This time, I was even more taken aback by seeing what was inside.
‘WHAT THE HELL!’
The huge box was overflowing with gigantic shining silver-colored chains.
“Is this real silver? Why do they have chains and not silver bars?” I looked confusedly at them.
I went ahead and picked up one of the chains.
“AHH!” scream left my mouth when my entire layer of skin which touched the metal was burned and blood started to flow.
“Rosey?” I heard Oliver’s voice from behind.
He suddenly pulled me behind which resulted in the chain dropping from my hand.
“Ahh! It hurts” tears left my eyes as the pain was unbearable.
I was stunned at how my hand could burn and tear apart just by touching a pair of normal chains.
‘Did these crazy bitches apply acid on it?’
‘Or am I allergic to silver?’
If I am not wrong, it felt like those chains were digging into my flesh.
As I was completely immersed in my train of thoughts and didn’t move for a while, Oliver held me in his arms and gently kept me on the bed.
“Wait here, I will be back,” he said while cupping my face and I nodded in reply.
Within a fraction of a second, he came back with a tube in his hand. He gently held my arm and applied the ointment on my burnt hand.
When he was done with applying on both of my hands, he removed a pair of gloves, wore it, and held the chains. He kept it inside, closed the box as it was before, and moved towards me.
He sat on his knees in front of me while keeping his on each side of me.
“Are you okay?” He asked with his face full of concern and I again nodded in reply.
“Why did you open it when ‘DO NOT TOUCH’ was written on bold on the top it?” asked Oliver with narrowed eyes.
I realized what I did. I should have removed that paper from the box.
‘Like he hasn’t seen the box in his own house!’ I rolled my eyes at my own stupidity.
“You know me, Oliver. I had to” I replied looking anywhere but him.
“Rosey… When will you grow up?” Oliver asked with a small chuckle.
“Maybe never?” I said with a small laugh but suddenly, a thought crossed my brain,
“By the way, why did you come here in such a hurry?” I asked in confusion.
“Oh, I..? Yes!” Oliver said and looked at me directly in the eye.
I felt a bit nervous as he was directly looking at me while sitting so close.
“How could they give this room to you? Did they not know what happened here thirteen years ago? I am not going to leave them this time. This is absurd!” Oliver nearly growled while getting up and rushing towards the door.
I held his hand in order to stop him. He turned towards me and his expression eased.
“Wait, Oliver!”
“Why? You have no idea how scared I was that day when I couldn’t find you anywhere!” Oliver said aggressively while moving towards me and I was unknowingly moving back.
“I looked for you everywhere, this entire house, forest, near lake! For hours, I was looking for you like a madman! For a moment, I thought I lost you” Oliver added while holding my shoulders gently yet firmly.
I was speechless. I didn’t know how to react. I was just looking at him. His eyes were holding emotions I couldn’t read. One of his hands came in contact with the side of my face, holding my cheek gently.
“I only avoided this bloody basement because I thought you were scared of this place, and will never think about coming here. I still curse myself for it. I should have come sooner” He said under his breath. His face was full of regret.
The way he was looking at me was making me shiver. Our eyes were locked with each other.
“Do you know who did it?” I asked the first thing that came to my mind in order to change the topic.
“I still don’t know who did it but once I know, I will make sure that person pays for it” he replied, his voice laced with anger.
“Hmm” I nodded and looked away.
‘You have no idea what I will do’ I thought.
“Don’t worry. This time, I won’t let them hurt you. I will stand for you” Oliver said while holding my hand.
“Ahh” left my mouth as he touched my burned skin.
“I am so sorry” he said, but I knew that his sorry was not only related to touching my burnt hand but also to the incident that happened years ago.
“It’s okay, Oliver. You stood for me before too. My father told me you were the one who found me last time” I replied while keeping patting my hand gently on his shoulder.
He just closed his eyes and took a deep sigh.
“I will just go and talk to my mother. I won’t let you stay here again” He replied in anger.
“No need, Oliver. I kind of like it here” I said honestly.
“Are you out of your senses, Rose? You passed out here!” Oliver said almost hyperventilating.
He called me ‘Rose’? He never calls me Rose. It’s always Rosey. He is really serious this time.
“I know but it is different this time. Previously, I was a kid who was scared of this dark, scary room. Right now, I am a medical student who eats lunch at a morgue, sometimes even when a corpse is lying on the next table. Things have changed. I have changed! I am not scared of this room anymore” I replied with a reassuring smile.
“You eat in the morgue? What a creepy woman!” Oliver said looking at me with a weird look.
“That’s the only thing you noticed in my statement?” I asked with an eye roll.
“It was hard to miss” He pointed out and I couldn’t help but agree.
“Are you sure you want to stay here? Rosey, I can talk to….” Oliver didn’t get to complete his statement as I heard another familiar angry male voice.
“ROSE! HOW DARE THEY PUT YOU IN THIS FIREY PIT???” Mark shouted from the top of his lungs while entering the room with the speed of light.
“Music to my ears” I replied with a sarcastic smile while covering my ears with my hands.
“It’s not the time to joke around!” Mark said breathing fire from his nose.
“Then why the hell you are shouting, b*tch? I am not deaf!” I replied showing the same amount of anger.
“You shouldn’t stay here, Rose! You can…” before Mark would start blabbering the same speech I cut him off.
“Both of you, listen to me carefully. I am fine here. The incident took place bloody thirteen years ago, I was ten then. I am a grown-up now. I can take care of myself. I am not scared anymore!” I said looking at Mark and then Oliver confidently.
“On the other hand, it is better that I stay here, so I don’t have to meet everyone every time I step out of the room. As both of you know me so well that I hate everyone here except for you guys” I said while pointing towards Oliver and both of them nodded in understanding.
“The point is, I can stay here comfortably without needing to meet and greet everyone with a fake smile like a f*cking air hostess and you both can come here to meet me at any time. What do you think?” I replied, pouring all my frustration into my statement.
“Well, you do have a point” Mark nodded in understanding.
“Mark!” Oliver shouted in disappointment.
“See even dumb Mark can understand this” I pointed out proudly.
“Excuse me!” Mark said with an arched eyebrow.
Ignoring Mark like an unwanted stone in my way, I turned towards Oliver, “I am happy this way”
“She called me dumb!” Mark pointed an accusing finger at me.
“Are you sure, seriously?” Oliver asked with a defeated expression while facing me completely.
“Hello? I am here too!” Mark waved his hands in front of our faces but both of us ignored him again. Pathetic stone, I tell you!
“Yeah, trust me this time” I replied with a nod.
“Okay” He nodded back.
Suddenly, Mark’s eyes fell on my hand and he again shouted like a banshee in a concerned tone of-course,
“WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOUR HANDS?”