TW - This chapter might be disturbing to some of the readers. I advise you to not read it if you can't handle the content including physical assault.

I tried, but I failed miserably. I tried my hardest to accept the reality and focus on getting my degree, but that night's trauma kept me from eating, sleeping, studying, or unwinding. My nightmares of the monster pulling me into a pitch-black lair were keeping me awake. During the day, I started to zone out and Annie had to give me a good shake to wake me up. I was not who I was. My body was starting to feel foreign to me. I was making it difficult for my best friend too. Even though she didn't say it to my face, I knew that I was causing her trouble. For that reason, I disregarded her persistent pestering to stay for the final two months and made my decision to return to India. 

“I promise, I will come to meet you.” She speaks in a throaty voice refusing to leave my hand. 

We are waiting for the announcement to board the flight to India at the airport.Although, I want to tell her a million things, but I'm at a loss for words.

When the lady in the speaker makes the announcement, I'm taken out of my thoughts. I finally look at Annie who has become an emotional mess. All I could do was hug her before taking my leave. 

“I will miss you.” Her words follow from behind. 

“I will miss you too." 

I turn back to look at her one final time, and tears well up in my eyes. I had not planned this type of farewell. Not in my worst dreams. 

If only I had the option to turn the pages.

I board the plane and take my seat, gazing blankly out the window. The flight takes off slowly and eventually reaches the clouds.

My dream city fades from my sight.

A surge of memories floods my thoughts.

Annie and I made wonderful memories together. Late-night munchies and films, shopping and her telling strange jokes in the library. I'm going to miss it all. 

 Leaving her is the finest way to express my gratitude for the wonderful friendship she formed with me. An unidentified shy girl. In the totally different environment and strange people, she was the only one who made me feel comfortable. She was the one who made that dorm a home for me.

Annie was not born with a silver spoon, like me. She works part-time to pay for her university costs. This is our final year, and she has been taking leaves from university to care for me. If I stay there, her academic scores will be affected. 

This is for her good and my own sanity.

I go through my purse to find my phone. I check the time displayed on the lock screen. 8 PM. I swipe it to unlock and begin reading today's news desperately searching for a name, Ben. 

There must be some news about him. He can't just disappear from the face of Earth. 

Ben, was among the most popular students in the university. Six months ago, he was the one who struck up a conversation with me in the class that had left Annie and me perplexed. He was tall and had an ideal body composition. With brown eyes and dark golden hair.

We started by exchanging notes. The following were phone numbers.Most significantly, when he asked me out, he was quite courteous and serious.His demeanor appealed to me the most.

We thus began spending time together. These informal get-togethers eventually evolved into dates. We got fairly close to one another in the course of six months. He never made a lot of demands. I felt valued and special because of him and was fully engrossed in this delicate yet robust relationship.

He surprised me that evening by asking me out at a late hour. He never made a date request to me at night.

 "Can we spend the night together?"

He requested in the same gentle tone over the phone.

"Wh…. what? Now it is eleven pm." 

“Nevermind, I wouldn't bother you if you wanted to sleep. Let's meet tomorrow then.” 

“I…I didn't say no.” I blurted out. 

“So, you are coming?” 

“Ofcourse” 

I could not say no to his very first demand.  My cheeks were on fire. We were going on our first late-night date ever. I couldn't resist thinking shamelessly about our first kiss from the other day. It was sensational. 

I was staring foolishly at my cellphone while grinning foolishly, when Annie came back after a bath. 

“Looks like someone has won a jackpot." 

Her jovial tone reached my ears. I grinned like a baby. 

“It is something like that. Ben has asked me out.”

“Holy!! For real?”

 Her surprise made sense to me. My reaction was exactly the same. I nodded with excitement. 

“Babe! You have to lose your V card today.” I narrowed my eyes at her unusual request. 

“What? He is hot.” She shrugged.

“We are going to a club. Keep your wild imaginations to yourself.”

She rolled her eyes. It was true that he was hot as fuck, but it didn't mean I would lay with him. I still wanted to take my time. 

After Annie's constant prodding, I wore a black pencil dress with a deep V cut neck that hugged my curves too tightly. I had never worn something like that. I had planned to wear a floral dress like usual, but she..... I sighed, looking in the mirror.

“Are you sure?” I asked last time because I was not sure. 

“Damn sure. Don't waste time. Go now go.” She pushed me towards the exit door.

“I will be back soon. Don't wait for me.” 

“Don't come back soon. Crash his apartment tonight.” She winked. 

“Seriously !” This time I rolled my eyes. 

