Chapter 9

When Elsa woke up the following morning she noticed that she had been crying in her sleep. It seems like it's has been your favorite thing to do the last five years. She sighed at the thought and walked into the bathroom. The bruises on her face was almost vanishing, she realized and it was a bit comforting to know. She carefully stripped herself from all clothes and turned on the hot water. Before she walked into the shower she glanced in the mirror at her lower back where the dreadful crimson lines had turned into deep scars that properly wouldn't disappear before he would whip or cut them open again. The thought made her tremble furiously and she decided not to look at it anymore.
Under the hot running water everything felt a bit easier. She just wanted to stay in there all day but she knew that was no possible ideal. When she finally was done showering she stepped out and dried her fragile body carefully before wrapping the towel around herself and return to her room. She found the same blue cowboy boyfriend jeans that she'd worn the other day and a white T-shirt to go with it.

It was when she had just finished her breakfast she heard the car pull into the driveway. She felt herself tense up immediately. Promptly she tidied up after herself and in panic she pulled out her school books to make it look like she had studied all morning. Her body trembled when the door was opened and Derek entered the entrance hall. But she paused all movements when she heard he wasn't alone. He was talking to someone… A woman. Elsa looked at her bruised and scarred arms and sprinted pathetically due to her limping state to her room to pick up a light blue hoodie she immediately pulled over her head before she ran back to her seat in a similar tempo. She pulled the hoodie over her head and dragged the sleeves to cover her hands completely. She returned her gaze on the book but couldn't help but tremble furiously and read the same line again and again in her distress.

"Elsa, I'm home!" he called in a dreadful sweet voice. Then he and the woman entered the dining room where the blonde was sitting and she stood up at once.
"H-hello, p-papa," she stuttered and gave him a tight smile. She took a look at his companion. The woman was tall and very skinny. She was wearing a pair of high stilettos and a tight black dress that left little to the imagination. Her hair had an awful grey color and she looked like she had had too many Botox treatments. Elsa hadn't noticed Derek's eyebrows had cocked up like he expected something from her so he laughed loudly and the stupid bimbo followed his example.
"You seem a bit off today Els," he smiled in the same sugar sweet tone of voice. "Come on didn't you miss your dear stepfather? Let me have a hug." He talked to her as if she was a toddler spreading his arms for her to run to his embrace. But she didn't dare disobey him so she tried to smile wider as she carefully walked towards him before awkwardly without touching him too much, hugging him.
"Better girl!" he praised and Elsa felt the small hair on her neck rising. The dumb bimbo smiled and hummed "aaawww" at the sight. When he finally let her go he presented the brainless woman.
"This is Louise, dear. She is from Denmark." The grey haired woman waved at Elsa in a way that made the blonde want to vomit.
"Dejligt at møde dig!"* she spoke in her language. Elsa nodded politely while being as cold as she dared towards this pathetic human being. She was probably just some showgirl from that thing he had went to in Bergen, that he had just picked up on the way home.
"Well, Elsa" Derek started. "I can see you are studying as always. How about you take the rest of the day off and return to the house tonight?" His eyes were dangerous so the only choice Elsa had was to oblige and find somewhere else to spend her day. She felt relieved but she didn't dare expressing that emotion toward them. She only nodded and started to pack her backpack.
"Kan jeg lige låne jeres toilet?"* Elsa heard Louise ask behind her.
"Ja selvfølgelig,"* Derek replied and soon the bimbo was gone. The blonde jumped up startled when Derek took a tight grip around her arm. Her breath hitched and she felt her heart beat faster.
"If you get any ideas I will keep my promise from the last time you tried to run away…" he threatened in a growl. "I just need a few hours to get laid and you will return home this evening, do you understand?!" Elsa gulped and nodded. "Good! Now go away, I don't care who you go to but if you make any rumors you know what will happen." With the last warning he let go of her arm and went down to the living room. The pale girl let out a breath she wasn't aware that she was holding and quickly packed the rest of her bag before almost running out of the house.

The only problem now was where she could go. She didn't dare calling Anna with the memory of last night's disaster, she had no one else to call and there really wasn't that many public places one could go to on a sunday where they could avoid talking to people. After a bit of consideration she decided to go to the library which was a perfect place when she wanted to catch up on her homework.

