Little Sunflower

Chapter 20

"Hello child." He says, "I see that this is where you have been living, well, I didn't expect you to get away. But I found you, and now we need to leave." He pulls the knife he has used on me multiple times. I shudder at the memory and try to back away. But he expects that.

"If you try to run away again, I will go after that girl that works at the coffee shop and the boy that you've been spending time with." He looks down at me, the smile he gives me, makes me remember all the times that he has given me that look, where the next day I couldn't feel my body, and I could feel the familiar fear pulsing through my body like it has before.

I nod my head, "Good girl, now grab your bag and tell your manager that you have a family emergency and that you are leaving. Do not tell anyone else where you are going, I don't want to have to kill anyone. " I put my head down and think about everything that has made me happy the last year. I should've moved earlier, but instead I stayed and now I must protect my friend and the guy that I have fallen for.

I go up a flight and knock on the door of my building manager, a really nice old man that I have gotten to know. "Hey Mr. Edwards, I just wanted to let you know that I have a family emergency and that I will be leaving, I don't know when I will be back. I am so so sorry to leave like this." I try to smile; I remember this smile. The one where I gave everyone that ever asked me how I am doing.

"No worries, dear. Just let me know if you need anything." I nod my head, and I slip the note to him, hopefully he finds it and it gets to someone that can save me.

I turn around and wave and head back down the stairs. I am so scared of what will happen to me, but if I have to do this to keep my friends safe. I don't even know what to do at this point. I don't think I can escape again; this is the end for me. I look at the sky, I feel the sun on my skin, and I am going to miss the smell of the coffee. I am going to miss everyone I have gotten to know. I am going to miss walking to work every day. The flowers at the flower shop, the smiles that I got from people. Most of all, I am going to miss Bryson, the one guy that I have let touch me.

"Come on girl, you don't want anything to happen to anyone now do you." I shake my head no and he smiles the smile that scares me the most. The one I know that I have tried to run away from, the one that I had nightmares about. As he walks me down the stairs and towards the car knowing that this is the last time that I will be okay.

He grabs the back of my neck and shoves me towards the back of the car, I know what he will want me to do. Stay quiet, no food, no water and most of all no talking. I have learned my lesson. After he found out that I started talking to someone in high school, I went to this cute coffee shop down the street to make it so I stayed away from home for a little longer. The boy that worked there, Sam, started to get to know me. I slowly started opening to him. I didn't tell me anything that was going on. I didn't want him to know.

That night, I thought I was going to die, he choked me and belted my back till it was bleeding. I didn't think I was going to survive. But I made it out alive, this time I didn't know that I would. I hope I get to see Bryson one more time, to tell him everything that I haven't, all the secrets that I have kept.

As we are driving, I let the tears fall silently, not wanting him to hear me. I know that will just make him angry. He loves it when I cry, I don't want to give him the pleasure. I want to keep that in until I can't anymore. We drive for a long time, I lose track of time, and my body is exhausted, but the fear is keeping me from any sleep that I could get. Even if I did fall asleep, there wouldn't be a point, anything can happen while I sleep.

Hours have passed at this point; I don't have my phone or anything. It is still back at my place, my safe heaven that I have created. But not anymore, I have learned that nowhere is safe, I will never be able to run away or be happy. I might as well just give up, but will he let me give up. After driving for what seems like forever but it couldn't be more than a few hours. We pull up to what I assume is the gas station. I lay as still as possible, maybe he will think I am asleep.

"Don't you dare move, if anyone sees you, I will do more to you then what you can imagine." He said. I can feel the excitement coming off of him in waves. I shudder at the thought and lay still. I know what the consequences are, like the time he didn't feed me or give me any water for a week. In between beating me till I couldn't feel my body anymore. I felt like I was standing there and watching myself disappear into nothing. The thought of being happy was like a dream that I had. I used to beg my mom to save me, but I knew that wasn't going to happen after a couple of weeks.

I'm pretty sure my body passes out from exhaustion. I know that we are here, I can feel it through him. I don't know what to expect when we get inside, it's dark, everyone is sleeping, no one will know that I am here. The basement is made from thick structure from when he used to use it for building things. No one will hear me. Just like before, this will become my new normal and I will forget everything that has happened in the last 8 months.

He pulls me inside by my hair, my scalp instantly starts to hurt, I hiss out in pain, and he just laughs. "I can't wait to show you what is going to happen. You've been a bad girl, my little Bianca. I wasn't able to find you, you did well hiding but you made a mistake. You want to know how I found you?" He asks, I know he won't tell me, he is just enjoying taunting me. Once we get to the room, I catch the medal shining off the moonlight.

"No! Please! I won't run, I promise." I start to beg knowing that I can't get out of those. There isn't a way. He clicks his tongue.

"I would say that I believe you, but I don't. Welcome home." He whispers in my ear; I shiver knowing that this is my hell. "If you just would just fucking listen to me in the first place and didn't run than I wouldn't have had to do this to you. But you ran, you little fucking bitch." He said, his voice full of venom, hate and pent-up anger. I know he isn't done with me; I can feel the anger and I know that the first night isn't going to be easy.

Once he knows the chain is around both my feet and both my arms, he walks over to the corner. I move back and the chain clinks against the cold concrete. I wasn't even dressed, the loose shorts that I am wearing and the big t-shirt with nothing underneath makes me hate myself for not dressing warmer today, or should I say yesterday. Knowing that it has been at least a day.