Left In the Dark

Chapter Three-Loss

John-----> is now Jake. FYI

EDITED VERSION ONE 

Chapter 3-Loss

(Michelle’s POV)

“What?!” I was sure that I heard wrongly. “You must be kidding me!”

“No, I’m not.” He shook his head, looking amused. “If you want evidence, you have it.” He rolled up his shirt.

I gasped in shock and horror. Although this scars were not as bad as mine and seemed to be faded. It was evident that he was physically abused. There were deep wounds, running across his stomach to his ribcage, five-fingered hand prints, thin streaks, seemingly cause by a cane.

“What… What happened? What caused this?” I was shouting on the last word. Shooting me a look that told me to shut up, he lowered his shirt. I closed my mouth quickly, not wanting to attract any sort of attention.

“Was—Was it your mother too?”

He glanced at me sharply and his whole face expression changed. It turned darker, fiercer. Crueller. I shuddered and instinctively moved back a few steps. It was as though in the alley, when he wanted to rape me. I flinched at the thought.

When he saw my movements, his face immediately shifted into a blank mask. Hiding his emotions, his past.

We kept silent from then on, only communicating when necessary.

His house was clean and neat, although it was very tiny and was in bad conditions, like there was a hole in the middle of the ceiling. A pail was placed beneath it to stop the leakage.

When I offered to help him fix it, he turned away from me and gave a short no. I did not question him any further. Regardless of the sudden change of events, I was still wary and afraid of him.

Despite his ever-changing-moods, he got some ointment and bandages and kneeled down in front of me while I sat in a chair that looked as though it was going to break. As he gently smothered some cool green ointment over my wounds, I sighed in relief.

“You must have been in so much pain…” This was the first time he willingly spoke to me.

I smiled at the outrageous of the question hidden beneath the words. “It is, of course, but… I’m used to it.”

“From when you were a child?” He was prompting answers out of it.

I closed my eyes as I enjoyed the cooling effects of the medicine he was applying. “Well, you didn’t answer my question, why should I answer yours?”

I was trying to bait him into saying it, but he remained tight-lipped. “Not gonna happen,” He laughed at me.

I was surprised. This was the first time I heard him laugh. Usually he was always scowling, threatening, screaming. At me. He did not seem to notice and wrap bandages around me slowly.

“Wait a minute… You said…” He rose up to look into my eyes. I looked away. “Was it your mother… But she is…”

“I’ve got to go now. Thanks a lot for your help.” Without another word, I got up and pushed him away.

“Wait! Michelle!”

I flung open the door to run into the night.

We acted as though that night never happened. We avoided each other. Occasionally I would glance at him, and once or twice I saw him glancing at me. The moment I caught his eye, he broke eye contact immediately and looked away. I did not understand why there was a pang in my heart whenever that happened.

Fortunately, he stopped bullying me and apparently told Sabrina and the others to back off. Once, Sabrina confronted me after school at the corridors. She had pulled me into an empty classroom and pinned me against a wall. Her sharp fingernails clawed into my neck as I tried to pry her fingers away from my throat.

She had snared, “Look bitch, I don’t know what made John change his mind about you and told me to stay away, but be warned! Although I can’t physically hurt you, I can do a lot worse!”

After she shoved me away and I gasped for breath, rubbing my throat her last words to me were: “And don’t you dare tell anything to John about this… Or…” She had sent me a meaningful glare then spun off, banging the door as she pranced away.

I tried to my breath as my brain slowly processed what Sabrina had just told me. John actually told his minions to back off? Why? Was it because he pitied me or what? I felt so confused as I stumbled out if the door.

I sighed heavily as I made my way down for recess, only to be stopped by a dark towering figure. I looked up and saw him. I tried to quash down the excitement, anxiety, worry and a little hope as I looked at him. His face held no emotion, but his voice shock slightly as he spoke.

“I saw you and John together.”

Oh, so that was what it was all about. I heaved a sigh of relief that immediately turn into a gasp of shock when he said his other sentence.

“You should stay away from me.”

I turned defensive and poked his chest while speaking harshly. I know that I should be the one apologizing since of what I did to him, but instead I was the one shouting at him. Whenever it came to John the things I want to say and do comes out all wrong.

“Look, you have no right to ask about my personal life and tell me what to do, okay? You are not in control of my life! I do and think whatever I want! You have ignored me for almost a year, so why stop now?!”

The moment those words came out of my mouth, I regretted it. His face hardened and he said stiffly, “You’re right”

Even when I cried out his name, he ignored my pleas and walked away. Further and further from me.

Regret. What a funny thing it is. I was still there, staring blankly after him with tears rolling down my cheeks. I felt frozen. Just then a gust of wind picked up and I stumbled, holding onto the nearby tree for support. I sniffed, feeling pathetic. I myself pushed him away then cry over it.

My phone rang. The distinct ringtone was playing as I reached into my pocket to pull out my phone.

“Hello?”

I was shocked when I heard my mother’s crisp, stern cold voice. She rarely called me. “Get back home now. Your father has disappeared.”

I immediately dashed home and came to a stop in front of the gate. I stood still, gaping at the sight before me. Reporters swarmed all over the place and a person that looked very serious was scribbling something down in a notebook while he talked to my mother.

“Mum! What is going on? What—”

She turned to me, frowning. “Show more respect. This is Mr. Eric, he will be our detective.”

I nodded and said a hasty hi then said hurriedly dreading the answer. “Why is he here?”

“Didn’t I tell you? Your father is gone.”