To Death, do us part

Ch 1

       Someone had walked into my room. Oh, I wonder who it could be? I don't know why I ask myself my question each time, but I do. Maybe it helps me from losing hope forever. I try to always think it will be my savior. A step closer and I know it is the man shielded with a mask. His cold presence leaves me with chills. I usually expect him around dark. This is not usual. The unexpected meant pain. I thought he would have skipped today of all days. My birthday is today and that means something...at least to some people.

He told me to get up. I used the little resistance I had to stay sitting on the cold floor. A day, a day was all I needed without him. " Get up, b*tch!" With this statement, he projected more. He cursed too, which meant serious business. I knew I had to comply this time if I didn't want to face serious repercussions. He didn't let me complete my rebellion and he yanked me by my hair. I would fight, however, I knew it would be a losing battle. I was pulled to my feet and then let go. When no hands slammed into my face, I was surprised. He stared at me as if he was examining me for the first time.

"Time to go."

I nodded my head. He handed me some shoes and said, "Put these on." Leaving felt too good to be true. Death seemed more probable. After desiring it for so long, it comes on my birthday... Despite how sad it sounds, I couldn't be any happier. It was the first reason to smile in three years.

"What are you smiling for?" He wondered.

"Nothing, sir."

"Better be nothing." He scoffed at me.

I followed him through a long hallway then up some stairs. It's been a long time since I walked this much. My legs struggled as they were dragging along.

"Hurry up, I don't have all day!"

I guess my slowness was noticed. We reached the top where he unlocked the door. Those shiny pairs of keys burned my retinas which made my desire to steal them stronger. They looked so close in my reach. I could stab myself with them or even better, him...

The top of the stairs led to a normal-looking house. It's weird I'm back where I started, except I'm leaving. Hopefully, death is approaching. We went straight to the door. Before he opened it, he turned back to me.

"I don't want anything funny. You walk straight to the van. Got that?"

"Yes, sir."

"You better or you're as good as dead."

So there's no meeting with death, I suppose. He could make my life more hell? How could
I face a harsher reality than this? Oh yeah, he could rape me. He never touched me in that way and the only reason I haven't tried to kill him more than once. I would not luck out anyway. I'm weaker than I have ever been.

The door cracked, exposing me to the light. It was so blinding.He went into the light first and I followed after. The car was a block from the house. It was hard to keep balance with my body weighing down on my sorry excuse for legs. I was very slow. That only made the man angrier. The tips of his ears turned red. He yelled at me again to hurry. My brain wanted to run to a house and ask them for help. My brain didn't control me anymore, he did. So, without thinking I was always three steps more towards the car. Nearly seconds later I was there. Time for escape had ceased and I was stuck in an enclosed space again.

I counted the number of bumps we rolled over as we drove. There were at least 50 of them. The drive was long. It seemed like hours but I really didn't have an accurate amount of time anymore. The whole time I faced the windows. I wished for them to be down. It's been a long time since I felt any wind on my face. Any urging though would result in a bad way for me so I didn't suggest it. I sighed without thinking. That had almost gotten me a slap across my face. The man did not play games.

The houses spaced out more, the farther we drove. We reached a town called Mulberry. It was as small as it could get. The sign said the population hasn't reached over 2,000 people. Thinking of a more barren life seemed out of question, but it could be my reality.

We turned right after seeing the sign. There were three far-spaced bumps after that. We reached a big house. It was a mansion-type house. The ones only kings would own. This has to be a mistake. I would not fit in a place like that, especially now. The man turned to me again. He looked me up and down. He said I was good enough, then he gave me a speech on how to act like a good girl with manners. It was almost parent-like and that scared me. He wanted me to not mess anything up for him. I was his last chance apparently.

He will be disappointed. I will most definitely mess up. I always mess up. It was in my emo. That's how I got with him in the first place.

He pushed the door open and pushed me out. He thanked the driver and told him it wouldn't be longer than an hour. I did not know he was capable of being so nice. I guess kidnappers are human too...

It was a good 1/4th of a mile going to the house. I don't know why he didn't just drive up directly to the house. It's not any less suspicious than a black van in front of a mansion. The man was less furious with me for being slow and I wondered why. His temper is usually off the charts. We reached the top of the hill and he knocked on the door.

He was talking to himself saying he couldn't be happier for me to go. So I'm leaving him forever? Shouldn't I be the one screaming for joy? But of course, I shouldn't. My fate was probably going to be downhill from here. How could I survive? It's best not to ask yourself this question, I've come to realize. It is better to do what you have to do instead of focusing on the future. If I focused too much on the future, I might give up my will to fight at all.

The door opened to a woman. She seemed to be in a worker's outfit. Not just any workers' outfit, but the 1960s maids' outfits. She wasn't astonished by a random teenage girl's presence. She, in fact, appeared to expect me.

"Oh, you're finally in. Scurry on in. We don't want anyone to see us, now do we?" She asked.

I nodded as the man shoved me in. I fell onto my knees. He grabbed my fragile little dress and pulled me back up.

"Do you have to be so harsh with the girl? The master will not like to see her with such a defiled appearance." She spoke on my behalf. At least, a little.

"No, I guess." He shrugged as if he just kicked a ball in the wrong part of the house instead of manhandling a girl. " So where's the guy? I'm not trying to be here all day."

"The meeting between you two isn't necessary anymore." She replied.

"I'm getting my money, whether he wants to meet me or not."

"Oh, of course. Here's it all." She handed him an envelope. It was full of cash.

He counted it and gave an okay to the lady. It seemed sufficient enough for him to walk out the front door. Out with a known nightmare time to meet a new one.