Chapter - 3

My loneliness becomes even more frightening when I feel someone else close to me. Like a wind, gust is around me all the time, who feels my every sorrow and every suffering as closely as mine.

The feeling of being watched is the worst feeling in the world. It always haunts you. And this is all which was happening to me for the last 3 years.

I do not know if this is true or the hallucination of my brain. But every moment I feel it's real and someone else presence close to me.

Is this the person who comes into my dreams every night, who always supports me or scares me.

The craziest thing was the weird feeling like always someone had touched me, and it had a spark, and it had ignited a fire within me. When I looked around to find someone, I saw no one, but my body was craving for that sensational touch again and again.

♡

I wake up today with another terrible nightmare., the day when I lost my everything, by everyone.

The worst day of my life was when my parents became enemies of their daughter's life. I was just 14 years old and out of nowhere, my father started beating me till I was unconscious, and my mother giggled whenever I screamed in pain. I was locked in the dark and cold basement in my house.

Every night, they used to worship the evil devil.

When all the paths to save my brother were closed, My parents used the devil worship as their last hope. Which was entirely wrong, but my parents wanted to avoid losing my younger brother under any circumstances. Even if they have to sacrifice their daughter for that.

Yes, they did. They started hurting me, To please the devil.

 "Come on Rachel you have to sacrifice your life for your beloved brother's life. Being elder sisters, only you can give his life back to him..."

And I felt tears rolling down like a river on my cheeks.

"But... but... da... dad it's radically wrong how co... Could yo… You...”

I somehow countered back,

“hahaha... Good Rachel, we will get this reward from you for our love and care for so many years?”

My mother spat at me as she gripped my hair, pulled back, and kicked me in my arm.

After that, my father's fist landed on my face as he punched me over and over until I started to bleed.

“Amm... I'm... Sorry, dad... please have some mercy on me... please dad...”

I stammered out while crying.

“Wow look honey is our poor baby going to cry like always!”

My father taunted me... He had a sly smirk on his face as he gripped my shoulder a little more hard. I bit my lips to keep out a faint cry. I wanted to die, but not in a form of sacrifice to please a devil.

Furthermore, I wanted to die with my head held high with no fear. But that time I would not beg and would not growl. I would accept my death in silence.

I pressed my forehead to the floor and attempted to open my eyes.

“Honey, I think it's a proper time for the sacrifices,”

My mother said with an emotionless expression on her face and I kept my eyes shut tightly.

Suddenly with a bang, thud, I felt the room temperature increased too high. Everything in the rooms shattered and shaking. A red shiny portal opened in the wall and a very hard and intense heat hitting us in our body badly, and it felt like burning.

My knees have gone weak, and the heat was too much for me to take in, and I started to black out... I felt my body hit the ground as I tried to look up, blinking around the unshed tears in my eyes.

And that's it! 

I don't remember anything next... Looks like someone has erased all my memories from this night from my mind.

Where are my parents, I don't know?

What happened that night, I don't know?

Did the devil come that night, I don't know?

All I remember is that when my eyes were open after that, I first saw Mother Mary sitting in front of me, caressing my hair lovingly with a beautiful smile on her face. And this orphanage became my permanent destination.

A soft and sweet voice interrupted my thought.

“Rachel” Mother Mary called, I dazed, hummed in acknowledgment, and made eye contact with my caregiver.

“Rachel, my child, I want you to go to the grocery shopping. I'm swamped with some paperwork. I would appreciate it "

She said, I smiled at her and replied with a soft "of course" not minding any work that would help out the only mother figure I've ever had in my eyes.

But somewhere inside I felt uneasy because I was a little uncomfortable with traveling alone. 

"My child, you're nearly 18 you know that's why you need to start learning how to do things by yourself. You have to learn, I always felt awful when I saw you barely interacted with people your age. And I think this is your first step to open up. Do you understand!"

She explained, and I nodded enthusiastically, pleased that mother Mary was giving me a chance to prove my independence.

♡

The cool breeze passed through my hair while I watched leaves of many colors fall to the earth floor. I hummed my favorite song as I began my 20 minutes walk to the nearest grocery store. 

I arrived at the store and exhale slowly, relieved that I had reached here with no issues. I took a cart and quickly grabbed the necessities according to mother Mary's list. I was walking and also reading the contents of something I picked, but suddenly stopped when someone bumped into my cart.

"I'm so sorry,"

I said and realized that my cart bumped into a lady wearing a cape. She looked at me and her eyes are a strange shade of gray, one that I have never seen before.

"No sweet girl... it's fine, my mistake"

She said with a gentle smile. I don't know why, but I have a strong feeling that eyes recognize me. But before I ask, she gave a polite nod as she walks away.

Suddenly, I realize that she dropped something rushing. It's a bottle filled with a crimson-colored liquid with a small gemstone inside.

"Excuse me, miss... I think you dropped this---"

When I take that bottle in my hand, she already disappeared.

"Strange"

I wondered I have never seen a liquid like that, it's too. Blood-like, yet at the same time, it doesn't smell like one.

What is this?

Who was she?

I tried hard to find her, but she had just vanished into a thin air.