Becoming Lucy

Chapter 3

Seven had never been so scared. Her hands were trembling, her lips were quivering, her knees buckled, and she fell to the filthy floor of the basement she had been living in for god knows how long. The room had a dirty old mattress and a window which was the sole source of light. Seven regretted trying to even step out of the room, that morning. She hoped she could endure all the misery inflicted on her. But she couldn’t. Everything around her was driving her crazy and the fear she felt; it was taking over her senses. When she heard footsteps nearing the door, Seven moved her back against the wall and pressed herself into a corner.

Her breathing was ragged and tears threatened to spill as the door opened with a creaking noise revealing a towering silhouette. With every stride, the figure took forward, Seven pushed herself further into the wall desperately wanting to disappear. Her whimpers became audible when he crouched down to her level with a look that terrified her to the core and that moment Seven knew she crossed the line. She could only hope for quick death and relief from the beast in front of her.

Seven flinched when he drew out his hand to caress her cheek. He was unpredictable and bipolar. One minute he could be all lovey-dovey and the next minute he could strangle the same person to death.

“I heard you have been a bad girl, today. Is it true, baby girl?” He questioned, his voice soothing. Seven was awfully petrified to open her mouth. He gripped her chin sharply when he didn’t receive an answer.

“Baby girl, when I ask someone I expect a response. I thought we were over the rules or do we need to have a revision?” Seven’s eyes widened as the memory of getting beat to pulp surfaced in her mind. She shook her head frantically.

“Then answer me.”

“Y-yes.” Her tone came out restrained.

“Louder!” His voice boomed making Seven flinch once again.

“Yes.”

“Good and you know what that means, don’t you?” Seven wished she could just kill herself instead of going through torture every day. Tears rolled her cheeks when she heard his words. There was no way out except for begging and that was she did.

“Please, no. I promise I won’t do it again. I won’t try to run away, ever again. Just, please!”

Her pleads fell deaf on his ears as he shouted a few names. Three men entered the room and Seven shook in fear. She held on to him and pleaded, cried her eyes out. All went in vain as her screams echoed the walls the entire night. No one came to her rescue. No one felt even an ounce of compassion as the young girl laid lifelessly on the floor with fractured bones, her skin marked with bruises and bleeding to death.

--

Two pairs of feet dangled over the tallest cliff of the town. The gentle breeze brushed through their locks as they sat amongst the sound of waves splashing against the rocky surface and birds chirping melodiously. Even the pleasant sound failed to bring peace at that moment. Seven's hands were, habitually, buried in her pockets as she mindlessly stared into the seemingly never-ending lake. No one knew what to speak about. It wasn't awkward. They were scared of outcomes.

It had been a week since Seven woke up and nothing had been going good. She turned stone cold. Her expressions had often left a void. It had come to a point where her eyes only reddened in pain. Her heart refused to believe a single thing that was happening. Not because she didn't want to express but because she was in denial. But, the dams were bound to break loose one day.

Tears sprung her eyes for the first time since the tragedy. She didn't care if anyone saw her weeping. She couldn't hold in her agony any longer. It was that same thing, that made the loss burn a hole through her heart. Lucas shuffled closer and pulled her into his chest as if expecting her to give in anytime. Seven leaned into him desperate for the littlest of comfort she could get.

Lucy and Seven shared a bond stronger than Lucas ever had with either of them. He knew that which was why Lucas was considerate enough not to bring up the incident. He lent his shoulder for Seven to cry on and assisted her in every way possible, despite him being in pain.

"It was them, Lucas." Seven's broken tone whispered, breaking the silence. Lucas caught on quickly.

"They were behind us the whole time but I was too stupid to not notice it sooner." Her voice came out choked. Lucas pulled the fragile girl closer and rubbed her arm soothingly. Nothing seemed to work as her heartbreaking words filled the air.

"If I had been on alert and had my gun with me, maybe this wouldn't have happened. Lucy would have been safe with her family and her baby... Oh my god! It's all my fault." Seven sobbed and it even surprised her when tears rolled down her cheeks.

"It's all my fault!" She kept whispering again and again.

Lucas had so many things to say and console her, but he kept quiet as Seven let her heart out. He sucked at comforting more than anyone but all he knew was Seven needed someone she could lean on and share her pain with and he was going to be just that.

Hours passed and the sun had gone from looking like a perfectly ripe mango to an egg yolk. By the time both teens faced the front of Seven's cold bricked apartment building, it was already dark.

"You sure you want to stay here? It's not safe, Seven. They might strike again. Anytime now. You can always come back to my place, you know."

