Sisters by chance - The beginning

Life

Sofia's POV 

I'm exhausted, in pain, and alone. Tobias came with food and alcohol. Then he left for the truck. Hugo is passed out on the sofa. I sit on the floor just staring at the TV. I would really like a shower but, I am afraid of trying anything. It's dark here, and outside. A loud snore from Hugo fills the tiny house. Slowly and carefully I sneak to the kitchen, the door in here leads to a bedroom. I tried another and this time it was the bathroom. The light flickers and I quickly do my business. It's burning between my legs when I pee. I washed my hands, my face, and between my legs and down my thighs with a towel. I then wash up the towel and hang it to dry. I sneak out, back to the bedroom, and lay down. I curled up hugging myself. I'm so tired, and hungry. It smells like everything here needs to be cleaned. My last thought is of those I love. And then I fall into a restless sleep.

A deafening roar snaps me awake, the door flies up and crashes into the wall. I scramble to getaway. But before I can hide he grabs me by my ankle and pulls me out of bed. I hit the floor hard but managed to protect my head.

"Where the f**k is my breakfast you stupid b***h?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" I plead, holding my head. While he drags me out in the kitchen. He kicks me and bellows: "Fix. It. Now!" Emphasizing each word with a new kick. I have trouble breathing. Suddenly Tobias stands in the kitchen stopping him. I can't hear what he says. I gasp, desperate for air. Hugo lifts me up and throws me back in the bed. I bounce. "Don't make a sound, or you will never make a sound again!" He hisses threateningly before closing the door. I hide under the quilt and think about my siblings, my sisters, and myself.

Tobias POV

I wake up in the truck not feeling well-rested at all. I check my phone and it's early morning. Jumping out from the truck I hear commotion from Henry's place. Lucas is screaming at his dad for everyone to hear.

"Help us look for him at least!" I can't hear the response. But I'm guessing it's not good.

"You're just a drunk imbecile. An asshole, a complete moron. He is your f*****g son…" Lucas punches his father and starts to walk towards us. He is a big, tall, intimidating guy with broad shoulders. In the house, I hear how Hugo is throwing a tantrum. I scramble together a note and scribble a message. Then hurry inside and stop him.

"Lucas is coming, looking for River. We need to hide her!" I say in a hushed voice. 

He growls and punches me in the stomach before lifting her and throwing her into the bedroom. There is no time for more before Lucas knocks on the door. Hugo opens with a drunk scolding. Lucas looks in the room and I try to not let him see me bent over.

"What do you want?"

"I'm looking for River, have you seen him? He has been gone for a week."

"Can't keep track of you're shity brother huh?"

"Have you seen him or not?

Luca's nostrils flutter with rage, he is a big guy. His whole being demanded respect. But Hugo is hungover, infernal, and hungry. I see Lucas' nose twist like he caught a scent or something. I rub my face with both hands. Hoping he won't say anything. "Do you have someone else here?" He asks, looking Hugo straight in his eyes.

"Leave you dumb flea pile. I don't care about your stupid brother!" Hugo slams the door in Lucas' face before he loses it completely. He throws the toaster and all things he can get his hands on like an enraged child before punching me again. Hugo stormes out the backdoor dialing a number on his phone. When he is gone I hurry outside the front door following Lucas calling out to him.

"Hey! I'm sorry to hear about River. I'll help you look if you want?" 

"Thanks!" He answers while turning. When I reach him, he takes my hand to shake it. He feels the note and gives me a puzzled look. f**k. What if he doesn't get it? I hold his hand looking straight into his eyes. He seems to think about what to do. Then nods and lets go of me. Putting his hands in his pockets. I breathe a sigh of relief and rub my face.

"Tell me when you need me!" I say waving him off before turning and running back.  

***

Hugo has been gone for hours. Sofia and I have eaten and cleaned up some, she has gotten a new pill but she is alarmingly quiet. She nods but that's it. No talking.

Now we just sit on the sofa quietly I grab her hand, she jerks but hold it carefully.  

"He owns me," I whisper. Stroking her hand with my thumb.

"He bought me, and my sister when we were little. He gave my sister away. If I don't do as he wants, well, I don't know what he will do to her." She doesn't say anything. "I do what I do, to protect her. I'm so sorry!" I whisper the last part. Silent tears flow down my cheeks, she takes her hand back and leaves me. She just walks into the bedroom and closes the door behind her. I feel empty. Seth scolds me for upsetting her, making her sad. I just stay on the sofa. Staring at nothing. Hugo comes back, still drunk. I bet he went to Henry. He drops down on the sofa, his head swaying until it falls back and he starts to snore loudly. I just sit there and stare at nothing waiting for the time to pass by. Half-past twelve I get up to leave. It's in the middle of the night. She is as safe as she can be right now, with him past out. I leave by the backdoor, sneaking off into the night. The whole camp is quiet, but I'm not heading for the camp center. I'm going deep into the surrounding forest. As I reach the clearing, Lucas is waiting for me leaning against a big tree trunk in the dark.

"Do you know where my brother is?" He asks with a low rumbling in his voice. He is a big, threatening man partly hidden in the dark.

"Yes, I know where he is. Help me, and I will tell you." 

"You tell me now! And I might let you live…" he mumbles so low it's hard to hear. I swallow hard and rub my face.

"No, we need help first!"

"We? Is it you, or we? Who else is in that shed? I thought I smelled someone..." He questions and trails off. I rub my face and clench my teeth together. I sigh and let my arms fall. "Please" I breathe. 

"How, how can I help you?"

