Hello everyone. Firstly, I want to thank everyone so far who have been reading, following or reviewing this story. I read every one of your reviews and I try my best to improve in the writing in every following chapter. I'm always glad to see what your comments are or when someone decides to favourite or follow the story. Yes, it does make me happy. Now secondly, I would also like to apologise to you all. I know this chapter came really, really late and yes, I do owe you all an apology. But I also have my reasons. Recently last year, my mum just got diagnosed with cancer and I had been extremely busy for the last two months in November and December. As for this year, I'm finally in my last year of Secondary school. This means I have a really important major exam to take by the end of this year, and I need to use as much time as I have to concentrate on studying instead. This means that this Fanfic will have to go on a temporary hiatus for the next few months until nearing the end of November. Once again, I apologize, but I'm sorry that I still can't do much about it. After November I will try to post more chapters to make up for the lack of chapters this year. If you have any other questions or inquiries, feel free to PM me and I will write back to you asap. Okay, so I know I've held up your time and I don't want to delay you guys any further. I hope you like the next chapter. Please enjoy!
Hope; I know this word. It was hope that became my source of inspiration. Hope that helped me surmount all my difficulties. Despite how cold or cruel the darkness could be, it was always hope; that clear spark of light that would be birthed and delivered in times of trouble. Similarly, it was like how I always thought my Father could possibly be cured of his diseases. Or that I could have more than a life of poverty. In all of its likeness, it was always this emotion that allowed me to find the newness; the energy to continue on in life. And yet, how ironic my situation became when I had hoped. I didn't taste any sort of victory or any form of success. All I tasted was the incredible bitterness of failure and defeat.
I lay on the cold marble floor, weakened from the acute pain and nauseous from the disastrous spinning in my vision. Black spots started to appear within my sight and I could feel my chest rising and falling as I gasped to breathe only shallow mouthfuls of air. I could feel my heart sinking; my entire body plunging into a state of despair. Warm tears slowly emerged from the corners of my eyes, gradually flowing down my cheeks.
When the door creaked open, I knew where hope had finally brought me to. Like a broken doll, I lay pathetically on the floor, unable to escape and unable to flee. To even catch a glimpse of just his silhouette already sent shivers down my spine. Fear was beginning to devour me when the door began to fully open. More tears ran down my cheeks as I stayed helpless, like a prey cornered by its predator.
This was where Hope brought me to. I became broken, weakened and powerless. I had sunk into a state far miserable than before.
The moment the door was fully opened, I met his gaze. Beneath the mask, I could sense his immense anger. His eyes were ablaze with fury, glaring so intensely it intimidated me. I immediately shrank and cowered in fear, trying desperately to avoid his eyes. But his gaze was sharp and piercing, directed only towards me. I could feel his eyes all on me, as if he was even peering into the very depths of my soul. Under him, I shifted uncomfortably, afraid to even glance back.
In the room, there was nothing but silence between the both of us. The air was so tensed that it was even difficult to breathe.
I dared not to utter a single word. Erik continued to study me intently.
The silence dragged on.
Amongst all these, terror was gripping my very soul. In my mind, my thoughts were literally screaming out of pure trepidation. I wanted to escape far far away from this cruel reality but I knew my body has already failed me. All my strength had been drained completely; only the pain and exhaustion remained. As helpless as I was, I could only stay motionless on the floor.
But suddenly, Erik started striding towards me. His footsteps were silent and almost entirely unheard, but his pace was frighteningly fast. Immediately, I froze in fright. His footsteps soon stopped.
Without realizing, I looked up, and there, I met his eyes.
Everything went quiet again.
He was close, so very close that our faces were almost touching. But it was those golden eyes of his that peered intensely at me. For a moment, time seemed to stop. Even from his gaze, Erik seemed to look lost and unguarded for a few seconds. But then, the emotions in his eyes soon flickered, and in its place was indignant fury.
I tried to move away in response, but it was the terror and dread that rooted me. His hand came forward, almost touching me.
"Why?" his voice was trembling in such rage, that I began to cower even more. "Why did you run?"
I could only freeze. I didn't know what to say.
"Then tell me why," he said. "Why did you leave?"
It was his expression that made my mind scramble wildly for thoughts. His eyes were blazing in such outrage that it terrified me so much. My voice was stuck in my throat. Only a small glistening tear slid down my face in response.
"I left," I said. "I left because I hate you."