"And risk losing you too? I think, not. As a matter of fact, you are in danger too. Remember? You are the one who got me out of the hell. I'm tired of running and hiding away from him, Lucas. It's pathetic. Nowhere's safe, anyway." Seven shrugged and stared at her shoes, he let out a frustrating sigh but nodded.

"Don't you want to see her one last time? Look, I understand-"

"No, Lucas. You don't." She interrupted, softly.

"You have no idea how it feels to be haunted by the painful visions. You have no idea how much that can break someone. It's not that I don't want to see her. I just don't think I have the strength to withstand.I'm afraid the scene would overtake all my good memories with her."

Lucas sighed and simply nodded, "It's not like I can change your mind. You have always been so stubborn. But, ring me up if you need anything, alright?" Seven nodded in response.

They both hugged each other and bid goodbye. Seven walked up to the stairs, intentionally avoiding the elevator and to the second floor where she found her apartment door locked in the dark. Hesitantly, she took out the keys from the pocket and unlocked it. Stepping into the hallway gave her nostalgia, she almost teared up again.

Everything was just as she left. Cushions on the floor, clothes on the dining table, on the couch, everywhere and the kitchen lights she forgot to switch off. Staying at Lucas' for a week had definitely been a successful escape that didn't last long. A weird feeling settled in her heart. Like someone snatched a part of her and refused to return it. Seven took small steps towards the kitchen and reached the dining table where her eyes caught colorful sticky notes stuck on the fridge door and the bright rainbow umbrella resting against it.

"This is the last time I'm buying you an umbrella. Lose it and you'll face my wrath."

Her words would stretch Lucy's lips into a fond smile, except for this time. It was painful. Seven pulled each of the little notes, holding onto every word.

"Third cabinet from the right. I made your favorite cookies. I know you can't make them to save your life. Don't eat all at once and complain later."

"Learn to cook. I left my recipe book on the shelf. So you can eat home cooked healthy food instead of what that i***t eats all the time."

"Don't skip classes. Just because I'm not there doesn't mean you can skip them. I'll be monitoring you."

"I know this is too much to ask, but I'd love it if you could come and meet me sometime. Here's the address if you ever miss me and my baby."

"Don't forget to smile always. But also remember its okay to frown on some days."

"I'll miss you."

Who knew a goodbye would turn into a forever departure? Seven once again found herself, crumpled on the floor, drowning in her own sorrow. She was forced into a cage where every speck of dust tortured her with moments. Their happy smiles on the wall frames made her fall again. Reaching the jar of cookies that Lucy had prepared for her, Seven sat on the table and began munching on them. Cherishing every bite of it. She could never have them again.

I lost her too. Everybody that came into my life never lasted long.

That night, Seven had never felt more lonely. The house felt cold. Seven could still hear the echoes of Lucy's voice scolding her for leaving her socks on the couch. Seven wished she hadn't felt annoyed then. She could only cherish those moments now. The reason was all her. She avoided Lucy's room at all costs, wrapped her self in her sheets as her eyes blankly stared at the plain ceiling above her. Still, her presence was felt. Lucy's words rang in her mind. All the promises she had made gathered together and ganged up on her making Seven feel claustrophobic.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as things began to fall in to place. The truth was hard to come in terms with. Nevertheless, she did and that was why it hurt too much. Every time she closed her eyes, Lucy's injured face appeared making her shudder.

What happened? Everything was going so good for a minute. Why did it have to happen? Just how much does god hate me?

Lucas stepped into his usually empty house. Years of living alone had made him used to the loneliness. Fortunately for him, he was from a loud background. Status seemed everything to his parents. They forced him to study business at a young age, which was against his dream. Lucas complied because he thought he loved his parents. Thereafter, he gave up auditioning every weekend like he used to. He distanced himself from his friends and dedicated himself to the four walls. All to satisfy his parents.

His parents were proud of what he had become at a mere age of fifteen but he wasn't. As time passed, everything around him drove him towards the edge. Until one day, when he had taken an impulsive decision of running away.

He succeeded and faced the reality of the world. It wasn't pretty. Rather, life became tough when he was rejected every time he auditioned. He was running out of money and was on the streets when he met a browned eyed girl with a permanent glare on her face. Of course, things never went as planned for him. He didn't realize how toxic his life was back at home until he spread his wings to explore. Sure, he might not be doing the best job, but he felt free and a hope lingered somewhere in his heart. He would fulfill it someday.

Lucas had no regrets to that day except one. He wished he had confessed his feelings for Lucy. Though nothing would have changed, it wouldn't be buried, unheard. What left him confused was the pain he felt. It wasn't as intense as he expected it to be. Or was he under the wrong impression the whole time?

