Hold True

Chapter 9

I wrote a longer chapter this time. I haven't read it I just finished typing, so I'm sorry if it sucks.

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I looked at Elliot again and fell to my knees in front of him. “Please, Elliot, please? I’ll so pinky promise you. And you know I won’t break it.”

Elliot groaned.  “Fine, but you have to do everything I say.”

“Yes!”  I yelled jumping up and pulled Elliot into a hug.  “You’re the best.”  

We did the pinky promise with me grinning like a fool and Elliot frowning.

~~~

Elliot handed me a sword made out of wood and said. “Hit me.”

I looked at him like he was crazy. “What?” Maybe I heard wrong.

“Try to hit me with the sword.” He answered and turned sideways, placed his feet shoulder width apart, and stuck his sword out pointing it towards me.

Still looking at him as if he lost his mind. “Are you sure?  I don’t want to hurt you.”

Glaring at me he yelled. “Hit me.”

“No.” I answered simply.

“Hit...me!”  He demanded.

“No.”

“Hit me!”

Thwack.

“Ow.” Elliot said as he rubbed his arm.

My eyes widened. “I’m so sorry.”  Running to him I looked at the spot I hit him.  It was already turning red.  “I didn’t mean to... I’m sorry!”

I cowered away from Elliot when he turned his head to look at me.  I lowered myself to my hands and knees to show I wasn’t a threat.  My mommy used to tell me that if I were attacked by an animal to make myself seem smaller by laying down on the ground. I did it whenever Sir was angry.  Sometimes it helped, but sometimes it didn’t.  I hoped it would work with Elliot.

I can’t believe I hurt Elliot.  What’s he going to do, what kind of punishment will I get.  Sir always found some new way to punish me.  What would Elliot come up with?

“I didn’t mean to.”  I cried as a tear escaped my eye. “Please...I’m sorry.”

Elliot stood staring at me with a look of sorrow and confusion on his face.  

“I’m not going to hurt you.”  He clarified.

Oh great... He’s going to wait until I least expect it.  “I’m sorry.” I begged on my hands and knees.

Elliot squatted down to my level. “I swear... I will never hurt you...ever.”

He did look like he meant it.  Maybe he wouldn’t punish me after all.

Elliot looked me in the eye, he still had a curious look on his face.  “What happened to you?” He whispered.

I pictured Sir’s face, his men, and blood stained floors and walls.  Stained with my blood.  “Nothing.”

“I don’t believe you, but I won’t make you tell me.  Eventually you’ll trust me enough to let me know.”  He sounded so smart and confident for a little boy.

Elliot looked to Adeline who was sitting in the middle of my emerald green bed.  She shrugged her shoulders and got back to reading the book on fencing that Elliot told her to read.  He wanted her to read it because I didn’t have time to, with all the training Elliot had scheduled for me.