too late, the deal has been made." He said, moving his right hand to the thick blankets that I was wrapped in.

I wanted to be tough but I couldn't stop the tears anymore.

"Don't cry, my princess." He said, grinning at the tears that rolled down my face. "Before you go to those evil men tomorrow, how about you please your Dada tonight?"

My heart took a leap, and I immediately shifted to the other edge of the bed, shaking my head in disgust.

"Don't be scared." He whispered as he moved closer. "Your momma is fast asleep, she won't hear a..."

I brought out the pepper spray and sprayed it directly into his eyes.

He screamed and darted backwards, crashing on the wood floor.

"Bitch!" He groaned. "I'll kill you."

The blanket entangled my legs but I managed to break free from it.

Steve was too close to the door, so I had to use the window. It was terribly cold outside and I had nothing but my nightgown and a kitty cat headband on my head.

"Where do you think you're going?" He yelled as I stepped onto the sloped rooftop.

The cold bit at my skin, even my bones quivered beyond control.

He rose from the floor, rushing towards the open window. "Come back here, you slut! I gotta pay my debt!"

I jumped down the roof, crashing on mum's tomato garden. I knew I was wounded already, but the pepper spray was fading from Steve's eyes, and I couldn't wait to tend to my wound.

A gunshot boomed from our house, shaking the old building.

"Please don't kill her!" I heard momma cry from inside.

I rushed to their bedroom window and from the gap in the shutters, I could see momma kneeling by Steve's feet, wailing and begging.

He kicked her away with his boot, and armed himself with his Hunter's rifle, a whip and a knife.

"If you can't train your brat, I'll train her for you." He growled as he knocked the door over and stormed out of the room.

I had to run away but our house was in the middle of nowhere. We were surrounded by acres of farmland with only two pathways; one leading to Bergon town which was over ten miles away, and the other led to a restricted woods that was two miles away from the highway.

It was unthinkable to pass through the woods as it inhabited dangerous animals that would tear me to bits, but then If I headed for the town, Steve would find me as he knew that was the only place I could go to.

I had to think fast as Steve was outside our yard already, looking to his left and right for any sign of me.

As expected, he went into his sedan and sputtered the old engine to life. The headlights beamed at the drums I hid behind, and I held my breath hoping Steve's bad eyesight would pay me off tonight.

And they did.

He reversed the truck and drove out of our yard, heading to the path that led to town.

The front door screen swung open and momma rushed out, crying: "Steve, please don't hurt her. We need her for the debt."

My heart crashed as I stared at her in the dark. She was bent over, looking like an eighty year old in lingerie. All that beauty she had once had was gone and faded.

I felt so sorry for her, and despite everything, I longed for her embrace. I just wanted to run to her, and be wrapped in the safety of those arms, but I knew she would always choose Steve over me.

The woods were deadly but If I stayed here, I was as good as dead anyway.

Wiping my tears with the hem of my dress, I crawled from behind the drums and into the corn fields. My knees bled as they scraped the rocks on the ground, but I tried to remain silent.

At last, I got to the fences that separated our farm from the woods, and without looking back, I jumped over it and ran as fast as my legs could take me.

All sorts of sounds came my way, but I didn't stop. I didn't even look at where I was headed or what animals moved by my side, I just kept running with the words 'Congratulations Ms. Sheila' stuck in my mind's eye.

I had a dream, and that was all I needed.

It took over thirty minutes of non-stop running to get to the highway, and when I broke out from the dense forest and onto the tarred road, thunder crashed nearby and rain began to pour down heavily.

It was terribly cold, and the rain made it worse for me.

The road was empty and the few trucks that passed by, moved with speed and didn't care to stop.

The rain washed down the blood that poured from my feet and knees, making the open bruises sting badly. I had never been so wounded before, even Steve's whips never left so much bruises on my body.

After over an hour of standing by the roadside, an old truck stopped for me.

"Thank you sir!" I squealed, my voice cracking from the cold. The windows were rolled up but I could see a male figure sitting by the driver's seat.

As I got closer, the man rolled down.

The rain blurred my vision, if not, I would have been seen his face from afar. When I finally recognized the face, I was too close to the truck.

It was the man who had parked on our cornfield today. The man with the unsettling smile.

"Hey, Angel." He said, curling his lip. "Where're you off to?"

I swallowed hard, and instinctively skittered backwards.

His hands moved quickly and in a blink, a shotgun was pointed directly at me.

"Get in the car!"