Lost ✔️

Chapter 5

Stephanie leaned against the stairway as she climbed up slowly and carefully. She could feel pain etched on every part of her body.

Apparently she was not hit with a crowbar. Heck, it was not even metal. It was a cane designed to look like a crowbar and probably electroplated with iron and silver for the desired look. The crowbar would have definitely been heavier to lift and her aunt could not lift weights. Stephanie was glad about that. Plus, the police would have definitely taken her aunt into custody and investigated deeply had she died or disappeared too. 

"Ugh!", Stephanie grunted as her ribs creaked with every step. 

Finally after what seemed like a decade, she reached her room. She entered and closed the door. Then she made her way into the bathroom. She kept the door open. There was no use closing it now. She would probably have to go out repeatedly to take handkerchiefs out of her closet.

As she looked at herself in the mirror she felt disgusted at herself. Her hair was matted with blood up in the front and was completely disheveled. She looked like one of the members of the wild tribe. Blood seemed to have clotted around her forehead. However she was least bothered with the blood. Her main concern was the bruises and cuts that painted the rest of her body and face.

Blood. That would be produced again. She had read that blood cells were replaced every 48 hours and that about 200 billion red blood cells were generated in their body everyday. There was a lot of blood to spare. It was fine.

"Yay! Now you look like a crazy gangsta!", she muttered under her breath.

 *

He looked at her as she limped in and closed the door.

She was in an ugly state. Her clothes were ripped in places and her face portrayed pure agony. He had never seen her like this. 

What went wrong? What happened to her?

He did hear her cry out once or twice but nothing clicked in his head. There was a painful lump in his throat as he saw her rush to the bathroom.

He was well-hidden by the curtains in her room and had an easy view to the bathroom. From his position he could see both her sleeping figure as well as her reflection on the mirror in the bathroom. The door had been kept open so he could clearly see the pain in her face as she treated her wounds.

He felt anger, sadness and pain. But mostly confusion. A lot of it.

He sighed and quickly went into the balcony and left.

*

Stephanie stiffened as cold air hit her back and her sharp ears picked up the light creak of something.

She turned around to see the balcony door open and her heartbeat picked up its pace. She had no energy to fight any intruder so she simply stepped out of the bathroom.

Apart from the rustling wind there was no sound. She could smell something queer in the air.... Like a moonflower.

Stephanie was too beaten down to care about anything else. She closed the balcony doors and went back to nursing her wounds. By the time she finished with herself, it was already midnight.

To be honest, she didn't look as bad as she thought. Apart from the bruises on her face, everything had been taken care of. Her head was pounding a little bit but at the same time, the bleeding had stopped.

She sat on the edge of her bed in the same clothes. There was a family photo at her bedside. She picked it up and looked at it for a long time. Tears poured out of Stephanie's eyes. It was seldom that she cried. Her emotions were almost been dead by now. There was barely any feeling of joy left. What was there to be joyous about? She had no family and no friends except Marilene. In fact, Stephanie had tried to stay sane and keep living just for Marilene's sake.

"Why did you have to leave me? I tried to be a good girl, I promise!", Stephanie's inner child cried out.

"WHY?", she screamed. She wept for a few minutes and cradled her body holding the picture against her chest.

After a long time, Stephanie regained her poise. She grabbed her mobile, quickly wore her jacket and went to her balcony. She knew she couldn't stay at her place that night or go to school the next day. So as usual she was going to crash at Marilene's place who lived alone so it was never a problem. 

She grabbed hold of the pipeline connected with the walls of her house. Using it like a ladder, she slowly slid down towards the ground.

Every movement was torture. She felt as if needles were being inserted in her skin repeatedly. Her head throbbed painfully. Maybe her brain was about to burst from so much pain. 

Late concussion, she thought.

As she landed her feet on the ground Stephanie's world began to spin. It was a horrible feeling. It seemed as if the sky was coming down and the ground leaving her behind. Strangely her feet never left the ground.

I guess I'm on a merry-go round.

Stephanie told herself to hang in there and to stop thinking stupidly. She had to reach her friend's house before going completely mad.

Ah...my brain must have been affected. No wonder my head is aching.

She breathed deeply. Finally her vision seemed clearer. Without bothering to check whether her aunt was sleeping or not, she climbed over the stone walls that surrounded her house and escaped into the night air.

*****

A/N:

The chapters are going to get longer.....

I sincerely wish you are liking the story and PLEASE VOTE! Lighten up the little star at the end of the page and let me know what you think about it in the comments section!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lots of love!