FLAMES

2.

True to Avery's words, there was a man behind the restaurant with a stabbing wound on his abdomen. He was slumped against the wall, in the shade, trying to stop the blood from oozing. His white shirt was soaked in blood. I winced at the mere sight of it.

"Hey, hang on there. The ambulance must be on the way." Nora said, crouching in front of him.

We expected a timid man, crying in pain and begging for help. That's how generally people behave after getting stabbed and losing blood. But this was not how the person in front of us was behaving. His face jerked up at the mention of the ambulance. His grey eyes narrowed maliciously. After living with my father all my life, I know by looking into people's eyes how dangerous they can be.

And he was the epitome of danger.

"I don't need any ambulance. Get out of here. And no need to spread the news of seeing someone stabbed." The curt and harsh order made Nora step back. Her eyes widened at the sudden outburst of the man.

"Hey, we're just trying to help. We won't harm you. You're safe here." Rhea gently approached the man, trying her best to calm him down.

No one is safe anywhere. Not even home. I wanted to counter Rhea. I wanted to tell her that nobody is really safe in this world. Everybody is living a false life, thinking that they are safe with the family they live, with the friends they laugh when in reality, nobody is safe. Nobody knows the real faces of the people they live with. Everybody is a great artist. Hiding the reality is just another art.

"Look, I don't need any help. I am fine-" The man gritted out, standing up on his feet to walk away but he stumbled after taking a couple of steps. Within a couple of minutes, he fell to the ground, losing consciousness.

Only if Rhea could see the rage in his eyes, she have known that he was not scared of us. He was not scared of either of us. He was just trying to hide from the doctors and cops. When they mistook his reluctance with fear, I saw something else in his eyes. He was not scared of anyone. Not even the cops. He was just hiding from them.

Nora cursed under her breath when the man lost consciousness. The blood was still oozing out of his wound, making me worry. What if he loses too much blood? Was he a victim of abuse? Many questions were running in my head. Rhea removed her phone and called to check where the ambulance reached. Luckily, the ambulance arrived a minute later.

When we reached the hospital, our boss, Mrs. Wilson, asked me to wait in the hospital till the man gained consciousness. I tried denying it multiple times. I was not comfortable staying with men alone. I know the fear was absurd because I was planning to move out soon, but the fear was also real. It was not something under my control. I fear men at the very sight of them.

According to Mrs. Wilson, I was the easiest person to get along with. When Nora tried staying back, she was dragged to the restaurant because of work. I was left alone with the stranger in the hospital.

By the time he gained consciousness, his wounds were already treated and dressed. The police and doctors were waiting for him. And I was anxiously waiting to get a green flag and get out of there. Mrs. Wilson didn't want this incident to affect her business. She didn't want to get badly involved either. For a moment, I felt bad for the man inside the infirmary because nobody really cared about his health. Mrs. Wilson was worried about her sale. Knowing how good the police are when it comes to helping victims, I didn't have any expectations from them. Everybody cared about their profit and promotions. Nobody cared about his life except the doctors.

By the time the police were done questioning him, it was already late. When the nurse allowed me to meet the man, I was relieved. Taking a deep breath, I stepped inside the room. His eyes snapped up as soon as I opened the door, and I almost forgot how intimidating his eyes looked before he lost consciousness.

"Are you feeling alright?" I asked him awkwardly, not knowing how else to start the conversation.

But the unnamed stranger didn't answer me. He wasn't concerned with pleasantries. He was worried about something else. The way his grey eyes were narrowing in displeasure made me feel on edge. A person who only witnessed fear and harassment her entire life didn't know anything about harmless annoyance. For me, anger never ended up good. Every time my father would get angry, I'd suffer greatly at night.

Despite knowing not every person is the same, my heart and mind refused to believe it. I have learned the harder way that not every monster looks like a monster, some are dressed up in clothes of elegance and sophistication. Not every demon snarls at you, some even lure you with gentle smiles and promising embrace. Sometimes the demons residing under your bed are safer for you than the fake protectors that harass you in the name of protecting you.

"Who called the police?" He asked me directly. His controlled voice held chained rage. The raw anger in his eyes reminded me of all the potential threats.

Have you ever been attacked by a wild animal before? Because if you've been, you'd know that you start fearing the mere sight of animals after that. And if the size of the animal is larger than the animal that attacked you, you can only think of the harm it might cause you if it attacks you.