The same morning Anna woke up to the sweet smell of pancakes. She immediately jumped out of her bed with the wildest bed head and wet to the kitchen where she found what she'd hoped for. Ariel was cooking pancakes and a rather large bottle of nutella was placed on the table. Anna's smile couldn't be wider.
"Goodmorning," Ariel singsonged and now Anna got suspicious.
"Goodmorning sis," she replied a bit confused. "What is all this about? Uh! Did it go well with Elsa yesterday? Where is she? Oooohhhh… She is in your bedroom isn't she?!" The older sister almost dropped the frying pan at the last question. She didn't know why but suddenly a naked Elsa was displayed in her mind and made her blush deeper red than her hair color. "No, she isn't!" She hissed at her snort laughing baby sister. But hearing that laugh made, eventually, the older girl laugh too.
"Oh Anna," she panted. "What am I going to do with you? But just so you know, I think I kind of scared her away last night…" She sighed in despair. "All I want is to help her but she only gets more scared whenever I try to." Anna frowned,

"We should lock her up and force it out of her… but maybe that would only scare her further." Ariel chuckled at her sister's dramatic idea. Then she flipped the last pancake off the frying pan before they started eating breakfast. Ariel poured some coffee in both of their cups while Anna started eating her nutella pancake hungrily resulted in getting the chocolate cream everywhere on her face.
"I'm going to check the files again," Ariel stated as she took a long zip of the black liquor in her cup. "I can't help but feel like we've missed something… And maybe I should go and see if I could talk to Mrs. Hansson and find out how she and Elsa is related. It wouldn't hurt." Anna nodded while taking another bite of her pancake.
"It's a great idea, sis! But can you tell me what exactly happened yesterday?" Ariels cheeks grew promptly red and she had to clear her throat before she told her sister every single detail go the previous night. When she got to the "kiss" part Anna reacted as expected. She jumped up and down in her seat in excitement

"Oh! Yes! I knew it, I knew it!" She exclaimed happily and Ariel had to roll her eyes.
"Anna I'm sure there is another explanation to why she did it, she is obviously emotionally distressed right now. So she was seeking comfort and anyone could have been there but it just happened to be me…"
"You can lie to yourself all you want sis, but she is totally into you!" The younger girl stubbornly went on. "Was she a good kisser?" Ariel once more sighed heavily in exasperation.

- "Oh, forget it," she mumbled while pouring the rest of her coffee into a to go cup. Then she headed towards the wardrobe at the entrance of the apartment. There she picked up her jacket and shoes before pulling them on. "I'm going to search through the library to see whether there is anything useful on this mystery, I won't be long… Enjoy your breakfast!" Anna glared at her sister with mouthful of pancakes and this time it was the older woman's turn to laugh before she finally left.

The library was situated closely to the harbor just like Anna and Ariels apartment. Elsa felt her stomach flutter once she thought of her teacher but she couldn't help but let sadness overwhelm her at the same time. She shouldn't be feeling these unnatural thoughts to her own teacher. Especially when there was no possible way that she would ever be able to act on them. She wrapped her arms around her stomach to prevent herself getting ripped apart by this unbearable ache.

As Elsa had walked through the street people had turned their gazes and looked nervously at her. Some were even looking at her with a hint of intimidation. She knew that she did stand out as the weird girl, the lost case in this town so it wasn't often she would walk outside the house, not that Derek would allow it anyway.

She sighed once she had reached her destination and walked inside. A tall man (obviously a newcomer) with dirty blonde hair, a tiny hat and a colorful sweater was sitting at the counter and smiling widely into oblivion. His body was huge, almost reminding the platinum blonde of a gorilla. The sight made her chuckle lightly and it didn't go unnoticed by the man.

"Yohooo!" He called in the most singing norwegian accent she had ever heard. On top of that the voice was also very high-pitched and that didn't make it easier for Elsa to hide her amusement. "Come in, come in!" he called again and waved with his hands. Elsa stepped inside and for the first time in a long while she found herself smiling wholeheartedly at a man. His smile had also changed from the tense jaw stuck one to a genuine one that reached his eyes.

"Well what books are such a young lady interested in?" he asked conversationally. Elsa's smile didn't falter as she answered back,

"Well actually I'm not really here to borrow a book," she informed. Well who would have known? It is actually easy to talk to this one… "I'm actually here to study."

"Oh, you are? Then I will recommend you to use the rooms upstairs. It's as far away from the small brats playing video games as possible," he kept smiling. "No one will disturb you there Miss." She couldn't help but chuckle at the large man.

