Chapter three, same as in the other chapters, ask if you get confused, or if you just like the story, comments get me inspired to go on writing. So about now you'll be able to see how mixed up the story is. When all of the important parts, or interesting events that happened in the time in between her present and the origin of her troubles are finished, the story will go on normally(i hope). Now, if you were wondering, yes, Mercy became a masochist to endure the pain, and another obvious thing that I'm just mentioning to keep you alert of it is, no sexual, weird things have happened between Mercy and Murlough because she threatened to bite her tongue if he did, and he's that much of an addict, that he believed her. Now you're wondering "If she is willing to kill herself to not be with him, then why isn't she already dead?", don't misunderstand! she just doesn't want him to touch her in...perverted manners, that would be the last straw to her person, she wants to live, but she wouldn't be able to live tainted by him.

CHAPTER THREE

It was morning, I was currently sitting across from my dear sister Deneve, staring at her face with a frown, intently, almost glaring at her, a spoonful of cereal shoved into my mouth, I could feel some of the cold milk dripping down my chin as I sat there.

-What is it? What are you staring at?-

Jumping and shaking my head, I blinked a few times, as if I'd just realized I had been staring at her, or at least, that I had just realized that she'd noticed my stare. –Nothing… - I mumbled with the spoon still in my mouth. Taking it out, I stared at her again, specifically at her cheek. -Where did you get that? – I asked, pointing at her cheek where three scratches, parallel to each other, and just about the same size, rested on her skin.

-Don't know, probably when I was sleeping or something… And what do you care anyway? - shrugging, I decided that I actually didn't really care about it, though she really needed to cut her nails if she had cut herself like that… -Mom, can I go out today? – I heard the person in question ask, leaning her cheek on her hand, while staring at my mother's back in a bored manner -No, you already went to Ana's house yesterday…- She answered, and I couldn't help but smirk, and quickly stuff more cereal into my mouth to hide the fact that I was enjoying that she wouldn't get what she wanted.

-What are you laughing at? – she asked, noticing the quivering of my shoulders while I tried to hide my laughter, swallowing it up, I grinned up at her happily and kept on eating my cereal, beaming. –Nothing, nothing at all… - I said, munching on the crunchy food. –Ouch! What the hell?- I asked, jumping on my seat as my sister kicked at me and snickered, continuing to eat her own cereal.

-Mercy! Why do you cuss so much? Please, behave… - my mother said, momentarily glaring disapprovingly before continuing with her cleaning of the dishes. I seethed at my sister; the little bitch had hit right on target, most probably intentionally angling towards the dog's bite. Only less than half a day had passed and she'd already attacked me at my weakness. I glared at her smug expression, she just looked back at me while eating, and spilling everything that was in her spoon onto her lap. That made me laugh –Stop laughing! – She growled, dabbing a napkin at her pajama bottoms.

-It's your own fault, you know… for being an idiot – I whispered the last part, and lifted my feet onto the chair while I grabbed the bowl and slurped down the milk on purpose, just to make my little sister gag in disgust. –Ugh, you're so disgusting – she mumbled, watching me stand and slowly head towards the sink to wash my cereal bowl. –Yes, but don't worry, I'm not planning to take your title of the most disgusting girl in this house away, you can rest assured of that… - scrubbing the plate and spoon clean, I smirked at my sister over my shoulder before walking away towards my room at a slow limping pace so that I could clean up for the day.

It was a gray day, and despite how depressing that sounded, those were my favorite days, when the sun didn't shine because the clouds covered it, and cold air swept the surface of the city in gentle currents. Without bathing, I'd changed into comfortable clothes and put my hair in a ponytail. Raising my eyes when I made myself notice its length, it was quite past my shoulders, but not yet to the middle of my back, like my mother wanted it to be, like my neighbor wished it would be…though I didn't know why they cared about it, it was my hair, not theirs.

