A little over two minutes left. I go to my door and knock knowing Eric, my prison guard, will be waiting. Once Eric opens the door I walk as fast as I can to father’s office. It's down the stairs and on the other side of the house. Reaching his office, Eric knocks.
“Enter,” father says.
Eric opens the door and stands aside. I walk in and go to stand at my father’s desk. As are the rules. Head down, hands folded in front of me.
“Eric, I need you to go and pick my son up at the airport. He's expecting you,” Father tells my guard. I hear a “yes sir” before the door is closed.
“Ten seconds to spare,” he says. “Well done, girl.” I stand in the silence while I feel my father just staring at me. He's been doing that a lot lately. He's never done anything like it before and it's a bit unnerving.
I hear someone clear their throat from the back of my father’s office.
“Oh, right. Girl, I want to introduce you to Roman Hernández,” my father says. “Use your manners and introduce yourself.”
I'm confused and so afraid. Father has repeatedly said my face was to be hidden until I turned twenty-five. I'm twenty-four. My birthday is tomorrow. I've always wondered why I had to stay hidden. Does this Hernández person have anything to do with it?
Turning around I make certain to keep my eyes cast down and my hands in front of me.
“Good evening, Mr. Hernández,” I say. My voice is shaky and barely above a whisper.
“Angel. You were right, Brian. Voice and body of an angel. I wonder, do you possess the eyes of one as well?” Roman questions as he tips my face upward.
I'm trying to keep my eyes on the floor, but my head is tilted up too far, so I just look at Roman's shirt instead.
“Let me see your eyes,” Roman demands.
Too afraid to look him directly in his eyes I settle for his nose. I can see his sinister smile. I don't like the way he's looking at me. I have a bad feeling about this man. Could he possibly be any worse than father?
“Yesss,” he hisses. “Eyes so dark I can see my reflection.”
He releases me and walks toward my father.
“The contract states that the day she turns twenty-five the deal will be set into place. I assume all of the stipulations are in order?” Roman asks my father.
Deal? What is he talking about? What stipulations?
“Of course, Mr. Hernández,” Father says. “Everything is as it should be. The girl will obey, and she is pure.”
What? Obey? Pure? Oh no. Please don't be what I think this is.
“Excellent, I'll be back in the morning to pick her up,” Roman tells my father.
“NO!” I scream.
Both men freeze and stare at me in shock. I know I've messed up big time by speaking out, but I can't leave with that man. My life will become even worse than it already is.
“What did you just say, woman?” Roman asks me. His voice is too calm. My heart beats faster.
“I'm not going anywhere with you,” I scream. At least, I did in my head, but the words came out more like a squeak.
“Girl, I suggest you shut up this instant. Mr. Hernández will not be as lenient as I have been,” father tells me.
“I'm not leaving with him, father. What kind of deal did you make?” I ask.
“None of your...”
“ENOUGH,” Roman yells.
I brave myself up enough to look into his eyes and what I see has my body shaking and my skin damp. His eyes are full of anger...and lust.
“Perhaps I ought to teach you something myself before I leave. What say you, Brian? Should I teach my new toy a lesson?” Roman holds my gaze while speaking to my father.
“I think it might be a good idea. I can show you the punishment room,” father tells him.
Roman walks forward and grabs me by the back of the neck and squeezes hard enough to leave bruises. He then shoves me along with him as we follow Father to the room I hate the most.
We're now standing at the back of the basement right in front of a red door marked private. Father opens the door and I'm shoved inside.
“You know the drill girl,” father says.
I don't beg my way out of it. My attempt would be futile. I remove the blue dress and stand by the single table waiting for instructions.
“Such beautiful skin,” Roman says with a low voice. “Your back is marked almost perfectly. How about I add my own signature? Go against the wall and place your hands where the chains are.”
My eyes are stinging as I walk to the back wall, but I refuse the let the tears fall. I raise my arms and place my hands in the thick cuffs while Roman locks them in place. I spread my feet until they are placed in the correct spot. Roman slides his hand all the way down my body until he reaches my feet and locks them into place.
“I like your toys, Brian. But I brought my own,” Roman says.
I feel the first cut. It surprised me because there was no warning. Roman said nothing before he pushed the blade in my back. Father always yells at me while he plays. Roman just remains silent. I refuse to scream, but a whimper does escape. I feel the tip of the knife in a different spot and brace myself for more pain.
This time he pushes so hard that the knife went deeper than any blade ever has. No matter how much I hated to give him the satisfaction, I scream. He did this several more times. Once or twice the blade went so deep I could have sworn it touched bone. My body is exhausted, and I can no longer hold my own head up.
Roman walks in front of me, roughly grabs my chin and forces it up.
“Eyes,” he demands.
I look up into his eyes and see joy looking back at me. With his other hand, he grabs me between my legs.
“You are my property, angel. You will always do what I say when I say it. Let this be a lesson. Next time I won't be so gentle.” He drops my face and walks away. “Release her, Brian. Send her to her room, and I'll be back tomorrow to claim what is mine.”
“You got it, Mr. Hernández.”
Father releases the locks and I fall to the ground knowing I can't stay there but a few seconds. I use what strength I have left to stand and walk behind father as he leads me back to my room. I don't dare put the dress back on because I wasn't told I could. I have on my panties and nothing else as I stumble from room to room. Not a single person we pass saying a word. They never do.
I walk inside my room, and the door is slammed shut. I know I will get no help, so I do what I always do and head to the bathroom to take a cold shower. The cold water always helps a little with the pain and washes away most of the blood.
As I'm standing in the shower that's when it hit me. Eric isn't here. He went to pick up Josh. I didn't hear the lock slide into place when father shut the door. He has a key but he's usually not the one to make sure I never leave my room. Eric is.
My heart is racing as I turn the water off and throw on the thin nightgown I have hanging by the shower. I don't even take the time to dry off. I go to the door and send up a silent prayer. Placing my hand on the handle, I twist, and the door gives way and cracks open. I don't think, I just go. Being cautious and looking around to make sure I'm alone I dash down the stairs, ignoring my pain, and run for the back door.
I reach it and step outside. It's dark. Very dark and bitterly cold. But I don't care. I run. I run with everything I have toward the town I know is only a few miles away. I know I don't have long before someone notices.