Kidnapped By The Devil

Chapter 2. From Pan To Fire.

“To be free, one must first be captured.” —Kay Mi Nee.

Anthonia’s POV.

“Don't you know how to knock, lady?” Raymond asked with his lips curved in disgust. I could visibly tell that he was upset.

“How to knock?” I shot back at him, “Really? You have my best friend bouncing on you like some lunatic, but your only concern is about me knocking before I come into my room?”

“Watch your mouth, Anny.” Elfreda shot at me from the far corner of the room, “It ain't my fault that your husband goes for better things.”—backing it up with a mock laugh that tore my brain.

“How dare you?” I lunged at her, but Raymond caught hold of my hands before I could even get any closer.

“Don't you even dare touch her, b***h!”

“Let go of me, Raymond.” I struggled, but his grip on my wrist was too strong.

“Know what?...,” He removed the wedding ring from my finger and threw it at my face. “There goes our marriage. I'm done being in bondage with a crap wife. So now I'm going to teach you a lesson in respect, bitch.”

As he uttered these words, Raymond smashed his right fist into my left eye, causing a searing pain that traveled into my eye sockets.

I couldn't see for the next six seconds, and he used that to his advantage. He grabbed my hair and tossed me halfway across the bedroom.

I went crashing into my makeup table, causing the mirror that hung above to fall on me.

Parts of the glass pierced into the sides of my face, arms, and other parts of my skin that were bare. I felt like every nerve in me was on fire.

“How do you like that, you little twerp?” Raymond mocked me as he stalked me from behind.

I tried to crawl through the shattered glass—away from him, but the more I moved, the more the glass pieces pierced deeper into my bleeding palms.

“Look at you, Anny…,” Elfreda mocked me from behind. “...you thought you could walk in here and tell us what to do with ‘our money?’”

There was a flower vase on the floor, a few feet away from me. I dragged myself towards it, bloody palms scraping glass with every inch.

Raymond chuckled. “Stay out of this, my love. It seems that my Anthonia here has forgotten that I own her. So I'm gonna remind her.” He swung his boots into the side of my tummy.

There was a sickening thud as his boots made contact with my tummy, and I knew immediately that I had just broken a rib.

I rolled to my side, holding down my tummy in agony. “Raymond, please stop.” I cried. But he gave a sickly grin and came at me again.

Immediately, I seized the opportunity. I quickly picked up the vase lying above my head and swung it at his face.

“Argghh! You bloody fool!” Raymond roared as the vase shattered on his face, making a loud crash.

He staggered backwards, covering his bleeding face with his hands. “You've f*****g blinded me. f**k!”

I took the opportunity and staggered up to my feet, running out of the room as fast as I could before Elfreda or Raymond would try to stop me.

“Get back here, you little b***h, I'm going to teach you a lesson. I'm going to f*****g kill you.” Raymond screamed from behind, but I had already made my way through the corridor.

I darted out of the house and into the dark streets, which had only the dull streetlights to light up the sidewalk.

I could hear the door to our house from a distance as it swung open with force. But I was already far into the darkness of the night. Away from Raymond.

My body groaned in protest, but I kept running until I had lost him. Although I was in intense pain, I never stopped running until my legs could no longer hold up my weight anymore.

Luckily, I found a metal bench by the sidewalk and dumped my entire weight on it. It let out a little groan before getting used to the sudden weight acting on it.

I took a few minutes before I could catch my breath. Then I began scanning my body to know the severity of my wounds.

As I gently felt around my ribs, muffling my groans of pain, I realized it wasn't broken. Though I must've suffered a slight crack in the bone, it wasn't broken, luckily.

I had a few deep cuts on my face and knees. Some were on my back and arms, and a few deeper ones on the palms of my hands.

“You need to report him to the police,” my thoughts came to me again. But that was not a good idea.

Raymond was that smart person who would drive up to the police station, hide himself in the dark, and patiently wait for me to come running in like a frantic goose.

He'd also be smart enough to go to the nearest hospital, expecting me to show up for medical attention, so he'd capture me again.

No. I was not going to any of those places. At least not yet. Not until I was sure that he had lost hope in his search for me.

I didn't know when or how, but I found myself crying. I tried wiping the tears off my eyes, but they only came out more.

Devastation swept over me. I was broken and betrayed by my very own best friend.

Now all I had left on me was my office wear: a now-rumpled, bloodstained white long-sleeved shirt, and a dusty black skirt to go with it.

I had no one to call. No one to run to. Raymond had frightened everyone who dared to come close.

Well, except for Elfreda. She was the only one he was ever comfortable seeing around me. Now it all made sense.

“Nobody cares, Anthonia. So get yourself together.” The intrusive thoughts came again. And this time I listened. Because it was always right. All the time.

Then I recalled I had secretly purchased a private property in San Antonio some months back. But it was a three-hour drive from Rionegro.

I had no car, which left me with only one option: taking the bus. That was another thirty minutes on the road, but it was worth it.

I needed a place to recuperate.

I needed a plan.

I needed to heal and then think. And if possible, leave the country.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice the black van coming up behind me. Not until it was already too close.

The driver stepped on the brakes, causing the tires to screech on the tars as it came to a sudden halt right in front of me. Its windows were tinted black, and it had no license plate.

“Run, Anthonia.” The voice in my head screamed—but my legs refused to listen.

Three scary-looking men stepped out of the van and surrounded me before I could even react. That was when I found the strength to run, but it was too late.

It all happened so fast.

One of them grabbed me. I fought back—but a black bag immediately covered my face before I could even protest.

The next was this acrid smell of a chemical that suddenly made my head and legs feel wobbly.

And then the next thing I remember was succumbing to a deep sleep.