Erik paused for a moment. His eyes and his expression became entirely unreadable for a few seconds, but it was in this short pause that I remembered all the anger and frustration that had accumulated in me over the last few days. It gave me the strength and courage to rise up to Erik again.
"You can't hold me captive," I replied. "I deserve my own rights to my freedom."
Erik remained frozen and unreadable, once again muddled in his thoughts.
"You have to let me go. I belong to no one but my Father!"
"You belong to me!" he yelled all of a sudden, and it was that authoritative voice of his that scared me once more. I took a step back again and stopped shock in my tracks. My eyes flickered in fright for a second, but quickly I urged myself to have the will to continue on.
"I belong only to my Father!"
"You belong only to me!" Erik was heaving in exasperated breaths. His hands came firmly on my arms as he clutched me tightly. Immediately, I felt my right arm sting in such agonising pain that I let out a scream and fell back on the floor.
Erik remained startled as he watched my fall. As I whimpered and writhed in pain, it was only then that he gave a glance at his hand. Streaks of fresh, red blood stained his palm. It was only at this point that he realised once again how badly injured I was.
As I lay, my vision began to give way with the number of black spots starting to proliferate and multiply. Each time the throbbing hurt, I could feel all my energy drain away. Being weak as I was, I began to succumb to the darkness…
But suddenly I could feel a great warmth spread as I felt someone supporting my back and my legs and lifting me up.
Everything seemed so hazy and I was beginning to lose my consciousness, but I didn't want to black out. I knew I couldn't black out. I couldn't appear defenseless right when Erik was alone with me.
"Put me down," I uttered weakly, my skin going paler by the second. But Erik ignored my plea completely. He continued on carrying me across the rooms and even when we were out of the building.
In a fruitless attempt, I placed my hand on his chest to stop him, but my strength was so minute compared to his. I tried to struggle, but soon I fell back into his arms.
Everything became so much more exhausting and tiring. My line of sight began to darken, until Erik suddenly stopped.
We were at the edge of a cliff, and there, before my very eyes, I saw the entire scenery of cerulean blue seas and waves. At the edges were cliffs with steep rocks at the side, with no beaches or sand or whatsoever. It took a while for the reality of the situation to dawn on me. Erik paused for a while, before he spoke.
"You can never escape from me, Christine," Erik uttered. "It is but a fruitless effort. This entire island we're on is privately owned by me. No boat or ship arrives on my island without my permission. Neither does anyone or anything leave without my approval. You can never escape because this is now your home."
His words- they carried so much shock and despair that the emotions just slammed mercilessly right onto me. It was just too much to take in; the fact that all my efforts until now was completely just for naught. The darkness within the corners of my vision began to stir and spread. Everything soon became blur in the darkness and I…
I blacked out.
~.~
Streaks of light started penetrating through the darkness as my eyes slowly opened. From my slumber I awoke, and it felt like everything was so hazy for a moment. As I glanced around my surroundings in a blur, I realised I was in a room. It had its familiar design of patterns intertwined with the colours red and black and even black laces sewn on the large canopy of a massive bed. It took me a moment to realise why the room had seemed so familiar.
This was one of the rooms in Erik's house.
I jerked off the bed in shock, only to scream out in pain when my right arm throbbed. I turned frantically to my side, to see bandages wrapped neatly on my arm and few stains of blood on the cloth.
It was at this moment that I realised my forehead had been burning so feverishly along with my entire body. My throat felt sore and rough, and it was dry for I also felt thirsty. Amidst all the shock and confusion, I looked frantically across the room. The strong smell of medicine filled the air, and I coughed at its curious odor. First Aid boxes were lined up on the table before me, along with rolls of bandage cloth. As I looked across the room, I saw that while it was a familiar place, there were several missing items. The mirror I had broken previously was completely removed. Every little sharp object- from the most harmless earring to even just a simple pair of scissors- they were all gone; entirely removed. Even as I stared at the window, it had also changed. More window grills were placed to guard its opening and only sunlight could stream through.
As I glanced around, I realised where I was once again- back in my prison. The thought of this made me incredibly irate, and I could feel a sense of hatred churning in me. Erik, Erik, Erik! It was his name that first came to my mind, the name of the man I have learnt to hate yet fear so much. In my memory, I still remembered when he brought me to the cliffs of his island and pointed out from the coasts that I had completely no chance of escaping in the first place. The thought of it was extremely frustrating and so full of despair; all the running I had done through the forest, all the exhaustion and pain I felt, and even all the times when I was plagued by my constant thirst and hunger… they were all for nothing?
