Running Scared

2. Woods

It's so dark here, yet I continued running. I was scared for life. Its not that I'm afraid of darkness, I'm afraid of what comes within it.

The woods had uneven ground and I was bare foot because my brother doesn't like dirt in his house, so he never allowed me to wear shoes or flip-flops inside the house, I was not allowed to set a foot outside the house hence, I never owned any footwear for five years.

My feet were bleeding but I kept moving on. I have to. If I don't -

"Beloved little sister."

I stopped dead in the tracks. Oh my God! He found me.

I came to my senses and dashed forward not caring the direction I'm taking. I just have to outrun him.

I kept running for what seemed to be like forever when I heard a movement in the bushes behind me.

I glanced back to see if it was my brother and ran into a wall. 

The impact was so hard that it knocked out the air in my lungs. I would have fallen back but suddenly steel bands wounded around my waist.

Huh? The walls have arms?

I glanced back to look up at the wall, when my midnight black eyes landed on the stormy grey ones.

Shit! I stumbled across a person, not a wall. And the steel bands were not bands but arms of the man who kept me from falling back on the ground.

I looked into his eyes again and lost myself in the storm. I forgot that he was a complete stranger and that it was rude to stare at someone,(but he was also staring back at me. So it doesn't count. Right?) I forgot that my brother was chasing me to drag me back into his hell again. I forgot the pain in my back he was causing because of his iron hold on me.

He was wearing a black mask with feathers and obsidian stones on it, that covered half of his face and matched his black attire. He was at least a foot taller than my 5 feet 1 and 1/2 inches. I never forget that important 1/2 inch. 

"Ah, my sister look I found you. Time to come back home." sang a voice.

That's when I snapped out of trance and looked back to see my brother walking towards me with a evil smirk on his face.

No, no, no. This can't be happening. I escaped that hell only to be dragged back into it again.

"Who are you?" asked a husky voice. It was his voice.

"I'm her brother. She ran away from the house, she has mental issues. Thank you for catching her, I love her and words won't express the amount of gratitude I have towards you for catching her."

How dare he, how could he say he loves me. No, I have to find a way, I have to.

I looked back at the masked man and pleaded," No please, help me, I can't go back. He's lying, I'm not a psycho.I'm -"

"See, I told you. She needs treatment.  Sister let's go home, I have cooked your  favorite noodles." My brother cut off in between

The man was looking at me and then at my brother he said, "Who should I believe? How do I know who's lying? how- "

"Hey John, did you catch her? If yes, then I'll be the first one to have her back in the bed. That bi**h, my eyes are still stinging. She'll pay for it." Henry shouted.

My brother was now even more angrier than before. He said to the man, "Listen bro, you don't need to come in between my sister and me, we'll handle her. Give her back to me and I'll let you live."

If possible the man tightened his hold on my waist. He is not gonna give me back to my brother! He'll fight him and his friends.

For a moment I was really happy that someone wanted to fight for me, save me. But then a thought stuck my mind. There are five of them including my brother and the masked man is alone. Yes, the man was well built, with bunching muscles, but he cannot take five of them down together. No, he'll die, I can't let that happen. He was trying to save me but it was impossible.