The World Below - Chapter 4
She runs from the wedding, but can she get away?
Chapter 4
Dark clouds slowly rolled in, pushing away the bright and sunny blue sky and yet I refused to stop running. Sweat poured down my body and I was almost completely out of breath, but that couldn’t stop me. I needed to get as far away from that wedding as possible. I didn’t even want to think about the possibilities if my parents found me. I was in huge trouble and I knew it. I also knew that my parents loved to have things their own way and if things didn’t go according to their will, the beast in them always came alive.
Heavy raindrops began to fall and soaked me in the process. I probably looked scary in my soaked and now dirty wedding dress, mud-covered bare feet and smudged makeup, but I couldn’t let that stop me. Why should I care about what anyone thought of me? Freedom was what I wanted, right? It was by far more important that I was hidden than what people thought of my appearance and it was getting darker by the second anyway.
Soon, outside was pitched black and I found it difficult to see where I was going without a light. I knew that I should have probably stopped somewhere to wait until I could see clearly again, but I couldn’t. Fear of my parents’ raft was enough to keep me going.
All running soon came to an end when my foot got trapped in something and I fell. Lying flat on the wet and muddy ground, my body ached from the fall. The clouds continued to shoot me with bullets of rain which blended with the tears that began to roll down my cheeks. Curling myself into a painful ball, I bit down on my lips and tried to bear the intense pain that ran throughout the lower part of my body, but I couldn’t. That was when I realized that I was completely helpless and all alone.
Everything in my life had suddenly turned for the worse. Life is supposed to be worth living at eighteen, I’ve heard people say, but that was bullshit. Ever since I turned eighteen, the devil had been playing with my life. I was sold to a stranger, almost raped by my dad and left alone in the rain to die. Maybe that was what I needed. Death. Death seemed to have been the only solution to all of my problems. Maybe then I would be happy.
I tried to make it to my feet as I saw a light coming towards me, but the pain made it impossible. Before I could stand upright, a sharp pain shot through me, causing me to fall face first into the mud. As I laid there unable to move, I prayed that my life would come to an end. I wanted to be taken away from the struggles and to live a happy life.
I was in the middle of my praying when I felt strong arms around me. Screaming at the top of my lungs, I tried to fight the person, but I felt too week and I was in too much pain to do so. Hating the idea of surrendering, I continued to scream hoping that the person would leave me, but instead the person covered my mouth.
"Shhh," The person said. "Not so much noise Lizie. Please let me help you, what’s wrong?"
I shuttered at the sound of Matthew’s voice. Why was he here? I wanted to know. Why would he even care to help me after what happened earlier. "I’m fine," I said as I fought to sound normal, but the pain in my voice betrayed me.
"No you’re not Liz," he said. "You’re bleeding. I need to get you a doctor. Please allow me to at least do that."
"I don’t need a doctor," I said between clenched teeth. "I’m fine. Really."
"If you say so. Why are you lying on the ground bleeding then?" He asked.
"I don’t know," I said quite stupidly. "Maybe you’re seeing things, just let me go."
Matthew cradled me close to his chest as he took out his cellular phone. "I’d leave you when I know for sure that you’re fine." He said. "You hurt me today in front of all my friends and family, but even though it pains me like hell and I hate what you did, I just can’t seem to find it within me to just walk away knowing that you need help."
More tears began to roll down my cheeks at the sound of Matthew’s words. Was I really being inconsiderate by only caring about how I felt? Had I done things the wrong way? Had I gone over-board? Why is it that the nicest of us always have to be the ones to suffer the most pain?
"Now listen," Matthew said after he quickly made his call for an ambulance. "I know this might feel weird and very strange considering what happened, but I just wanted to let you know that I’m very sorry… I had no idea…"
"I know," I cut him off. "It was all my parents’ fault."
"I would have never gone through with it if I knew… Your parents really shouldn’t have…" He started to say, but I cut him off again.
"If you’re really sorry, I need you to do me a favor."
Matthew looked confused and unsure. "Sure… what?"
"I need to get away from my parents. I honestly can’t take it anymore," I sniffed as I tried to control my tears.
"Ok, I understand, so what’s the plan? How can I help you?" He asked still looking a bit confused.
"I want you to help me escape without them finding out," I said between sharp breaths as the pain cut through my body.
"Ok, ok, ok," he said as he held me closer. "Relax, we’d discuss this when you’re all better. Let’s just take it easy for now."
Just then, the sound of an ambulance’s siren was heard and the lights of the vehicle lit the dark street. The rest of the night went slowly and never once did Matthew leave my side. He was there when I received my stitches for the deep wound on my face and he stood by me as the doctors tended with my broken arm and leg. Even though all of this treatment was surprising and new to me, what really shocked me was when he signed as my husband.
