Save our Dignity

Chapter Fourteen

In the darkness pitched hour, owls hooting their favourite, creepy, night lullabies. Air seemed to have finally gained the freedom, to dance about in the thick forest that hides the unknown. Crawled up against a tall mahogany tree with a shawl draped around her shivering body, she looked frantically in horror, regrets washing over her, fears gripping her soul for what awaits her in this dark forest.

Why does she have to be so stupid? Perhaps it wasn't her fault. Perhaps Nuh's hypothesis was true. Maybe she was indeed deeply sick in the head. She continued to survey her surroundings with her eyes that were wide open due to fear.

It's too late to run back to the home she flees from hours ago. It was too dark and shadowy, and she won't be able to navigate her way back to her house. She prayed silently that her family come looking for her.

But what if they don't? What if they don't notice her disappearance quickly enough to save her at the right time? All she could think of was the worst possible thing to prepare her mind of. Yes! She was definitely going to face the consequences of this crazy decision of hers.

Especially when the black hoodie man was still a free man that could walk freely and especially when his favourite time was nighttime. She started sweating and jerked from where she was seated.

Her legs kicked into action and she started running, with no idea of where she was going, what she might cross path with on the way and who she might bump into. She kept running like her life depended on it.

Her life did depend on it in a way. She needed to get out of the unknown forest. Being chained in an Asylum is so much better than the situation she was presently in.

She looked back to make sure she wasn't being followed only to tumble down a cliff she could have seen if she hadn't looked back. She tumbled down the cliff then heard a fierce voice echoing from somewhere not too far from where she laid flat.

The voice became clearer and running would be the stupidest thing to do for the rustling of leaves would give her away effortlessly. She laid on the ground trying to steady her breathing and prayed silently.

"Who's there? The voice said again in a more intimidating voice but Aleesha remained silent. She couldn't afford to be discovered by this unknown man.

But something kept telling her to turn herself in. The man could be a good Samaritan just trying to help but the thought of giving herself to an unknown person that could be her most dreaded hoodie man made her do otherwise. She waited patiently till she heard the footsteps of the unknown person fade away before running.

She kept running till she ran out of breath and stopped to steady her breathing. She rested her back on a tree. Then she felt like she was being watched. She closed her eyes out of uncertainty of what was going to happen to her.

Run! Her mind screamed. Yes, she was going with that plan right after she breaks free from the fierce large hands gripping her tiny arm.

"Would you stop struggling with me?" The voice said angry and shoved her roughly to the ground.

"Please, let me go. I haven't done anything wrong. Please." That was the pleadings from a terrified, helpless Aleesha. If only she could rewind the hands of the clock. If only she has accepted her destiny in good faith and if only she had discarded the idea she's now facing its consequences earlier enough to stop it from germinating in her heart, maybe she wouldn't be in such a huge mess.

"What is your name and what are you doing here late in the midnight wandering stupidly in this deadly forest full of wild animals and dark, unseen spirits."

A whimper escaped her lips as he said that and she moved back out of shock and fear.

The man sighed heavily. "I'm a hunter, I won't hurt you. Come along with me."

"Never!" She spat and immediately regretted it when he growled at her most menacingly. He huffed again and gave Aleesha a long stare.

"Fine, if you don't want me to help you get home, it is okay." That was when she regretted saying what she said earlier. The man only wanted to help. Now she's too scared to ask him for help and if she shows him she was desperate and lost, he might start having evil thoughts.

"I said go now or haven't you been listening?" He shouted like this was his tenth time repeating its statement.

"Aleesha jumped up and started running but not fast enough to unheard what he muttered in his breath.

"Weird but sexy" followed by a dirty chuckle.

"Some men will forever be dogs," she thought and kept running. She ran meters but it only seemed like she was going farther into the bush. She stopped and fell helplessly on her knees.

With a blurry vision, she looked up at the sky searching for something with her eyes. Perhaps if she looked up, God will see her teary eyes and terrible state. Why must bad things happen to her? Even a child born with a curse shouldn't have to go through what she is. Nobody deserves to. Her gaze dropped and a tear dropped on her shawl. She wrapped her shawl tighter round her freezing body and moved to the side of a tree with a big turnk and before she could pull her herself back, she fell into it trunk with a shriek.

She landed with a thud inside the tree. She looked up but all she saw was a closed top. She couldn't wrap her head around it because she literally just fell into this place.

That was when she took in her surrounding. It was poorly illuminated.

A woman in old rags was slumped on a wooden couch. She looked far from being normal and probably dead drunk by the alcohol bottled dangling in her shaggy hand.

Aleesha moved in horror as the woman slumped forward like she was waking up and frantically looked around to see if there was a way out.

The woman belched and finally opened her eyes. She narrowed her eyes at Aleesha and belched disgustingly again.

"Who the hell are you?"

Hello guys. So sorry for the late update. How have you all been doing?

What do you think about the cliffhanger? And what do you think awaits our poor Aleesha?

Don't forget to vote, comment and share.

I love you all. Ciao