CHAPTER 3

(ONE CALL AWAY)

JADE’S POV

“YOU KNOW WHAT? I think you are perfect as a gift to my boss.”

Unbearable fear consumes me. I felt like my blood drains out from me and I am left inside the glass full of ice upon hearing those words. Then the image of the screaming women that once, no, multiple times that my cousin drags into this house and then abuse for his pornographic gain flashes to my mind. My heart beats faster I fear because of that. Worst, when he whispers that he intends to sell me to his ruthless boss. 

“What do you think? Your life will turn all the way around. You wouldn’t suffer anymore and will live comfortably. All you need to do is open your legs, prepare your mouth, and do everything that he wants. I swear that old man will love you.”

“No!”

I couldn’t take the insult and the horror of his words. Defense mechanism or simply my desperation to not end up in that fate made me push him a bit hard. Bumping his head to the chair and gave me the chance to run away. 

“Jade!” He screams in anger, calling me back, but I won’t be like a dog this time around. “Mom! Dad!”

The footsteps of my uncle and aunt rush down the stairs. My heartbeat is beating loudly and crazy, with my mind picturing the image of my doom if I will not escape right now. I reach the door, open the door, and bolted towards the gate. My breathing is heavy and the silence that is a bit deafening welcomes me outside. My trauma of being alone in the dark and dimly lighted places kicks in, but my fear of my cousin’s plan is more than that. 

I didn’t care anymore or when will I go from this point. I bolted and barefoot towards nowhere as long as they wouldn’t catch me. 

Just then. 

“Ahh!” 

I scream in fear, standing immediately in a frozen-like state, as a dog’s bark jolts everything out of my mind. A chill of fear then flows all through, and what bound in me and stay, as the silence was broken, and where I wanted to scream and desire for tomorrow. Covering my ears and closing my eyes when the howl of the dogs follows. I once more bolted running and away. Didn’t care anymore for the pain of my feet and the blood from the wound that I am currently having and just had. I cried and cried, thinking of who to blame, but I couldn’t have one. I am tired, desperate, scared, and cold. But if I stop, I’ll die. Yet that fact might be too good for me to have. 

“Look at that.” A sudden loud voice from a distance. 

Lights and the roaring engine of bikes echoes. I stop running, a bit blinded by the headlights, but then once more washed with fear from the voices and words. 

“Woah! Would you look at that!”

“What a price for tonight!”

“We hit the jackpot boys!” 

Voices, laughter, and presence are just like my cousin. Dark-minded people only see someone weak for their pleasure and accommodation. Then to my eyes, it all registers, bikes, men with their laughter and lust stop right in front of me. Blocking my escape route, making a noise of a whistle, as one of them look at me with his dirty look and the same disgusting desire.

“What are you doing in this place in the middle of the night miss?” he asks in an unnerving tone. 

One of them smiles devilishly, with his eyes rose in some seductive look looking at me naked with his thoughts.

“P-Please let me p-pass t-through.” I even stutter from fear. 

“S-She’s a s-stutter!” one of them teased me and everyone followed with a loud laughter. 

“Please!” I clasp my hands and plead. 

My's trembling voice echoes while I am looking down, shivering in an unexplainable fear. Chill flows in my veins as I try to avoid at looking their faces. Their faces pictured out the devil that they all could be. 

“I guess it is too late for you now Miss. For you see, we are all in the mood here.” One laughs. 

“Let’s just say, blame this to yourself for coming into our territory.” The other justifies. 

My face flushed with horror. Thinking and deep of just when this place becomes someone’s territory? Yet, the thought about it is something that I couldn’t argue. For all this time I was imprisoned in that house. To scared and sacked to my trauma to escape. I do not know anything about the world or what it will slap me, but now I kind of know a thing and two.  

“But we will give you a choice here miss.” one of them suddenly said and suggested. 

Yet, his grin and the way he looked at me is not to be trusted. 

“Choice?” I whisper, looking at them scared like a kitten and slowly backing away, yet I know that I couldn’t. 

“It is either you will come with us or stay here. Either way, we will play fire.”

They then all laugh. Their laughter that for me is resembling a devil. A death reaper in between and right now I am somewhat being judged for my sins and good deeds. 

“No.” I protest. “I do not want anything to do with you.”

“Well, you do not have a choice.” Their grin and their lust. 

“Ahh!” I scream though I know that no one will ever hear. 

They all laugh devilishly. I tried to run away but they are fast and too strong for a frail girl like me. One of them drags me to the side. Shadows from the cables and beams of the bridge that is illuminated by the bright full moon hide their faces. Yet, I still could hear their laughter and I could feel my fear. 

“We hit the jackpot boys!” 

Still laughing and more than enjoying this entire crime. Four of them hold both of my hands and feet. Bound me and still to the ground, while the other one is now on top of me. 

“Please.” I still tried to beg, tears streaming from my eyes. “Let me go, please, I am begging you.” But they wouldn’t listen. 

“What are you waiting for? Hurry and finish and we will take turns.”

“Alright, alright!”

I close my eyes when I felt their hands touching my body. One of them laughs as the other whistle in content as lust arouses in them making me sick. I wanted to escape, but I couldn’t. 

“Someone please, help me!” I scream in desperation and try for my non-existing luck to be heard and even once. 

“Shut up!” 

One of them covered my mouth. Like a glass broken into pieces, tears bust out shedding the tears of fear inside of me. I can’t scream, or even fight for my life and what is left and everything that is me. I am so tired, tired of this life, and what it is to be me.

“We hit the jackpot!”

“We sure did!”

“Now!”

They laughed with pleasure and satisfaction in their devils’ eyes. Nothing else I can do even the strength to fight, I just accept the fact that I’m weak and all that I can do is cry, nothing else, but endure. Then the one on top of me rips my clothes off. The sound of it widens my eyes in pure horror. They then didn’t waste time and touched me even more, patted a kiss that grossed me to the core, as I can look at the bright full moon above and asked heaven how cruel I have been to deserve this. 

But. 

‘SOMEONE, AT LEAST ONE. HELP ME.’

“Please! Help me!”

I bit the hand of the person who cover my mouth and I scream at the top of my lungs. They got angry and one of them punch me in the stomach. I felt extreme pain and felt like I am going to pass out soon. They finally rip my long skirt and took my panty. It was all hopeless and this is my ultimate doom. Then I heard the person on top of me unzipping his pant and started to rub his filthy thing to mine. I close my eyes and clench my hand. Preparing for the pain. When. 

“What the fuck!”

Blood suddenly splatters towards me and the person on top of me screams in pain, rolling on the ground with his arm bleeding heavily. They immediately let go of me, panicking and looking around for the enemy. I crouch, still in pain. But back away, when one by one they all fall with a gunshot to their feet. Their screams echo and someone not that far, hiding by the silhouette of his shadow came. 

At that moment, my eyes widen with hope, tears fall and I whisper. 

“Someone finally heard my call.”