With a shrug and a sigh, I walked towards the door leading to the front yard, taking my keys and calling out to my mother –I'm going to the park! I'll be back in a few minutes! – Not waiting for an answer I exited and just walked, letting my feet take me there without paying much attention to the path ahead of me, or being alert for cars, anyway, not many people came towards this place often, only on Sundays, when most families thought it customary to visit their dying ancestors. Lifting my face towards the sky, without emotion or care, I watched the seemingly unmoving clouds.

-Mercy! – Jumping alert, I flinched when my bad foot made rough contact with the floor again, groaning, I crouched and massaged around the wound, looking back to see my sister running towards me. Well, I guess my moment of peace was over.

-What is it? – I asked, standing upright again and staring at her as she started walking as if she'd been with me the whole time. –Nothing, mom said I should go have a walk too, since I wasn't doing anything 'productive' at home- sighing, I walked besides her in complete silence, the only sound being that of her steady footsteps and my slightly uneasy ones, what can I say? Walking with a bad foot and trying not to put too much pressure on it can be awkward to manage. I rolled my shoulders back, breathing in slowly and letting all my air out quickly. It wasn't a tense moment that reigned over us, despite out thorny acts towards one another, you could say that... that made us close enough not to give us any tense silences.

-There it is… - I heard my companion mumble besides me, I gave her a quick glance to find her staring blankly at the park. –Why did you want to come to this place so bad? – She asked as she turned to face me without stopping. Slight curiosity in her expression, though she tried to hide it, I could see it clearly in her eyes.

-You didn't get to see this place when it was still in good shape… - I said, walking faster, though still being careful of the bite. I started climbing onto a slide, I remembered the fear it had inspired in me when I was small, now it seemed pointless fear, and it wasn't really that tall of a fall, wouldn't do much harm if someone fell out of it.

I remained at the top, sitting there and looking down and around at the abandoned kids playground, overgrown grass here and there, but not much vandalism. The old citizens that lived here had quite some money and paid for good security, when they remembered to do so that is.

With a smile, I hugged my knees to my chest and stared forward at the spread out houses in my neighborhood, it was a secluded one, being one of the oldest, one of the farthest from the central zone of the city, but that didn't bother me much, not many noises, not many cars going by, it meant more peace and freedom to do whatever without being scared of someone who'd try and rob you or anything…

-I still don't see why you wanted to come here… - my sister mumbled as she climbed onto the slide next to mine, she had a faraway look, she was worried about something, I could see it in her eyes, so naturally, me being as good as I am at being subtle I said -What's wrong with you?-

She remained quiet, I frowned and sighed, turning to look forward, y rested my chin between my knees, lowering my eyes to the floor, I let a feeling of blankness engulf me, had I really been expecting her to answer me? –I feel weird…- she whispered, if things hadn't been as quiet as they were, I'd probably had missed it. I was quite surprised, turning towards her; I raised my eyebrows and leaned towards her, hugging onto a tube next to me. –How so? – I asked with a frown –I… since yesterday, Anna and I went to the city to visit Marlene and…since then, I really felt as if someone was following me… I don't know…-

Shaking my head I sighed –have you told mom? – I continued interrogating her, my frown more prominent, slightly worried about my sister, though still figuring if there really was something to freak out about.

-No…I'm not even sure if I am being followed, I just feel like it, as if I'm being watched… or that feeling you get that you're not alone?- I nodded and looked down at the floor again, biting my lip, I leaned towards her even more, clinging to the metal, rusty tube. –Do you feel that way now? – I asked, cocking my head to the side.

-No, I only felt like that yesterday…when we went to the city and all the way to our house at night, and even then, I still felt watched… but not right now…- she mumbled to herself, I shivered and huffed. I really hoped it was nothing, though if something weird, I mean, out of the extraordinary happened, it would be cool…but knowing the world we lived in, it would most likely be some kind of pervert.

-I think we should go home… I don't know about telling mom yet, if you haven't seen anyone actually following you... but if you do see someone, you better tell her…and dad…- I slid down towards the floor, it was still bright, probably about 11 am or something (we had breakfast late, I mean, we were on vacations! Why wake up early?).