It sickened me to think that he really was my husband and I was his wife, but the truth of the matter was that we were really married. I knew that I would never be able to be the wife that he really needed or love him like a wife should, but there was nothing I could do about the situation. One part of me wanted to disappear and reappear in a place where my entire life would be changed for the better, but another strange part of me told me that my life with him would be better. I tried to ignore the part of me that thought that he could change my life and concentrate on hating him and my parents, but I couldn’t. I already loved the way he looked at me; the way he held me; the way he stood by my side. I’ve never had anyone who made me feel as humanly as he made me feel and I loved it.
"Ok," the doctor’s voice sounded and I was pulled away from my thoughts. "We can let her go now, but you must make sure that she stays put for a while. Never let her attempt to use that leg or her hand or else it would slow down the recovery process. Bring her back to me in a week so that I can see her progress. I would recommend that she uses a wheelchair for the meanwhile since her broken arm wouldn’t allow her to use a crutch. You may wait there while I get the guys to bring a wheelchair for you."
When the doctor left the room, Matthew got out of the chair he was sitting in to walk over to my bed. Holding my good hand, he looked at me as if, about to speak, but looked away as if uncertain about what he was going to say.
"What is it?" I asked, but before he even answered, I knew exactly what he wanted to say. He was about to ask me where I’m about to go from here.
"Nothing really," he began to say. "I was just wondering, should I take you to my house? Or…?"
I stared at the ceiling for a while, praying that the correct answer would somehow pop into my mind. I needed to make a decision and I needed to do it quickly.
"I mean I can take you to my house and take care of you until you feel better. When you can take care of yourself again, then we can decide what you should do." He said before adding quickly, "No strings attached. You don’t have to share my room or anything. You don’t even have to be called my wife if you don’t wish to; we can just let this be like a friend helping out a friend in need."
One part of me wanted to slap him for even suggesting it, while another part of me rejoiced at the idea. I kind of liked the idea of seeing his handsome face every day and being held by him, but I was not about to be anyone’s wife.
"Ok…" I sighed after a while. "I guess we can give it a try. I have nowhere else to go anyway."
"Nice," Matthew said as he brushed back the hair that fell out of place in my mad rush. "I’d call my friend to pick us up now so we can go to my house. In the morning, we’d start over as friends."
*******************************************************
Thank you very much to those who commented. Please keep commenting people. You're my only inspiration at this point. I need to know what you think about the story.
Dark clouds slowly rolled in, pushing away the bright and sunny blue sky and yet I refused to stop running. Sweat poured down my body and I was almost completely out of breath, but that couldn’t stop me. I needed to get as far away from that wedding as possible. I didn’t even want to think about the possibilities if my parents found me. I was in huge trouble and I knew it. I also knew that my parents loved to have things their own way and if things didn’t go according to their will, the beast in them always came alive.
Heavy raindrops began to fall and soaked me in the process. I probably looked scary in my soaked and now dirty wedding dress, mud-covered bare feet and smudged makeup, but I couldn’t let that stop me. Why should I care about what anyone thought of me? Freedom was what I wanted, right? It was by far more important that I was hidden than what people thought of my appearance and it was getting darker by the second anyway.
Soon, outside was pitched black and I found it difficult to see where I was going without a light. I knew that I should have probably stopped somewhere to wait until I could see clearly again, but I couldn’t. Fear of my parents’ raft was enough to keep me going.
All running soon came to an end when my foot got trapped in something and I fell. Lying flat on the wet and muddy ground, my body ached from the fall. The clouds continued to shoot me with bullets of rain which blended with the tears that began to roll down my cheeks. Curling myself into a painful ball, I bit down on my lips and tried to bear the intense pain that ran throughout the lower part of my body, but I couldn’t. That was when I realized that I was completely helpless and all alone.
Everything in my life had suddenly turned for the worse. Life is supposed to be worth living at eighteen, I’ve heard people say, but that was bullshit. Ever since I turned eighteen, the devil had been playing with my life. I was sold to a stranger, almost raped by my dad and left alone in the rain to die. Maybe that was what I needed. Death. Death seemed to have been the only solution to all of my problems. Maybe then I would be happy.
I tried to make it to my feet as I saw a light coming towards me, but the pain made it impossible. Before I could stand upright, a sharp pain shot through me, causing me to fall face first into the mud. As I laid there unable to move, I prayed that my life would come to an end. I wanted to be taken away from the struggles and to live a happy life.
I was in the middle of my praying when I felt strong arms around me. Screaming at the top of my lungs, I tried to fight the person, but I felt too week and I was in too much pain to do so. Hating the idea of surrendering, I continued to scream hoping that the person would leave me, but instead the person covered my mouth.
