At least 5 hours have passed.
I couldn't move without experiencing excruciating pain.
I'm afraid that something is really wrong.
Like ... really wrong.
I was lying on the bathroom floor trying to keep my breathing as regular as possible, but it was totally impossible.
I'm sure some of my ribs are broken.
"We are going out" John enters the room screaming grabbing my hair to look him in the face, then he whispers in my ear "you better get up and train because I'm not done with you yet" and with this he let my hair letting my head fall behind.
How could I get up and train?
I'm a champion in pushing myself too hard, but now it's impossible!
I tried to get up only to end in screams of pain.
Something was really wrong.
I needed help.
But I don't want to go to the hospital.
I can't, I can't.
I tried to find my phone but there was no trace.
Once I was in the kitchen, I found a post-it note on the table.
"Have fun without a phone, practice and don't say a word to anyone or you're dead. J-"
I begin to cry uncontrollably, the pain was now unbearable.
I check the time.
It's 6pm.
What? It was morning a few hours ago ...
Did I pass out?
I could only do one thing.
So I start walking.
I knew I had to do it, but I couldn't help but notice that I was going with a free ticket to my worst fear.
I have to be quick.
I can't risk them coming home again with me still on the road.
I need to get out of there.
Or next time I'll be really dead.
Walking was agony.
My chest was on fire.
My ribs couldn't hurt me more.
I couldn't breathe properly.
My right leg and hip hurt so much that I couldn't lean on them.
My head was spinning and I had stomach cramps.
Even my throat hurt from that fucking toothbrush.
30 Minutes.
30 Minutes of hell.
Fortunately, no one was on the street to see me.
It was getting dark.
Please make him be home.
I knock loudly on the door.
I knock again and again.
I couldn't stop, I needed a safe place.
I knock and knock until I hear a voice.
"What the fu-" Luke was saying as he opened the door only to stop on his footsteps at my sight.
"Help" I cry out literally collapsing in his arms.
Luke's pov
She's gone.
She left with the worst of excuses.
I didn't like the situation.
You would never think that the most popular and beautiful girl in school was so insecure about herself.
Her screams and cries made my heart melt.
I couldn't see her eyes fill with tears again.
She was so shaky when she ate breakfast and she didn't eat even the slightest amount of food for a girl of her age and height.
I want to help her, but she won't let me.
Well ... at least she ate something ....
When she fell asleep on me while we watched Moana, I realized she wasn't what I thought she was.
I didn't expect her to be so scared.
I didn't expect her to be so shy.
She's the fucking opposite in school!
Still, I didn't expect her to be so insecure.
Besides, I didn't expect her parents to be like that.
She always talked about her parents, like "Dad here, Dad there" and things like that ... but I didn't expect them to be so ... strict? I do not know.
I guess I just imagined her more rebellious.
She was much more than what she shows.
And I want to know a lot more about her.
She has some strange particular tastes in everything.
She's not the "stupid" school girl that I knew ..... at least not anymore.
This situation is .messing up with my head.
And now she's gone.
And I've been a dick.
I don't know why she said what she said.
I just wanted to be with her and help her!
But she got mad at me ... and I didn't manage my emotions properly.
I needed to talk to her.
So I pick up my phone and start texting to her.
His last access is this morning .... while she was still here ....
One thing I learned about her: she can't live without her phone.
Maybe it's just off, I thought.
I hope it's just off.
So I let the day go by.
I studied for chemistry and anatomy exams, I baked some cookies .... hoping that she will eat one tomorrow at school .... and then I relax for a while on the couch.
I wonder how she's doing with her head.
God, I'm so stupid.
I let her go with a fucking concussion.
And she has fucking whitecoat syndrome ... of course she won't ask for help.
God Luke, you are so fucking stupid!
My thoughts were interrupted by interrupted knocks on my door.
I was about to argue with the one outside the house but my mind went into pure shock as I look at what I have in front of me .....
....or better 𝐰𝐡𝐨 I have in front of me.
There was Charlie with her eyes full of tears and his face full of bruises.
Blood dripped from her head as she held one hand on her stomach.
She was a crying mess; she was holding on to the door like she couldn't stand on her own feet and her breathing didn't looks good.
"Help" she shouts as she collapsed in my arms leaving me speechless.
I take her frail body and carry her to my bedroom to lay her on my bed.
She didn't let go her grip on my shirt.
And she wasn't going to let it.
"Hey hey shh shh, I'm here I'm here" I say quickly trying to calm her down a bit.
"I'm sorry" she cries and I swear I could feel my heart break.
"I treated you so badly, I'm sorry" she cries aloud.
"Hey hey no princess let's not worry about this okay? I'm not mad, I'm really sorry too"
She kept crying, holding my shirt for her dear life but now I'm really worried about her injuries.
"Charlie, I know you're scared and you don't know what's going on, but I really need to check your wounds. What happened honey? Please don't lie to me, I know something is wrong."
"They did this. They choked me. They ... the-" she was in a panic and I needed her to breathe slowly.
"Okay honey, who are "they" ?" I ask trying to be as kind as possible.
"My mother and her boyfriend!" she screams crying.
It is not possible.
It can't be possible.
"They've been torturing me for 12 years! I can't take it anymore.
They won't let me eat! And they force me to train every day! And to do physical education at school even if I can't run!
They beat me so hard that I fucking lost consciousness.
I'm so tired of pretending Luke!
They check my weight every week and if it is even I have a gram more than the week before they beat me!
They use me like a fucking doll, Luke.
They make me dance to make money for their fucking drugs!
I came home and I was beaten for being late and then beaten for being 0.6lbs more than last week!
T-They used a fucking toothbrush to make me puke!
Our house has nothing! There is a smell of alcohol and there is no food or hot water either! Please Luke, please- "
"Love listen to me carefully.
You'll never, ever go back to that house, do you understand me?
You will stay with me from now on.
You're safe".
There are so many uncertainties in life but I was sure about one thing now.
I would have protected her at any cost.