I heard Deneve slide down too, I turned to see her walk towards me, she seemed to be thinking deeply now –you know…I think I did see something…- she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper, raising her eyes from the gravel floor towards mine, she stared at me deeply, though it seemed as if she wasn't seeing me, as if she was searching for something beyond me –red eyes...-

I heard a scream, my vision turned red, everything was red, I felt panic, terror, my heart jumped to my throat, and I was pulled back to reality, I looked around desperately, searching in the darkness for something that would tell me where I was, I was so into my memories, that I hadn't realized, that this was now my reality.

-What are you doing you freak! Help! Help! Anyone! Please!-

I heard a beast like growl, and without turning, I knew that the man had woken up, I accelerated my pace, now recognizing these tunnels, heading blindly towards our little 'hideout'. My hands came to my ears and clamped around them, trying to muffle out any sounds or screams, I started chanting my little prayer of 'nothing's wrong, keep going, don't look, don't listen, he'll go to a good place, he'll have a quick death, don't look, don't listen' and so on.

I stumbled in the darkness before coming out onto an open section, dry, dusty, dirty, though in the darkness, at a far corner, there were the clean rags which I used as my…well, it would be more appropriate to call it nest.

I ran to it desperately, dropped everything that had been in my hands and crouched into a fetal position, closing my eyes and clamping my hands around my ears tighter, I rocked back and forth whilst continuing my little chant. Though I knew that I couldn't hear the man's screams anymore, I couldn't stop, I was terrified, I was broken beyond repair, or at least it seemed so to me. Two times he had dragged his prey in here, but those weren't the only times I had experienced his brutal nature, his sadism and love for spilling blood, this I had discovered on my last attempt for an escape.

I heard a disgusting gurgle sound, and it was then that my curiosity got the best of me, it betrayed me and made me turn, and the sight that came to me drained me of the little color I still had. Laying at the feet of Murlough, illuminated by the yellowish light of a flickering lamp he was holding in his mouth, was the man he had chose as his latest prey, he was dead…I hoped, for the state he was in, blood gurgling up from his mouth, swelling up and falling down his chin and sides of his face.

I retched, dry heaved onto the floor, placing my hands on the cold surface and trembling as I tried to hold myself up, away from the soot that covered the brownish floor like a carpet. Murlough chuckled and started dragging the man away, taking the light away with him, but leaving in the room the smell of blood. I continued to gag and shake, my eyes filled with tears from the strain, my stomach constricting painfully as I sobbed. A coughing fit took over me, and as I kneeled forward and covered my mouth with both hands, the tears finally made way, leaving salty tracks that wouldn't be seen in the predominating, engulfing darkness that I was left in. My arms shook violently, as I stopped the coughs, my throat sore.

-Mercy –

He whispered from behind me, startling me, I jumped and hugged my torso, I turned and stared at his illuminated face, fresh, warm blood on his already red lips. –What is it? – I asked, nervousness engulfing me.

He growled and grabbed my upper arm in a tight hold, lifting me from the floor, in the dim light that was pouring onto the floor from his other hand, I moaned out and growled slightly, more annoyed than from feeling the pain. –I told you, It's time for you to take this Murlough on, little bag of blood, are you scared?- He chuckled darkly, dragging me towards the center of the dirty chamber, letting the flashlight down before he let go of me and disappearing into the darkness, I heard him shuffling around, going at his 'flitting' speed, laughing as I stumbled and wavered on my own two feet, with a groan, and a dry cough, I breathed in to get the dizziness away from my already clouded head.

