14 THE TURNING POINT

I was shaken awake, unbearable pain- surprisingly more than I had ever experienced before in all these days of torture- coursing through my veins like a forest fire that cannot be conquered, a scream emitting my lips, as a hand came to cover my mouth almost instantly, pushing onto it till nothing but mere sounds of frustration and agony could leave my restrained mouth.

'Shut up.' Edward whispered, glaring at me to do as he said, all the force he had in him utilized in keeping me quiet.

The epitome of a gentleman that he was!

I attempted to bite his hand, wanting it away from me, a vigorous slap coming across my face, taking me by shock.

He slapped me.

He had fucking slapped me!

I put a shaking hand onto the burning impression of his hand, staring at him in disbelief.

'You…just slapped me?' I tentatively tried the words out, refusing to accept that this moment had actually occurred.

He shrugged, unaffected by my accusation. 'I am not afraid to do it again. Do as I say, or the consequences will be even worse than anything you have seen till date. And that is a promise, princess!'

I shuddered in horror, my breath heavy, looking away from him, not daring to mutter a low sound, not until I had a way out of this undesired situation.

He was insane.

He was perfectly capable of doing justice to his statement…. a fact that worried me beyond belief.

I turned to look at my surroundings in a quest to get some needed answers, an eyebrow raised in confusion, a narrow gap between two brick walls being my current, unfortunate address.

There wasn't even any place to stand up straight in here; the two of us crouched down, our thighs touching as we attempted to hide our bodies in this narrow, hardly there, space. Similar to adjusting that last pair of jeans that your overly packed suitcase has no space for; you twist, you crumble, you do everything under the sun- but you fit it in there!

Yeah, I felt as uncomfortable as that unlucky pair of jeans right now!

Either way, we were hiding.

That much was obvious from all that was happening around me.

'What are we…'

'Shh.' Edward cut me off, stretching his legs as he peeked over the wall, quickly bowing down again, a worried expression on his face.

Oh.

I narrowed my eyes in curiosity and unbridled hope, attempting to steal a peek for myself, realizing rather too soon that that would be impossible for me to do, my feet heavy and unable to lift themselves.

That's strange.

I looked down almost on cue, my eyes widening on noticing the darbies that held me a captive, the notorious ball and chain that was synonymous with hardened criminals attached to my two feet, replacing the cakewalk in comparison ropes that had been my earlier source of worry, the added weight more what my body could bear.

No wonder I was in pain!

My body couldn't even take in the newfound weight that was laid upon it!

'This will teach you your lesson.' Edward spat out, on noticing my source of discontentment, not an inch of sympathy shone on his face. 'You wanted to escape, right? Now try to escape!' He challenged me.

I stared at him, at a loss of words, loud footsteps that were coming our way grabbing my instant attention; they much more important than anything Edward could ever say!

I continued to hear the thunderous footsteps as they came closer to us- several pairs from the sounds of it, only one thought crossing my mind on repeat- This was my chance!

I could not let it go in vain.

I opened my mouth to shout for help, Edward's hand coming to cover my mouth almost instantly, pushing onto it till nothing but air could pop out.

I squirmed at my place, refusing to go down without a fight, pushing against his hand with all the strength I had in me, attempting to bite it, pushing him away from me with the help of those usual tight ropes of mine that still lay attached to my hands…. but no matter what I did, or how much I tried, Edward refused to move his hand away. He kept it still, unaffected by my resistance.

'Get away from me.' I attempted to whisper-shout, nothing but garbled sounds of resistance resounding through the thin air, my eyes narrowed down in anger and annoyance.

'If you want to live to see tomorrow's morning, you will not try any tricks.' Edward warned, the grip on my mouth getting stronger and even more painful by the minute.

I continued to push against him, refusing to give up, freedom close enough to touch.

I was now convinced that the cops had found us. They were the ones we were currently hiding from; the ones whose loud footsteps were reaching my ears, as they searched the area for any sign of ours.

Just one shout and I would be rescued.

Just one loud sound and they would find us out.

Just one little help and Edward would pay the price for his crimes.

Just one nudge….

Unfortunately, that little help never came for me.

I squirmed at my place.

I forced him away from me.

I used up every last bit of strength that called my body its home, panting in exhaustion and pain, sweat trailing down my forehead as the need to keep going exhaled with every breath that I took.

I tried to hit the ground with my barren feet, hoping against hope that someone would take notice of the barely there, sound, coming to check what the noise was.

No one did.

The footsteps soon began to fade in the distance, concluding that no one was hiding in here, that they had been mistaken…. that the search operation was a futile one

They were going away.

They were leaving me behind.

NO.

Don't leave me and go.

I am here!

I internally screamed, sobs attempting to be let free, as I fought against Edward and his tight grip that refused to let go.

So close!

I had been so close to my freedom.

I had been so close to going home.

I had been so close to seeing my parents and friends again.

I had been so close to living my life again.

This couldn't be happening!

Everything couldn't be stolen from me in mere seconds?

This was so unfair!

I cried out in defiance, Edward moving his hand away, smirking in victory as he rubbed his palms together.

