Green Hope

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

The guy that stood in the doorway was tall. He towered over Dani, who towered over me. I craned my neck and shielded my eyes from the sun streaming over the house. He had shaggy black hair that flopped onto his forehead, almost covering his eyes. He had fair skin that seemed to glow in the afternoon sunlight. His eyes really caught my attention. They were jade green with crystal blue specks

“Hey, Ian, I need a favor.” Dani said, and I averted my gaze to the ground.

“Sure, what do you need?” His voice was like gravel, rumbling from his chest.

“Well, this is Avril. SHe’s the one we found.” Dani paused, and Ian nodded his head. “Well, I’ve got a bunch of things I still need to get done. Could you please give her a tour.” Dani seemed to stop abruptly, as if there was more, but couldn’t be said.

Ian, however, didn’t take noticed as he nodded and offered me a small smile. “Alright, and where will she be staying?” He asked.

A look of relief crossed Dani’s face as he replied. “It looks like there’s room with Aly.”

Ian nodded once again. The two said their goodbyes and Dani started walking off. “Oh, and bye, Avril. I’ll see you two at dinner.”

I gave a wave in his direction, not really having the energy to speak. I could feel Ian’s hot gaze on my face. I got the same urge before to cover my cheek, but instead, I just twisted my hands into a tight not as I bit the inside of my lip.

“You look kind of tired. Why don’t we go inside so you can rest.” He offered his hand to me, and I took it gratefully.

He led me inside, and I found myself in a cozy living room. A worn couch sat against the wall, facing a beat up TV. A coffee table stood between the two, and a stack of books took up the middle of it. The floor was a lightly-colored wood, and an antique-looking rug was under the couch and coffee table. A couple pairs of shoes were pushed up against the wall next to the door. There was a pair of beat-up Converse and a pair of dirty combat boots.

Ian led me past the living room and into the kitchen, which was just as cozy. I guess this house was here long before the outbreak, seeing as most of the appliances were a bit out of date, even for an apocalypse. There was a breakfast bar that had three wooden stools. Stains, scratches, and little nicks littered the counters. I could see a couple of dents in the sink, and the refrigerator looked beyond old.

“It’s not much, but it’s still home.” Ian’s voice brought my attention to him. He motioned me to take a seat, which I did, before going to over to the fridge. The light was out, but it still worked. There was a small carton of milk, eggs, and some other usual things you find in a fridge. From this standing point. It seemed as if nothing ever happened. It actually looked somewhat normal. That thought scared me. I hadn’t had normal since-

I stopped myself. I shouldn’t-no, couldn’t think about what happened. It’s over now, and I can’t change it. Instead, I looked over Ian. I wondered about his past. Did he have a family, a wife, even? How was he? Was he still living with his parents? If so, what happened to them. Did they Turn? What were his plans?

I looked around the room again, trying to distract myself. Wondering about Ian didn’t help, and I couldn’t be thinking about those memories. Too dangerous.

Ian set a glass in front of me. The liquid was clear, but bubbled stuck to the sides and bottom of the glass. It’s fizzy smell tickled my nose. I looked up at him

He laughed. “It’s Ginger Ale.” He smile only grew when I kept staring at him. “It’s not poisonous, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

I shook my head, glancing down at the clear, bubbly liquid. It wasn’t that I was afraid it was poisoned. In all honesty, my mouth was watering, yearning for the soft drink. The thing was, I hadn’t had anything besides water in such a long time. I was a little scared that I actually forgot how to taste. A silly thought, I know. So, I took a big gulp of it, and almost moaned at the flavor.

“I remember when I first came here. Drake three cans of this stuff before the first night was over.” He said, chuckling.

I finished off the glass, and when he went to go get me more, I shook my head. He put the glass in the sink and leaned against the counter. “You don’t talk much, do you?”

I shrugged. “I don’t really have much to say.”

“Why not?” He asked, looking at me intently.

I looked down at the counter, trying to find something actually more interesting than Ian. With a shrug, I said, “I just don’t.”

He stood up straight. “All right. Well, do you want to go on that tour now?”

I nodded, sliding off the stool. “Sure, but can I go to the bathroom first?”

He nodded, a smile appearing on his face. “Down the hall, second door on your right.”

I turned and walked down the hallway he was pointing at. “Thanks.” I found the bathroom and closed the door behind me. I looked into the mirror. My eyes immediately found the scar on my face. It started in the corner of my lip and went all the way up until the bone stopped it from continuing...

“Come here, you little bitch.” He snarled from the  bottom of the stairs.

I shrank even into the corner. The darkness covered me, letting me feel the smallest bit of safety. I wanted to scream for help, but I knew full and well that it would do absolutely nothing. That thought terrified me more than the despicable man in front of me ever did.

“When I find you...” He trailed off angrily.

I whimpered, and I could tell than I really shouldn’t have when he gave a grunt of satisfaction.

The urge to scream only became stronger. He walked over to me and bent down in front of me. Something glinted in his hands. A  smile that chilled me to the bones spread across his unshaven face. “You shouldn’t have run away.”

Tears sprung in my eyes. This seemed to anger him as he lifted his hand. I flinched.

“You’re only getting what you deserve.” With his hand that didn’t have anything in his hand, he grabbed my chin and forced me to open my mouth. I tried to jerk my head away, with no such luck.

My movements made him turn his stare into glare. His looked down at his hand that wasn’t holding my face. I did to. A squeak escaped my lips when I saw he was holding a knife. He chuckled and brought the knife up to my face. “I told you not to leave.”

Without another word, he put the knife inside my mouth. I tried  moving my head again. He just held my head more firmly and jerked the knife. Pain laced my cheek. My tears finally fell as a scream clawed its way up my throat.

He stood up, towering above me. I held my bleeding face, sobbing.  “Don’t be such a baby.” He kicked me

Another scream passed my lips. The cut grew. He kicked me again, again, and again...

A knock at the door shook me from my thoughts. I was staring back at my reflection. “You almost done?” It was Ian.

I nodded and rubbed at my eyes. “Yeah, just about.” I made sure my there were no traces of tears before opened up the door to face Ian. “Let’s go.”

Author's Note:

Alrighty, so I finished this sooner than I expected, which is thanks To my good friend, Shady234. So go ahead and thank her, too. Um, sorry about the shortness, but I didn't want to cram too much stuff into this chapter. So, you'll just have to wait (sorry). Oh, and go take a look at my friend, jberg1957. She's new, so be nice.

Oh, and please vote and fan(Please???). Tell me what you think down in the comments! Alrighty, have a good night (or day)!

-M.B