Haunted Viper

DAHLIA’S POV 

I can’t take it anymore. I stand up from the waiting area and walk out of the hospital. I don’t even look back because I feel people's eyes follow me and their murmurs echo in my head.

I leave my purse, my phone, even the food flask behind. I don’t know where I’m going.

All I know is… I can’t breathe.

It feels like something is blocking my nose and squeezing my throat tight. My chest hurts. My eyes are full of tears, and I can barely see.

Still, I keep walking. I bump into people. I hear them complain. But I don’t stop. I can’t even speak to say sorry. It feels as though they're shouting directly into my ears, but I still don't hear them.

“Hey! Do you want to die?”

“Get out of the road, you stupid woman!”

“Crazy idiot!”

Car horns blast loudly. Drivers shout at me.

Then I realize I am walking in the middle of the road. I don’t even know how I got there. I quickly move to the side of the road. I must look so lost and foolish.

For a moment, a thought crosses my mind.

If a car hits me… Maybe everything will end. Maybe I can finally rest. Maybe I won’t have to live in this cruel world anymore.

A world where the people I love keep hurting me. Betraying me again and again. People I would have given my life for.

My chest tightens.

But then, Sunny’s face flashes in my mind.

“I won’t do anything stupid, I promise.” I said those words to her.

And Cleo, I can’t leave her.

I know what it feels like to grow up without a mother’s love. I can’t let that happen to her.

Jerome doesn’t want to share her. He wants to take her away from me completely. He wants me gone from her life so he can brand me a bad person when she comes of age and I don't exist in her life.

That thought shakes me awake. No, I won’t let that happen. I lift my head slowly and turn around.

I need to go back to the hospital. I need to keep fighting no matter what. 

But just as I take a step, a loud screech cuts through the air. A truck stops right in front of me, so close that my heart jumps into my throat.

“Yo, beauty!”

A large man jumps down from the back of the truck.

My body freezes, I know right away that this is trouble. I don’t have my purse, pepper spray, or phone. There's no way I can defend myself from this big man.

My head feels heavy, like it’s not even part of my body anymore. My heart aches so badly. All I want is to lie down and sleep. I don’t have the strength for this.

The man walks closer. Both his arms are covered in tattoos. His face has scars. He looks like a wild animal ready to attack.

“You’re so beautiful,” he says with a dirty smile. “Why don’t you come with us? We’ll make you happy.”

He grabs himself in a disgusting way. I quickly look around. The road is not very busy. Cars pass once in a while. A few people walk by, but no one is close enough to help.

Just my bad luck again. And as if one person isn't enough, another man steps out of the truck.

He has silver teeth, and a cigarette is stuck between them.

“Come with us,” he repeats. “We’ll make you happy.”

“I’m sorry,” I say weakly. “I don’t have time for this.”

I try to walk away.

But he suddenly grabs my hand and pulls me back.

“Don’t be stupid,” he says. “We just want to make you smile. You’ll enjoy it.”

Before I can react, the big man moves behind me and grabs my waist tightly.

“Get in the car quietly,” the one with silver teeth says. “Don’t be stubborn.”

My heart starts racing. This is real, they mean it.

“Let me go! Help!” I scream. 

They begin to laugh and start to push me towards the truck.

“She said let her go.”

The voice is cold and deadly, and sends chills through my whole body.

The men freeze and turn at the same time. I take the chance and start to struggle, trying to break free. But they grab me again, tighter this time.

I lift my head and look, it is Mr. Chane standing beside his car. Nani stands behind him too. How did they find me? They couldn't have been looking for me. No way in hell.

“Who are you to interfere?” the tattooed man sneers. “She’s just a little whore. If you want her too, you can join us.”

My stomach turns. What a disgusting pig.

Mr. Chane walks toward us slowly. His face is calm, but his eyes are terrifying. The veins on his face and arms stand out. He looks like he is holding something back. Something dangerous.

Then, without warning, he grabs the big man by the neck and throws him away from me.

Punch!

His fist crashes into the face of the man with silver teeth.

A loud crack follows. Blood bursts from his mouth. He lets go of me immediately and falls back against the truck.

I stumble free.

“Are you hurt?” Mr. Chane asks quickly.

I can’t speak, so I nod.

His face hardens.

“You’re a dead man!” the silver-toothed one shouts, charging at him.

But Mr. Chane moves faster. He dodges his punch and kicks him hard in the back.

The man falls flat. Mr. Chane grabs him and starts punching his face again and again.

“Don’t—”

Punch!

“Ever—”

Punch!

“Touch a woman—”

Punch!

“Forcefully—”

Punch!

“Without her consent!”

Punch!

The man collapses, his head lolling to the side of the road, but he's not dead. He attempts to keep his bloodied eyes open, but fails as he continues to spit out blood. Mr. Chane pushes him aside.

Then he turns to the tattooed one. The man raises his hands quickly.

“I surrender, please!” 

But Mr. Chane doesn’t stop. He grabs one of his fingers… Crack! A horrible sound fills the air.

“Aaaaahhhhh!” the man screams loudly.

His finger bends in a crooked way and I open my mouth, but nothing comes out except a rush of air.

“That is for holding her,” Mr. Chane says coldly. “If you ever touch a woman like that again… I will find you. And I will kill you.”

The air goes silent.

“Let’s go,” he says quietly.

I stand there, still in shock. He didn’t even sweat. Was he really just helping me… Or was something else happening inside him?

Because for a moment, his eyes looked different. Nani quickly gets into the driver’s seat.

“I’ll drive,” she says before he can speak. She starts the car.

She understands him more than anyone. I can see it. We get into the backseat together. I sit quietly beside him.

I steal a glance at him. He looks out the window, his hands resting on his lap. Blood drips from his knuckles and I want to help him. But I don’t move, not knowing how to and I definitely don't want to make him angrier than he already looks.

As I keep looking at him through the corner of an eye, I notice something. His lips tremble slightly. His hands… They start to shake.

My heart softens and without thinking, I reach out and place my hand on his.

He freezes and my heart beats faster.

Slowly… he turns to look at me and our eyes lock.

For a moment, everything goes still. So…he’s human after all. 

But then, his grip tightens around my hand and his eyes darken.

And in a low, broken voice, he whispers—

“…Don’t touch me like that again.”