Hope

Last chapter-Her

She stands once again in front of a door in anticipation. But this time familiar dread shoots up her spine.

She didn't knock at the door. It was her own house but still not hers.

She pushed the door inwards and it opened with a loud groan alerting the inhabitants inside.

"Who is there at this ungodly hour?" A woman shrieks from inside.

She stiffens midstep contemplating if she made a mistake to come back home.

Woman's grumpy curses echoed all around the closed up small excuse of a house.

She definitely made a mistake.

She panicked turning immediately on her heels and opted to flee the house as she did yesterday but before she could step outside someone fisted her hair from behind and swirled her around to make her meet the deadly stare of this witch of a woman.

"A-auntie wh-" her face contorted in piercing pain when she felt her hair being pulled out of their roots.

She neared the woman in an attempt to get her grip loosen up but to no avail.

She was back in the clutches of death.

When was she not! Her unconcious made a snarky remark at her.

"You disgrace of a girl!" Her auntie shook her head violently which made her cry out in pain," where have you been all this time?" She screeched right next to her ears and hope suddenly knew that nearing her auntie was a bad idea thus she started attempting to get as far away from her auntie as possible.

But that witch simply wasn't going to let her flee this time.

Both of them were sure of it.

"I- I was-"

"Why on earth are you screaming the daylights off, mother! Dont you know I'm trying to sleep here." Hope flinched at the voice shouting from inside.

Lady smirked in the most devilish way looking in the direction from where the voice came,"You wouldn't get a wink once you knew who is here."

"I don't care. Keep the noise down for goodness' sake." This time boy practically growled making his mother scowl indignantly.

Serves her right!

"Don't you dare order me around this way, young boy! Let me handle this girl first then I'm going to deal with you."

Upon hearing the word girl, the boy sprang up from his bed and sped out of the room looking at the scene unfolding.

"You! Where have you been?" His accusing stare shot daggers at hope.

"Where else would she be except whoring around in the neighborhood." Her auntie snorted in mockery.

"Whoring around?" Boy repeated in shock and suddenly his expressions turned darker.

"N-no that's not right. I wasn't-" hope was cut off when her auntie tightened the grip on her hair making her squeeze her eyes shut in pain.

"Then speak the truth or I'm going to burn you alive this instant."

Hope shivered in fear which didn't go unnoticed by the boy who stepped ahead holding the shoulders of his mother,"Okay mother, let her breath for a second, will you!"

His mother's scowled turned his way,"You don't yourself get in this, boy. Let me handle this myself. I don't want you loosing your sanity for this girl again."

Ignoring his mother, he pulled his mother away from hope and she sighed in relief holding her aching scalp underneath her trembling fingers.

"Here, drink it," he instructed handing her glass of water which she desperately devoured,"good, now tell me where were you?" His voice was calm but she knew better than to take this as a soft gesture.