"Thank you good sir," she said gratefully before she went upstairs.

The good thing about the library was that there were almost no people and most of the ones who were actually there was too focused on whatever they were doing instead of giving the blonde knowing looks. Elsa found a table in the back of library, totally isolated by all the dozens of bookshelves, where she placed herself and started to try and catch up on the studying she didn't do the day before.

When Ariel entered the library she saw the same large man as Elsa had but he didn't have to present himself to her. "Well hello Miss Shark, how are you today? You look a little pale, are you all right?"

"Hi Mr. Oaken," She responded politely. "I'm fine, I just… I seem to have much on my mind these days…" Oaken looked worried as he narrowed his eyes and frowned,

"Such a young lady like you shouldn't be worrying too much, it's not good for your health," he advised. "I remember the first time you came in here. You were so happy that you almost shone in content. I hope you can find something in here that might help you lift some of the weight on your shoulder." Ariel smiled gratefully.

"Thank you Oaken, that is actually exactly why I am here. Do you know if you got any files of the people living here, in this town that is? I mean, maybe you have some newspapers from the last twenty to thirty years or old phonebooks I can have a look at?"

"We do, Miss Shark," Oaken answered still just as cheerful as before. "Follow me, I'll show you the section." He led her downstairs to the basement past several bookcases and finally found the destination at the end of the room where dozens of files where placed in maps sorted after every decade. It went from 1850 to 2015 which was more than enough for the redhead's research.

"Here is some basic information… it's most about people who have affected the society of Arendelle to some degree." Oaken informed as he pointed towards the shelves.

"Thank you very much, this is exactly what I needed," Ariel thanked him and he went upstairs again to let the redhead do the research. I should have been a journalist… she smirked once she got started.

It had been four hours since Ariel had left and Anna had finished her breakfast and cleaned up after herself and was now going through the confusing files even though Ariel had planned on doing so.

She found the page about their major and laid it to the side for the useful information. As she went through the pages she got even more confused and frustrated. It was all sort of different information of the basics, her last name, her address, where she was born, the name of her mother… None of these pages say anything about her father… the redhead thought in wonder. Maybe he is dead? Hmm…. What on earth is that?!

She pulled out a paper that contained a lot of x rays and pictures of a, to say it gently, horrifyingly tortured and pained naked woman body which was lying unconscious on a hospital bed. How the hell, haven't we discovered this earlier?! In the bottom of the page there was a picture of a face which was all swollen, bloody and with terrifyingly blue and purple colors everywhere.

Anna felt sick as she kept staring horrorstruck at the nasty photographs. It was very hard to recognize her but the redhead knew deep down that it was Elsa who was the model on these dreadful pictures. Her platinum blonde hair had exposed her. In her terror she had almost missed the little text underneath each photo. She narrowed her eyes to read the small writing.

Underneath pictures of her blue and purple sides was written:
Several severe fractures in left shoulder and arm. Cuts, bruises, whip marks and burning marks up and down both sides and all over the entire body. Skin condition is very critical.

Underneath the picture of her even uglier back was written:
Deep cutting or whipping marks on lower part of the patient's back are threatening the kidneys and the spine. Immediate operation is required.

Anna felt lightheaded as she read these disturbing descriptions and several tears slid down her cheeks. This was too much. However, her eyes kept on flickering over each and every word making even more and more tears escape them. They ended at the evaluation which she had to take in a couple of times before believing it:
The patient's condition is very critical - it is recommended that she stays at the hospital until improvements are to be seen. Furthermore it is considered that the patient cannot be responsible for such severe injuries and police involvement are strictly required to avoid further injuries in the future.
Signed by Kai Andersson, Consultant Surgeon, Arendelle Hospital

Anna had to take a few deep breaths to calm down properly. This was like being in some sort of horror movie where you got to see the victim after the psychopath chains saw killer had been through with her. She felt nauseous and went to pour herself a glass of water. This was beyond anything she had ever imagined. She took a quick glance at the terrifying file to see that it had happened three years ago when Elsa must have been eighteen years old.

Anna picked up her phone to call her sister when suddenly someone knocked at her door and startled her. She quickly hid all the files away, dried her eyes and went to open the door.

A tiny man with grey hair and mustache and small spectacles places on his huge nose she recognized as her headmaster was standing with a intimidating large gorilla alike man on each side.

