Chapter Twenty-Three
My feet felt like lead as I stumbled down the hallway. My body ached from head to toe, and my heart was pounding in my chest. The sobs were uncontrollable, and I could barely breathe. I just wanted to get out of there, to escape from this living hell.
This is getting worse than I imagined….. More horrible!!
However, I continued sprinting down the corridor. A whirlwind of confusion engulfed me as my mind raced, torn between the paths before me. I was confused about the path to follow. Looking disheveled and disoriented, tears streamed down my face, staining my cheeks. Desperate to escape, I pressed my hand against my mouth, trying to stifle the sobs that threatened to break out. All I could focus on was the urgent need to flee from the building.
Everything about that beast fills me with utter disgust, and the shame I feel is beyond words. Right now, I don’t think I can bear anything or anyone. The hallway stretched out before me, seemingly endless, and it felt like I had been running in circles for ages. Remember when I said escaping would be like hitting a stone wall? Well, hours have passed, and I’m still here, desperately searching for an exit. It’s like time has played a cruel trick on me.
I still haven’t made it back to the hallway that led to his room yet putting a smile on my face though It’s like I’m stuck in this building, unable to escape. And just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, I wasn’t paying attention and ended up bumping into something. “Ouch!” I groaned, feeling the sharp pain as my head collided with a rock.
“Are you okay?” a gentlemanly voice asked, and at that moment, it hit me like a ton of bricks. It wasn’t a rock that I had bumped into, but a living, breathing person… a man!!
And the genuine concern in his tone piqued my curiosity. A vampire asking if I’m okay, didn’t he smell that I’m a werewolf, the very creature they’re supposed to kill on sight? “Excuse me,” his voice called out once more, and my heart raced with fear. Slowly, I managed to snap my head up, my eyes widening in shock. It was that exact man that resembled the beast that haunted my nightmares.
Remembering the terrifying encounter in that room earlier, a rush of emotions flooded over me. Shame, fear, and confusion all intertwined, causing me to tremble uncontrollably. The weight of what I had experienced was almost unbearable, and this made me suspicious of this very one standing in front of me.
“I’m… fine,” I replied, my voice tinged with a mix of caution and disdain. I shifted, creating some distance between us as I glared at him with disgust. “Sorry for… bumping into you,” I managed to force out the words, despite the burning hatred I held for his kind.
Smiling, he dismissively waved it away. “It’s fine,” he mumbled, but his tone shifted as he took in my disheveled appearance. My hair was a mess, my lips sore, my face covered in sweat, and my clothes tattered. Feeling a wave of shame wash over me, I cast my head down, unable to meet his gaze. “What happened to your lips?” he asked, reaching out his right hand to touch the bruise. Instinctively, I backed away, putting enough distance between us to protect myself. I couldn’t bear to let anyone get too close, not after what I had been through.
Seeing my reaction, he let out a groan and slowly lowered his hand to his side. “I’m Aristide,” he introduced himself, stretching out his right hand towards me for a handshake.
Still keeping my distance, I gave him a small nod as I cautiously observed his every move. Ready to defend myself if necessary, because this sudden show of affection is just so confusing. Those creatures are heartless and lack any trace of sympathy, so it’s hard for me to trust that this man standing in front of me, acting friendly, is genuine. Though something deep inside me is telling me he’s harmless, I find it difficult to believe… Everything about them fills me with hostility.
“Do you mind if I get to know your name, please?” His question brought me back to reality. I looked at him and my lips moved faster than I expected. “I need to leave this building,” I replied, earning a raised eyebrow from him.
“How?” he asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
“I need to leave this building, please,”
“Where are you coming from?” he asked, eyeing me up. “Who did this to you?”
“Please, I can’t seem to find my way out,” I quickly interrupted him, not ready for his questions. I just needed a moment away from this building, from their predatory gaze, from everything!
Nonetheless, a silence stretched between us as he kept staring at me, his gaze flickering on my bruised lips and the reddish fingerprint on my face. Pity and concern swirled in his face as he continued looking at me.
There was something about the way he stared at me that I couldn’t quite comprehend, and it made me uncomfortable. Noticing my uneasiness, he suddenly cleared his throat before muttering, “Wouldn’t you like to treat your bruises to avoid them getting contaminated?” His words earned a sharp glare from me.
Ugh!….. I couldn’t help but feel defensive at his suggestion. The last thing I wanted was to be reminded of my injuries. The pain was already etched into my skin, a constant reminder of the violence I had endured back in there. I wanted to escape that reality, even if just for a moment. But deep down, I knew he was right.
Taking care of myself was important, even if it meant confronting the truth. But honestly, I am already pissed off, and I don’t want him adding more to it. Can’t he just understand that I don’t want to be in the same space with their kind, I just can’t withstand them. “I need to leave, please,” I persist. He nodded after a few hours of hesitated gaze.
“Sure,” he muttered. With his hand tucked inside his pants pocket, he turned around and began walking. Cautiously, I followed behind him, the silence hanging heavy between us. We continued walking for a few minutes until we reached a staircase that led to the exit door.
He then stopped and turned to look at me, but my mind was already fixated on that exit. Without uttering a single word, I swiftly made my way toward the entrance and disappeared out of sight.
Immediately, I stepped away from that building, a sigh of relief escaped my lips. Surprisingly, the slave building that I once despised now felt more peaceful to me than that whitish building. I found myself preferring the familiar odorous smells over the sweet fragrances of that dark room.
When I reached the slave house, I pushed the door open hastily, and in an instant, someone enveloped me in a tight, unexpected hug. Caught off guard, I staggered back but managed to grasp onto the door tightly to prevent myself from falling.This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.
“Emma… I… I feel so scared,” I heard someone cry out as she hugged me tightly.
“Alma…” I stammered, my voice barely more than a whisper as her sobs echoed in my ears.