Chapter 4 : Disguised
909 Words
Rose’s POV
The rain pounded against my skin, soaking me to the bone. I pulled my coat tighter around me, but it did nothing to keep the cold away.
I walked with my head down, my thoughts a whirlwind of pain and betrayal.
Scofield’s voice echoed in my head, cruel and final.
"I don’t want you. I never did."
Mrs. Carter’s words sliced through me again.
"You ungrateful little slut!"
And then there was Jessica.
"Maybe you should just get rid of it..."
I pressed a hand to my stomach, my throat tightening. No. No matter how hard things got, I would never do that. This baby was mine. My only family now.
I clenched my jaw, forcing the pain down. Right now, I have to focus on surviving.
The train station was empty when I got there. Too late. The last train had already left.
Panic gripped my chest.
I had barely any money…just the little Jessica had slipped into my hand before I left. It wasn’t enough for a hotel, and I had nowhere else to go.
The only option left was the woods
I found shelter beneath a cluster of trees near the station. The ground was wet, the air freezing, but I curled up and forced my eyes shut.
Then I heard them.
Laughter. Footsteps.
I shot up, my heart hammering.
Three men emerged from the shadows…rogues. Filthy, wild, dangerous.
“Well, what do we have here?” one of them sneered.
I swallowed hard and stepped back. “Stay away from me.”
The tallest one chuckled. “Feisty.”
Before I could react, he lunged.
I swung at him, scratching, kicking, fighting with everything I had. I even managed to land a hit on one of them, making him stumble back with a curse.
But it wasn’t enough.
A heavy fist slammed into my face, sending me crashing to the ground. My vision blurred, pain exploding in my head.
They grabbed my arms, pinning me down.
I screamed, thrashing wildly. “Please…don’t…”
One of them smirked. “Begging makes it more fun.”
The other one yanked at my legs.
I felt my world closing in. No. No. No!
Then…
“She’s not worth it.”
The third rogue, the one who had been silent, stepped forward. His voice was cold, almost bored.
The others glared at him. “What’s your problem?”
“She’s just a weak little thing. Let her go.”
A tense silence stretched between them.
Finally, the one holding me cursed under his breath and shoved me down. “Whatever. Let’s get out of here.”
He slid his hands in my pocket and took my money and phone.
I didn’t wait. I ran.
I didn’t know where I was going. I just ran until my legs gave out, and I collapsed behind an abandoned shack, my body shaking from shock and exhaustion.
By sunrise, I dragged myself back to the train station.
I must have looked pathetic…bruised, wet, shivering…because when I begged the ticketmaster for a ride, he hesitated.
“You got money?”
“No sir.”
He sighed, rubbing his temple. “Get in. Don’t make me regret this.”
Relief flooded me. “Thank you,” I whispered.
As the train pulled away, I didn’t look back.
There was nothing left for me in Pittsburgh. But ahead? Ahead was a chance.
Wilcox was harsher, meaner, colder. Everywhere I looked, I saw dangerous men with hard eyes and scarred knuckles.
If I wanted to survive here, I needed to toughen up.
As I walked along the street, I found an old, cracked mirror behind a shop. I barely recognized myself.
Bruised. Dirty. Weak.
I couldn’t be Rose anymore.
I grabbed a rusted knife from the ground. My hands shook as I lifted it to my head.
With a deep breath, I began to cut.
Strand by strand, my long hair fell. Each slice of the blade felt like I was shedding the past.
By the time I was done, a stranger stared back at me.
My jawline looked sharper, my face harder. Rose was gone.
Now, I was just another rogue boy looking for work.
Wilcox Mining Camp was a nightmare.
Men shouted and cursed, their bodies thick with scars and muscles. The air smelled like sweat, dirt, and blood.
I forced myself to walk like them…head down, shoulders squared, fists clenched.
At the entrance, a huge rogue with a deep scar across his face stopped me.
“You’re small,” he muttered.
I swallowed hard. “I’m strong.”
He snorted. “We’ll see.”
For a moment, I thought he suspected something. My heart pounded.
Then he waved me forward.
I exhaled slowly.
I was in.
The miner’s dorm was chaotic.
Fifty men crammed into a massive dormitory, laughing, shouting, wrestling. The walls smelled like unwashed bodies and raw testosterone. But blending in wasn’t easy. A hard slap landed on my ass.
“Hey, buddy,” a rogue grinned.
I clenched my fists, forcing myself not to react.
Nearby, one guy scratched himself shamelessly, while another let out a disgusting burp.
I swallowed my disgust and stayed still.
Then…
“Hey.”
A voice beside me made my blood run cold.
“I know you.”
I turned my head slowly.
A rogue was staring at me, frowning slightly.
“I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
My pulse pounded. My heart stopped.
- Writer