Ben had arranged a cab for me. A Gentleman, for sure. It was a half-hour drive. The cab dropped me off in a strange but lively location, I had never visited before. Sky Scraping buildings, expensive cars, stunning women, and deadly men.I felt nervous. I obviously did not belong there. That area was giving me grim vibes.

But then, I heard Ben's voice. He stood a few steps away from me, holding a bouquet of red roses.Smiling at me. His presence was a reassurance to me that nothing would go wrong.

“Over here”

A smile appeared on my face, and I dashed towards him. He engulfed me in his arms, and his warm, calming aroma flooded my nostrils.He pulled away from the hug and held out the bouquet. 

"You look mesmerizing.”

This was the final thing I heard from him, and it was the last time I was truly happy.

We were chatting cheerfully when three men in black attacked Ben. They were huge and bulky in comparison to him.We weren't even given a chance to react. They were using baseball bats to hit him. In an attempt to aid Ben, I leaped between them, but I was knocked aside by a man, landing on my butt.He was dragged into a bar before I could stand up.Tears sting the corners of my eyelids. I rapidly absorbed my surroundings, looking for help, the people there were strange. They had ignored the entire incident as if it never happened. It seemed as if they were used to such situations.

I knew that I shouldn't go into that bar. My gut was screaming that there was a serious problem. Why would someone randomly assault someone? Nevertheless, I made the worst decision of my life on a whim. I went inside after them.

The bar featured a golden interior. Music was pulsating through the air inside. That place reeked of drink, drugs, smoke, and sex. Despite wearing masks, the people there could not hide their evilness. I didn't understand why Ben had summoned me here in the first place. That was not a couple's space at all.

I was weaving my way through the mass of dancing people, many of whom appeared to be on drugs. The bar's bright lights made it difficult for me to find Ben. But when I reached into a corridor, I felt a hand on my waist. A cold hand. I shrieked in terror and amazement, but suddenly the hand covered my mouth and choked me. I yelped and struggled, throwing punches and kicks in the air, but he was too powerful and dragged me into a dark room.

He flung me to the floor. The room was too dark to see him well. All I saw was a red mask. I pleaded for rescue, for Ben, but the music drowned out my cries. The man leaned on me, and I was disgusted by his breath. He was drunk. 

“Please….. please. Let m…me go.”

I pleaded with him but in return he slapped me across my left cheek.My ear began to ring like a whistle, and the agony was unbearably intense. Around me, other voices disappeared. Another slap landed on my other side.

Then another and another. 

I felt blood seeping out of my lips and nostrils, and my vision went blurry. However, the misery did not stop there. When I heard the sound of the belt being unbuckled, my eyes grew wide with terror. I began to retreat in a hopeless attempt to save myself. I did not, however, avoid my fate. He hit me with his belt to break and shatter me. I screamed my lungs out every time the leather met my skin. He persisted until I knelt down and pleaded for forgiveness.

"Please....don't (sobs).... please."

He did come to a stop, but only to rip my pencil dress off my shoulders. I immediately covered my nakedness with my hands. My body was trembling like hell.

"I....I can give y...you money. Please...l..let me go." I was stammering, my voice hoarse from all the screaming. He did not speak a word but my words followed a chuckle. The most sinister chuckle I had ever heard.

His boots scuffed against the ground, and a minute later he was back on his knees. With one hand, he pinched my cheeks inwards , while with the other, he made me sip alcohol straight out of the bottle. The liquid burned my throat. I tried to cough it out but another sharp slap met my face. My head hurt and I felt nauseous. Throwing me back he lifted the fabric up my thighs. I protested once more, but was thrashed with the belt again. This time, my sensitive areas. The liquid overpowered my senses.

I had no strength left, and I knew what was coming. Dread filled my veins and my body went numb, my mind refusing to work. 

“Mam! Mam! Are you alright?”

When I hear a lady's voice, I snap my eyes open. Turns out I zoned out during the journey, and the air hostess has been attempting to wake me up because passengers claimed that I was sobbing.

“I….I am fine.” 

“Are you sure? Do you need something?” She looks concerned. 

“A glass of water please.” I adjust in my seat. The air hostess complies with my request. 

I should visit a psychiatrist. 

I check the time again. It is almost dawn now and half an hour left to reach the destination. I pull out a pocket mirror and do a quick touch-up to make sure that my makeup is all set. My bruises have almost healed and are hidden perfectly under the foundation. 

But the scars on my soul are still fresh and bleeding. 

                                🍁

Make sure to give me votes if you like the chapter.

Ah!! Yes. You can find me on Instagram if you want to ask anything. My Id is Jappy_307.