The Deal

Chapter 36 - In an evil man hands

Stavros' pov:

It's been two weeks since Melina left our house and we still haven't been able to find her. Neither I nor her parents could find her anywhere. At first I strongly believed that they knew where she was and were hiding her but as the days went by I realized that they knew nothing about her. Where did she go? Why did she have to leave? Why didn't she stay and give me a chance to explain? It was obvious she didn't trust me at all! I know what all of this was like, but she had to give me a chance to defend myself and speak my mind. She judged me and condemned me like that without even thinking to hear my point of view.

~~~~~~~~~~~In a dirty apartment somewhere in the notorious suburbs of the city:

Third person pov:

-"This food sucks! Who's gonna eat it bitch?" he said throwing the plate off the table. The woman sat curled up in a corner completely scared. Her clothes were dirty and torn and her face was covered in smudges and scrapes. It was obvious that she had been physically and psychologically abused. How could it be delicious? The raw materials he brought her to cook were rotten and spoiled. How was she supposed to prepare something delicious with such bad ingredients?

-"What are you looking at?" he said menacingly ready to attack her.

She curled deeper into herself, looked away and began to tremble. She had already learned the hard way that one wrong move was enough to end up being beaten senseless. She learned this first hand when she tried to run away from home. The first and only time she tried, he found her two blocks away and dragged her home by the hair. And when they got in, he started punching and kicking her until she got tired and couldn't do it anymore. So she stayed quietly in her little spot without saying a word, hoping she would leave without making a scene. And he did! The man didn't even spare her a look! He stood up abruptly and left the house. Thank God! Her prayers paid off! Her prayers were the only thing she had. All she remembered...

The house was a dirty hole in an old building. It was a small room that had a half broken bed, an old table with three different chairs that were probably found thrown away and being picked up, and an old closet that had various pants and shirts scattered inside. An old stove was on the right which was not always lit, except when the man came back early in the evening or wanted to cook something for him. The walls were gray and black from dirt and damp and there was a small window above the bed that let light into the room. Most of the day, the room was very cold, so she warmed herself by wearing an old blanket she had found in the old closet.

She didn't remember how she ended up here. In fact she didn't remember anything at all. All she remembered was that the first time she opened her eyes, she found herself lying on that bed. She stayed there for a few hours until a drunk came in. She asked him who and where she was.

He told her that she was his wife, Soula, and that his name was Vrasidas. Despite his immediate response, something bothered her that didn't sit well inside her. She didn't feel like the wife of this wild man, and even more so that her name was Soula.

Furthermore, she has found nothing female in this house to prove that she ever lived there. However, since she couldn't remember anything from her past life, she couldn't escape. Besides, where could she go? Here she had a room to stay and food to eat.

If she acted smart she could avoid getting hit by him. The only good thing was that the man came back every night so drunk that he couldn't do anything inappropriate or indecent to her. Thank God she was free at least for now.....but how much longer?

The way he looked at her sometimes, lustfully, undressing her with his eyes, made her feel so vulnerable and uncomfortable. She knew what he wanted from her and was sure that if she continued to stay there he would get it. 

This man really disgusted her. Although he was in his forties, he had a fat belly and a few teeth, most of which were rotten. He was tall and his face was hard with scars. He had a mustache while his hair was unkempt and sticky and his clothes dirty.

She had to get out of there as soon as possible! But how? The only way for her was to leave at night when he would be drunk and sleepy and unable to chase her down and catch her. She had to do this as soon as possible. Her time was running out. She had to leave as soon as possible!

Around two past midnight he arried home. He was drunk again and he was cursing and singing at the same time. He slammed his foot on one of the chairs and started cursing and yelling. She remained motionless, covered under the blanket. He was walking around the table shouting with a bottle in his hand. He took a sip and started shouting again.

-"Soula, Soula why did you abandon me? Why did you leave me and left with that idiot? Why did you betray me? Why? When I find you I will kill you Soula! I will kill you" he shouted as he was punching and kicking everything in his way.

The woman remained motionless in her place covered with the blanket. He was so drunk that he couldn't tell if there was someone under the blanket or a sack of potatoes! She stood still trying not to make any sound. The man continued his delirium until half an hour later he fell unconscious on the bed. A few minutes passed in complete silence when he started snoring.

This was her only chance to escape! She tried to stand up as quietly as she could and with small steps she reached the door. She gently grabbed the door handle. She took a deep breath and gently opened the door, hurried down the stairs and left the building. Her emotions were indescribable. Happiness, freedom and optimism overwhelmed her. She was finally free!

She quickly left the block as she was afraid someone would see her and inform Vrasidas. She was wearing a pair of pants, a shirt she found in the closet, and a blanket over her. She had her hair covered with an old hut and hid her face with a rug. No one could tell that she was a woman. The neighborhood was notorious during the day, especially at night when prostitutes, criminals, and various types of strange men roamed the streets.

She kept walking even though the fear was growing inside her making her heart beat like crazy. She passed the neighborhood and headed for the main street. Never been this far before! There were a few cars crossing it while people walked or wandered on either side of it. She continued walking, paying no attention to any of them: She wasn't looking for trouble!

She took off her hat to see her surroundings better. Her eyes were looking for a safe place to spend the night and hide from Vrasidas. She realized that Vrasidas was lying to her. She could not be his wife. He heard him clearly say that his wife Soula had abandoned him. Therefore he lied to her. Her premonition was right!

It was then that she saw a church in the distance. This is! A church! The church is a shelter, a refuge. She will be safe there. She quickened her pace. She was getting closer when someone grabbed her arm from behind causing her to freeze in place. Her knees were locked. She was so scared! She couldn't say a word, she just stood there like a statue. Her heart was pounding. Has Vrasidas found her again? She was so afraid that she couldn't turn back to see. She knew what would happen to her next. All her hopes were lost. All she knew was that she couldn't turn back. If she did, it would be the end of her...She knew....