2 Chapter 2

Somehow I managed to hide myself from Ava's questioning eyes. But I feared if she found out herself.

'NO' I just couldn't let that happen not even in my wildest dreams.

The way back home was a quite one. It had always been. Ava rarely travelled in the bus, only when her parents were too busy to drop her to the school. Earlier I used to beg Ava to accompany me but now I was relieved that she didn't. Facing her, meant questions and I hated them.

In ten minutes, I was standing in front of my house. I opened the door to meet the screaming silence. It had always been there to greet me since Aunt and Uncle were always busy with their jobs. They rarely had time for me and I was okay with that.

"Hey" I said to whom, even I don't know. Maybe I did it to stop the silence from engulfing me. I stepped inside and listened to the sounds the silence made.

I threw myself on the bed taking care that my eyes were open. I couldn't risk sleeping and ending up having a nightmare in broad daylight. My eyes transfixed on the ceiling till it blurred and I was no longer looking at the ceiling but had been transported to another place.

"Alone"  the walls whispered bringing me back to the room.

"Alone" they whispered again, a little louder than before, like a taunt, like a tease, like a trigger.

"Alone, alone ...alone" they echo, I held the corners of the mattress as tight as I could. I close my eyes shut hoping the sounds would subside but ...they didn't.

The sounds were taken over by the beeping of my cell phone. And for the first time I didn't feel anxious while answering it. No matter who was on the calling end, I wanted to talk ...I wanted to run away from these walls.

"How's my girl doing. " My hands trembled, my eyes saw nothing but darkness.

'It can't be him. It can't be him' I kept repeating.

"Hey baby. If you won't speak, you know what I can do." The voice spoke again and I could picture him smiling.

"I..umm...am here." I stammered, my heart hammering my rib cage.

"That's like my girl. Daddy missed you. Muaaahhhh" He kissed the speaker of his phone.

My fingers gave up, the phone now lay on the floor and I curled up into a ball hugging right to the wall I was scared of moments before. How badly I wish, they had hands that could capture me and take me somewhere ....away from the evil clutches of this man.

'No , No .... don't come close. Not again.." I mumbled, biting the back of my hand, to stop my sobs. I can feel the loose shirt clinging to my back in places. My hair were drenched with sweat covering my forehead like second skin and at that time it wasn't the only wetness I felt.

I had peed.

*****

I was standing at the bus stop waiting for my bus.  In a few minutes, there it was standing right in front of me. As usual the bus was crowded with no place to sit. It shouldn't be that crowded but that's what it was as our school was facing a shortage of buses. I curled my fingers tightly around the handgrip and stood at a corner to avoid unnecessary gazes.

The bus was mostly quiet at this hour as the students were already sleep deprived and tired. They were usually asleep in their seats or were completing their homework they forgot to complete a day before.  The only sound that could be heard was that of the engine and the music playing on the radio.

The old bus speeding on the road, bumping over the potholes made strange sounds. Then it stopped on the second last stop.

This was it.

As always, my heart sank and my chest ached. A shiver of fear ran down every nerve of my body. My heart thumping in my chest and my breathing became heavier. The bus door opened, letting my worst nightmare in. It walked  past the seats, passing the standing teenagers. I avoided eye contact but couldn't stop myself from noticing the sinister smile playing on his lips as it stood just behind me. My heart that was earlier beating erratically, stopped. My grip over the handgrip tightened when I felt his breath fan over my neck and his hands lacing my waist.

I wanted to scream....Hell ...I wanted the bus floor to open and engulf me.

" Seems like baby girl missed me." He said pulling me closer.

My hands turned numb, my knuckles white and I started counting again 1, 2..3....99, 100

"You smell so good." He spoke again sniffing my hair like an animal he was.

My brain replayed the memories in front of me like a movie scene. Darkness engulfed me, and I was no longer standing at that corner of bus but had been transported to a room. The white tiles smeared with blood....my blood. It was 2nd of November and there was nothing around me but water and blood. The only source of light in that room was a window....a closed window.

A sudden banging on the door made me shudder with fear. He was there, banging the door furiously.

"You think you can escape, babygirl."

Slam...

"Oh...did daddy scare you."

Thump...

"Open the door darling...I am here to save you."

Thump...

My hands automatically shifted to my ears trying to stop the voices from reaching my tympanum as I sank to the ground, a crying mess.

A sudden jolt brought me back to the bus and still he was here standing right behind me. He walked away not before raising his hand up and giving me a small wave. Finally I released my breath that I had been holding.

I was safe..... at least for now.

****

How ironic this word is...Daddy.

Daddy

His eyes brighten with every smile of yours, his love knows no bounds, he's your hero one you can confide in...your happy place... your first love.

"daddy"

His eyes are heavy with lust. You for him are an easy prey which he loves to devour on whenever he wishes.

Daddy.

He colours your world bright, burns himself to keep you warm and turns into an armour to shield you from amy pain.

"daddy"

He paints you with scars, taints your soul pitch black and showers you with pain.