-Good good…now, little Mercy better be glued to her feet…- The voice was far away, and the next thing I knew, he was at my face –Because Murlough is gonna hit her like a train!-

Blurs, darkness, then voices, familiar voices, the voices of my mother and sister –Please mom? I haven't gone out in about a week! It's just to Anna's house…- My mother frowned and sighed, crossing her arms as she went to sit in the living room, flicking on the TV, she gave my sister a sideways glance. –I don't know…you didn't quite clean the dishes…like you were supposed to…

I grinned to myself and pretended to cough, walking towards my mother and cuddling against her side, hugging around her torso and staring at my sister with an innocent smile as she glared at me. Groaning, she stomped her foot on the floor –I'll clean them tomorrow or something, please! I just wanna go out tonight…- I raised my eyebrows at her and then at my mother, returning my eyes to her again, and noticing the three scratches that still lingered on her cheek. I wondered they would go off…

Giving out a heavy sigh, my mother shrugged –Fine, but you're cleaning the bathrooms tomorrow…- She turned towards her soap opera and I grinned as my sister huffed indignantly –the bathrooms?- I chuckled slightly, though I had to groan as my mother gave me a light slap to the hand and stared at me disapprovingly before turning to my sister –You want to go out? You'll have to clean the bathrooms…- that shut her up, though it didn't stop her glaring at me, seething. Snuggling against my mother I closed my eyes. But the darkness that would have come then was invaded by a man, brightly colored, teeth gleaming in the shadows of the face I couldn't see even after all those dreams in which he had appeared. He laughed a soundless laugh that provoked my world to shake, like an earthquake destroying my mind, giving me a headache that made me flinch and moan painfully, in pain that I hadn't experienced since my adaptation to it.

-The little princess isn't even trying!- Murlough chided, laughing and moving around, I planted my feet on the ground and groaned, rubbing my temples as I looked around, eyes foggy for a few seconds before everything cleared out. I felt him whizzing through the air, and like I always did, I stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding the collision with the purple meat monster.

–Very good! Now we're playing, but little Mercy doesn't stand a chance, no she doesn't, not against Murlough- Huffing, I glared before breathing in to calm myself, I clenched my fists before opening them and tensing my hands, flexing my nimble pale fingers to wait for the next attack. The air shifted behind me, jumping, alert, adrenaline coursing through me, I was sure Murlough could smell it. I stared into the darkness, eyes wide and pupils contracting slightly as they tried to find something in it, Murlough started humming, attacking me from the side, he skidded to a stop when he grazed my arm, and turned for a frontal attack, he was laughing.

-Scared my little mouse? - I hissed and clenched my hand over the scratches, groaning and shivering from the pain, I squinted my eyes at him, he disappeared once more into the darkness, his movements would become more desperate now, desperate to end it, desperate to drink.

I couldn't let him make me fall, that was the condition, if he took me off my feet, he'd have the right to put yet another letter of his name on my skin, another scar to brandish, and he'd have finished the stalling till the next time he decided to drink, you could say I was buying time to recover from the blood loss by acquiring more wounds. Silly old me…

He came at me then, when a sour expression had come to cover my face, I flexed my knees and leaned forward, just to throw myself out of his way, but he followed me, and gripping my throat, he lifted me and pressed me against a wall, he was breathing hard, probably out of desire to drink from me than from out little work out. –Yes, Murlough's got sha, squirm all ya want, nobody's gonna help poor old Mercy, momma's forgotten about you, I bet even that un-tasteful sister of yours has forgotten…- My eyes burned, tears coming to my eyes as he talked, though I tried to convince myself that it was because of his putrid breath, I knew, I felt he was right, it had been about two to three years since I had disappeared, they probably thought I was dead… the search for me long ended.

-Grah! – biting his hand and kicking his stomach, he unhanded me, surprised, then completely raged, I glared at him from my crumpled spot on the floor, hands covering my bruised neck as tears got to the brim, and threatened to fall. He snorted, and with little effort, backslapped my cheek, sending me over the dirty floor to fall onto my unscarred side, I moaned out and closed my eyes as he came over me, staring me down before kneeling, moving my shirt aside and digging his nails onto my skin, two more letters to go and the second imprint of his name would be complete…

The tears gave way again; I'd been crying more than usually, my period was probably around the corner then… I hoped, I couldn't accept the fact that I was finally breaking down. I felt his hot breath over my bleeding skin, without the strength to moan out as he pushed around the wound to make blood pour out. I closed my eyes, unconsciousness coming to greet me for the second time that day.

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