Only You Mr. Gray

3

Aunt Linda threw a barbecue party at the back of the house where the swimming pool was located. Rain was 8 years old at that time.

She had invited a lot of her so called friends with one or two of their children. Linda has two kids at the time. Priscilla was 8 years old like Rain while Abby was 6. They were both mean. Abby was softer than Priscilla but whatever her older sister does, she follows.

"Rain! Go and bring the food here!"

"Rain! Go and bring the drinks here!"

"Grill the meat!"

"Prepare the sticks!"

"Go and get Priscilla's sun block!"

It was Rain, Rain, Rain. She was running all over the place. The meat she got from the refrigerator weighed at least 7 kilograms. She was having a hard time carrying it but nobody cared. There were boys around her age but they just glanced then laughed among themselves.

She was tired after carrying all the things her aunt told her to get from the kitchen.

Then she was faced with the grill. She didn't know how to start a fire. She was just staring at it with sweat trickling down her neck when a gentle hand was placed on her back.

"Let me do this little girl." She looked up to see a beautiful woman looking down at her. She is smiling which made her smile in return.

But her smile faded when she remembered her aunt. She lowered her eyes then stared at the grass filled ground.

"Aunt will get mad." She said

The woman squatted in front of her then held her shoulders.

"I'll take responsibility. You should go and have fun with the kids. Let me take it from here."

Rain looked at the woman. She appeared kind. She knows that she's not allowed to play with the others because she's not rich like them. Her aunt always told her so. It's not appropriate for her to mingle with kids who have rich parents.

To not dissapoint the woman, Rain nodded then ran towards the kitchen.

She was drinking a glass of water when her aunt came in with an annoyed expression.

"Who told you to rest? And why is Mrs Gray doing the grilling? You're really useless" her aunt held her arm and it hurt her. She talked in a hushed tone but with sharpness. Rain became afraid because every time she hears this tone, her aunt would hurt her.

The hand holding her arm became tighter. She knows it will leave an ugly bruise again.

"I-It hu-rts." She said and tears are beginning to form in her eyes.

Her aunt's expression suddenly turned ugly.

*Pak. She slapped her.

Rain held her left cheek.

It hurts very much. She thought and the tears which she held back before fell down without her knowledge.

"You're really like your mother. Whenever I see you, you irritate me."

She held her chin tight then forced her to look into her aunt's eyes.

"Listen you twerp. As long as you're living with me, your life belongs to me. Understood?" She said with a sneer. Her eyes moved somewhere then the corner of her lips lifted.

Rain followed her line of sight and it fell to the knives on the counter. A shiver ran down her spine. She returned her widened eyes to her aunt only to see her looking at her in a sinister way.

*Gulp

"If you don't like that, go outside and serve the guests some drinks." She said and little Rain nodded quickly before running outside.

Rain was walking with a  flamed left cheek while holding a tray with 2 glasses of lemonade when she didn't see a girl in front. The glasses were blocking her sight and she bumped with the girl. The girl fell on her knees and cried. The glasses of lemonade fell from her tray and shattered to the ground. Spilling the juice all over the place.

"What did you do to my daughter!?" A woman angrily came and picked her crying daughter.

"I.. I'm s- sorry" Rain apologized as her heart started beating faster. She lowered her gaze to the broken glasses. She knows that this will not end good.

To make matters worse, her aunt came and her palms started sweating.

"What's happening here?" She asked looking at the woman whose daughter is still crying.

"This girl hit my daughter. I hope you punish her appropriately." The woman said angrily while pointing at Rain.

Rain's stare remained on the shattered glasses on the ground.

"Calm down Mrs. Hess. I'll handle this here. The barbecue is ready. Go and have a taste. I'm sure you'll enjoy it." Linda said gently trying to coax the woman's anger.

The woman just scoffed then walked away. Rain remained on her position and was yanked and thrown to the pieces of glasses on the ground.

The glasses pierced through her delicate skin in the knees and palm of her hands. She was about to scream but her aunt covered her mouth. Tears started streaming down her face.

It hurts. She thought.

"If you will ruin my chance of being close to Mrs. Hess, this will not be the only thing that I will do to you." Her aunt whispered in her ear while yanking her hair.

She just replied with a nod. Her aunt pressed her hand harder on the broken pieces as she smiled in satisfaction while still covering her mouth to prevent any sound from escaping. All Rain could do was cry.

Her aunt finally let go of her then left while laughing at her. Rain slowly lifted her hand to see glass pieces pierced in her skin. She sat on her butt, then with a trembling hand, removed the glasses on her hands then to her knees. She winced every time she removed a piece. Some were small and some were big. She held her breath when removing the big ones. Blood trickled down her arms and feet. She didn't know what to do and just watched as blood continue to flow. Her eyes became blurry as tears started to form but she held herself. Everything hurts at that moment but nobody will take care of her wounds but her. She only has herself. She sniffled then wiped her nose.

She tried to get up but her knees gave out and she fell. She tried to stand up again but she wasn't able to take at least three steps when she slipped on the wet tiles and fell down the pool. She heard laughters before it got blocked by the water.

She didn't know how to swim!

She thought she was going to die. She thought nobody was kind enough to save her. But how wrong was she.