Taken From Reality

Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Ryan’s POV

I told the new girl everything I could to make her feel more comfortable and to make her stay safe but I still felt deep down inside that I would have to do more to protect her. After I left her room I walked across the hall to Lauren’s room for her shower. She already knew I was coming as she sat perched at the end of her bed waiting. I just stared for a minute noticing the new injuries she had acquired sense yesterday. Malachi had punched her and gave her a black eye along with a busted lip. I didn’t say anything to her because we never really spoke; she hated me as much as she did Malachi for going along with all of this. I grabbed onto her right arm to begin walking upstairs but she quickly cringed, bruises ran all down her arm. I attempted to grab her more gently but it didn’t seem to help so I tried to ignore her pain to the best of my ability.

As we were approaching the end of the hall to go up the stairs, Malachi started coming down. Laurens eyes grew wide and she began to shake next to me as he walked down to her. He stared at her for a moment and then rubbed his oversized finger across her lip, admiring the damage he had done. She began to whimper, so I tried comforting her by rubbing her arm but that only seemed to make things worse. Then out of nowhere he pushed her aside with all his might making her fall to the ground. I just stared at him until I noticed him walking to the last room and I knew I had to get out of there before I did something to harm myself or the other girls. I swiftly picked Lauren up off the floor and began lugging her, trying to get away from the basement.

I couldn’t hear anything once upstairs, sense Malachi had sound proofed the basement, which calmed me and made me able to relax my nerves. I whispered a hushed sorry to Lauren as I walked her to the bathroom, handing her clean clothes. She knew the drill and grabbed them right away, walking inside leaving the door cracked open. I waited until I could hear the water running and then lowered myself down to the floor with the wall right next to the bathroom. I lowered my head into my hands and took multiple deep breaths as I waited patiently. Finally after a good ten minutes she walked out throwing her dirty clothes at me and saying in a rude manner “I’m done.” As she stood with arms across her chest waiting to be escorted back down.

She knew better than to run, because others have tried before, and she knew the outcome of that.

We were getting ready to head back down when Malachi came up and glanced Lauren up and down with a grin plastered on his face as she gulped down what I assume was vomit.

“Beautiful isn’t she son?”

“Sure is Dad, may I take her back down now.” I said hoping to make this moment as short as possible. He grunted but then waved his hand at me and that was my cue. Lauren and I moved as fast as possible without seeming to, and got down to her room. I didn’t bother staying, I just shut the door behind me and then stared at the door across the hall pondering what had happened in there.