A Rose to Change a Life

Chapter 17

Elva revealed

It was time. Sharing what I feared to remember. I did not know Devin and Keane well, but it felt as if they could take it. So I just let the story flow...

"As you are all aware, I am a bit different. I like my attitude, but there is something which.. well came to my mind again. Admittedly, it came to me yesterday and it was not a pleasurable time to remember. I did not even know that I purposely forgot these memories... my mind blocked them, somehow it decided to wake them up again, refreshing them, replaying the scenes over and over again, like a tape stuck in the recorder.

I'm sorry for my odd behaviour, flinching back when contact was made, especially towards you Dev, but here is the explanation as to why:–" I took a deep breath, readying myself for the fallout I was going to witness. I did not have a clue where my bravery to tell them came from, maybe it was Devin's influence, or rather that of his body.

"The way I remember it, I was quite young when it began, perhaps around the age of six, I lost count of time often enough. I was a happy child, my family led a good life – sure it was not perfect, we did not have much money, not the best jobs or particularly many friends, other people would call that ‚a life that sucked', but we did not care, acting like nobody but us mattered, living the day as it confronted us. My parents were already trusting me immensely for a child my age, I loved it, and I took great care of this responsibility. We even got along with our neighbours pretty well, almost too well... Unfortunately, one-day tables turned.

"Over the years, I grew and took care of the household, went for studylessons at my neighbours, and even walked with my mom and our dog. I grinned like a Cheshire cat when my parents told me I was allowed to walk our dog, a cute terrier named Nela, alone for the first time. It was my present for having such a good report card. It probably sounds irresponsible of my parents, but you have to know I was a good kid, they were good parents.
Abduction is easy nowadays. 

I was on my way back to my house, Nela having finished her girly dog business, when I felt a presence trailing me, but just as I wanted to turn around a gloved hand clamped over my mouth, the other arm was wrapped around my waist. Something was pressed against my mouth, I could not breathe, it stank too much. When I noticed the smell of the tissue, I immediately knew that it was an anesthetic, which caused me to fight back like a kid my age could, I kicked, tried to scratch, but to no avail – I struggled, trying to free myself, he/she was strong, blurry spots danced across my vision, I tried to see my attackers face, but I could not turn he/she gripped me like a vise, moments before I lost consciousness I remembered two things one, my dog did not bark two, never turn your back on anybody."

By now, I thought I had walked a circle into the floor, like the ones you could see in cartoons, walking while talking released some of the anxiety I was feeling. I could not look at my listeners, too big the fear of losing myself in their and my emotions, I had to keep it together until the end.

"You are presumably wondering why Nela did not bark or who the guy was, here is this: The terrier did not bark because.... she knew the man. Fairly good actually. I awoke in a cellar, chained on a chair rooted to the floor. A neon lamp, the only light in this cubicle room illuminated it. No windows. No air condition. Only a timber mat, drawn into the corner farthest away from the door. I panicked, and panicked even more, when I heard the voice behind me; "Hello, pretty one." it said, sounding familiar. Only after he stepped around me, could I figure out where I had heard the voice before.