W O L F R A M

Chapter Seven

There was a huge gap of time, that I chose to shut my mind away and threw whatever left from my consciousness away. I deafened my ears from the lashes striking into my flesh and the darkness helped me so I didn't burn every horrifying scenes in my brain. He was a beast. And I was just a human. The difference in our status showed me that there's no way out from this life.

At first, he came to 'visit' me time to time, giving me a dose of how hell tastes. Reminding me not to forget the reality I was in. Each time I would be thrown into another level of shock. How could a person be so evil and twisted?

His sick mind was beyond words. I feel myself turning into another person and began to hate whatever I could pinpoint this hatred to, including my mom. Regrets turned me into something horrible. Never I had thought that there would come a day for me to curse her existence. If only I was living alone, there would be no need for trying so hard for money. I could run away but my mother was a shackle to my feet, imprisoning my freedom.

Yet those thoughts didn't last long. I didn't have much time to have much to think about the moment that door creaked open. My mind instantly shut off and I closed my eyes, even though darkness was all I could see in this nightmarish room. The sound of air splitting into two as the whip pierced its way to my open skin and my screams have become a music to that insane man.

The hour had lost its count. Days. Weeks. Maybe even months?

This is how I'm gonna die. As I became acquittance to the idea, a miracle happened. That man whose name I didn't know started to come less frequently. I noticed how he would leave in the middle of torture and didn't come back for days. I thanked god for that. It was soon after he stopped coming that I realized.

He left me to die on my own.

As soon as he stopped his visit, so did the maid who felt obligated to bring me food and water. She was the only one besides him who had entered this room. It didn't take long until I starved to death. Both my hands and feet were left chained and I couldn't even move to eat the dust. The only thing I could do was to count my time to meet my end.

When something happened.

I was sleeping, tired from keeping myself awake if that man were to appear again. Suddenly a fever hit me straight and my body began to seizure. My head felt like being drilled to the skull and I felt my skin blistering. It was as if someone was cooking me alive- my blood boils and some dripped out of my nose. I thought "Ah so it's finally time." but the pain was unbearable and with a sad thought that even my death was painful, I readied myself entirely sure that I was dying.

So when I open my eyes to find the same sight of dark room, it's as if someone punch my gut out of my mouth. My heart is beating so fast that it's a wonder I haven't got a heart attack. I swallow my tears and clench my fists, hugging myself tight. I hope this was hell. At least he can't come here. The door opens and what I've thought horrible all this time can't be compared when the sight of the angel of death has the same appearance as the source of my torture.

Through the mist in my eyes I can see him standing still at the door. The backlight keeps me from learning his face, as usual. Nonetheless I cannot forget the shape of his shadow, even if my brain has rotted and my body has turned into a living corpse. What makes me wonder is why he only stands there watching me instead of taking my soul.

A voice slaps me awake.

It all happens too fast. The beast. Five long talons dig into the side of that man's body causing him fly to the other side which I cannot see. The eyes were red, just like that day in the auction. Another roar shakes my trance drowning other sounds. Its snout moves as if it's talking to someone outside. I must have gone crazy, I thought closing my eyes.

Something isn't right.

Everything seems like a dream but it is futile to try to wake up so I just give in. I refuse to dwell in the uproar happening in front of my body. I don't count the time and wait for them to stop so I can finally die in peace at least. That's when I suddenly feel a pair of arms engulfing my body, bringing me into someone's embrace. The muscles tighten their hold on me as I feel that we are moving too fast. I am shocked more by the tingling sensation on my skin where this person touches me. My heart is beating so fast that I can hear its drumming in my ear.

Though my eyes are still closed, somehow I feel like I've known this man for a really long time. Honestly, I am not the kind of person who feel comfortable to have skin-to-skin contact with people. Not even toward my own mother. So it's understandable if I am shaken with the contentment this man gives to me. Cold wind strikes my face and my naked body which has been covered by some kind of blanket. Opening my eyes I am met with the sun glaring at me and instantly shut them off.

"Hey Za-" someone says but immediately stops. A few seconds later I hear a sound of a door being opened, assuming that the person holding me has gotten us into a car. It all happened too fast and sudden leaving me unable to decipher what's actually going on nor what I even feel about this. Am I happy to finally escape from that hell? Of course. But I'm also anxious and scared as to where I'm heading to next. Moreover the unbearable hunger I've been in for these past days dominates so that any other emotional feelings have sunk into the bottom.

I don't realize that I'm shaking until the arms around me tighten even more, if it's even possible. The burning fever doesn't show any sign of leaving, then again I'm used to it. Fingers enwrap themselves around mine trying to cease the bizarre coldness. I wonder what about this man that makes me feel so.. home? As if it doesn't matter if I don't even know where he's taking me but wherever he is, I know deep inside he won't hurt me.

How so..?

It doesn't matter, just give in. said the exhausted mind of mine. And so just like that I give in to the darkness once again, sinking into a deep slumber.

This time, without a terror.