Sacrifice

Joana's POV 3

He had finally been able to crawl back into my head after trying to shut him out for the past nine years. Just when I thought my life was getting better.

I stood in the kitchen trying to prepare a meal which I would take to the hospital to see mom. At least today was my day off, and I had all the time to myself. I was happy that I was going to see mom, but at the same time I was scared.

He showed up at my workplace three days ago and, ever since then, I have not seen him again. I don’t know if I should be happy or sad, but the feeling was just there. He was watching me. What was he up to? Why did he have to show up now?

“Joana…... Joana” Claire called out to me, dragging me out of my thoughts.

“Yes”

“What’s wrong? "You have been behaving off these past few days?” worry laced in her voice, but I could not just bring myself to tell her. If I did, I would be making her worried and she had done enough for me and mom for the past few years.

“It’s nothing at all” I said, trying to brush off the guilt of having to lie to her.

“Joana, I have been your friend for years and know that something is wrong with you, but if you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine. You must know that I too have feelings and I can be hurt sometimes.”

Being unreasonable was the word to describe what I was doing, but I want to believe that it’s for the best. I don’t want her to worry about me. I wanted to tell her everything, right from the dream to seeing my father, but I just could not bring myself to do it.

“It is actually nothing serious, Claire” I said with a straight-line smile that I forced on my face, trying to act all strong and happy, but deep down I was troubled, and I just wanted to cry.

“Fine. I am heading out to get groceries”. She didn’t even return my smile before she left. She knew I was faking it, but what could I do? I just couldn’t help it.

```

The journey to the hospital seemed never ending, and I just had a very bad feeling about it. Everybody around me seemed very suspicious, and I just couldn’t help it, it was all part of me. My fears were becoming a barrier to my sense of reasoning.

Finally, I arrived at the hospital, looking at the building that had taken everything that I have ever worked for in my entire life and I knew that it was still going to take more. I heaved a heavy sigh as I finally made my way into the building.

Everywhere seemed busier than usual, and I did find it weird, but what can I say, it was a hospital. I greeted the receptionist as I made my way to my mother’s room. The door was open when I got there. My mind went out to find reasons as to why my mother’s room door should be open. Maybe a nurse just finished giving her medications.

This excuse was enough to calm my heart, which was already pounding directly on my ribcage, but nothing happened, it was still there. I finally mustered up the courage and went into the room. The room was neat but the bed…it was empty, and the sheets were rumpled. That was enough evidence to jump to conclusion but I still chose not to believe. He could not have come after her. Could he?

Maybe she could be in the bathroom, I said to myself, and I had the tiniest bit of hope that she was going to be there, but it was all shattered the moment that I opened those doors. There was no single trace of my mother in her own hospital room. My mom would not just leave her room without me, she was always in her room.

I went back into the room to maybe search for her, or maybe I believed that I could probably see her there. I must have missed her while going to check the bathroom, but she was not there. There was a note in her bedside drawer which I found very odd, and I made my way to get it.

“c***k!!... I think I stepped on something and when I looked down to see what it was, it was her favorite and precious item. It was then that it dawned on me, he had taken her away from me. My vision was blurred by tears which had refused to flow. They were just stuck there.

I held the piece of paper in my hands, but I could not just bring myself to open it. I didn’t know what awaited me on that piece of paper, but I believe that it was enough to make me bleed.

She’s with me, and you know who I am.

Call this number if you want her body.

+1********

I needed no one to tell me that my own doom was starting right in front of me. How on earth was he able to locate mom? Mom was just getting better, and he was heartless enough to stop the treatment just to make sure he could get to me; he should have just taken me instead of her.

Courage and strength were the last thing I could ever get; I was so weak down to my legs that even walking became a task for me. I don’t know how I managed to leave that hospital room without fainting or how I am still managing to walk, but one thing that I was sure of is that I was walking, unconscious of my environment or what was happening around me.

My vision was already blurred, and I looked a lot like my problem or even worse, but I could not care a bit. The only thing which has kept me together for the past few years has been taken away from me by the same man whose sperm brought about my existence.

The hall was quiet, very different from the one I took when I was going to my mom’s room, but I didn’t have the space to think about the reason as to why the hall was quiet. The only thing on my mind was my mom and I had to prepare my mind mentally to do whatever just to make sure that she was safe.

Thump!!!! That collision was strong enough to bring me back to reality. The pair of shoes that met my eyes and the aura that dominated the hallway was enough to tell me that I had messed up. Can today be any worse? I looked up only to meet a pair of dark eyes that held nothing but bitterness. He looked like he was ready to kill me. Surprisingly, death is something that I have been wishing for the past three days.

It was better to leave his sight than to talk. I retraced my steps backwards, bowing my head down in a very apologetic manner, which was enough to tell someone that I was apologizing. I was so ready to leave but….

He held onto the collar of my top and dragged it back like a thief who was about to run away. I let out a sigh with frustration laced in, which was enough to send a message across that I had no time to spare.

“And where do you think you are going?” as much as I expected, his voice held nothing, no pain, no care, no humanity, nothing at all. At least, it was better than my dad’s. It was void but I could sense his power. It was at that moment that I decided to look at my surroundings. The men behind him looked like cowards with their heads bent, looking like people that were ready to run away. There was no single soul walking in the hallway except me.

This is trouble.