'I had told you!' He winked in amusement, cocking his head sideways. 'Your plan failed miserably. It is almost laugh worthy how badly it tanked!'

I stomped my feet in anger, refusing to comment out loud as I frowned to myself, not willing to give him the satisfaction of winning.

Not that I had anything worth saying in retaliation.

What was even there to say?

I had failed.

My second attempt had been a wasted one.

And there was nothing I could do now to change the outcome!

Edward let out a booming laugh, my eyebrow raised as I took in his antics, questioning not for the first time over how unlucky I had been to be stuck with this maniac.

'Well, that was entertaining!'

I rolled my eyes in annoyance, looking away from him, this current scenario being the farthest from entertaining.

At least to my eyes.

'But now we need to get going.' He commented, nodding his head to himself. 'Arrangements have already been made for us to get out of here.'

I frowned in question, him pulling me along as he crawled out of the narrow gap between the walls, an open, abandoned field staring back at us, tall yellowish- green grass highlighting the barren land's beauty.

Where were we?

How had he got me here?

This did not seem to be on the path to the cabin….

The cabin had been built on a hill…and this was on ground level…. Nature a complete contrast to what it had been up there….

What had been put in the syringe?

Why couldn't I remember anything?

Why did my mind draw a massive blank when I worried over how I had reached here?

What had Edward done to me?

'Let's go.' Edward dragged me along by the arm, the chains attached to my legs making it impossible to walk straight, or at least without bearing the pain that followed.

'SLOW DOWN.' I yelped the words out, forcing us to a standstill. 'It is paining me.'

He shrugged in response, uncaring as always. 'Tell that to someone who cares.'

I let out a sigh of frustration, clamping my lips tight, the urge to bang my head into the closest wall overpowering, as I wondered over where we could be going, my answer soon appearing in front of me in the form of a rusted, black pick-up truck with an enclosed cabin and an open cargo area with low sides- the kind that people used more commonly back in the fifties or the sixties.

I knew this by seeing old photos; even my parents were never this old fashioned to use one of these fashion disasters!

In fact, their cars were more well-maintained and chicer than mine.

'We are going in that?' I exclaimed, horrified by the mere prospect.

Did that thing even work?

It looked hazardous to mankind!

We should really not be sitting in that thing.

It was bound to die in the middle of the road.

That was its destiny!

'Yes. Now let's go.' Edward stated, dragging me along, rushing through the last few steps till we reached the truck, opening the passenger side door and pushing me in- a feat that my current restrictions made impossible to achieve singlehandedly, walking towards the drivers' seat and getting in himself.

'I thought you didn't have a vehicle on you?' I questioned in curiosity.

I had too many questions in mind; I needed at least some answers to keep me afloat!

'Now I do.' He curtly responded; a nod of the head accompanied.

I gave him a hesitant nod in return. 'Where are we going?'

'Not far.' He fiddled around with the radio, surprising me with the fact that this monstrous disaster even had a functional radio- a soft sound resounding through the machine, filling the cab with its melody.

'I thought you had no particular liking towards music?' I raised an eyebrow in suspicion, staring at the man in question.

'Yes,' He shrugged. 'But I have a liking towards silence in the truck. If this shuts you up, that is enough of a wonder for me.'

I scowled at the mannerless brute.

Why did I expect anything more from him, I had not a clue!

He was utterly shameless, mannerless, sadistic and a disgusting creature who could not look beyond his crooked nose.

I had never met anyone like him before in my life.

And I had a feeling, if I did get to experience more of life, I still wouldn't find anyone like this particular specimen again.

He was unique.

In the worst way possible.

His mood swings being legendary!

'You can sit comfortably.' Edward hummed a few minutes into the ride. 'I am not calling a doctor for you if you end up damaging your back from the bad posture.'

I scoffed in response.

Was he really this worried about my back?

Seriously?

'I am injured from head to toe- many of those injuries rather worrisome, and you show concern for the one body part that isn't aching? Unbelievable!' I muttered the words out, shaking my head in disbelief.

He was quiet for a few long minutes, taking my words in, finally sighing audibly.

'I am sorry…'

'Uh-uh. I didn't quite hear you there.' I smiled, enjoying the discomfort that he seemed to be in.

He let out a nervous cough. 'I said I am sorry. I shouldn't have…' There was too much to take responsibility of in one inconsequential sentence. 'I…' he paused, running a hand through his hair. 'I lose control over myself when I am angry. I know it is no excuse but….'

'Have you tried meditation?'

'What?' He offered me a confused glance. 'Um, no.'

'You should.' I pressed the issue. No one deserved to be a slave to anger. Not even my worst enemy. 'It will calm you down. Or you could try counting till ten every time you feel like you are losing control. It works wonders! By the time you finish counting till ten, your brain has worked out whether the anger is justified or not. In most cases, it being an overreaction.'

'Uh…wow.' He hesitantly stated. 'I will…um…. try this out?'

'You must.' I sternly nodded my head. 'I had a friend in High school. He faced a lot of problems due to his anger and lack of control over himself. Threw a chair at a classmate who called him names; ended up being suspended. Anyhow, thanks to him, the entire batch was given a lecture on anger management. It was actually a knowledgeable session.'

