"You think you can beat me?" he growled.
"A fragile little orange head? You're nothing."
He stepped closer, licking his own blood off his lip.
"But before I kill you… I'm going to feel you."
His hands tore at my jacket, ripping the fabric apart like paper.
He grabbed my face and crushed his mouth against mine—violent, bruising, suffocating.
I pushed, clawed, screamed into his lips, but he only pressed harder.
Then—
A soft sound.
A shadow.
A rush of breath.
THUNK.
He froze.
His eyes rolled up for a second.
Then his head jerked violently to the side as something heavy smashed into his skull.
The maid.
Barefoot, shaking, bloodied, but standing.
In her hands—a metal fire extinguisher.
She didn't stop.
She raised it again and slammed it down with all the strength she had left.
THUNK.
THUNK.
THUNK.
His body crumpled.
His knees buckled.
His torso hit the ground with a dull thud.
Blood spread beneath his head like a dark halo.
I crawled toward him—my breath shaking—my palms trembling as I pressed two fingers to his neck.
Nothing.
"I think—he's dead," I whispered.
The maid's eyes were empty, hollow, and terrified all at once.
"We need to go," I said, grabbing her cold hand.
"We need to get out before he wakes up—or someone finds us."
The room had a small first-aid box.
My hands were shaking too badly, but I still managed to wrap her wounds—loose, uneven bandages just enough to stop the bleeding.
"Come," I whispered.
We ran.
Down the hallway.
Stumbling down the stairs.
Breathing like hunted animals.
Alarms blared behind us.
Guards shouted.
"STOP!"
We didn't look back.
The forest was too far.
The driveway too open.
But then—
Headlights.
A massive lorry parked by the gate, engine off, doors open.
And the driver—somewhere in the bushes, peeing.
"Now—inside!" I hissed, pushing the maid up the metal steps.
We climbed into the back—into a dark storage area filled with sacks.
I pulled the door almost shut.
The maid whispered, voice trembling, "Will they find us?"
Before I could answer, the driver returned, humming, buttoning his pants.
He climbed into the driver's seat.
The engine roared to life.
The truck moved.
We were leaving the estate.
For the first time in days, I felt a breath of hope.
---
The truck finally stopped at a small town.
The driver hopped out to buy a drink at a roadside stall.
We slipped out quietly.
Dusty. Bleeding. Barefoot. Half-dead.
We approached a woman near the stall, her eyes widening the moment she saw us.
"Please," I said, voice cracking, my hands trembling as I held onto the maid.
"Help us… please."
____
The police questioned us for hours.
But they found nothing.
No body.
No trace.
No blood.
No evidence that anyone named Aiden even died.
When they told us the basement was empty…
when they said the house looked untouched…
when they said "maybe you girls were confused"…
I felt the floor slip under me.
He was alive.
Somewhere.
The maid—still trembling, still pale—gripped my wrist so hard it hurt.
"It was Aiden," she whispered, voice cracked.
"He'll come after us. He never lets anyone go."
Her words echoed in my skull.
Aiden.
Aiden.
Aiden.
Even though I knew inside…
it wasn't exactly him.
But the world didn't know his lookalike existed.
So her fear became my fear too.
I told them I needed to leave.
She told them she needed to leave.
No one could protect us if he was alive.
______
Few days later,
I attended school.Classmate gossiped if I got sexually abused my lot of men.I pretended like nothing happened.I stepped out of the building with a backpack when I saw him.He was on the streets beside his car, talking to few gentlemen.
Our eyes met.I dropped my phone.
My feet moved on their own to hide behind the pillar but he had already seen me.
I caught the phone and ran straight to the back gate.My mother was calling me repeatedly.I told her to pick up from the back gate
After returning home,I didn't step out of the house at all.I stayed behind closed doors, curtains drawn, every noise making my heart jolt.I had begged my parents to not inform the neighbour that they found me finally.
My parents noticed my stress,they insisted me to drop the graduation and prepare for the other exams which will allow admission in faraway,i prepared for the exam quietly and 5 months later I was out of the city.
______
A few days passed in the dorm.A New beginning,quiet,peaceful.
