Scars

The sound of birds chirping combined with the rays of the sun, which came in through the window, falling on my face woke me up.

Groaning, I flip my body to the other side of the bed to avoid the sun rays touching me.

Hold on. Sunrays? Birds chirping? My room doesn't have any window to let the sunrays in.

I felt confused as I thought about this, trying to remember all that happened last night.

I ran away from Daniel's house, then I ran into an alley where Daniel caught me once again.

Memories of last night floods my head and I am filled with a new sense of terror.

Gasping, I shoot up from the bed, looking around to figure out where I was.

Daniel caught me! He'd surely punish me now.. He would…

"Glad to see you're awake." A deep voice that clearly did not belong to Daniel said and my eyes shoots to the corner of the room where a man sat, his face not visible.

"W..wh.. who are you?" I stammered out of fear, pushing back to the head of the bed. Where was I? This is clearly not my room. Did Daniel put me in a different room in his house? Did he send one of his men here to rape me as punishment for trying to escape?

My chest tightens making it difficult for me to breathe.

"I am pained to see that you have no recollection of who I am after begging me to save you last night." He says, standing from the dark corner where he sat and stepping into the light.

I gasp when his face comes into view. He was attractive, really attractive. I didn't see his face clearly last night.

"Wh..wh.. where's Daniel?" I stutter, pulling my knees to my chest, trying to be as far away from him as possible.

"Daniel? Is that the man you were trying to escape from? I have no idea." He shrugs still walking to the bed.

He does not know?

Daniel would surely come to find me, I know he would. I need to leave this place.

"W.. what are you d..doing?" I stuttered staring at him cautiously. He was standing close to me now. Standing too close for comfort, I could feel the heat being emitted by his body and his cologne filled my nose.

I don't even know him. What if he's a psychopath? Would he rape me? Will he hit me like Daniel did.

"But I'm curious about something.." He says, reaching for my face but subconsciously I flinch turning my face away.

His hand pauses mid way, and I turn my head to look at him.

He looked very angry as he stared down at me.

Oh no!

I made him angry, he would definitely hit me now.

He stared at me for a few moments and I noticed how he kept clenching and unclenching his fists like he was stopping himself from hitting me, finally he turned away.

"Keep an eye on her." He ordered the man that was standing by the door, storming off and banging the door behind him.

I look at the man who was ordered to watch me only to find him watching me intently. Feeling cautious and scared, I pull the duvet up to cover my body properly still staring at him.

Who was that man? Did he really save me from Daniel? Or did Daniel tell him to lie to me just to bring up my hopes that I actually escaped before he crushes that hope. My gaze falls on the door and I was half expecting Daniel to walk in and mock me about my failed attempt in escaping from him.

Either way, I have to find a way to escape, I can't stay here for long.

I was thinking of the way to escape when the door is thrown open and a girl with straight long black hair walks in, and I shrink further into the duvet. Her dark eyes darts around the room before they eventually fall on me

.

"There you are." She said giving me a type of smile that showed her fangs which frightened me.

"You. Get out." She orders the man at the door and he immediately complies.

Closing the door after he leaves, she locks it before turning to look at me.

"What do we have here?" She asks and I gulp.

I watch her cautiously as she walks to the bed, stopping at the edge with her hands on her waist.

"You know, if you wanted to blend with the bed. The first thing you should do is cover your hair. It kinda gives you away." She tells me, making me stare at her confused.

What's she talking about?

When she sees the confusion on my face, she sighs, shaking her head.

"That's what ever. Let's get you cleaned up."

Without warning the duvet is pulled off me and once again, I subconsciously fold myself to protect myself, warning bells ringing in my head.

Memories of Daniel in her place, about to rape me floods my head and I gasp for breathe unable to breath, my chest feeling constricted.

"H-hey.!" She cries out, surprised. She rushes to me, wrapping her arms around me and rubbing my back.

"You are safe. You're not in that place anymore. You're not going back to that place anymore." She tells me repeatedly, holding me and rubbing my back. Few minutes later and I was still in her arms, none of us saying anything to each other but just staying in silence.

"Are you alright now?" She asks me softly and I push myself off her, cleaning the tears from my eyes.

"I'm fine." I nod my head, putting as much distance as I could between the both of us.

If she noticed, she didn't say anything about it.

"I probably came off the wrong way." She says apologetically, rubbing her neck. I stare at her in silence, not knowing what to say.

I know she helped me now, but I was still cautious about her.

I don't trust anyone in this house, I still need to escape from here.

"Hi. I'm Natalie. Nice to meet you." She extends her hand to me with a smile.

My gaze moves from her hand to her face as I stare at her. Slowly and cautiously, I bring my hand out and she holds mine tightly.

"This is the part you say your name." She jokes, laughing lightly.

"Micini." I whisper, pulling my hand out of her grasp.

"Micini." She says, testing the name on her tongue.

I look at her, hearing someone call me my actual name after so many years feels foreign.

For eleven years, Daniel only called me little Red, like he was trying to create a new identity for me. One that wasn't me.

"Helloooo. Earth to Minny." Natalie says snapping her fingers to snap me out of my daze.

Blinking my eyes, I look at her and she smiles.

"I was saying. We need to get you cleaned up. You have dirt and blood on you." She repeats what she said earlier while I was not paying attention and I nod in understanding.

Yeah, I need to wash my body. Would they make me pay for the water? Or would they give me rations and tell me to manage it for days.

Daniel always did that when he wanted to punish me.

"I'm going to get the tub filled with hot water. While I do that. I want you to strip" She says before she scurries off to where I think was the bathroom.

Without wasting time, I pull the sweatpants I had on down stepping out of it. My shirt follows and I pile them up on the floor.

I was about to pull down my panties when I hear a gasp behind me making me pause.

I turn to see Natalie staring at me in horror.

What?