"Shhh," The person said. "Not so much noise Lizie. Please let me help you, what’s wrong?"
I shuttered at the sound of Matthew’s voice. Why was he here? I wanted to know. Why would he even care to help me after what happened earlier. "I’m fine," I said as I fought to sound normal, but the pain in my voice betrayed me.
"No you’re not Liz," he said. "You’re bleeding. I need to get you a doctor. Please allow me to at least do that."
"I don’t need a doctor," I said between clenched teeth. "I’m fine. Really."
"If you say so. Why are you lying on the ground bleeding then?" He asked.
"I don’t know," I said quite stupidly. "Maybe you’re seeing things, just let me go."
Matthew cradled me close to his chest as he took out his cellular phone. "I’d leave you when I know for sure that you’re fine." He said. "You hurt me today in front of all my friends and family, but even though it pains me like hell and I hate what you did, I just can’t seem to find it within me to just walk away knowing that you need help."
More tears began to roll down my cheeks at the sound of Matthew’s words. Was I really being inconsiderate by only caring about how I felt? Had I done things the wrong way? Had I gone over-board? Why is it that the nicest of us always have to be the ones to suffer the most pain?
"Now listen," Matthew said after he quickly made his call for an ambulance. "I know this might feel weird and very strange considering what happened, but I just wanted to let you know that I’m very sorry… I had no idea…"
"I know," I cut him off. "It was all my parents’ fault."
"I would have never gone through with it if I knew… Your parents really shouldn’t have…" He started to say, but I cut him off again.
"If you’re really sorry, I need you to do me a favor."
Matthew looked confused and unsure. "Sure… what?"
"I need to get away from my parents. I honestly can’t take it anymore," I sniffed as I tried to control my tears.
"Ok, I understand, so what’s the plan? How can I help you?" He asked still looking a bit confused.
"I want you to help me escape without them finding out," I said between sharp breaths as the pain cut through my body.
"Ok, ok, ok," he said as he held me closer. "Relax, we’d discuss this when you’re all better. Let’s just take it easy for now."
Just then, the sound of an ambulance’s siren was heard and the lights of the vehicle lit the dark street. The rest of the night went slowly and never once did Matthew leave my side. He was there when I received my stitches for the deep wound on my face and he stood by me as the doctors tended with my broken arm and leg. Even though all of this treatment was surprising and new to me, what really shocked me was when he signed as my husband.
It sickened me to think that he really was my husband and I was his wife, but the truth of the matter was that we were really married. I knew that I would never be able to be the wife that he really needed or love him like a wife should, but there was nothing I could do about the situation. One part of me wanted to disappear and reappear in a place where my entire life would be changed for the better, but another strange part of me told me that my life with him would be better. I tried to ignore the part of me that thought that he could change my life and concentrate on hating him and my parents, but I couldn’t. I already loved the way he looked at me; the way he held me; the way he stood by my side. I’ve never had anyone who made me feel as humanly as he made me feel and I loved it.
"Ok," the doctor’s voice sounded and I was pulled away from my thoughts. "We can let her go now, but you must make sure that she stays put for a while. Never let her attempt to use that leg or her hand or else it would slow down the recovery process. Bring her back to me in a week so that I can see her progress. I would recommend that she uses a wheelchair for the meanwhile since her broken arm wouldn’t allow her to use a crutch. You may wait there while I get the guys to bring a wheelchair for you."
When the doctor left the room, Matthew got out of the chair he was sitting in to walk over to my bed. Holding my good hand, he looked at me as if, about to speak, but looked away as if uncertain about what he was going to say.
"What is it?" I asked, but before he even answered, I knew exactly what he wanted to say. He was about to ask me where I’m about to go from here.
"Nothing really," he began to say. "I was just wondering, should I take you to my house? Or…?"
I stared at the ceiling for a while, praying that the correct answer would somehow pop into my mind. I needed to make a decision and I needed to do it quickly.
"I mean I can take you to my house and take care of you until you feel better. When you can take care of yourself again, then we can decide what you should do." He said before adding quickly, "No strings attached. You don’t have to share my room or anything. You don’t even have to be called my wife if you don’t wish to; we can just let this be like a friend helping out a friend in need."
One part of me wanted to slap him for even suggesting it, while another part of me rejoiced at the idea. I kind of liked the idea of seeing his handsome face every day and being held by him, but I was not about to be anyone’s wife.
"Ok…" I sighed after a while. "I guess we can give it a try. I have nowhere else to go anyway."
"Nice," Matthew said as he brushed back the hair that fell out of place in my mad rush. "I’d call my friend to pick us up now so we can go to my house. In the morning, we’d start over as friends."
*******************************************************
Thank you very much to those who commented. Please keep commenting people. You're my only inspiration at this point. I need to know what you think about the story.
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