"Mr. Weselton," Anna greeted politely. "What a pleasent surprise. How may I help you?"

"Hello Miss Shark," the tiny man, known as Mr. Weselton, replied insinuatingly and there was something about him that made Anna's spine grow cold. "I'm actually here to talk with your sister, if I may come inside?"

"Oh," the redhead said. "I'm sorry but my sister is not here at the moment, but I can take a message if you'd like?" He gave her a creepy suspicious look before he gave her a wheedling smile and responded,

"It's all right. I can talk with her at work tomorrow." And with that he signalized something to his two gorillas and they started heading off. "Good day Miss Shark"

Wondering what that was all about Anna closed the door and returned to her iPhone to text her sister.

Anna (15:12): "Hey sis, can you come home? I have found something I think is better to show you than to text or talk over the phone about...

Ariel (15:13): "Sure, I'll just rent the thousands of new usable files I have found. Be home in ten min."

Anna heard a slight cracking noise from outside the apartment and started to text faster.

Anna (15:14): "Hurry, I think this is getting more and more creepy and I really don't like being alone right now"

Ariel (15:14): "Can you endure it till I'm coming? I'm on my way."

Anna (15:14): "Sure, just hurry…"

Elsa closed her book and sighed surprisingly contented. She had managed to catch up on everything and understand it all at the same time. She took a look through the window and realized it was already dark outside. She started to feel a pang of fear start from within her. What if he had been wanting for her to come home much sooner. With that in mind she put the book back down in her bag and put on her jacket before heading downstairs towards the exit.

Halfway down her heart stopped. Right there in front of Oaken and the counter Ariel was standing, obviously waiting for something. Before the blonde could react the redhead had seen her.

"Elsa!" Ariel exclaimed surprised to see her. Elsa felt all the blood drain from her face. She hadn't expected Ariel to be there.

"How are you?" the redhead tried to ask with a slight hope that Elsa would just admit she wasn't doing well and needed help. The only thing the blonde could think about was the embarrassing way they had parted the night before.

"I'm…" Elsa squealed before pausing to clear her throat and then proceed. "I'm fine, h-how about you?" Ariel was a bit disappointed by the blonde's answer as she replied,

"I'm fine too…" Then she sighed before she approached Elsa further. She could see how the pale girl's body trembled when she was very close but it didn't stop her embracing the skinny girl. At first she felt Elsa's body tense up in the hug but it didn't last long before she relaxed into it. "I just wish you would talk to me, sweetie." She whispered gently into the blonde's ear. "I feel like whatever I do, I can't help you and it's frustrating… Cause I want to get you out of that misery. I can see it on you every day in school. I see the pain but I don't know how to make it go away… I just want it for you to go away…"

She heard Elsa let out a strangled sob and felt her shoulder get wet from the blonde's tears. "I-I… I can't," Elsa whispered and fought to hold back from breaking down in the middle of the library. Ariel let her hand caress the pale girl's back gently, careful not to touch anywhere near the lower part, while she hummed something soothing into her ear.

"Aww, what an adorable couple," Oaken startled both of them. Ariel turned around and saw that he was done scanning all of the documents. She blushed a bit but it was nothing compared to the scarlet red blonde behind her. The older woman chuckled once she saw Elsa's flushed face before whipping away some of the tears on the burning cheeks.

"You look cute when you're blushing," Ariel admitted with a sweet smile and earned a new blushing outburst from the blonde. Elsa couldn't help but think of their kiss and what had happened after she returned home. Home… She realized. Derek is waiting… probably with a baseball bat or something… The thought made her tremble fiercely.

"I-I h-have to go home," Elsa stuttered. "M-my s-stepfather is waiting on me…" Somehow the statement and Elsa's body language made the redhead concerned and she suddenly didn't want the girl to go home.

"Are you sure? You know you can always stay with Anna and I if you want to…" She couldn't help but offer but to no avail. The blonde only shook her head and tried to smile while responding,

"It's too good of you, I really don't deserve it…" Then she gave Ariel a quick nod before she almost ran out of the library. The redhead sighed in despair as she packed all of the files she had borrowed and headed home.

"I'm home!" Ariel greeted once she had entered the apartment but found that no one was answering her. She walked into the living room and found her baby sister curling up in a corner while trembling. "Anna!" she exclaimed and ran to comfort the younger girl. "It's all right sweetie, I'm home now, no one is going to hurt you." The older sister was definitely worried now. What could have shaken Anna up so much?

