Michael slowly opened his eyes and sat up in the bed. For a moment he couldn't figure out where he was but then the pain in the side of his head brought everything back. He turns his head slowly and looks at the clock on the bedside table. It read 4:30 am. He flexes his muscles for a few minutes before reaching for the television remote.
He switched it on and aimlessly began flipping through the channels. He had flipped through a number of them when he came upon one with people working out. He watched their movements for a while before getting up and going to the bathroom, after he was finished freshening up he returned to the room.
He then moved the two tables and chairs from the centre of the room to the side of the room where Liah was, after clearing a big enough space he began working out with the people on the television.
Half an hour in and his muscles were burning so badly he had to stop. Surprisingly he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins but his injured muscles weren't able to keep up. Deciding to take a break, he sat on the floor, folded his legs in front of him and took a few deep breaths.
***
Liah woke up full of energy and excitement, yes she was still worried about Michael but thanks to him she was free and able to return to her normal life. She jumped out of bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower, she couldn't wait to see David.
After her shower she got dressed, told her mother where she was going and ran out the door. She was halfway to David's house when she saw him coming towards her. She ran to him, wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her.
"Liah! Oh my God, you're free, he finally let you go." David said in disbelief. "I missed you so much." She whispers in his ear. "I miss you too." He said pulling her off him and holding her at arm's length, turning her this way and that.
"I can't believe you're here, when did he release you?" "Last night." "How did you get home?" "My brother took me home." "Did your brother plead with him to let you go?" "No, the man I was caring for, he was the one that made Razor release me and he was hurt because of it."
"Hurt, as in, shot?" "No, Razor hit him in the head." "Is he okay?" "I don't know, I had to leave before I could find out." "Why didn't you call me last night? Are you okay?" He asks still holding her at arm's length.
"I'm fine and I did call you." She said. "Oh God baby, I'm so sorry I missed your call, come on let me walk you home. So, what kind of person would you say that stranger is?" David asks.
"Respectful." "Who's he anyway?" "No one knows." "Not even him?" "No." "So he doesn't know who he is?" "No." "So basically, he's a ghost?" "Something like that."
"So where do you go from here? You know how ridiculed girls who go in that place are? How do you plan on dealing with all the rumours that will be circling you from now on?" He asks.
"Not sure, I'm just going to take it one day at a time, I guess. I didn't ask to go there but now that I'm free, no one will stop me from going on with my life." She said. What's left of it, that is. He thought.
"Well, I'm here if you need me." He said patting her shoulder. "What do you have planned for today?" He asks. "Well I'm going to take today off and relax, then return to work tomorrow." She said. "Okay, that sounds like a good plan, sorry I can't spend today with you but I've to be at work." He said squeezing her hand.
"That's okay, I understand but I'll see you later right?" She asks hopefully. "Is that a trick question? Of course you will." He said stopping at her gate. "Get some rest alright, I love you and I'll see you later, oh and welcome home." He said giving her a quick hug.
She stood at her gate watching him as he walked away. As if knowing she was still there he turned around and waved with a smile and she waved back. She knew all too well the kind of rumours he was talking about. The nasty kind that has already ruined the lives of countless girls that was kidnapped by Razor and his men. Of course, she wasn't kidnapped per se but it certainly would appear that she was.
So yes she was now one of those girls. Who will be looked down on and pitied by all because of the kind of things they thought she must've endured. "No one is going to believe that she went in Razor's house of horrors and came back out a virgin, no one is going to believe that she a virgin was locked in a room with a man that didn't make advances at her or tried to rape her.
Her biggest question was, was David one of those people? Did he look down on her? Well, only time will tell. She thought. David wasn't perfect, he had his faults but they had been together for so long it's hard to think that he would let this separate them. With a heavy sigh, she turns and walks into her house.
***
Michael was freshly showered and standing by the window when the girl brought his breakfast in. The scenery outside the window was green and beautiful, with massive trees, small plants and lots of flowers that he had noticed a few people tending to regularly, all of which sat on a sloped land that led down to a massive concrete wall.
He nods to the girl as she puts a plate with a large fish and vegetables on the table along with a cup of tea and two bottles. One with juice and one with water. She then took up the bowl of soup which he hadn't drunk and left the room.
After he was finished eating his breakfast, he did puzzles for a while, he then switches on the television and returned to his workout.
It was now seven pm and Liah found herself in her front yard pacing back and forth. Where was David? And why wasn't he answering his phone? She paced for another fifteen minutes before throwing her hands up in frustration and marching through her gate and down the road towards his house where he lived with his mother and siblings.
She had spent most of her day cleaning her room that she shared with her sister. Washing and ironing and getting her things ready for work the following day. At times she felt as if she was trying to work her worries about Michael from her mind but it was no use, everything about him still haunts her memories, and not knowing what he was currently going through hunts her even more.
Truth be told she thought more about Michael today than she did David. It wasn't until she saw six thirty on the clock and realized he still hadn't shown up. Twenty minutes later she arrived at his house but was told he wasn't there. So she decided to sit outside on a bench under a tree and wait for him to come home.
Half an hour later he entered the yard laughing and talking to a young girl beside him and stop dead in his tracks when he saw her.
"Liah, what are you doing here?" He asks trying not to sound annoyed. "Well, when you didn't show up I thought I would come check up on you." She said glancing at the girl.
"Yeah, sorry work ran late." "So, what is going on here?" She asks looking from him to the girl. "Yeah, not what you're thinking, that's for sure." He said his annoyance showing slightly. "She's here to collect something for her aunt." He said walking pass her and into his house.
A few minutes later he came back out and hand the girl a parcel. "Alright, let me take you ladies home." He said closing his door and walking back towards his gate.
He stops at the girl's gate and after saying goodnight, watched her go into her house, he then continues on towards Liah's gate. "David, I know you're concern about what people will be saying about me but it doesn't change the way you feel about me right?" She asks nervously.
"No it doesn't, I don't care what anyone says." "You do believe me when I say no one touched me right?" For some reason she really wanted him to believe her, she didn't want to appear tainted in his eyes.
"It doesn't matter what I think, if you say they didn't, then they didn't, now can we please drop this subject, for good." He snaps. "Sure, sorry I didn't mean to upset you." "You didn't alright, I'm just tired that's all and besides I don't like the fact that you just accuse me of cheating on you and with a child of all people."
"Sorry." "Look, you've been away for a while and now there's this tense situation between us, so lets just take things slow until we're back on track alright." "Okay."
***
It was now the night of the fourth day since Liah went home and all he did for the past four days was eat, sleep, use the bathroom accordingly and exercise, a lot of exercise. His muscles still protest but not as much as they did when he first began. To him it was strange that he hadn't seen the tyrant since the night Liah left, he hadn't seen her brother either, her suitcase was still by his bed.
He was beginning to feel like a caged Panther. A lot of raw energy and nowhere to unleashed it. He groans in frustration as he walks back and forth flexing his back and neck muscles. How long was this tyrant going to keep him locked in this room anyway? He wondered rotating his shoulders backwards then forwards.
The tyrant didn't provide him with a pair of shoes so going outside must be out of the question. He thought with a snort.
Thank you all for reading
Words of encouragement
Trust God with your situation
Ans for riddle from ch 14
Corny ones
Kind of like these riddles right?
Yeah I know they're corny but I like them
So here's another
When is coffee like the surface of the earth?
Good luck my lovelies.