****Again this chapter contains thematic material and is quite violent so read at your own risk.****
My vision was glitchy and I had to sit on the floor. I assumed it has something to do with tiring myself out to contact Josiah. There wasn't even any way to tell if he'd heard me. But now I was in Colton's room where he still laid in bed, peacefully asleep. I frowned and wished I could go closer but I could barely lift my arm. Suddenly Josiah burst through the door, bags under his eyes and the faint shadow of a beard as he stormed towards the bed. I straightened up and watched, noticing the determined steadiness of his frown. He stopped by Colton's bedside and glared down at him. Then he sighed and rubbed his face, talking to Colton softly. "You need to wake up Colt, Ava left me and I'm having hallucinations and I don't know what's real and what's fake. I'm having dreams or something that someone took her," He paused with a shaky breath and then closed his eyes, continuing measuredly, "And last night, I had a uh hallucination, I guess, that it was Zeke and she told me. You need to wake up because I need you to help me check it out, I don't care if it's a hallucination in the end just as long as he doesn't actually have her. You see I just need to know that I didn't do nothing when I could've saved her. I think Kristy is with her too, we need to make sure I'm not wrong." But I didn't get to see what was happening because I was pushed out of the vision and back into my sleepy state. Sadly that didn't last long either because I was awakened by Zeke slamming the door and yelling in rage. "Ava!" I shrank back against the wall and glanced at Kristy. She was trembling with bug eyes and her clothes hung loosely on her frame, freshly washed. Zeke's stomping feet echoed the rank stench of rage throughout the room and my breathing quivered slightly. The window to outside was still dark and I wished I hadn't slept too long, for Josiah's sake. I can't believe he heard me, even if he thought it was just a hallucination. But now Zeke loomed over me and kicked my ribs, causing me to cry out. "How did you tell him?" As I gasped for air, I shrugged to respond. "What are you talking about?" He laughed darkly and pulled out his phone before retorting cheekily. "Oh let me elaborate, I received this text from Josiah this morning: I know Zeke, I know what you did and I'm coming for you. I'll find her and then you'll pay." Heart pouding, jaw slack, and an incredulous grin on my face, I couldn't help but mumble under my breath. "He believed it." Zeke must've heard me because he kicked me over and over again. I had to bite my lip until it bled to contain my cries of pain and the manacles sawed into my wrists, Zeke growling lowly. "What are you mumbling about?" A larger smile stretched over my face and I shook my head. "I'm afraid I have no idea Mr. Lowington." Grabbing me by the strap of my dress, he snarled at me and roughly grabbed me. "That's it, you will be punished now." Suddenly my confidence wavered as Zeke tossed me to the ground and ripped the back of my dress open. I scrambled to press myself against the wall and Zeke scoffed. Then he strode to his desk, pulling out a whip. Kristy yelled but Zeke's eyes were trained on me. Before I could move away, Zeke forced me to lay on my stoamch and lashed me deeply. I'd never endured such a burning pain and I cried out loudly. They all blurred together but Zeke counted out loud. "Three, four, five, six, seven." Tears streaked down my face and blood oozed down my back. Soon, I began to feel faint. His voice drifted off but the pain didn't. Each lash I thought of someone I loved. Josiah. Lash. Gale. Lash. Phillip. Lash. Daddy. Lash. Mom. Lash. Ivory. Lash. Gavin. Lash. Colton. Lash. Viviane. Lash. Then he stopped. Quietly, I released a breath of relief. The pressure of someone sitting on me eased on my butt and I cried out as it stretched my skin. Now his touch was almost gentle as he rubbed my cheek. Leaning over me, Zeke kissed along my spine and then murmured in my ear. "I wouldn't have to do this if you just behaved my little Ava, let me show you what happens if you behave and perhaps you'll listen." The words struck a nerve that summoned all the rage in my body. Instead of just my arms, a numbness invaded my entire body in a surge of blue light. It threw Zeke off me as I boomed, the room rumbling violently. "Enough!" Zeke gawked at me in sheer shock, eyes travelling my body. I was curious of what distracted him and gasped at what I saw. My entire body was encased in diamondlike ice and the manacles had been broken off of my wrists. Empowered, I stormed towards Zeke with deadly determination. He scrambled to get away from me but I wasn't letting him go, not now. Everything I did now was purely instinctual. His lips moved rapidly as I raised my hand towards him but I heard nothing and then a bolt