sʜᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅ

T W O

Alexa

Tears poured from my eyes as my head collided with the brick wall. For the first time, Benny allowed me outside of the basement, expecting me to bow down to him and accept him kidnapping me and abusing and starving me. When I didn't, he turned violent, which was to be expected.

"You will love me," Benny growled as he continually banged my head against the wall, causing my head to bleed. He finally stopped and kicked me in the stomach, causing me to gasp and cough.

My breathing heaved. He saved me from my suicide attempt just to torture me and make me wish that I wasn't alive. Well, made me wish for that stronger.

I wanted to beg him to stop, but knew that my begging would be music to his ears, so I stayed silent, wishing for all of this pain to finally be over with.

"Fucking bitch," Benny hissed, stomping on my chest and I gasped in painful shock.

I want this to be over.

I want to be dead.

Please just fucking kill me.

Just then, Benny's phone rang, causing him to cuss under his breath, but he picked it up and said, "What?"After a moment, he scowled and walked away, just leaving me, bruised and bloody on the floor.

I sat up, my body aching. Tears continued to fall from my eyes.

Benny had only walked to the kitchen, so I calmed down to hear what he said. "Yes—I have her—that's not enough money—look, I have a virgin here for your little sex trafficking or whatever—give me more money—"

My breath caught in my throat. Is he going to sell my body? No no no no no, I can't let that happen. I can't.

I hurriedly looked around and I saw a lamp on the coffee table. I stood up and walked over to it with a slight limp. Just as Benny began walking back after ending the phone call, I picked up the lamp and started swinging at his face.

Benny was knocked unconscious.

•••

I ran.

I had climbed out of the window and took off, not looking behind me.

I ran. I just ran, in the middle of the night, as fast as my legs could carry me, when I had barely moved in months and am bruised so badly.

Tears blurred my eyes.

I wanted to call out for someone, anybody, but I knew that I couldn't. I'm certainly not trusting strangers any time soon, especially since the people closest to my heart had already betrayed my trust.

Well, not everybody just yet.

•••

Ryan

It was the middle of the night when I had heard a knock on my front door. I groaned, sitting up. I glanced over at Malissa, who was still sound asleep. I huff, and the knocking continued. What could possibly be this urgent in the middle of the night?

I stood up and walked out of my bedroom, down the hallway and to the front door. I rolled my eyes, tired, as I opened the door, and I certainly didn't expect to see the person standing on the other side of it, teary, bloody and bruised, body shaking and eyes widened with raw fear.

"Alexa?" I questioned, in disbelief. My niece was standing right in front of me, the same niece that I had thought to be dead, the niece that has been gone for three months.

Two weeks ago her birthday had passed, officially making her a teenager. But I thought that she was dead at only twelve. Dead by her own hand. By suicide. But yet here she was, hurt but alive. I wasn't sure if this was a dream or if this was real.

"U-Uncle?" Alexa asked in a soft voice, her voice cracking. I haven't heard her voice in such a long time.

"Alexa..."

Unable to utter another word, I quickly hugged her and pulled her inside of the house. Not able to help myself, tears fell from my eyes. Alexa was standing here. I was hugging my niece. This felt too great to be true.

"Ryan, who's at the door?" Dylan asked, as I let go of Alexa. I turned to see Dylan sanding there. He widened his eyes when he saw Alexa standing just next to me. "Holy shit," was the only thing he said.

"H-hi," Alexa said shyly. "I'm um, I'm s-sorry to show up, I just..."

"No, no, no, we're glad you're here," I tell her honestly. "Come sit down. Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

Alexa simply shook her head, but that couldn't have been true. She looked malnutrition.

I turned to Dylan. "Can you make her something to eat, please?"

Dylan quickly nodded and rushed to the kitchen.

Alexa didn't say anything to that, only just sat on the couch.

I wanted to ask Alexa what happened, I wanted to ask her where she's been, but Alexa looked broken and filled with despair. She looked fragile, as if she could break at any second. I didn't want to overwhelm her with questions yet.

I sat next to Alexa on the couch. Without saying anything, I gave her another hug and she rested her head on my shoulder.

Dylan came back with a bowl of noodles and placed them in front of Alexa on the coffee table. Alexa glanced down at them, her stomach rumbling. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"Can you go tell your sister what's going on?" I asked Dylan.

"On it." And he was gone.

Alexa took a fork full of noodles and chewed it slowly. "I haven't had noodles in a long time," she said once she was done chewing.

"Do you have anywhere to stay?" I asked.

Alexa stared up at me, took another bite of noodles, and then shook her head.

I sighed. "Don't worry about it, princess. You can stay with us, okay? And in the morning, please tell me what happened. I know it'll be hard but please try."

Alexa nods, not saying a word.

"After you eat, I'll show you your room, okay?"

She gives me another nod and continued eating her noodles.

A/N : I'm back :) I'm sorry 💔