"I've heard noises outside the apartment ever since they left…" the youngest redhead mumbled. What? Ariel wondered.

"Since who left?" She asked still concerned. Anna looked into her sisters eyes.

"Our headmaster Mr. Weselton and two large and scary looking men," she informed still trembling. Ariel narrowed her eyes. What on earth was her boss doing at their home on a sunday?

"Did he say what he wanted?"

"No… He only said that he wanted to speak to you… And I think he is going to in school tomorrow." Ariel nodded thoughtfully.

"But what was it you wanted to show me?" she suddenly recalled. Anna's eyes widened when she remembered the actual reason why she had called her sister home. Without a word she stood up and went to get the documents that she had hid away.

"I thought I would take a look at the files from the school once again when you were out anyways," she explained. "And I found this…" She reached out to give her sister the document with the nasty photos on it. She watched Ariel going through the paper silently, her expression growing more and more horrified in the process. She looked just as nauseous as Anna had felt when she finally put down the papers.

"I know, right?" Anna sighed as Ariel looked at her. The older sister suddenly felt a determination so strong that she could not deny it.

"I'm going to find whom ever has been responsible for this and make the person pay for it!" She growled and earned a proud "Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" from her baby sister.

When Elsa arrived at home the stupid bimbo had left. Derek was watching television with a bottle of beer in his hand. She tried sneaking past him to get to her room but to her despair he noticed her.

"Your'e late," he stated. "Louise left two hours ago." Elsa's breath hitched. She tried to squeal, "I'm sorry". Then Derek stood up and looked at her with dead eyes and watched in satisfaction as Elsa shivered in terror.

"I was just wondering how you've spend your time while I was gone?" he asked in a dangerous tone. Elsa flinched at the question.

"I-I have been d-doing some assignments t-to next week," She lied stuttering. Then he started to approach her and she took a step back.

"Is that really so?" he asked in the same creepy calm voice as before. "You're sure you didn't call anyone?" Elsa gulped. He knows, he knows!

"I-I might have c-called one from m-my study g-group to ask something r-recording the assignment…" She whispered hoarsely. He sighed fiercely in his growing rage.

"I told you not to do anything that could make rumors!" He yelled at her and she took another step back. "Come here, Elsa!" She shook her head while dozens and dozens of tears strolled down her cheek. "I said COME HERE!" he screamed and resulted in the blonde's breakdown. She slid down the wall she had been backing into before locking her head in between her knees and desperately trying to cover herself with her arms as she wept into her legs.

"Oh," she heard him hovering over her. "What am I going to do with you Elsa? You can't even be alone for one day without causing trouble. Come here." She felt his tough hands grab around her waist before she was lifted up into the air and placed on his shoulder with her legs dangling in his front and her front hanging at his backside.

There was absolutely nothing else Elsa could do than let him take her to her room where he tied her hands in the rope hanging from the hook in the ceiling and pulled her up to a height where her feat couldn't reach the ground.

She whimpered in agony at being hanged from her wrist and she felt how the rope chafed her sensible skin. Then her heart stopped as she felt him pull up her T- shirt from behind where all of those hideous marks was.

"Hmm," he smirked at her hurting body. "I think you've gotten a bit pale lately, don't you agree?" Elsa just kept whimpering in pain. Then he tore off her jeans and her panties. "What if I said that I know exactly what has been going on this entire weekend?" his hand started caressing Elsa's bottom and several tears started strolling down the blonde's cheek.

"Don't!" she screamed and tried to move away from his touch. She heard him take off his belt before she felt that unbearable pain on her lower back that made her shriek loudly.

"Oh, you don't know how much you're in for it," he growled and whipped her again and again until Elsa's sight blackened and she felt her surroundings disappear.

Hi everyone I hope you've been abled to endure the long wait I've put you through and I especially hope that this chapter was worth the wait… Even though it might seem so, I will tell you I am not heartless. It will get better but so far you have to be warned that there might be a couple of chapters where I will keep being dark and unfair… Sorry.

Translation:

"Dejligt at møde dig!" = "Nice to meet you"

"Kan jeg lige låne jeres toilet?" = "Can I just borrow your toilet?"

"Ja selvfølgelig," = "Yes, of course"