of ice flew out of my hand and skimmed his neck to stake his shirt to the ground. My voice changed, it was high and soft, like wind chimes. "Not this time asshole. No more excuses." Because that's what his type did, spew excuses of how they were only trying to "help". Kristy stood to her feet and blurted out abruptly. "The keys are by the door, up the stairs. I saw him put them there last night, we can chain him here." I smirked and sent another bolt of ice to his sleeve for good measure, making sure he didn't move in the meantime. "Yes Ma'am." Without wasting more time, I used my Immortal speed and scooped up the key and handed it to Kristy. She instantly began unlocking herself and I stepped back towards Zeke slowly. He scrutinized us both with narrowed slits of hateful eyes and I smirked smugly. "Sucks when you've been beaten at your own game huh?" He scoffed and sneered demeaningly. "What do you mean?" I placed one foot by his ribcage and the other on the other side before bending down, bunching the front of his shirt in my fist. "I mean beating up little girls you bastard." He glared at me and then I used my icy arm to punch him, effectively knocking him out. Kristy moved to my side and then trailed my icy body and laughed excitedly. "That was so cool!" I chuckled myself and then pulled my ice stakes from the ground, dragging him towards the manacles. Deftly, we got him chained and we were about to leave when Kristy ran back, sending a mean right hook and uppercut to Zeke's still unconscious form, causing his head to whip in whatever direction she applied the force. Then she straightened herself, smoothed her shirt, and flashed me a sweet smile. "Okay I'm ready now, let's go." Laughing, I felt myself begin to relax now that he was imprisoned. Slowly my body began to unthaw as we travelled upstairs and I sighed, clutching the key tightly in my hand. We opened the door and were greeted by an elaborate cabin. It was decorated lushly and I internally scoffed. To our right I saw an opened bedroom and immediately headed for it. Kristy locked the basement door and then followed me, questioning curiously. "What are you doing Ava?" I ripped open the drawers of the dresser and pulled out two pairs of his jeans, two sweaters, and then grabbed two belts from a nearby chair. I split it up and shoved one half towards Kristy. "I don't know how far we are from home but if we're walking during the night, you'll thank me later." She nodded and pulled everything on over her clothes. I did the same and then tucked the key to Zeke's chains in my pocket, gesturing towards the door. "Let's go." She nodded and we exited the secluded cabin into the middle of a forest. He didn't have a car nearby so I assumed he transported here and was glad I'd grabbed the clothes anyways. If I hadn't thought of it until now, I wouldn't have had the courage to go back there. Kristy walked silently beside me and questioned quietly. "Do you know where we're going?" Shaking my head, I smiled and gave her my best confident tone. "No but I used to be in girl scouts and once we did a wilderness survival lesson. We find a river, follow it and eventually run into people." I hope anyways. This seemed good enough for her and a sparkle flashed through her eyes. "We're finally going home." That statement meant more to us than we'd ever know. We had been walking for awhile and still hadn't seen a river yet. The birds tweeted and the sun was beginning to break through the trees. I noticed Kristy scanning the area while rubbing her bare ring finger. "Where's your wedding ring?" She sighed sadly glanced at me to answer. "Zeke took it and flushed it down the toilet, saying I didn't need it soon." There were no words to express how happy I was that I'd thrown mine at Josiah. Rage boiled back up in me and my fingertips hummed with an icy bite. Reigning myself back, I cleared my throat and pried gently. "Did he um....you know?" Kristy stiffened some and her voice grew tight as she stared up at the trees where squirrels chattered and scurried busily. "He almost did a couple times but I was lucky enough that he was old fashioned and wanted to wait until Colton was out of the way and he could marry me. Unfortunately that didn't stop him from making me strip for him and sometimes he'd touch but he usually stopped when I asked, as long as I behaved." My heart broke for her and I knew if we kept up talking about this, I'd turn around and finish him off. Suddenly the perfect distraction caught my eye. A river. "There's a river, come on."
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The Beauty of Despair (Book 1 of 3)
Romantizm(Unedited) Ava Jordans is abused by her boyfriend and despairs that she has nowhere else to go. Then she meets him. Josiah Richards is a polite, soft spoken man that seems to ignite feelings Ava thought were long gone from her life, but then there's...