It took Lucas not more than two days to gather all things Seven asked him to. He handed the fake documents to her carefully describing her everything.

"You are Lucy Spencer. 18 years old. Originally from the Netherlands living in Detriot. You are going on a trip to Amsterdam to visit your family."

"How apt." Seven mumbled as she took the documents from Lucas.

"Why are there so many documents?" Seven frowned.

"You never know when you'd need any of them. We can't take any risk of exposure, anymore. However, I still don't support your decision."

"Not this again."

"Seven, you haven't healed completely. What are you going to do if one of those stitches burst out?!"

"I'm sure there are hospitals in Amsterdam. I'll be fine, Lucas. I promised Lucy that I'd be the one to go to her parents." Seven lied. Partly. Lucas sighed.

"You better not make me regret this." Seven nodded and gave him a weak smile.

"And here," Lucas took out something from his pocket and held it out in his palm. "I forgot to give you this."

Seven's hand immediately went to her neck only to find the necklace gone.

"How did I not notice it?" She took it from him and stared at it with eyes full of sorrow.

Lucas noticed this and cleared his throat, "I'll get going now. Your flight's at 4 in the morning. I'll come to get you at three. You better get some sleep or you'll look like a devil with bags under your eyes."

Lucas ruffled her hair, playfully. Seven didn't make any attempt to flip him off like she always did. But she held on to his sleeve when he stood up from the couch. With a look of a plea, she questioned, "Do you really have to go?"

"Not if you don't want me to."

And that was how both of the friends ended up on the top of a skyscraper gazing at the sky sprinkled with twinkling stars.

"I feel like a toddler. I don't remember doing this except that one time with my sister." Lucas spoke as they both laid on the ground.

"Lucky me. I used to do this with my mom when I couldn't sleep. She used to bring vanilla milkshakes up to the terrace and kept me company till I fell asleep."

"She sounds like a cool mom."

"She really was." Seven smiled faintly, "Do you know why stars appear in the same place, every night?"

"They do? I never noticed." Lucas raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"No, they don't. It appears as they do. The human eye can't detect the change in their position."

"Wow. Here I was thinking you were going to tell me some cheesy mythical story."

"Aww. Does little Lucas still need someone to read bedtime stories?" Seven pinched his cheeks. Lucas slapped her hands away.

"Bedtime stories? Huh, never read them before. I once asked my mom to read them to me. I got smacked on my face and with science books in my hands. I was nine. Mind you." Seven laughed and spoke.

"But don't you miss them?"

"You know I call my sister, every other day."

"Not Rachel. Your family. Your life before everything."

Lucas sighed. "Honestly, I miss the perks of being a rich kid. I miss girls falling at my feet. But I'm much happier this way."

"All thanks to me." Seven smirked.

"Sure, sure." Lucas chuckled.

"I haven't talked to Rachel in a long while." Seven sighed.

"Well, she got engaged recently and started her own hotel with my parent's help. She is too happy to miss you or me at the moment. Probably on a pre-honeymoon or whatever."

"You sound jealous." Seven smirked.

"That's 'cause maybe I am."

"I guess your jealousy is justifiable. I mean, she's so smart and you are just downright dumb. I wonder how you and Rachel are even siblings. Miracles do exist after all."

Lucas scoffed in disbelief and rested his body on his left elbow. "You say I'm dumb. But what does that make you?"

"A kind human who befriended you out of pity, duh."

"You are unbelievable!"

"Nah! You just don't have any wit. Like I said you are pretty dumb."

Lucas abruptly sat up and stared down at her with an evil glint.

"You better take that back."

"You wish."

The look was all it took for Seven to jump up to her feet before she took off, giggling. Lucas followed behind her as they both ran around the floor, chasing each other.

"Hey, slow down. You don't wanna worsen your injuries!"

Laughing felt weird to them after a long time. However, they both didn't stop. It was what they needed. His heart fell light as Lucas watched Seven's features brightened under the moonlight. At that moment something struck him. He never noticed how beautiful she had grown until then. He saw her in a new light for the first time and his heart skipped a beat like never before. His head wondered why.

"What are you fools doing out here?" A sleepy gruff voice caught their attention.

"Shit."

A stout man with a huge belly tucked in his barely fitting blue shirt walked forward, rubbing his sleepy eyes and scratching his clean bald head. Lucas and Seven, both gave each other a knowing look before taking off, down the tower with the guard chasing behind. They walked along the empty streets of the city, laughing and joking around like old times. Seven felt refreshed, she hid from reality even just for a moment.

"Holy s**t! It's 1.00 am already!"

"Good luck, looking like a Zombie tomorrow." Lucas cackled.