Two Worlds

PROLOGUE

Alsephina

20 years old

Sometimes it's not the ghosts that haunt you at night, but someone who is really close to you or you thought he was. Hiding at the far corner of my closet, I clamp my hand on my mouth to muffle the erratic breathing so that it cannot be heard outside in the silent apartment.

"Where are you, Lina?", he calls and I swear for a second that my heartbeat stops.

CLANK comes the sound of a certain metal hitting the lamp rod followed by its crashing. I can feel him being too close to the closet, but I try to remain as quiet as I can. It wasn't always like this, it wasn't supposed to be like this but when you are a teenager and think irrationally, you are in situations like these. You ignore all the red flags standing tall with a bright red sign in front of you.

My best friend, Cecily, warned me about it, but I was so enamored that I chose to ignore everything, and it led me to this. I can almost hear my brother in my head saying something that he said at the start of this whole ordeal. I laugh internally, what I wouldn't do to follow that now.

In the last 4 years, I can say that I have seen better. At first it was fun, but then it became more aggressive and I couldn't tell my family because of the shame that I felt. The guilt that was inside me really outweighed my situation because of which I kept my mouth shut. There are times when you so desperately want to say something or share it, but this gnawing inside you wouldn't let you, the words are stuck in your throat threatening to come out, but won't. You want to say so much, express yourself but you can't. As I am engulfed in these thoughts I hear the sound of his footsteps.

Suddenly, the closet door opens, I am far in the corner opposite that door, so that I cannot be found easily. The sound of his whistling reaches my ears and a sob lodges in my throat, with much effort I control it and shut my eyes praying that he doesn't see me. Once the light of the closet is switched on I make myself as small as I can so that I can pass for the clothes lying on the floor.

"I know you're here. Come out. Come out. It's not nice to keep me waiting, Lina.", he singsongs as if we are playing a game of hide and seek and not him beating the shit out of me for his satisfaction.
There's silence for some time and his footsteps recede from the closet and then there is silence. Once I am sure that he is gone, I take a sigh of relief but as quickly as I breath out, the clothes hiding me disappear and a hand comes and grabs my hair and pulls me in a standing position and I let out a shriek, "Aah...Le-leave m-my hair!"

"You think you can hide from me? Well this game has certainly irritated me more and you don't want me like that, do you Lina? Let's fix that shall we?"

There's this manic glint in his eyes and I desperately claw at his hands in an attempt to free myself, but in vain. He pushes me so hard towards the wall of his bedroom and I steady myself by laying both hands flat on the wall and turn around in an attempt to flee, but he is right in front of me.

He smirks crookedly,"Oh this is going to be so damn fun."

I have never been a religious person but at that moment I close my eyes and pray that please this be over soon or...