“We are leaving, Ava. Thank you for letting us sleep here.” I bent down to thank her. I also held Randle’s head, so he could thank Ava as well. It is better to teach him how to be grateful while he is young.
“Are you certain that’s all you’re going to bring?” she said, pointing to the bag she’d handed me. He gave me Turstin’s sports bag, and it was empty except for Randle’s clothing and the logbook bank Randall had given me.
I raised it to examine it, then grinned and tightened my grasp on it. That was on my other arm, as I was holding Randle on the right side. It’s almost time for bed. I decided to say my final goodbyes to them, as it was getting close to nightfall. I resolved to return to my mother’s province and live peacefully there. Not only that, but I can no longer claim anything that my parents left me because Archer and Aunt Helena took them forever.
“Yes. I don’t have any clothes to bring.”
After we talked about something else, Randle and I started walking. Ava wanted to ask Turstin to send us, but I was bothering her too much. So, I have not accepted his offer.
Since Ava and Turstin’s house is not as grand as Randall’s mansion, which still has guards, we could only walk a short distance to where the passing taxis were. Randle doesn’t ask me to lift him anymore either because he seems to notice that I’m having a bit of a hard time every time I carry him.
As we walked along the side of the road, we had a hard time stopping the taxi because apart from the infrequent passers -most of the passengers were on board. We stopped walking first and just waited for someone to stop in front of us. I saw Randle yawn and rub his eyes and look drowsy.
“Do you want to sleep, baby?” I looked at him, but he just shook his head. I could see that he seemed to want to close his eyes. Likewise, I would have picked him up when suddenly there was a taxi parked in front of us.
I wondered why the light inside the vehicle was off, but seeing Randle’s face, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him, so I quickly opened the cab and let him inside. Even when we were inside, the driver didn’t even turn on the light.
“Where are you going?” the question seemed strange to me. I recognize this voice, but I’m not sure who it belongs to because it appears to have been utilized by the voice changer.
I just disregarded it, since I would overthink it later. Randle fell asleep on my lap when he couldn’t stand the tiredness any longer and the cab was still stationary.
“Can you drop me at the ship transportation at the end of the city, where there is the fastest booking?” I tightened my grip on the bag to ask why the light was off. I couldn’t see anything because the streetlights were still off. “And … Why is your light off? Don’t you have any plans to open it?”
The taxi suddenly sped away. I was almost hit in my head because of that. Luckily, I immediately grabbed the handle.
“HEY! CAN YOU DRIVE SLOWLY? ” I couldn’t help but raise my voice at what he did.
*clack*
My pulse rate increased by a factor of two when the vehicle door unexpectedly latched. I attempted to open it by pressing anything, but even the window wouldn’t open. My spirit was already filled with nervousness, and I was swallowed up as well. Even with the air conditioner turned on, my heart was racing.
My eyes widened as the light turned on, and I noticed the driver’s eyes. Alex’s eyes sparkled as he locked his gaze on me. That was the last thing I recalled before a large amount of smoke erupted.
I attempted to keep my eyes open, but it was deliberately close.
—
When a needle pierced my body, I woke up. When I opened my eyes completely, I saw Alex, who had thrown away the injection he was holding earlier and then smiled at me broadly.
When I remembered what had happened, I promptly stood up to look for Randle. I was about to run out because I saw the iron door, but as I got close to it, I suddenly stumbled because of the chain on my foot. I was scared to look at it while Alex was smiling so far up into my eyes.
Am I just dreaming? I had to find Randle, but how could I do that if there was a chain attached to my foot? I looked around and saw that this room looked like an abandoned prison. I was still on my knees when Alex suddenly approached me.
“Winter, you need to rest here. Randle was just fine. Did you see what I stuck you with earlier? That is your medicine.” He was squatting in front of me now as he parted my hair.
I pushed him hard with all my force. “YOU ARE SICK! WHAT DID YOU GIVE TO MY BODY?!” I was scared looking at him. This isn’t the Alex I ever met. Why is he doing this to me? To all of us?
“WHERE IS RANDLE?!” I could hear my voice all over the room, but Alex looked around. The dark circles in his eyes heightened. His eyes were restless.
“Shhh!” He motioned for me to be quiet as I followed what he was looking at, but there was no one else but us. I found it too old as well. “They can hear you!” He turned around again, then fell suddenly when he backed away hastily. He covered his head as if someone had hit him on the head. He shook his head as I adjusted my seat.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” He did not remove the cover on his head. He hid his face on his knees, then hugged himself. I just watched him, see if he could see anything I couldn’t.
When he heard the chain because of my standing, he turned to me with a frightened face. He ran at me, so even I wanted to panic. He hugged me suddenly tightly.
“Winter, they will hurt me.”
I’m not sure what he’s saying, but I pushed him hard because I didn’t want our skin to stay together, but when I pushed him, he was like a crazy who abruptly altered his countenance and then laughed out loud. He makes a neck sound before angrily running at me and strangling me.
I clutched his hands, choking me since his power caused me to gasp in the air. I couldn’t get rid of the hand that was clutching my neck. He simply laughs nonstop and won’t let me go. He abruptly released me go when I closed my eyes since there was no oxygen coming into me.
* Cough* Cough* Cough*
I gasped, but his face changed. That was replaced by a worried expression, then knelt in front of me, hugged my knees, then began to cry.
“I am sorry, Winter. I am sorry, Winter. I love you so much.” He was just crying, while I still couldn’t stop coughing. To my surprise, he suddenly knelt even more and then licked my feet.
I dashed back to my bed, where I had awoken earlier. Despite failing, I attempted to return. I’m not familiar with this, Alex! I wouldn’t be shocked if he was the one who sent me a headless doll as well. My thoughts are no longer with him, but with Randle. I was concerned about what this person could have done because Randle and I had both ridden earlier.
Alex’s lips were still kissing the floor where my feet had been before. I winced when he suddenly licked the floor. I want to faint because of what he does. How does he do these things? Why didn’t I shortly notice that this is how he behaves?!
“Alex, please tell me where is my son.” I pressed my two palms together as if begging him to tell me where Randle was, large beads of tears streaming down my eyes. “I can’t cope when I lose my child,” I added, more to convince him.
He got up from the floor, stood beside me, then hugged me. I no longer resisted-afraid that he does not tell me where Randle was.
“He’s with his mommy and daddy.” He stroked my hair as if he was calming me down, but my eyes were getting bigger and my eyes were wondering what he said.
He ran where and picked up a black bag. When he approached me, he opened it and I was surprised at how many injections were there. This is not just a normal injection.
“This is what his mommy gave me, and he said it was also your medicine.” Alex was ecstatic as he showed me that.
Fuck you, Charlotte.
This is drugs. And I know he used these on Alex. From then until now. He used Alex.