"You know the Alpha, don't you? Tell him something isn't right. It's his campsite. Won't he check it out?"

"I'm friends with the Alphas brother, not the Alpha! And I don't know how they would handle it… they might check it out" he said with a shrug and then continued "What would they find?" 

"I won't say anything until it's safe," I answered defiantly. He must help us, he just has to. I can't take Hugo down by myself, he will kill me and then I will never find my sister. But a more skilled wolf could. Lucas comes closer, he looks at me like before. Like he tries to decide what to do. He sniffs the air around me. When he nods it's like I can breathe again.

"Fine, I'll tell Jacob. But I want your word that River isn't in trouble or harmed!"

"He is in a bit of trouble" I admit, "but wasn't harmed when I saw him…" Lucas growls and gives me a deadly glare before he turns and leaves. 

(warning)

Sofia POV 

After my turbulent awakening, I hid as ordered in the bedroom. I recite the name of the buyers. Manfred the wannabe vampire, Oscar the Gray, Arthur, and the woman from Atra Aurora. I need to remember them. It wasn't long before Tobias came back. Pulled the blanket off me and looked at me. We sat there in the dark not speaking. When eventually my stomach rumbles and Tobias looks up at me surprised.

"Are you hungry?"

I nod, unable to find the words. I'm still dressed in the cotton dress from the auction, without underwear. My hair is dull and unwashed. Tobias walks out to the kitchen, and I follow carefully. Moving hurts, and I feel weak. While Tobias fixed some sandwiches, I started to pick up trash lying around. Mostly empty beer cans and liquor bottles. We move around not talking. We just are! We sit and eat in silence.

"Do you want to clean up some?" He sighs not looking at me. I nod again. Thinking about the last time I took a shower. The last time I was surrounded by my sisters. The small bathroom here is all plastic and in a yellow tone. It smells unpleasant, and I doubt it will give me the same clean feeling. Tobias gave me a towel and my bag with the last of my clothes that Hugo took. I shower quickly. The air is thick with steam, and my skin feels damp even after drying it. I comb my hair with a comb I found, it's tricky, untangling days of neglect, but I have time. In my bag, there's underwear, a white T-shirt and my favorite black skirt. The one I had on my last day home. I bring it to my face and smell it. It smells like me, my family, like home. I can’t breathe and cry hard into my skirt thinking about home. This can't be my life?

When I have pulled myself together I go back to the living room Tobias has cleaned up even more. It almost looks like a normal home. He motions for me to come and sit with him. He gives me a new pill and then grabs my hand, and holds it carefully. He rubs it with his thumb, comforting me.

"He owns me." He whispers, stroking my hand.

"He bought me, and my sister when we were little. He gave my sister away. If I don't do as he wants, well, I don't know what he will do to her." I don’t say anything. "I do what I do, to protect her. I'm so sorry!" He whispers the last part. I don't look at him, I take my hand back from him. He can't help, he won't help. So I stand and leave for the only place to hide with my thoughts.

Tobias was sold as a child? With his sister. I feel empty inside, hollow. To sell children, kidnapping girls. Abuse and rape. Is this my life now? I can’t sleep, and I can't move. It's like I'm paralyzed. I couldn't stay with him, but I'm ashamed of myself for leaving him. I just couldn't stand it. I was hoping that Tobias would help me if only he saw how bad it is. But he is either too scared, or he has a strange form of Stockholms syndrome. He has been living like this since he was a child. Not to mention that he is protecting his sister. Hugo isn't normal, he can't be. His eyes are weird, he makes these strange growling sounds, and how could he find us all and bring us back? He lifted me like nothing and tossed me like a toy. Thinking about it, so did Tobias at the beginning when I still was bound all the time. I'm not a small girl. How did he do it? I hear the door when Hugo comes back. It's quiet for a long time before I hear someone leave. And it's all quiet again. I lose track of time laying in the dark with my eyes closed. Thinking, remembering, and missing everyone and my life. When the bed dips I just keep my eyes closed. When did he get in here? I feel his hand on my thigh, sneaking up my midriff to grab my breast. I hold my breath and keep my eyes closed preparing myself. This can't be my life? He reeked of alcohol when he brushed against me with his nose smelling me.

"Now, now, pretty pet. I'm sorry that I've been out all day. You must have been lonely, missing me. Let's play a little game?! Should we?" He licks my shoulder, practically purring like a cat "Let's see, how loud you can scream!" He hisses against my skin. He grabs me by my hair, his fingers pressing against my scalp. Before opening his mouth, biting my shoulder hard through the fabric, piercing my skin. Making me scream from the top of my lungs.

"Just like that...'' he purrs, holding me in place. I kick and scream trying to get away. Hugo starts laughing. He then flips me to my stomach and bites me again on my back. I scream into the pillows at the burning pain. This can't be my life? I feel myself slip away, unable to breathe pressed down into the bed. Somehow the blessing of the unconscious doesn't come. I just keep on struggling to breathe. Feeling it all, screaming until my voice is gone. And all I can do is cry. When I am out of screams he stops laughing clearly annoyed. And then resume the torture with his next favorite thing, rapeing me.

At some point, he stops and leaves. Loneliness is a welcome change. I feel cold, my body is shaking uncontrollably. Yet, I am too tired to move or cover myself. When he comes back and hoists me up over his shoulder I don't move, I don't even make a sound. I dangle like a doll. A familiar feeling, a memory pop's up in my head. The night he took me. The night my life changed. He carried me out, I can feel the wind on my legs like then. I guess this is my life now…