Chapter Three
1375 Words
JANE'S POV::
I caught her eyes smiling with satisfaction.
"Get out of my bed", she commanded after loosening the chains in my hands and legs.
"This is for trying to snatch my boyfriend", she hissed.
I wriggled out of her bed and fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Walk out of my room," she ordered, laying heavy emphasis on 'walk'.
With the broken glass lined up like shoes on the sole of my feet, walking would be a death sentence, so I crawled my way out of her room fast, all the while writhing in pain.
"I said walk!," she growled.
I quickened the pace at which I crawled until I was out of her room. She walked up to me, shapeshifted and kicked me hard on my stomach. That had me flying into the air and landing on the first floor of the building. I remained motionless, I literally couldn't feel my body. Every part went numb.
I prayed to the goddess to send help my way. I prayed to my mother to help me this one time. Every bone in my body was broken and on fire.
Yet, I could still hear her footsteps descending the stairs. Apparently, she wasn't done with me yet.
I closed my eyes and thought of all the hardships Natalie and her friends have put me through.
One time at school, she'd stuck her foot in my mouth and asked me to scratch her toes with my teeth. I obeyed.
Then she shapeshifted into her wolf form and as her foot turned into paws, it choked me and had me retching. She and her group of friends laughed as she shoved it further down my throat. This triggered my gut and caused me to throw up on her leg. Natalie asked me to be brought a spoon and made me eat my vomit off her hairy leg while her friends kicked and mocked me.
My eyes flew open when I felt a shadow looming over me.
''You're not dead yet. Hmmm", I heard Natalie say and I instantly regretted not playing dead.
She gripped me by my hair and dragged me out the front door until we were out in the open.
"Walk. Or I'll make you run," she threatened.
Tears gushed down my face, I wish she'd just given up already. If she kept going on about it, I knew I would eventually comply.
"Please...", I begged, my voice barely above a whisper.
I didn't know what I was going to say, but I knew I was interrupted by a stone bumping into Natalie's head. Her shrill cry almost deafened me.
Simultaneously, we looked in the direction the stone came from and there was Sheldon, with a slingshot in hand.
My eyes widened in shock.
Sheldon was Aida's son. She had been mated to the love of her life and it had been a blissful union. That was until she had Sheldon who was crippled from birth.
Her husband had been greatly embarrassed by him and wanted them to send him off to an orphanage home. Aida blatantly refused and that led to the dissolution of their union.
His loss. Sheldon was such a sweet boy.
"No!," I gasped.
"Leave Jane alone," Sheldon bravely demanded.
Natalie stormed towards him, she picked him up by his bad legs and flung him in my direction.
It was when I caught him, with the hope of breaking his fall, that I realized I could still use my hands.
Sheldon tightened his eyes shut, his face scrunched up in pain. All of a sudden, with a loud wail, he burst into tears, seeking comfort and solace from the sudden shock and discomfort.
Natalie marched towards us, but, as if on second thought, she turned back and walked away.
"Sheldon! I'm so sorry. You should never have done that, Shel. Don't get into trouble with Natalie because of me,", I rocked him gently with the intention of consoling him.
''I watched as she threw you from upstairs. I thought you were going to die," Sheldon cried, vibrating furiously.
I couldn't hold back my tears as I wept too.
I would rather die than watch Natalie hurt this sweet lad.
''Aunt Jane is very strong. See? I'm alive. You should never have done that to Aunt Natalie''.
Sheldon noticed the broken glasses under my feet, and he tried to pull one out. I groaned as he fumbled with it. He left that one and moved to another, which he successfully pulled out. It, however, pricked his tiny hands.
"I hate her. All she ever does is hurt you. Why does she hate you so much? You're not a bad person. You're very kind. Doesn't she know this?"
"I don't know...what to say, Sheldon."
''Let me go and tell her that. I will give her my ring if she promises to stop hurting you.''
The ring was his most treasured item. It was a glow-in-the-dark ring, a very-priced item. His dad had proposed to Aida with it and Aida had given it to him. It was how Sheldon intended to find his father when he grew older. Aida never told him that his dad didn't want him.
Sheldon crawled back to his wheelchair, all the while crying and wiping his face with his hands.
He was about to mount his wheelchair when I saw his face turn white with fear.
I followed his gaze and saw that Natalie had brought out her fiery dogs.
They displayed ferocious eagerness, their muscled features restlessly straining against the leash, eyes fixed on Sheldon yearning to chase him down, their tails wagging furiously as if in a silent plea for Natalie to let them go.
I looked up at her face early enough to read her lips as she formed the word "fetch".
She released their leashes to set the dogs loose, and I watched them charge at Sheldon at full speed.
The pitbulls were really aggressive and brutal. They would not stop under anyone's command until they have successfully torn him apart. And I would be next.
That's the son of my best friend.
On no account could I allow Sheldon to lose his life on my account. It would break me completely.
I needed to protect him. He was always trying to protect me. Now, it's my turn.
So, without second guessing my decision, I jumped to my feet and made a run for it, knowing that that would interest the dogs even more, since they loved the game of chase.
They would see me as the target and then just chase me.
And true to my thoughts, they swerved away from his direction and charged at me at full throttle.
Every glass that Natalie had laid under my sole made an agonizing entry into my leg with every step that landed on the earth.
I felt a maddening pain course through my body.
It was like a relentless surge, gripping my entire being in a viselike hold, every nerve screaming in protest.
The all-encompassing torment overwhelmed my senses, waging war against adrenaline, demanding my full attention and leaving me utterly drained.
Until I knew I could take it no more.
I fell to the ground and the dogs pounced on me. In no time, they had stripped me of my clothes. I could see their fangs ready to sink into my skin. But, they abruptly halted. They began to whimper shakily as I felt a presence tower above us.
The dogs took to their heels in the opposite direction and I saw Natalie fall on her knees and bury her face on the earth.
My entire skin crawled faster than a snake, causing me goosebumps the size of a stubborn pimple as I lifted my eyes to catch a glimpse of the creature responsible for oozing the aura of intense dominance and fear. My eyes came into direct contact with a pair of dark, intimidating eyes ablaze with fierce interestedness.
I knew I should look away and bow at his feet like Natalie and the other maids did, but I couldn't bring myself to tear off my gaze.
Not even when large, scary, deadly claws slowly made their way out of his fingers.
- Writer
