Returned (Book 2 of the Stolen Collection)

12

Trigger warning.
Scenes may include rape, thoughts of suicide, and dark scenes. Reader discretion is advised.

It's been three weeks since I was brought here. The man I'm apparently supposed to marry isn't exactly prince charming. I can tell he's trying, but I don't want to be here. He bought me a library so I'd be 'more comfortable.'

How can I be comfortable here? How can I marry someone like him? I'm sporting this lovely bruise from him and he expects me to marry him? He wants me to follow these crazy rules to become 'the perfect wife.'

How am I supposed to live like this?

On my 10th night here, he forced me into his bed. I just know I'm pregnant. I know I am...

He was so sweet for the first few days. He even said he'd let me go. Was it just to make me trust him?

He seemed so kind. He would always try not to make me uncomfortable or upset.

I actually thought about staying here with him.

It was all just an act.

How could I be so stupid?

I trusted that he wouldn't hurt me. Look at where I am now...
Bruises on my face and a soreness between my thighs that I can't stop thinking about.
Even now I'm hiding from him, but I know it'll only lead to more trouble.
I just want to get out of here, even if I'm carrying his child.

I closed the book. I felt the same sickness and pain in my chest as I had the first time I read this journal. Her pain radiated into me through her words and left me in agony. I wasn't sure I could continue, but I knew I had to. I had to know what Blake was planning. I took a deep breath before opening the fragile pages again.

Day 254

I was right. I knew it.
My belly is large and I carry it in front of me like a beach ball.
For a long while he left me alone. Almost a month of only having to see him at night when he slept beside me.
Then it got worse, so much worse.
He began to get jealous and more violent. He's started to rape me again claiming to find my pregnancy more attractive.

I can't do anything without earning a new bruise.

Is no one looking for me? Surely my mom is concerned. Her seventeen year old daughter has been missing for almost a year.

Are my grandparents praying for me?
Do my friends still leave a space for me at lunch?
Are my teachers saving my assignments?
Will I get to graduate?

Graduation....

Only a few short months away. Of course I won't be graduating. I won't be looking at colleges far away from home with my best friends.
No senior year. No parties. No losing my virginity to some guy hoping it's special, but knowing it's not.
No. My golden teenage years and experiences have been robbed from me.
I've lost everything to be taken and left here to endure the cruelty of a dark man.

He's thirty years old. Raping a seventeen year old girl that he stole. He disgusts me. I hate him.

Sometimes I think about taking his gun and shooting him while he sleeps, but they'd hear that and do God knows what to me. So I often think of turning it on myself.

But the baby. Do I really want to bring a child into this life?
I know I don't, but I can't bring myself to destroy the infant either. He's innocent of his father's deeds.

I just know it's a boy. I can feel it.

I'll call him Blake. I don't care who disagrees. My baby's name is Blake. They'll kill me to change that.

I closed the book again. It was annoying even me that I couldn't just sit and read it all at once, but I felt every word like stabs into my heart. She was my age, but with a better life before all of this. People loved her and they probably searched for months.

I thought about Blake having stories for my whereabouts when I got home. Perhaps they'd always done that.

What had they told this poor girl's mother? Did her loved ones worry?

It was strange for me to think about Blake's mother as a girl, young and frightened. He'd always described her as a strong and beautiful hero, but what little boy doesn't look at his mom through adoring eyes? Especially in a place like this.

I thought briefly about Marlben's mother. How far back did this go?

I heard a knock on my door, pulling me from my darkening thoughts. Kore stood waiting for me to acknowledge her.

I had expected to see her shy smile, but I was greeted with a serious and worried look. I nodded for her to enter and she pursed her cracked lips as she came to the bed and sat in front of me.

"What happened?" She spoke to me like a disappointed girl would scold her best friend.

"What do you mean?" I asked her. She raised a brow.

"Blake," she looked at me like I should know. "He's locked himself in his room again. He hasn't eaten since before you spoke yesterday."

"What am I supposed to do about that? He's moody. Give him a tampon." I rolled my eyes. I'd had enough of everyone blaming me for Blake throwing me out and Blake blaming me for being forced to return.

"Excuse me?" She looked shocked and angry. Something about her usual kindness and tiny stature made me want to keep her smiling.

"Nothing," I sighed. "I'm just tired. I keep getting locked in here, everyone is upset with me, and I want to go home. I didn't do anything to Blake. He gave me his mother's journal and told me to expect worse."

"His mother had a journal?" She questioned. "It's dark?"

"Very," I nodded. "Some really messed up shit."

"You know," she finally gave me that smile. "He would never hurt you. He used to tell me about you when he first brought me here. He wanted me to feel safe, I think. He told me about a beautiful girl he loved that he had to let go. He wanted her to be free so she could be happy. He said she lit up his whole life. It was the only time I'd ever seen him smile like that. Nothing sinister about it, just happy."

"That was a different man," I looked down at my hands, but soon felt her boney fingers on my arms. She looked serious.

"The Blake you see now," she looked me in the eyes, "is the only Blake I know. He's the same man. He would never hurt you."

I hope you're right.