Colourless Skies

18. Moving On

"Now that you have chosen to be my slave,

Remember that I have the power to control you, like a pretty puppet on strings.

Don't bother saying 'no' to anything I tell you to do,

Because it won't matter, and most importantly, you might end up regretting it."

His voice was smooth, almost runny like chocolate, but just as poisonous if consumed in excess.

Leah, in a weak attempt to verbally scoff at his words uttered something she immediately wished she could take back.

"What will y-you... you possibly do, if... if I don't do as you say?"

She was desperate, and hoped with it that he didn't see her scared demeanour and instead mistook it as her bravery. But she didn't know him. She certainly did not know he could see right through her facade.

In a flash, he was right in front of her, kneeling down so his eyes could meet hers. Her heartbeat quickened at a deathly pace as they shared the air to breathe. She knew if any one of them both moved just by an inch, their lips would touch. 

"Worse than you can imagine."

She could've sworn she saw his eyes turn pitch black before she blinked, and he wasn't there anymore.

Sleep was something she faced immense difficulty to fight, especially ever since all that had unfolded last night had left her mind a heavy mess of blurry thoughts and listless doubts. As her eyes closed involuntarily, all she could think of was the forthcoming pain she was certain was written in her fate, and how much of it would be her fault.

"Get up." The shrill and stern voice hit her right in the head, the first words she heard in the morning. She tried to pry open her tear stained eyes and get up but suddenly, a stinging streak of pain coursed through her spine, and she immediately fell back, her hands wrapping around the small of her forehead.

"You have school today, you lazy, worthless piece of shit. I need you ready in 5."
If the harsh voice didn't send even more throbbing waves of pain through her head, then the following loud slam of the door certainly did.

She finally willed her self to get up and she rubbed her eyes roughly to open them up.
She walked and, surprisingly, no pain shot through her body.

She lifted her shirt, and her jaw dropped to the floor. The bruises were already fading?

'Am I dreaming?' She pinched herself, hard, and then sure enough there was a new bruise blooming on her wrist, but she still couldn't bring herself to believe she wasn't daydreaming .

She made her way to the bathroom, events of last night enclosing her mind like a hunter his prey.
She could remember the boy, the deal, her hands slowly making their way to her neck as she harked back the translucent memories of last night.

The weather had her awestruck as soon as she stepped out of her dreary house. It was one of those days again; the sun was shining all too brightly, illuminating every crevice of the world her eyes could set upon; surrounded by misty clouds in a beautifully sky inked blue. It looked like an oil painting.

A cool breeze gently blew between the viridescent leaves of the spring time trees, rustling them ever so gently. It took with it the few dandelions that grew by the curb of her house, and messed her braid hanging freely in the front of her black hoodie. It was almost lively; almost because she could not easily forget the life she lived, which made sure the only emotions she deserved to feel were torment and hopelessness.

Especially after that boy, who she still didn't really know, had left no chance of relief. The life ahead of her was unknown since adrenaline rushes occurred both in excitement and sheer fear.

It would be wrong to say she hadn't changed. She indeed had, and not only  mentally.

The constant torture, guilt, and starvation had taken their toll; Her skin was paler than she remembered, and she was so much more thin. Her eyes now looked hollowed, her nose and lips thinner and more defined than they should be, and her skin not half as fair as it used to be.

And her hair, her luscious black threads of silk were no longer shiny and smooth, worn with time like rocks by erosion.

Regardless of anything and everything, she was still pretty, but she could not see that, even if she wanted to.

Leah couldn't bring  herself to put in picture all that had happened in the quarter of a night for Zach. And her being quite certain he wouldn't believe even a word of what she would tell him only enforced her decision to lie to him.

This was a battle she knew she had to fight alone.

Plastering a fake smile on her face, she met up with him. He did, as expected, inquire about how she was doing and carefully asked if something had happened as if Leah was a wrong question away from breaking into crooked pieces, but Leah only fed him white lies. And although still suspicious, Zach found it in his heart to let it go.

School ended and she was about to run home, but then she heard her name being called. "Leah! Wait up."

She relaxed at the familiar voice and looked up to see Zach running up to her, panting as if he had ran a marathon.

"Can we...", he tried to speak, but gave up, catching his breath, making Leah chuckle.
"Can we hang out tomorrow night, anywhere you would like?"

He was suddenly quiet, alerting Leah he was serious.
" Ever since... Fawn's gone, and she would want us to move on, to become better friends... like she would have wanted us three to be."

He sucked in a breath frailly.

"The thought hit me like a truck  last night. I was wondering if you could come so we could spend some time together? I mean it's a stupid plan, I know, you must be busy and there are tons of-"

"I will come Zach, d-don't worry.", she gently cut his rambling and promised her presence.

Although she knew she would be beaten to death, and possibly all the more punishments from the last night guy, but she couldn't say no to her only friend.

 She wouldn't.

"Where w-would you like to m-meet?"
"What about The Central Park? I like to see little kids play there in the evenings. "
She nodded.

She finally arrived home, and finding it quiet, she hurriedly rushed upstairs, not daring to break the silence in any way possible. It was the only rare thing that kept her at temporary peace.

She hit her bed with a subdued thud, unable to move afterwards, exhausted after another bone grinding day at school. Luckily, it was Friday, but Leah wasn't triumphant over the upcoming weekend, her mind for some reason, always wandering right back to the mostly-blue-eyed boy.

As she laid there, determined to find out more about him any way she could, trying to convince herself that she was only doing this to quench her curiosity, her eyes closed and the sad world faded away.

Okay so.... I hope you guys are enjoying this.
My hand hurts man.