Chapter 5 ~ Escape

JANE'S POV.

I currently look like a mess. My baggy red eyes, bad breath, dried skin and dirty body. It's going to two days since Collins locked me in this room. I've been on the floor, hugging my knees, crying nonstop. I couldn't sleep last night. How could I when I don't know what Collins motive is? God knows what he is up to.

He has never been this way, right? or I was just the one who failed to see this side of him.

How disgusting of him to propose a date to me, while he was cheating behind my back. Now, he keeps me locked in this room, leaving me clueless about his intentions.

My biggest fear now, is the monster I saw him turn into just yesterday and my gut feeling might be right that I'm not safe at all here. I shouldn't wait to experience it before I believe it. I should start thinking of how to escape from here and Collins.

Clara. She's the only one who can help me now. She has always helped me in difficult situations, so she won't stop now. At least, not on such occasion.

"My phone. My phone." I mutter as I look round the room. I see it in the floor close to my bedside table. I had removed it from my back pocket and threw it in frustration. I really hope it's working well enough for me to get through to Clara. I reach for it and qyuickly dial Clara's number. She picks up after few seconds of ringing.

"Wow, she finally remembers she has a bestfriend." She says before I could speak. I expected this, for her to get angry and worried about me not calling her since that day. My phone had rang several times since Collins locked me up here, but I didn't dream to pick up a single call. Now, I regret. Maybe I would have been out of here before now.

I sniffle. "Clara." I call out weakly.

"Jane." Her voice is now calm and worried. "What's up?"

"I need you." I choke on my tears. "You need to help me."

"What do you mean? Where is Collins?"

"I'll explain everything to you later, Clara. For now you need to come. I'm not safe."

"Ok. Ok. Uhm. Where are you right now...are you at home?"

"I'm locked in my room." I cry harder. Remembering the mess I'm in. "Collins locked me up."

"Locked?" I hear her make notices in the background like she's searching for something. "Just don't worry. I'll be there before you know it."

"Yes. Hurry up please, before he gets here. I'm really scared." I lick my dried lips.

Speaking of the devil, the door barges opens. I jump, frightened by the sound. I quickly turn to face the door where Collins stood.

The sight of him makes me shiver in fear. My hands shake but I try to keep hold of my phone. I watch his eyes move away from me to my phone which I held tightly with shaky hands. He looks away from it, back at me with furrowed brows. Before I could act, he strides towards me and snaps the phone from my hand to the floor.

I gasp as my phone hits the hard floor. I look up at him, angrily. I open my mouth to lash out on him, but the loud sharp hit on my face shuts me up. His slap was hard and loud enough to echoe in the room.

I bite my bottom lip, trying to hold back my tears. It's difficult and painful.

I have watched several men raise their hands on women. Maybe I didn't understand how the felt but I did feel a part if their pain. I never knew this day would come. A day I would become a victim to someone I loved and trusted.

"Who gave you permission to use your phone?" He places his hand under my chin to raise my face to look at him, applying pressure to my cheek bones as he spoke every word."On whose permission!?"

"I don't need anyone's permission to use my phone, Collins." I spit out his name. My words might be fearless or daring but my voice spoke a different language.

"Seems your stay in this room earned you some guts, uh."

"You're a coward." I throw at him as I use my hands to pull his hand away from my face.

"I've been called more for being penniless."

"Well, for a man like you, you deserve it. A hopeless, worthless and unnoticeable life. Nothing to account for. No achievement, no job, no money. Nothing but a shame. You are no qualified to be called a m..." Before I could finish my words, he pushes me hard against the wall. My head painfully hits it and suddenly increases my headache.

"You bitch!" He presses me more against the wall. "You want to get of here, right." He smirks, stupidly "I'll let you. Away from here and away from me."

A feeling of relief crowd me and I sense my happiness finding its way back. Nevertheless, the thought of Collins agreeing to me go so willingly and easily, makes me suspect him of an hidden agenda.

"Away from me to your new owners." He licks his lips and widens his smirk.

There it was. The agenda I suspected him of.

"Owners?" I stare widely at him. I open my mouth to speak but nothing come out. I begin not to feel any pain from my head as so many questions run through my head.

Is this what he meant by using me for money?

What does he mean by owners?

Is he selling me to slave owners?

Is he selling me out for his own selfish interest?

"Listen here Collins. I'm not some thing or good you can trade or some toy or cloth you can give out when no longer in need. I'm a human. Someone's daughter, sister and a friend. This isn't how I should be treated. Like trash."

He stares at me blankly, After a while, he moves his face close to mine.

"You, Janet. Yoi are nothing. Absolutely nothing, but a regret." I stare at him short of words.

I made a mistake. It was all a mistake. Loving him, trusting him, being loyal to him and moving in with him. It all started when I agreed to date him.

He is my mistake.

I swallow as I watch him stare at me, satisfied with the way he has managed to shut me up and hurt me further.

I remember there to be a vase on my bedside table, which we stand beside. I hadn't thought of this since but I'm glad I do now. With the door open and my chance this big, I grab it.

I have nothing but three words to say to him. It's too late to mean anything other than that, now. "I hate you." If my feelings for him were true then this is also.

"I don't ca..." I lift up the vase and hit his head before he could finish his sentence. He lets go of me and stumbles back. I kick his balls before pushing him to the floor and then I throw the vase at him.

My heart beat quickens as I stare at his now unconscious body.

Without wasting much time, I run out of the room. As I run towards the main door, I stop when I catch sight of the men outside, through the window. They were dressed in black standing beside a car that looks expensive. They were gisting with one another, yet obviously conscious of their environment. I suspect them to be part of Collins agenda because seeing such men outside my house is unusual. Seeing them, I could tell Collins would have gotten quite a fortune from trading me.

That means I can't go through the front door. I have to take the back door instaead. I quickly turn and stride towards the back door. I open it and run to the back road.

I wiggle my hands in front of cars. Trying to stop one. I look back to see if anyone is coming after me.

"Jane." I look back at the road, but see no one but driving cars. "Jane." The person shouts my name again. Her voice sounding more like that of Clara's.

The thought of Clara here for me at the perfect time, gives me joy.

I look to my right, across the road to see her waving her hands at me.

Without thinking, I run past a fast driving car. "Watch your way, lady!" I ignore him and run past the other section of the road, before the oncoming cars could get to me. Clara gets down from the cab and runs to me. She hugs me and then walks me quickly to the cab.

"I swear I'll kill that fool if I see him." She carefully puts me into the back sit and follows suit.

I say nothing but rest my head on her shoulder in relief.