And the man sitting in front of me was stronger than my father.

"I did." I answered him slowly, and his eyes flashed dangerously.

"Why?" His question took me off-guard.

"Because you were stabbed." I answered him, unsure of what he wanted to hear. He snorted at my answer, making me hold my purse tightly.

"Exactly! I was stabbed. When I didn't call the cops, why did you? As if calling the ambulance wasn't enough, you called the damn police-"

"I don't know if you understand the depth of the situation or not, Sir, but you were stabbed outside the restaurant we work in. We didn't know if the murderer was still outside or not. To ensure our safety along with yours, we had to call the police." I explained it to him as calmly as I could. But for some reason, he wasn't happy with the explanation.

"You shouldn't have cared about it in the first place. Next time think about yourself before helping others. I didn't need your help!" He snapped at me, making me smile at him.

"Enough people are suffering at the expense of people's ignorance. Look, we are sorry. I don't know how we messed up by involving the police or doctors, but I understand that we must have really messed it up, and I am honestly sorry for it. But we didn't have any ill intentions. I- I didn't want to turn a blind eye to a crime happening in front of me. I didn't want someone to become a victim of something because I refused to take a step forward to save myself." I said, swallowing the burning sensation inside my throat and staring into his grey eyes.

The rage in his eyes turned cold. The fire was no longer flaring in his gaze. He suddenly went stiff. I don't know if I touched a sore nerve or stunned him into silence but his anger dissipated completely. I had no idea what he was feeling or thinking because his face turned impassive, giving away nothing but blankness.

"I am sorry once again for causing you problems. We had no idea involving the police would increase your troubles. Anyways, Mrs. Wilson, the owner of the restaurant wanted to let you know that she's not comfortable enough getting into a feud." I don't know what it even meant. But the man in front of me might have understood the meaning because he simply nodded his head in answer.

Clearing my throat awkwardly, I removed the paper bag from my purse and placed it in front of him. He raised his eyebrows at me questioningly. My cheeks burned into hues of pink when his stare lingered on me longer than I was comfortable with. Taking a step back, I awkwardly motioned towards the paper bag.

"They said you need to stay here for two days before getting discharged from here. And it's past dinner time, I wasn't sure if you'd get anything to eat before tomorrow morning. There isn't much but I asked the doctor before getting it for you. Eat before sleeping. I hope you recover soon. Goodbye." I said, looking at him one last time before walking out of his room.

When I anticipated it to be our first and last meeting, I wasn't aware of fate's call. Nobody is aware of their fate. Only if we could see our fate beforehand, so many unfortunates could've been avoided.

___

I arrived home later than usual. After eating the food Mom saved for me, I went to freshen up. Dread filled my chest when I closed the door behind me and closed my eyes. After spending the entire day outside, running away from my reality, I had to return to hell where the owner is always waiting for me to come and please him.

The darkness I pretended to not notice, engulfed me with force. No matter how much you're used to the pain, the fear of experiencing it every night is as real as the demons from the stories Mom used to tell me in childhood. Stripping out of my clothes, I stepped inside the bathtub and closed my eyes. How badly I wanted everything to end. Just one step and everything would end.

But how can I let him ruin Melody's life by ending mine? I might end my suffering by killing myself, but that will mark the beginning of my sister's misery. She might hate me for getting all of my father's attention but I can't let her take my pain. Death doesn't end the miseries. It just changes the host. Pain and misery never end, it just finds itself a new victim.

Pulling myself out of the bathtub, I changed into a pair of pajama pants and a shirt. I was too tired to sit down and study that night. I pulled the covers over my body and drifted to sleep.

My eyes snapped open when I felt a pair of arms around my waist. My throat closed up when Dad buried his face in the crook of my neck and pressed his lips against my skin. My entire body turned rigid. I was cold as ice. No matter how many times Dad assaulted me, my body didn't know how to get used to the harassment. I couldn't move; I couldn't breathe. I was just lying motionless. Tears streamed down my eyes as his hands touched my body, not leaving anything untouched.

"I love your smell. Daddy missed you all day, my little girl." He whispered in my ear, making me tremble.

Maybe death was better.

I might be guilty while dying, guilty for pushing my sister into an endless pit of pain and misery, but at least, the guilt and pain would end with my life. Remorse doesn't follow you in afterlife. The pain, the misery, the vulnerability, and the guilt are joined by our bodies. I might die as a coward but I'd be free from all the harassment.

