SEVEN

It was midnight when my cell phone rang. When I looked at the screen to see who was calling, I frowned…it was Mum. What was wrong with her? Why was she calling when they were just in the other room? She can come directly here.

Since I had no plans to get up yet, I answered the call, still feeling a little drowsy. "Why?" I muttered, having no energy for questions.

"We are at the hospital right now. We had to rush Janel here because her fever wouldn't go down."

“Huh! How is she?” 

What I heard made me bolt upright in bed.

“She’s okay; she’s resting now. We didn't wake you up earlier because we thought we could come home right away. But she needs to be admitted first because she's dehydrated. They already brought samples of her urine and stool to the lab.” 

I grew anxious as I processed what had happened.

“But, Mia, we didn't bring anything with us when we left. Can you please bring Janel's things? Even just a change of clothes for now. I’ll just get the rest later when I come home, in case she really needs to stay confined for a long time,” Mum begged.

"All right," I simply replied before hanging up.

After talking to Mum, I immediately went to Janel's room to pack some essentials. I prepared only a few clothes and some personal hygiene products, putting them inside a small bag. Once I secured her belongings, I booked a taxi, which arrived almost immediately. I locked all the doors and gates tightly before leaving. I felt safe knowing that there were no thieves in our area, especially with the rumours that guards patrolled the neighbourhood every night.

At the hospital, I found my sister sleeping peacefully. Mum and Dad were sitting by the side of her bed. They were already inside a private room, waiting for the laboratory test results. After I handed over Janel's things, my mother told me to go home and rest. Dad tried to give me his car keys, but I refused. I told them I would just take a taxi so that if the results came out fine, they could use the car to go home together right away.

I stepped out of the hospital at two o'clock in the morning. Instead of taking a taxi, I decided to catch a jeepney since the roads were completely empty. In just a short moment, I was on board. I dropped off at the corner near Mang Kanor's shop, which was already closed. The street was dead silent, and it felt as if I were the only person wandering around. I wasn't easily scared, so I just kept walking. But to my utter horror, someone suddenly stepped up behind me and heavily placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't shout, or you won't like what I'll do to you."

It felt as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured over me. All of a sudden, my knees shook violently. Before I could even react, I felt something sharp press firmly against my side. All the nervousness and terror in the world consumed me; in that exact moment, it felt as if my soul had completely left my body.

"Come with me," the man commanded.

Driven by sheer terror, my body moved on its own, submissively following his lead. It was as if I had suddenly turned into a helpless robot. We walked, and I had no idea where he was taking me. My heart raced as I secretly prayed, my mind completely clouded by every horrific, negative thought imaginable. I didn't know what was going to happen to me. All I knew was that I was at the mercy of a dangerous man with malicious intentions.

I wanted to scream, but I knew it would be useless. I might get hurt or killed before I could even catch the attention of the neighbours. I just surrendered my fate to God. My feet felt so heavy that I could barely drag myself forward.

We soon approached an old, abandoned building. He clearly knew where he was heading—deep into an isolated, neglected part of the subdivision that was quiet and hidden from view. My mind spun, completely overwhelmed by dread. At this point, I knew exactly what could happen to me. I was certain something terrible was about to take place, and I was completely powerless to defend myself.

I couldn't help but panic as the empty structure loomed ahead. All I could do was pray for a miracle, hoping against hope that someone would pass by, notice us, and scare the man away. But there seemed to be no hope at all because the surroundings were completely desolate.

“Don't worry, Miss Beautiful, we're just going to play house. You'll be the mother, I'll be the father, and we'll make a baby,” he sneered, followed by a devilish laugh. “I'll let you go later, as long as you're sweet and obedient to everything I want.” 

Even though he didn't say the word, I knew exactly what he meant. Fear gripped me as the looming consequences became entirely clear.

He grabbed my hand and slowly turned the door lock. The moment the door swung open, he tried to shove me inside—but before I could even take a step, the man suddenly flew backward. He crashed heavily onto the floor, and just as he tried to scramble back up, a powerful kick struck him square in the face.

One by one, several men emerged from the shadows of the building and surrounded him. The man who had thrown the first punch immediately approached me, while his companions pinned the attacker to the ground, holding him tightly.

"Miss, are you okay?" one of the men asked me. I could only nod, staring at him blankly. Based on his uniform, he was a village security officer.

Another man stepped forward, the one who had brutally neutralised the criminal to protect me. When the shadows cleared, I recognised him instantly. It was none other than the arrogant jerk from the plaza.

"Ma’am, it's a good thing Jr spotted the two of you. Otherwise, you would have been another victim of this rapist," one of the officers said, striking the criminal one last time before turning to me.

Jr is his name, and he saved me.

He turned his gaze toward me. “I’ll take you home. Go to the police station tomorrow with your parents.” 

I looked at him and nodded, unable to find my voice.

I couldn't fully process my emotions. All I knew was that my life had just been in grave danger, and the man standing right in front of me had saved me. The very man I used to misjudge so harshly had just become my saviour.

"All right, Jr, take her home. We'll handle this guy," his companion said. Jr nodded, then gestured for me to walk beside him.

We walked side by side on the way to my house. A heavy silence stretched between us; neither of us wanted to speak. I had no idea what was crossing his mind. 

When we finally reached my house, I unlocked the gate and the front door, and he quietly followed me inside. I immediately collapsed onto the sofa, my entire body feeling completely numb. It was as if all my energy had been instantly drained, leaving me hollow.

"All right, I'll head out now," he said quietly, bidding me goodbye. 

I couldn't answer him because the reality of what had just happened was finally sinking in.

Something horrible almost happened to me.

At that exact thought, a dam broke inside me, and I burst into tears. I sobbed uncontrollably, my shoulders shaking violently. Suddenly, I felt a warm pair of hands gently rest on my shoulders. When I looked up through my blurred vision, I saw Jr kneeling in front of me.

"Thank you," I choked out softly, my voice cracking as the tears kept falling. "Thank you for saving me." 

The tears flowed one after another, unstoppable.

He sat down on the sofa beside me, gently pulling me into a tight embrace while caressing my back to soothe me.

“Shh... You're okay now. You're safe,” he whispered softly. “I'm right here. I'll watch over you.”

With his reassurance, all my remaining defences crumbled, and I let my tears flow freely as I buried my face deep into his chest.