Classes were going well,I had tried to break up with my boyfriend after i felt i don't deserve him,i was touched badly when i was in a relationship with him,he was such a decent guy who believed in loyalty in this critical society,i thought he won't like me after what happened to me but he insisted not to break up,i saw the texts and letters he sent me which never reached my abducted location,i realised how much he missed me,but deep inside it felt like a scar in his pure white life although he told me to not think anything until he will be back from abroad.
Meanwhile the fear never went away from my mind,what if they will see me again?Each day I woke up in the middle of the night sweating.The therapist gave me few medicines which led me to deep sleep but I felt more stressed after waking up,when the root isn't removed,then how the presence of that tree disappear completely?As days passed,things started to feel normal as I felt the bad time was over.
It was the day of my boyfriend's arrival,I denied to welcome him on the platform but I decided to go the location he was staying at.I had decided to dismiss the classes after the lunch so that I can spend quality time with him.Then I received a text.
" I'm near your college gate."
My heart skipped,I put the half eaten meal down and ran.I dialled his number.
"Where are you,I just came out of the school and I died my hair Auburn."
"I'm raising my hand"
I looked here and there when I finally saw him infront of me standing few meters away.I ran to his direction when he hugged me.
Truth to be told,I had felt him getting him distanced a little since a few days but after seeing him here,i wish we will work together in it.
I've seen him talking to other girls as well but who am I to stop,he probably couldn't handle the emotional distress and couldn't go away because of the attachment,I thought he cheated on me but he denied & I found nothing.Neither I made any issue over him talking to other girls because I couldn't gave what he wanted,all I needed was his support forever,so I compromised.
The atmosphere felt romantic with him,we went to the tourist places,ancient monuments,botanical garden,we clicked lot of photos together,dined at a botanic cafe.At the end of the day I went to see the resort he had booked for himself.
"Can I kiss you."
I blushed,yes it was the moment we were looking for,to get close,he placed his lip against me,it was very soft and smooth,his hand slowly moved to my waist,then inched higher.
"I love you."
He pressed his lips against my cheeks,"I love you too."
He seems to hesitates a little when he pulled back
"What happened?"
"Nothing"
"You are distance since a few days and instead of any deep talk about the situation,you moved to making our relationship next level.I might be overthinking but I'm feeling anxious,please.. I'm invested my emotion whole heartedly,tell me beforehand if you are not so sure about us."
His expression seemed guilty,I wished and prayed it would be a cheating confession or because of feeling threatened but I already had a nagging feeling that it goes beyond that.. something related to our relationship.No..I'm overthinking..he can't leave me right? When he was all the way to be here with me..but he stopped kissing me..but he could have told that earlier before kissing me right then stopping..
"I failed to enter the university and I got family problems as well to study in private institutions,It will take so long to get a decent life let on think about provide for you,I just had to see you once in the life so I came..I think..I can't be with you"
"What is with the lame excuses,we promised to never drift apart even if things got worsen,who doesn't struggle,be promised to help each other and struggle together.You are lying,what is the real reason."
"It's the truth.. I'm being practical."
"Hell there was anything practical when we met and led the relationship into next level."
He looked away unable to meet his eyes.
"Truth to be told..I am hurt since I realised you have been kidnapped and assaulted,you might be hiding what actually happened with you,I don't know with how many men you have been passed around..I don't know how to cope with this feeling.I was ashamed to express and more importantly I was scared to lose you but I can't be with the cause that will haunt me rest of the life.It won't be fair to you either if I stay with you half heartedly."
The world around me felt like spinning,I sat down on the floor,I still can't believe it's going to be the end.He had been a great support during these time and now he is the one making me feel pitied,worthless for him.
He kneeled before me
"I'm sorry I know it hurts but I can't lie to you anymore not to myself either,you will find someone better."
He didn't bothered to hug me,he was certain I wasn't made for him to be loved.He stood up and opened the lounge.
"Sit here comfortably.May be we need a break, please give it to me until I organize my thoughts or else it'll be like lying to both of us"
"I'll wait for you."
"Let's have normal chats."
I wanted to avoid this feeling,it was killing me,I tried to talk normally since he came all the way long here,yet he was the one to feel heavy when we tried to talk normally.I could see lines forming on his expression.
"I should leave, it's getting dark."
"Take care."
He didn't bothered me to escort back.The crowd looked blurry through my teary eyes.I still harboured the hope that he'll rethink and come back.I couldn't imagine a life without him.People should not be this much emotionally dependent but I was made this way.