My eyes widened, my breath became shallow and my blood turned cold as I saw him. I could feel beads of precipitation forming on my forehead, as my heart shivered in my chest out of fear.
How did he get here?
He was not going to return home tonight and I escaped the guards. How did he come to know about my escape?
How had he know that I would be on this bus only?
So Many questions through my head and I couldn’t answer any of them. I just wanted to disappear before he could see me.
My eyes moved around, looking for any escape and the only thing I could see was the tightly shut window. My ears turned bright red with anticipation and it seemed like my heart would come out of my chest.
My heart raced even faster if possible and my breath caught in my throat as his men parted to make way for him, allowing Ansell to step forward in his full form, demanding authority and submission.
His aura was so dark and dominating that I could see a small baby hiding his face in his father’s chest as if he had seen some bad man about whom his mother must be telling stories to make him eat food. Not only he but all the passengers became quiet and I could feel fear in them.
My Ansell was never like this.
He always used to spread happiness whenever he went.
Why have you changed so much?
As his eyes moved over the passengers a shiver ran down my spine, rekindling memories of captivity and fear. I am sure he was looking for me. The mere thought of him recapturing me and dragging me back to that suffocating house filled me with a paralyzing panic.
And am not sure what he would do to me this time.
When his eyes moved to my side of the seat, I panicked and instinctively shrank back into my seat, with the urgent need to evade his gaze.
My palm fisted my shirt tightly as I squeezed my eyes shut as if shutting out the world would shield me from his presence, and I turned my head in the direction of the window, praying, using my hair to cover my face continuously for him not to see me and just mind his own business.
My heart pounded hard in my chest at the danger that was lurking around me. I have never been so scared of anyone before. I could feel my heart heaving up and down with every breath I took. My hold on my T-shirt was so tight that I am sure my knuckles must have turned white.
All I wanted was to disappear from this bus or for this seat to swallow me. For these few moments of liberty, I thought that my luck was on my side and that finally God had shown some mercy on me but I was wrong, so wrong. Stars left my side the day he stepped into my life.
While I was sitting there like a statue, I felt like time slowed down. Every second felt so heavy and I wanted him to leave the bus thinking that I was not here.
My body froze in place when I felt hot breath fanning my skin, making the hair of my nap stand up in react. I dared not open my eyes or turn my head, my heart pounding wildly in my chest, anticipating the worst. My hold on my T-shirt tightened even more.
“Going somewhere, Tereso?”
My breath caught in my throat when I heard his voice which was dripping with dominance and a promise of punishment.
My whole body shook as I struggled to breathe. With my closed eyes, I could see my future, which was as dark as it was now, and my every instinct screaming at me to flee.
Though his voice was calm, I could hear the anger behind it. A storm is brewing inside him which wants to consume me. He had caught me and my brain raced with the possible punishment he could give me.
He could do anything.
He could even cut my legs for this small act I have committed.
My body trembled but I tried my best to keep my face away from him, waiting for some miracle to happen. Suddenly I felt his fingers softly grazing my jeans but I ignored it because I was too scared to make any move and look into his eyes.
“Look at me, Teredo, you have been caught” his whispered words sent a shiver down my spine, his lips grazing my skin with a chilling intensity that made it crawl.
His proximity felt suffocating. My heart raced, and a sense of dread intensified as his voice seeped into my senses, each word dripping with venom. I was so scared that I wanted to throw up all the contents of my stomach.
“Your game is over”
The rush of panic that had been building inside me reached its peak, my mind racing in frantic desperation and I did come to my head first.
“Help” I shouted when I couldn’t come up with any other plan.
“Help me!” I shouted, my voice coming out desperate, “This man, this man is harassing me”
Suddenly, his touch, his breath, and the warmth that his body was emanating were gone. I released a deep breath and slowly my eyes opened, the grip on my clothes loosened and I looked straight when I was sure that he was standing instead of leaning over me.
My heart was still thumping loudly in my chest. His men were looking at me as if I were a small kid who just done something endearing. While I hoped someone would come for my help, no one did.
“Wish! A thief is accusing me of harassment. Wow!” Ansell spoke, cutting through the silence that followed my words. His voice dripped with sarcasm, and I felt a knot tighten in my stomach.
The situation was now getting out of my control and I struggled to make sense of his accusation.
Thief?
Confusion gripped me as I heard his words. Is he even thinking about what he is saying?
“This girl has stolen my 5$ million ring and now she is escaping with it and now that I have caught her, she is accusing me of harassment” the allegation hit me so hard that I was left speechless and angry.
Seriously?
How could he say anything that comes to his head?
I didn’t even take a single penny before leaving his house and he is saying that I have stolen his ring and that it is too expensive.
“I haven’t done anything! This man is lying” I kept my words with confidence.
I am sure that I haven’t stolen anything from him and he is making stories to again the sympathy of the people and make me evil in their eyes so that he could take me away from here without any problem. But I shouldn’t when I haven’t done anything.
“Then why are you scarred?” He asked, turning his head to me, “You are pale and shivering like a leaf, as if you have been caught” his voice dripping with mockery, his eyes shining with amusement.
“I am scared because you are harassing me!” I shouted, and my words reverberated through the bus. “You were touching me where you shouldn’t be”
I could see his jaw twitching. He did not like the allegations I was making against him but he deserves every bit of it. He is actually like that. He has touched my body inappropriately in the past, too, without my consent.
“Ok, so you haven’t stolen my ring. Right?” He asked, turning his attention to me.
“I will leave you if don’t get anything”
He turned to a nearby woman. “Check her pockets” he ordered her.
“Huh?” She was a bit taken aback by the sudden order.
“Check her pockets!” He said it sternly, repeating his words which he didn’t like.
She nodded and came to me.
I was glad that he said he would leave me if he didn’t find anything with me. I am sure that I haven’t stolen anything from him so there is no need me to get scared. Just this checking and he will leave me.
I stood up and the woman to whom he assigned the task started checking my pockets. I was waiting for her to announce that there was nothing in my pocket. She checked my pocket and pulled out her hand, empty. A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips but that vanished soon when she took out the ring from the other pocket.
My eyes widened, my jaw dropped, and a gasp escaped my lips. I froze in my place for a second and it seemed like the floor had shifted below me
How did the ring come here in the first place?
And now how am I supposed to save myself from him?
I could feel tears pricking my eyes as I saw all my hopes of fleeing away from him shattering in front of my eyes.