That's a plan

She raises her head with a soft groan as she looks at the two huge figures hovering over her. It suddenly strikes her that she hadn't made the best decision.

"A little insect." The light voice belonged to the man with brown hair that was shaved on the sides. He had a slightly rough exterior but didn't seem that old.

Nora admires the car behind the gentlemen, it was a Ferrari Portofino but to her it was just a beautiful machine. She had no knowledge of such things and she hadn't seen a car around this area in a very long time.

“I apologise for ruining your clothes sir.” Having not been offered a hand, she scrapes her own on the ground as she attempts to get up. When she fell into the puddle, some water splashed out and soaked the man’s trouser.

“It’s dark. Are you not aware of the creeps that lurk at this time?” 

She observes the owner of the voice. She couldn’t make out all of his face, seeing how the car’s headlight was aimed at their backs. She could however, see the glistening of his eyebrow piercing, the sharp chiseled jawline, the full lips that spoke and mostly the bright gray eyes that shone even in the darkness.

“I was just going back home s..sir.” She stuttered under the pressure of his deep voice. Each word of his was enunciated so clearly, with such power, that it made her afraid of what he could do. She wondered if he was naturally born with such a voice or if he had honed it over the years. Nevertheless, it seemed like an advantageous talent to have.

Nora realized she must have looked like a mess. The fall had probably covered her with dirt and her hair was all over the place, even partly blocking her vision.

For a second, the man’s hand reached forward, causing her to freeze on her spot. It seemed that he wanted to brush away her hair, to get a closer look at her face. He withdrew his hand without an action.

“The umbrella.” He held out his hand to the subordinate beside him, the one with the lively voice. In disbelief, he hands it over, knowing what the man was about to do. He was about to give it away.

“Go on then, little girl.” He offered the umbrella.

“No sir, I- I couldn’t.” 

“Wait any longer and I might become the very creep you should be hiding from.”

 His voice held no malice, it was plain and deep. She wanted to believe he wasn’t serious but she wasn’t willing to take the chance. She gratefully takes it with a small bow and scurries along the path she came from, ignoring the stinging pain in her ankle.

“Are you serious?”

 His subordinate asked as he covered his own head with a jacket, rushing back to the car. The man takes his time, not particularly bothered by the rain splattering on his clothes, soaking him. After a few seconds when the girl disappears from his sight, he returns to his seat in the car.

“What was that about?”

The man rolled down the window and looked down the same path. He didn’t know, himself, why he didn’t reprimand her for soiling his clothes. It was something he hated. Hygiene was of the utmost importance to him.

“I’m not sure but, we won’t be coming back here again”

He knew better. People were better off not knowing him or what he did. They would be better off staying away from him. He had ingrained it in himself from day one.

…

“You’re back. It’s late.” Nova rubbed her eyes. She felt tired but she knew sleep was a luxury for her.

With a simple nod, Nora shivers as she enters the house, changing her clothes before heading to her place on the couch.

Nova heard the familiar soft deep breathing and knew that her sister had fallen asleep. She also knew what would soon follow. She watches the shaking, tossing and turning from afar from the corner of her eyes and slowly sits up on the couch.

'The nightmares are bothering her again.' She thinks sadly as she looks out of the window at the light drizzle of the rain. She observes the dirty black street, full of trash making titter tatter sounds as the rain makes contact with plastic. The run down conditions of other houses made it quite a somber place to live in.

This may be their house but she wouldn't prefer to call it her home. She watches as strange faces close their cracked windows, eager to keep the rain out from their houses and heaves a small sigh. She takes off her sheet and with it in her hand, walks to Nora. She covers her up with the extra blanket despite knowing that her constant shivering and shaking were not due to the cold.

The state she was in could only be attributed to their condition and she knew what was required of her.

"I promise I'll get us out of here." She says quietly and returns to her own place, sitting cross legged, she continues staring out of the window to endure yet another sleepless night .

It was quite a strange sight indeed, sleep wouldn't come easily to one of them. And to the one it did, would leave her more tired than without. 

…

The next day was a bright one. This would be the day where Nova would put her plan in motion so they could finally leave.

She mentally apologized to Nora, for the things she'd have to endure today to be finally free.

She revised her plan. 

It wasn't a good one at all according to her but if there was any chance that it could work, she had to take it. The other day she had watched on an ad on the television about a magical app on a phone. It shows you the streets of the world, it can take you wherever you'd like to go, ensuring that you don't get lost along the way.

Amanda was paranoid and a light sleeper. If she had decided to go in there and search for the phone next to the troll, she felt that she would be an idiot. There wasn't a chance that she could succeed in such a manner, therefore, she had to get Amanda out of the house.

Nora was calmly watching the television on mute when suddenly, Nova grabs the remote from her, ignoring her surprised looks. Her fingers hover over the positive sign, shaking with fear. She may have made her decision, that didn't mean she wasn't afraid of it.

She turns the volume up.

As expected, the sudden noise stirs awake their mother if a loud groan from her bedroom was any proof.

With widened eyes, Nora tries to take back the remote and lower the volume before matters turn for the worst. But the grip on it so deadly, so full of strength that no matter how hard she tried to pull it , it remained in it's place fighting for freedom .

Nova's knuckles turn white with the lack of blood supply, her face soon follows thereafter as heavy stomps emerge from the bedroom, banging the door open and rattling her heartbeat in the process .

"What the fuck did I tell you?" Amanda was enraged this time, she wasn't used to telling them things twice. If she said something once, they would usually do it.

Amanda uses the remote to give a hard tight slap across Nova's face, causing her to whimper.

"You dare to make a sound?" She growls as she jabs the remote roughly into the side of her ribs. This time Nova bites down on her lip, focusing on the metallic taste instead of the pain radiating through her body.

With a sigh, Amanda cuts the cords of the television with scissors.

Nova knew she was taking a chance, if she couldn't pull this off, they would not only lose their only source of entertainment but possibly die underneath her rage.

"Stop being a little cunt and get to work."

Tossing away the remote, she grabs another bottle from the kitchen, muttering profanities about how her precious sleep was interrupted and she would have to drink herself to sleep again . Nova's disappointment was visible as Amanda head back to her bed.

"What has gotten into you? " Nora questions in disbelief.

She couldn't fathom out the reason beneath her sudden strange behavior. More so, after hearing it all from her sister. She remains quiet, she hadn't ever thought about leaving.

Of course, she wanted it more than anything. The idea of a loving parent was blurred to her, Amanda was nothing but a stranger now.

"What can I do to help?"

Nova doesn't want to involve her but Nora repeats herself once again with more determination than before. Nova had already suffered enough for today so Nora was willing to take the other half of the hurt. After all, they were in this together.

After listening to her suggestion, Nora hesitantly walks to the kitchen. She opens the rusty cupboard and takes out 2 glasses, dropping them to the ground with a loud shattering noise.

Words couldn't begin to describe Amanda's fury. Not only had she been interrupted from her sleep twice, they had broken the glasses and indirectly wasted money.

"Do you think it grows on fucking trees ? Careless bitch." She seethed, grabbing a broom this time to accompany her rage. Nova was horrified, the beating her sister was getting was much worse than what she had gotten.

The guilt was eating her alive.

Nevertheless , it had done the trick . She left the house.