Take me away

Chapter 2 - Stranger

After the meal, she was taken for a stroll around the place which she was now bound to call her home. There were many girls in the house, she realized. Mostly captives. But many seemed like they already accepted their fate and started to move with the flow. They laughed, gossiped, chitchatted like it was another regular day. But Anabeth knew it would never be a regular day for her. She was taken back to the room where she was locked in. but now it was bright and she took in the interior of that room this time. It was a small room and the wall was painted in off white color. A small wardrobe was there beside a bed. Big decorative flower plants were in each corner. A jug of water was kept on the other side of the bed and the pink curtains were pulled back letting the sun's ray in.

"Stay here!", one of the men ordered before locking her up again. Anabeth sighed. She was really in utter confusion. She remembered the day, when she was coming back from school, listening to her friend Lizy talking about her boyfriend when suddenly a big black car pulled up out of nowhere and big masked guys grabbed Anabeth and took her away. That was the last thing she remembered after coming here. Oh poor Lizy, how Anabeth hoped to see her again. She slowly went to the window and looked at the freedom outside. It was a different place. None she ever knew about. The area seemed very local and there was a market just beside the road. Guys dragging girls, most people walking like they were about to fall down. The whole scene looked a complete chaos. But it was something they all accepted because no one seemed to care when a guy started to drag a girl while she was screaming to let her go. But there was one person who seemed to not accept as he knocked the guy down without saying a word. Anabeth gasped in surprise. Who was he? Why did he care when no one else did? Anabeth's mind got clouded with these questions as the poor girl stared at the scene in front of her. His hands flung across that guy's face knocking him down cold. Everyone in that market place stopped dead staring at the boy as if he did something he shouldn't have. But the girl seemed grateful as she said something Anabeth couldn't make out as she was far away from the scene. Anger boiled up in her as she cursed the people who started at this boy. She still didn't see that person's face as his back was facing her. Her shoulders slumped. She was about to move away from the window when he finally turned back. She was in shock. He looked nothing more than a teenage boy. His tall build and muscular body was the exception. But his face had the look of an innocent little kid who lost his way back home. Some of the locks of his dark brown hair covered a part of his fair forehead as he shoved them away with his hand in frustration. He seemed tensed and worried about something as he bit his blood red lips absently. His eyes looked like they saw many things; experienced many tragedies and hurt but yet they managed to be so penetrating when Anabeth looked into them. Suddenly, the boy looked up at the window as if he knew what was there and met her eyes. Anabeth gasped and stepped away from the window instantly. She clutched her heart which was beating way too fast and took a deep breath. She didn't expect him to look at her. She must be looking like a disaster as she didn't take a bath for ages. Her once black long straight hair was now rough and frizzy. Her fingers tried to comb them out but was unsuccessful as they got entangled within them. Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"It is locked..", she trailed off.

"Not now, it isn't", a voice replied from the other side. Anabeth jumped up. She realized that voice. It was the same person who gave her water, the same person who argued for her. she ran towards the door. She was more than grateful to him. if it wasn't for him, she would have been still caged up here without any provision of food. So she had to thank him. the doorknob twisted slowly as she eagerly waited as the words slipped of her mouth, "I.. I am really grateful for all your help. Thank...", she couldn't finish her sentence as her whole body froze in shock. "You?", she breathed out.

Her eyes seemed to deceive her. It was that same pair of dark eyes she saw a while ago. It was the same boy. He seemed much taller now as he was in front of her.

"You need a bath.", he pointed out. Redness started to creep through Anabeth's cheeks as she realized how she must be looking right now. She nodded.

"Ruby!", he called out for someone who responded immediately. "Help her way to the bathroom now will you?". A girl stood in front of him. She was wearing a short dress with sparkling ear rings and thick make up. She looked at him for a second and replied, "Of course! Lets go now shall we?", she guided Anabeth out through the corridor. Anabeth glanced back and saw him leaning against the wall. His eyes were fixed on the ground.

After having the shower, Anabeth felt alive again. Her whole body seemed to be in a rush of joy. The feel of water running down her whole body, cleaning it in the process was something she definitely missed. The bathroom was old, the tiles on the floor were rusted and the paint almost came off the walls. But she cared little about the look of it as she was way too busy scrubbing the dirt off her body. "Thank you for all your help!", Anabeth exclaimed to the girl who guided her to the bathroom and brought clean clothes for her. She gave a crooked smile before replying, "Don't mention it! I am Ruby by the way. In here we are all the same.. just some bunch of unfortunate grapes fallen to the ground!", she laughed. Anabeth was in confusion but she didn't ask her anything."And I see myself in you. That same innocent look , that same questioning eyes that I had when I first came here.", Ruby said tracing Anabeth's cheeks with her finger. Ruby was probably in her early twenties. She lived here for many years now. And through all those years, she suffered and endured a lot of pain and sorrow and became a care-free person that she is now. Anabeth stayed silent. Her mind was processing through all the possible things that can happen to her. She gulped loudly making Ruby snigger.

"Well, looking good!", Ruby said looking down at her attire.

Anabeth looked down at her herself too. She was wearing a tank top and a skirt that ended right above her knees. Her hair was better now. it regained its volume and softness from the shampoo Ruby gave her to use. "Thankyou..", she trailed off before going back to her room.

That night she sat beside her window and thought about everything. How her life changed drastically in a matter of time. She remembered her mom smiling at her, her dad laughing at her younger sister's lame jokes. What a happy family they once were. But it all ended that night. The night when their whole house was on fire. When everything became ashes leaving Anabeth behind. She regretted being alive now. Only if her friend didn't force her to stay over to their place she would have been dead with the rest of her family. How she wished for that now. She wouldn't have to be here if she was dead already. Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud thud on the door. She turned back to see who it was when someone grabbed her by her waist. Anabeth panicked. She screamed on the top of her lungs when a hand covered her mouth. She felt a hot breath on her ears as someone whispered, "Sshh.. I am just here for fun! I'll pay you don't worry babe. Now give me some of that". His one hand still covered her mouth when the other started to roam down her skirt and finally between her legs. Tears started to fall from her eyes as she whimpered. His hands started to suffocate her. she struggled to get free but he was way too strong comparing to her. The lack of food for the last few days surely took all her stamina away.

Her legs thrust hard, blindly kicking all the parts of this stranger's body it could find. "Bitch!", he yelled as she kicked him hard on his knees. He pushed her against the wall and cursed under his breath as he continuously rubbed his injured leg. "I was thinking of being gentle with you but man you've got a lot of strength there so it wont matter if I go rough, right?", Anabeth could see this man's half rotten teeth in the dim light as he grinned maliciously at her.

She could smell the tobacco in his breath as he lunged forward towards her. She shut her eyes anticipating the pain he was going to give to her but it never came. A loud thud forced her to open her eyes again and saw that he was on the floor unconscious or probably dead, she thought. Looking up, she saw him. The same boy who helped her every time she needed help. It was the same pair of black dark eyes that stunned her. she still didn't know this mysterious boy's name but right now, that's not the main issue she thought to herself. She was saved again. And by fate or not, he was her savior.