The fact that this was the very truth of reality irritated me immensely. In my mind's eye, even I could see Erik once more. There were spasmodic flashes of my memories of him from the time he first kidnapped me, to the time when he imprisoned me and also to the time when he forced me to sign his marriage contract. Each and every one of those memories angered me further to the point that my fists were clenched even without me realising.
Just then, the door suddenly swung open and in came a maidservant who looked at me from the door. Her eyes lit up in surprise the moment she saw me and quickly she went away after locking the door. I looked back at the door blankly, unknowing of what was happening.
But somewhere in my mind, I knew what she was going to do. I knew who she was going to.
I gripped the edges of the bed covers tightly as I felt my forehead continue to burn feverishly. I knew that in a matter of seconds he would soon come and true enough, I could hear the sound of almost silent footsteps arriving at the door.
As he opened the door, the thought of seeing him sickened me to the core. But the moment I caught sight of him, I sat up straight in an attempt to stay in a less defenceless position.
He stood there, with an intimidating aura, once again silently staring directly at me. I mustered my courage to meet his gaze and glare at him back, but he didn't just stare at me. Erik began to suddenly come closer to me. My heart jolted in surprise by his action, and instinctively I backed to the furthest corner of the wall away from him.
Just as how as he suddenly started striding towards me, Erik suddenly stopped and stood, staring intently at me.
"Good morning Christine." his voice was flat and formal, in a very confident business-like manner.
As I looked back at him, I saw his eyes were the same striking amber colour as ever, even beneath the mask. However, this time, Erik was expressionless. His face showed no hint of any emotion or even a slight flicker of any sort of expression in his eyes. Even the tone of his voice was plain and flat.
I frowned in confusion and merely stared back blankly.
"Morning." I said quickly.
Immediately after I spoke, an awkward silence filled the room. Erik merely continued to studying me in the ensuing silence, his face not expressing a single emotion until he finally spoke.
"Christine, how are you feeling?"
It was at this moment that I remembered how my arm was stinging so immensely and my body was burning so hotly and so uncomfortably. But I didn't want to show any sort of weakness to this man, so I turned away.
"This is not your concern," I said, averting my eyes. "I don't feel like talking to you at all."
But it was at this moment that I knew my words fell on a landmine for his eyes crackled with seething fury and he came and advanced even nearer towards me. In response, I turned and flinched back in shock, meeting his gaze.
Our eyes locked.
His expression was completely one of indignant fury to the point that his face muscles were incredibly tensed and even his veins showed. My heart began to thump wildly and I could feel goosebumps all over my skin. This time he was so extremely infuriated and also so close to me that I could only express pure terror. I froze up like a frightened little mouse, and my fingers began to tremble uncontrollably.
His voice came softly like a hushed whisper and yet it was as sharp as the blade of a knife.
"Christine," he uttered, in exasperated breaths. "You do not decide the course of events. When I say the conversation is not over, it is not over." His voice was slow and threatening, and it felt like a knife was slowly being stabbed into me.
My eyes widened in shock as I remained stunned and unmoving.
Slowly his hand came and slid onto my lap, and I remained trembling more than ever.
"I tolerated with your foolishness for the past few days. Your rash and ignorant act to escape into the forest was completely childish and a waste of time. Here you come back all bruised and ill and yet you dare to talk in such a manner."
I could feel my entire forehead burning even more hotter than ever, and my tears had begun to emerge from my eyes and fall. But even as I sat trembling and afraid, I could also feel my anger and hatred churn inside me. I remembered all the suffering this man made me go through. All the pain, the unhappiness, and the sadness I felt when he took away my freedom from me.
"I fled because I wanted to be free. You can't imprison me against my will either!"
"You belong to me!" he yelled in that authoritative of his. I stopped for a second. The closeness and the loudness of his voice frightened me and shook me to the core. As I stared back, my tears were already rolling down my cheeks uncontrollably.
"I don't belong to you!" I retorted back. "You kidnapped me and you brought me here. All I want to do is go home!"
"You are already home!" he yelled back once more. This time, the proximity of his presence terrified me and I began to cry and sob loudly. While I had been sobbing and crying, Erik simply stood and stared back at me again.
The hatred I felt was so immense it threatened to devour me. In that moment I could feel my head ache so painfully as did my arm throb. Dark spots started clouding my vision heavily and soon everything was spinning.
It was just all of a sudden, when I could hear no sound either.
Everything went black.
Please leave a review! - Kittyflare
