'Shut your mouth, girl! You will be no one's wife but mine, do you understand me?!' I whimpered as he pinned me to the bed and pressed his palm into my lower belly. 'This womb of yours shall only carry my children. Don't you even dare to think about...
Ups! Ten obraz nie jest zgodny z naszymi wytycznymi. Aby kontynuować, spróbuj go usunąć lub użyć innego.
--Allison--
My lungs were stinging with pain as I dashed breathlessly through the park to the old, abandoned schoolhouse. I hadn't stopped running for the past ten minutes and my legs were crying out in ache because of it. But I couldn't let myself stop. I couldn't idle and take my time.
I had no idea what to expect from these new people that would be governing our lives until an even bigger power consumes them as well. They could be even worse tyrants than the Vipères Azurées were. Although Elias had the tendency to hit me, he was normally quite passive and lenient when it came to my pleads. It was because he favoured me over the others that could have brought him the protection fee.
But this new gang that was managing our area might not be as forgiving and biased. Simply wasting a minute of their time could mean a beating for me. And, given how I was not even sure whether I should have an envelope of money in my hands right now or not, I didn't want to risk upsetting them even a little.
My foot smashed against a rock and it cut my sprint through the whipping, overgrown weeds to a crashing halt. I cried out in hurt before tumbling unceremoniously into a patch of dirt. My toes were throbbing in pain and at once, everything seemed to overwhelm me to the point of tears.
What if they kill me for not having the money? Or maybe they were crueller than that and would teach me a proper lesson to make an example out of me for everyone else.
I sniffled and begrudgingly clambered back onto my feet, suppressing the agony my right foot was experiencing. I didn't want to go. I was afraid. I didn't want to get hit again. I didn't want this process to become even harsher than it was before.
'I'll have nowhere to go, so please! What do I do, Allison?!'
The breaths shook out of me as I huffed to catch it. Why? Why was this all pushed onto me? How was I meant to know what to do?! Aren't I just the same as you?
With a sharp intake of air, I settled my nerves once more and wiped away the moisture in my eyes. No, it's the least I could do. I couldn't just ignore these people's pleads and cries when I still had some sort of chance to save them.
I swallowed and steeled my will to begin running again to the schoolhouse. It was just in the distance. I was almost there! I have to find some way to get in their good graces. Even though I was scared, I had to do it for the future of my neighbourhood.
My feet were swelling and my chest heaving by the time I had reached the first, creaky step of the schoolhouse pouch. I was hesitant to enter the house but the tick of time was clocking away in my head as I stood there motionless. Not another second wasted, I trudged in, wary. They had apparently told Mrs Fier that they would be waiting in the usual spot, so I could only assume it would be the same room as well.
With bated breath, I mindlessly drifted my way through the house until I stopped at this dreaded door. What would they be like? How many of them were there? What would they ask of me? What was I to say back to them?