Edward nodded his head in response, silence filling the cab, wrapping us in its surprisingly warm coat.

I accepted the peaceful lull, shutting my eyes as I attempted to numb the constant pain that my aching body underwent.

'I was twelve when it all changed.' Edward spoke up, taking me by complete surprise. I turned to look at him, waiting for him to continue. He had not once willingly opened up about his personal life. 'My parents…um…they…they did not have a very healthy marriage. Um. There was abuse. My father…uh…he…used to…my mother tried to change him. She did everything she possibly could. We moved a lot. Every time my father messed up- borrowed money from the wrong people or was threatened to be killed if he showed his face again after a bar fight gone wrong, we would pack our bags and start over, my father blaming my mother for his failure to achieve something in life. One day, he…uh…he beat her so bad…. He was drunk and high… I killed him. My mother was dying. I could not bear to let the monster live. If my mother died, he deserved to die, too.'

'Oh.' I winced, not knowing what to say to this confession of his, nothing but incoherent sounds leaving my lips.

'I had to run.' He continued, his voice a low hum. 'I was old enough to understand the repercussions of my actions, and what would be my future if someone found out. I buried the bodies, praying for my mother's soul, before packing what little I owned and leaving on my own way. I have been alone since. I don't know whether my crime was ever found out; I did not bother to keep a check. Though, with the way my parents neglected keeping legal documents on them, I heavily doubt it.'

'Oh.' I repeated the word, horrified by his story. 'You have been alone since you were twelve?'

How had a young boy of twelve even survived on his own?

It was unimaginable!

This world was definitely no place for an innocent twelve-year-old left to survive on his own!

Edward let out a shrug. 'Life taught me a lot at an early age. When you see your mother taking in the abuse without once resisting, it teaches you a lot. I would shout at her to resist…' He humourlessly laughed. 'She would wave me off, stating that it wasn't a big deal. I just couldn't understand her easy acceptance of his behaviour.'

'I am sorry.' I whispered, sighing deeply. 'I truly am, Edward. While I can't relate to what you have undergone, I do know that no kid deserves to experience what you went through. Did you… join this field at that young…?'

'Yes.' Edward shrugged. 'I needed the money to survive, and crime is the easiest way to earn some quick bucks.'

I nodded my head in response, not agreeing but understanding where he was coming from.

'After a point, this was all I knew. It soon became my life. Over the years, I have tried hard to not be like that man who donated sperm to me, but maybe….'

I shook my head, knowing that stating otherwise would be a lie, but he was like this today due to the circumstances forced upon him.

It wouldn't justify his actions- nothing could.

But it would still pay homage to it.

'It is never too late to turn onto a new leaf.' I whispered, staring outside the window, an unknown calmness settling over the two of us. I could see the relief in his body language; he had never shared this part of his childhood with anyone before.

I could understand. It wasn't an easy topic to talk about.

'Not at my age.' Edward sighed, not needing to be opposed. I shook my head, letting him have that last word.

You cannot change someone who does not want to change.

Change is a personal choice; it cannot be forced upon you.

And if it is forced upon you, you will do everything in your power to rebel against it.

Edward let out one last sigh, silence once again filling the cab to its brim. I did not oppose; the silence was calming.

He continued to drive for another ten minutes or so, the road empty as I stared outside the window, the door locked, not like I would have attempted to jump out of a moving vehicle.

That was one sure way to end up in the hospital with a million broken bones.

And with my luck, Edward wouldn't even take me to the hospital!

'We are here.' Edward stated, driving up a personal driveway, the blasting of sirens causing him to pause midway.

'What's that?' I questioned, the expression on his face similar to mine.

This had not been in the plan.

He continued to drive ahead, needing to solve the mystery, the sound getting clearer with each half step driven.

'Oh.' I let out a gasp, Edward's mirrored "fuck" telling me all I needed to know. He had not anticipated this change in plan!

'Fuck.' He cursed. 'What are the cops doing here? How did they find out about this place?'

I shrugged; not like I had any answer to that!

He continued to mutter curses under his breath, putting the truck in reverse and pulling it out of the driveway with haste like I had never witnessed before in his movements.

I knew that I should have shouted for help.

This would have been my best chance till date.

But the shock of realizing that cops had located Edward's secret hideout had me frozen at my place, unable to even think of what to do ahead.

'Duck when I tell you to.' Edward ordered, the gun pulled out of his pant pocket, the threat in his stance clear.

One mistake and I was game!

I instantly nodded my head, waiting in silence for the instruction to come, the police car soon coming our way- exiting the driveway, sirens blasting as it paved its path.

'Now.' Edward ordered, pretending to be a fellow innocent driver as he drove his vehicle through the public road, with me peeking out from under the seat, a man visible in the back seat, handcuffs attached to his hands as he shamelessly looked around, unaffected by his arrest.

'Shit.' Edward whispered in disbelief. 'That's Boss. They got him.'

I frowned in response, my eyes wide, stealing a glance at the person who wanted me kidnapped, a gasp of absolute horror leaving my lips.

'That's my uncle. Uncle Ron.'