ESCAPE: The Journey

| •Chapter Two• |

A/N: Trigger warning (Minor violence and physical abuse).

Hope you enjoy this chapter ;⁠)

(Unedited)

You may continue...

Chapter two: Super-duper hero.

My eyes snap open as I draw the covers all the way up to my chin, trying to hide myself from whatever is lurking in this darkness. I place my palms on the sides of my head to shield my ears from the high pitched screaming. It doesn't make any difference as the sound gets louder. I feel my heart thumping vigorously in my chest and droplets of sweat trickling down my back.

Am I the only one hearing this? Why isn't anyone waking up? Or is this just another nightmare?

I try my best to remain calm, taking in slow deep breaths.

Silence.

Now I can finally sleep in peace. Oh! Thank G...

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" The scream comes again, but much louder this time. It sounds like a girl in pain and tears immediately cloud my vision. So this is how I'm going to die... Oh well.

I hold my breath and listen carefully to the sound, trying to determine where it's coming from. It seems like it's coming from one of the rooms. I take a deep breath and stand up from the floor, getting off the blankets and being extra careful not to wake any one up.

I close my eyes, using my instinct to navigate to the door leading to the corridor. I push it open gently, opening my eyes a bit and stepping into the corridor which is dimly lit by the faint moonlight coming through the windows in the kitchen and a room at the far end. I tiptoe through till I get to the room where I slept the night before and pause for a moment at the door. I hear the sound once again and it feels like I'm close to where it's coming from.

Well..at least if I die, I die a hero. A super-duper hero.

I take a few steps forward till I'm at the center of the corridor. I don't hear the screaming anymore, but instead, it's voices... sounding angry and harsh.

At the far end of the corridor there are three rooms. There's one at the right and another one directly opposite it at the left. The one at the middle looks more like a bathroom. My ears are telling me the sounds are coming from the room at the left.

I decide to do something dangerous.

I make my way to the room at the left and press my right ear to the door. I was right. This is where all the noise has been coming from - Uncle Dan's room.

"You're one of the most foolish things I've ever had to work with. I'm asking you for the last time, where are my gold jewelries?"

"Auntie, I swear I didn't.."

Smack! "Shut up you animal!" I hear Auntie Mercy hiss angrily. "You must have probably sold them by now. In fact, I'm calling your people tomorrow to come and take you back to wherever they brought you from."

"Auntie please, please." Precious whimpers and I hear her gasping for breath.

There's a loud 'thud' on the door and I quickly step backwards, preparing to make a run for it. With each sound on the door, I hear Precious scream louder and I figure that its her body being slammed against the door repeatedly. With the last hit, she starts coughing hard and gasping for air. A series of slaps follow and thereafter, I hear the sound of something different making contact with her skin. Her screams and shouts send shivers down my spine.

"Mercy it's okay, leave her alone. Mercy! It's enough. Or do you want to kill her?" Uncle Dan yells. "It's okay. Precious, go to your room and sleep. Next time you won't steal. And this should be the last time I'll get a report like this, be it from my wife or any one else."