TEARS

I felt so much that I started feel nothing.

-absolutist.tumblr.com-

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"She is a fighter," Dorian commented upon seeing the scene before his eyes. Apple was giving her all to fight those men, though she didn't have proper martial art skills, but the determination in her green eyes was enough to make the two guys rethink again about their decision to come closer to the pointed shard. "But, why don't you help her instead of giving her the bottles?"

Dorian couldn't understand what Drustan's line of thought was! He made a simple thing complicated when he just needed to move his finger and those bastard guys would suffer and the girl could go home safely.

Yet, just like before, Drustan didn't answer that question, his eyes fixed on Apple, who was holding the shard of the bottle in her hand as if her life was holding onto it.

The bruises on her skin also didn't go unnoticed by him. As long as he remembered, he had healed her before he left the house and that was not the bruises from their previous encounter.

Something must have happened to her and then Kama's words echoed in his mind again about how bad her family treated her. Was it that bad?

Meanwhile, in front of the two astral creatures, the girl frequently wiped the rain from her face or strands of her hair that stuck beside her face with a weapon in her hand. She looked feral, scared, but fearless at the same time. That was a beautiful contradiction.

Apple tried to gauge the two guys' reaction. If it was not because of the sharp material in her hand, Apple was very sure she would have been dragged by them at this time, while the other guy was still wailing on the ground, unable to move.

What should she do now?

Should she stab them? Gave a surprise attack? Attack them first? That was an impulsive move. She knew it because once they got their hands on her, she would be dead for sure.

Thus, the only safe plan that she could do right now was…

Apple moved to the other side slowly, while still pretending to be brave and all, didn't give them the slightest thought that she was scared of them or even hesitated to stab them in their heart if they were about to attack her first.

Once the path to her house was already behind her, she threw the sharp shard of the bottle in her hand to one guy that was closer to her and ran as fast as she could. Apple didn't look back. She didn't even dare to slow down.

Running was the best option that she could think of at this moment and she was very good with that since she had been practicing it for almost half of her life.

Apple only dared to slow down when she was already in the street where there were many people. They stared at her with confusion.

How could they not be confused when there was a girl, running through the rain as if a crazy dog chasing her life or there was a psychopath that would kidnap her.

Maybe the latter was almost close to reality…

Apple bent her body and caught it a few times, her lungs felt like they were on fire. She looked back through her shoulder, but couldn't see those scoundrels.

Damn! That was a close call!

Apple reminded herself to not walk through that alley again for a few days ahead, though she didn't like the idea, because, for some stupid reason, she always thought she could meet that man again there.

Silly.

She would be able to meet the man if he wanted to see her, no matter what alley or street. He was not human and could teleport to different places…

Therefore, if Apple had not met him until now, it meant he didn't want to see her.

Apple picked up her pace. She didn't want to be reckless, but she felt sad because of her last thought. She wanted to see him again, or at least she wanted to know his name.

Why did he make a big deal over a name? And kept it a secret from her? That was not nice at all…

Meanwhile, in the dark alley, Dorian watched the two guys curse out loud and helped their friend to stand up. They needed to take him to the hospital.

"Stupid," Dorian muttered. "Should I follow her again?" he turned around to ask Drustan, but the man was no longer there.

He didn't say anything about Dorian to continue his duty to keep his eyes on Apple, but seeing his master reaction and his concern toward the girl, Dorian didn't need the answer about what he should do.

==============

Apple slammed the door open and this startled Cherry, who was sitting alone, watching a movie in the family room.

Her cousin started to yell and curse, especially when she saw the dirt on Apple and water that splashed on the floor.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Cherry screeched, she jumped on her feet and immediately ran toward Apple. "DON'T YOU DARE GO ANYWHERE BEFORE YOU CLEAN THIS MESS THAT YOU MAKE!"

Cherry wanted to push Apple away, but seeing how messy she was and how the rain out there had messed up her clothes, as a few dirt spots on her shirt and pants, Cherry stepped back. She didn't want to touch her and that was a good thing for Apple because the last thing she wanted to do was dealing with this stupid bitch.

Apple immediately went to her bedroom and just like her initial plan, she locked the door and pushed her table, cabinet, or anything that she could use to hold it since they had a spare key to open her bedroom door.

Ignoring Cherry's curses, Apple took the money that she had saved from her secret place. She would go far away from this house. Anywhere was better than here.

And tears fell on her cheeks…