"Did you miss me too, baby?" He asked me, turning me around. He wiped my tears and unbuttoned my shirt.

From experience, I knew fighting got me nowhere. It ends up painfully. Obedience was shameful, but at least, things ended fast. Disobedience came with consequences I didn't have the heart to endure.

"Because Daddy missed you a little too much today."

___

Melody came to my room the next morning with a comb and rubber bands. Her dark hair was tangled and a mess. Placing the comb beside me she sat down on the bed with a huff. "Can you braid my hair? Mom's busy with Dad."

"Of course. French braid?" I asked her, and she nodded her head lazily.

I removed my hair serum and gently started applying it to her hair before proceeding to untangle it. She was humming a tune slowly as I combed her hair. Sometimes, she reminds me of my old self. I used to be as carefree as her. Not caring about the world, not scared of anyone or anything, life was beautiful. She reminds me of what I lost at her age and what I wanted her to preserve all her life.

Her sanity.

Her life.

Her innocence.

"Rev," she called me out softly, making me hum in answer as I started braiding her hair. "I didn't mean to hurt you yesterday morning. It's not your fault that Dad loves you more than any of us. I was just.... jealous." She admitted, making it hard for me to swallow the log-sized lump inside my throat.

I understood her anger and jealousy. Melody had no idea what kind of attention Dad was giving me. She was too young to understand the difference between loving someone and lusting someone. When an adult like my mother refused to trust me, I was only scared of other family member's reactions.

For her, Dad treated me unfairly. She saw what Dad made them see. They see expensive clothes; they see toys and gifts; they see superficial love. But what they never saw was the harassment that took place inside the four walls of my room. They never saw the pain I endured almost every night. They were oblivious to the vulnerability I faced every day.

"It's okay. You don't need to be sorry for something you're getting deprived of. But Mel, I promise I'm trying to provide you everything you deserve, sweetheart. You don't deserve to get neglected. No one does. But trust me when I say this, you don't need Dad's attention. Promise me, you'd never beg for it." I said, turning her face to look into her eyes.

She looked confused for a minute but nodded her head nonetheless. I can't blame a literal child for not understanding the hidden meaning behind my love. But I can't help the fear that always grips my heart.

"But you're planning to move out." She whispered in a small voice, making my heart pound against my chest.

How did she know?

"What?"

"I know why you're working, Rev. It's because you want to move out of here. But, I don't want to live away from you. I don't like it when you're not home, Rev. I don't like to be alone here." She cried silently, burying her face in my abdomen.

Her tears and words gripped my heart in an unforgiving hold. It was like her fear choked me, making it hard for me to breathe. My fingers trembled as I pulled my little sister away from my body to look into her eyes. Her tear-stained face pierced my heart like a dagger but something else was worrying me at that moment.

"What do you mean, Mel? Did something happen? Did someone do anything to you? Are you alright? Did Dad-" I trailed off. My voice was shaking terribly. The confusion in her eyes made my body cold. My fingertips were turning icy-cold to touch.

"Nothing happened, Rev. I just don't want to be away from you." She said, and I closed my eyes for a second. My knees almost lost the strength. I never felt so relieved in my life before.

"Melody, listen to me, please. You're twelve now. I need you to know that whenever someone tries harming you in any way, you can come to me. You don't need to endure anything alone. I promise I'll always believe you. I don't care if the person harming you is our family, I want you to come to me. I'll never question you. I'll always believe you." I promised her, gently cupping her face as I crouched down to her height.

She tilted her face, still in confusion, but nodded her head. "But why would our family hurt me, Rev? This doesn't make sense."

A smile formed on my face at her question.

Family hurts you in ways you can't even imagine. The worst scars are those given by our families.

"You know, Mel, sometimes demons don't look like monsters. They look like us. Sometimes, they're just ordinary people, we least expect. In worse scenarios, they are always around us, pretending to be our caretakers, but in reality, they hold dark and malicious intentions. You can never trust anyone completely." She stared at me blankly for a minute or longer but surprised me by wrapping her tiny arms around me.

I closed my eyes to keep my tears at bay when she hugged me closer.

"Rev?"

"Yes?"

"You can also come to me any time you want. I won't judge you either." She promised to me, making me smile. Almost sadly.

How I wish I could. How I wish I could end everything.