2. Meeting him

LIA

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Halfway through my walk home, I decided to take the narrow path that led to my pack. It was lonely and quiet which helped me to think and process my thoughts clearly plus it was the fastest route home if I ever wanted to make it back home in time and escape some serious backlash from my uncle.

I was about to make a turn when I spotted an unmoving figure up ahead. I couldn't see who it was but somehow I was pulled toward that person. It was almost as if whatever lying down there was calling out to me.

This feeling was all so very strange to me and I couldn't comprehend what was going on at the moment.

My legs seem to have a mind of their own because they started walking involuntarily toward the person.

When I got closer, I noticed that it was a man and that he was injured and bruised, and battered.

Crouching down next to him, I slowly raised my hands and ran my fingers over his face, making sure to push the bloodied tendrils on his face to the side. His eyes were snapped shut and he was hardly breathing.

Fear and terror coursed through me at that moment. Who was he and what was he doing out here alone on this lonely path?

Was he perhaps a killer, assassin, or maybe a predator?

This path was very excluded from the main road and very few people knows about this place so why was he here? And how come he has all these injuries on himself? Who would've been so cruel as to inflict something like this on someone?

My heart reached out to him and it baffled me because I don't even know this man or who he was.

Maybe I should just go and pretend as if I didn't see anything cause whoever did this might be close by.

I turned to leave but then I felt huge pair of hands grab my wrist tightly and pulled me closer so that I was straddled on his chest. He groaned painfully. I knew that I must've touched something. An open wound perhaps.

At that moment, I wanted to scream but he somehow managed to seal my mouth shut so that I wouldn't be able to say anything.

I was right, he was a killer.

"Don't go..." His voice came out breathless as though he was struggling to form words.

"Help" He whispered painfully. His emerald green eyes pinned on mine and held me in this.

I started a little longer and that was when I noticed the cut on his lips. He was bleeding profusely.

"What should I do?" I found myself asking. I don't know why but his voice stirred something deep inside me. Is it weird that I wanted to listen to it?

"I need you to make a quick call for me." He muttered a response.

I cringed at that statement "I do not have a cellphone."

"Use mine." He mumbled under his breath.

I reached my other hands into his pockets and that's when I touched it.

I immediately pulled it out and with his instructions, I dialed the number that he has asked me to call.

The receiver picked up at the first ring.

"Asher" His voice came out worried "Where are you? Why weren't you picking up? Answer me you damn bastard–"

"Hello" I answered in the calmest voice that I could muster.

"Hi who is this?"

"The person you're trying to reach is badly injured and he asked me to call this number–"

"Oh my goodness" he cried out "Where is he? Is he alright?" He interrupted me before I could pass the intended message across.

"I'll text you an address on where to meet us. Please hurry." I said and quickly disconnected the call. I texted him the address and tried to get him to stand up on his feet.

He grumbled incoherent words that I didn't understand. I managed to get him on his feet and supported his heavy weight on mine.

We got to the roadside and before I could assimilate what was going on, a car pulled up in front of us.

Someone stepped down and walked towards us. I recognized his voice from the call earlier and he immediately took the man who I had come to know as Asher from my hands.

"Thank you so much." He said gratefully with a smile on his face.

"Glad I could help."

I turned to go but Asher's hands were still holding mine firmly.

I tried to wriggle free but found it impossible to do. He didn't want to let go.

"Please let go." I pleaded "My uncle would kill me." I muttered the last part to myself but I think he heard me because he released my hands from his tight grip.

"Wait–"

Before he had the time to say something else, I was already on my heels in a dead run. I needed to go home and fast.

I was already late and I know that I was going to be in a whole lot of trouble.

*.*.*

I arrived home to see my uncle seated on the couch. His face was tightened in a deep scowl. He was upset. I know because he had that look on his face that he usually gets when he's about to snap or yell at me.

I could feel the tension in the room as he stared into nothingness. Today was gonna be one of those days and I could feel it deep in my gut.

"Good afternoon uncle." I struggled with a greeting. My hands were trembling as I played with the hem of my hoodie sweater. His eyes darted to where I stood and I looked away in the opposite direction.

I saw him stand up from the corner of my eyes and took steady steps toward me. I swallowed the lump that had already formed in my throat.

"The fact that I can smell your fear already tells me that you know exactly what you did Lia" he growled, Angry lines formed on his forehead but he didn't stop there.

"Where did you go?"

I gulped. I knew that nothing I would say at this point would change the opinion he already has of me. Truth or not, he would never believe me and so I snapped my mouth shut.

"Lia" he pressed on, inching his face closer to mine.

"You worthless piece of shit!" He slapped me across my face and I saw stars. The impact of the slap landed my butt on the ground. This is more than I could take at this particular moment.

Tears burned my eyes but I struggled to keep them at bay.

"You were whoring around weren't you?" He asked but I still didn't respond. I know how lowly they think of me. Talking and explaining myself wouldn't do anything to help me.

"I took you after the death of your useless parents and you choose to repay me by sleeping around with the excuse of going to college."

"It's not true" I choked a reply. The tears falling freely on their own.

It was at that moment my Aunt dashed out of her bedroom to join him along with the twins and they're good for nothing brother.

"Finally you caught her. She has always tried to seduce Ryan but I thought I'd tell you first. I'm so glad that you finally caught her in the act."

I looked from my uncle to my aunt as she spewed lies about me and the look on my uncle's face told me that he believed everything.

"Tonight after your chores, prepare to sleep in the cellar."

"No." I whimpered. The cellar was like a dungeon built by my uncle. It was made for people who had committed a crime to be locked up there. It used to be a tortured cell but as we evolved, they made it more to fit the generational trend but only worse than a precinct.

"I would make sure that you are severely punished for lying to me Lia and don't forget that I do not bluff."

He spat on my face and stormed out of the house in anger.

"Don't just sit there" my aunt yelled at me "This house is not going to clean itself and dinner would not cook itself. Make sure that the house is spotless and help the twins with their homework before you're ready to serve your punishment.

A disgusting human being." She added and left the room.

Natalie and Natalia giggled among themselves and hurled cursed words at me before taking the route to their bedroom.

It was just Ryan and me in the living room now. He crouched down next to me and shook his head in pity. He trailed his fingers on my face but I angrily pulled my face away. Angry tears falling I'm the process.

"You are always trying to be stubborn Lia" he whispered lustfully. His eyes pinned on me "If only you let us be together, I would've made sure that nothing happens to you but you rejected my feelings and intentions towards you and now you'd have to spend your night in a cold and lonely cellar instead of my bed."

"Just tell me that you want me and I'll make sure that father changes his mind–"

I glared at him "The more I talk to you, the more I find out that you are as dumb as they come. I will never have sex with you Ryan. Over my dead body." I stated firmly so that he gets the message into his thick skull.

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