I DO

Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Present

Nelly

From the distant, far from my conscious yet close to my reality, I heard banging. They were coming rapidly, angrily but the sound was blurry. A pricing headache consumed my system, it made it hard to open my eyes. Every so slowly, as the clock ticked in the distance, I returned to reality. I flutter my eyes open only to wince at the morning sunlight. The banging had stopped, making me believe that I had just imagined it. I tried to open my eyes again, this time my vision became stronger and clear. I was still in the kitchen, on the dining floor, abandoned in the same position. My fingers curled at the disgusting sight before me. It almost threatens nausea to rush back. I was lying on my vomit. There was small blood blended with my disgusting vomit and only then did I taste the metallic taste of my blood.

I closed my eyes.

Inhale and exhale. Inhale and exhale.

I recalled what happened a few hours ago and felt a rush of anger, pain, and disgust through me.

Elijah should be ashamed to call himself a man.

I opened my eyes again, stopping my mind from swirling deeper into last night's memory. Though I took pride in the pain I caused him. It wasn't even half of the pain he caused me.

Looking down at my disgusting dress, I sighed. I lifted my body, the chair at my side helping me to balance my body. When I finally managed to stand up, I took a moment to calm down. My body was still weak and tense, I couldn't move without wincing at little pain that cursed through my body.  I look around and was surprised to see everything was clean. The food from yesterday was gone. The table was set nicely again. Most importantly, the dagger was gone. With a sigh of disappointment and defeat, I began to walk and silently wondering where Elijah went. The house was empty, he was nowhere in sight. The only sound that reached my ears were the waves of the ocean dancing close to the shore.

I needed to shower. Privately this time. I reeked from my vomit and him. His touch. His smell. His taste. I wanted to wash my body and eliminate him from me.

I found a bathroom; it was the same bathroom he took me to. When he was behaving like an angel while his demon was dancing inside his wicked soul.

I stripped from the dress, not even giving it a second glance as I began to walk toward the showerhead, not caring to look at myself in the mirror. I didn't need a mirror to know how disastrous I look. I let the warm water cascade on me, every little drop felt like heaven to my body. But I didn't let myself enjoy it too much. My mind was already forming a plan as I cleaned my hair, my body and wrapped a towel around me. Quickly but carefully I dried myself fully and took the hanging bathrobe and covered my body with it. After running my palm over the foggy mirror to make it clearer, I took the first aid from the drawer and began to mend the wound on my forehead. Although it stung, I didn't wince once. At this point, I was numb to everything. How many days do I have? A week? More?

Run away first and think about that later, Nelly.

I agreed with my mind and finished cleaning my wound. With a bandage on the corner of my forehead, I opened the bathroom door and peeked outside and listened. Silence. Nothing. I walked out, my feet moving like an invisible ghost though the hallway. I opened a random bedroom door and quickly gathered the thin and white sheet from the bed. I was positive it was clean. It smelled nice anyway. I dropped the rock from my body and began making a dress from the sheet, covering my body and made a secured knot around my neck. My new dress came just over my knees, it was, of course, uncomfortable without underwear but Elijah didn't give me any choice. I once again took the bathrobe and threw it on. No matter how warm the weather felt on this island, I still felt cold. Still vulnerable. These pieces of items managed to cover my dignity.