Her Hope (On Hold)

[ Chapter One ]

"Utter a single word and I shoot, are we clear?" An unfamiliar man possessing a gravelly voice seethed behind me, his mouth positioned directly beside my ear. His grip tightened on my mouth and neck as he spoke each word with such hatred. I violently shook, unable to respond in absolute terror.

I couldn't move, almost as if I had been suspended in thin air.

"Answer me you twat!" The man scoffed in frustration, my silence proving to do more bad than good.

"Y-Y-Yes." My heart rapidly thudded in my chest, brutally banging against the ribcage that protected it. I felt weak to my knees with fear.

Would this be the death of me?

"Good. Now we're going to walk straight into the first door on the left. You will not attempt to pull any stunts, or the consequences won't exactly be in your favour." Unable to speak due to the lack of saliva in my mouth, I gradually nodded. I almost tripped over my own feet when he harshly nudged me forward, catching me off guard completely.

The quick walk felt as if years had dwindled by drastically. The closer I became, the more antsy I felt.

"W-Wh-"

"What the fuck did I just say?!!" He screamed, jamming a piece of hard metal into the side of my head.

I cowered back in fear when I realised a gun was currently pointed at my head.

Hell, I just about fainted.

"Lie down." He ordered and went to lock the door behind him, leave me to stare at a metal bed resting in the middle of the room. My head bobbed from side to side in desperation, my brain turning to mush.

"N-N-No pleas-please dod-don't." I began crying, tears freely pooling out of my eyes as I wailed. His eyes snapped to mine, humanity wiped from his hate-filled irises.

"Lie down!" He hollered at me, giving me no choice but to oblige.

I felt completely defenceless and alone, wishing nothing more than for my father to come through the door and save me.

How would he feel if I died? Would he even find out?

With my eyes filled to the brim with tears and my head pounding, I looked up at the ceiling with clenched fists.

"Now this should be fun." The man snickered, a series of clattering detected from beside me. I turned my head, watching in confusion as he wheeled a metal table over to me,  scissors, knives and sharp objects resting on the top. I quickly averted my eyes after he noticed me staring, scared he'd scream at me for being curious.

"Hopefully that old man knows not to mess with my family ever again." He tsked, grabbing the sharpest knife I had ever seen and held it to my forehead. "This is bound to hurt. Which sucks, for you at least."

I screamed in despair when it grazed my skin, my world going black in an instant.

"Ellie, we're here!"

My eyes snapped open, my breathing growing irregular as I tried to intake as much oxygen as I possibly could without appearing suspicious.

Hiding my emotions had become a hobby.

"Wait, are you okay?" My father piped in, seeing past my facade and squeezing my hand in a reassuring manner. I nodded, looking away.

I knew that he thought the whole ordeal of moving was an immense challenge for me. And while it was in some ways, my anxiety wasn't fueled off that.

He didn't know about the nightmares that painted all of my hopeless dreams black, or that I had repeatedly suffered from them throughout the majority of my teenage years. Quite frankly, however, he didn't need to. Telling him would only result in worrying, and my fathers in a position far too vital and important to worry about some 18-year-old girl who occasionally cries herself to sleep.

There were other matters to discuss, serious matters.

"We're home Derek, open up the gates." My father spoke clearly into the keypad, moments before a voice that I remembered all to well spoke up.

"As you wish sir." His voice instantly gave me deja vu, a frown breaking out onto my face. I thought back to the days when he would babysit me, or drop me off at school.

I hadn't been to this place in 4 years, leaving directly after the incident. No goodbyes. No nothing.

Gradually, the grand mansion came into view. Or as my father called it, the mafia mansion.

Cliché, I know.

My eyes were solely glued on the beauty of it all, how it still managed to flawlessly resemble how it did a long time ago. The grass had recently been trimmed, the flowers well kept and the bushes morphed into shapes and objects.

Once my fathers Hennessey Venom F5 screeched to a halt, I unbuckled my seatbelt and hoped out of the car a bit too eagerly. When I stood in front of the building, I properly observed it. The pathway pointing to the front door was encrusted with small pebbles marking each side. While the mansion itself was constructed of white granite, with two extended balconies displayed on the second floor from ground view. Flowers dangled beneath the row of the first-floor windows, and the door guiding into the mansion was milky white.

It screamed wealth; the perfect disguise for a group of thugs.

"They're waiting for you." My father rested his hand on my mid back, slowly guiding me forward.

I hadn't expected to feel this... whole. As if I was finally returning home for the first time in decades.

The door was slightly ajar when I reached it, as I gently nudged it open to reveal an eerily silent foyer. I looked back at my father, a smirk ignited on his face as he shrugged.

I strained my ears, attempting to pick up any slight source of sound audible, however, I seemed to remain clueless.

With painful and awaiting anticipation, I cautiously stalked into the living room area.

"Welcome home!!" A voice boomed after mere seconds of pure silence, the once empty room now filled with various individuals all cheering and peering at my father and I with admiration.

And that's when I saw him.

Christian Dunbar.

• • •

Five days after the prologue and I've now finished the first official chapter! How exciting((:

Please don't forget to leave a vote and/or comment if you liked it, and if so, I'll see you next chapter.

xo