FATHER ALWAYS SMILING

Chapter 39 ~~~~~

That surprised me even more.

It even surprised Nick.

He then ran a hand over his face, like he couldn't believe what he just heard.

And that's when his mask fell off.

His dark brown eyes became cold, and scary, as he glared at Elain who didn't let go of my hand this whole time. "What gave it away?"

"The way you've been looking at Amalie this entire time, you never paid me any mind and just stared at her. Even when you spoke to me. I've seen that same look in your eyes before." The way she said that made me feel like it had something to do with what happened to Elain when she was hurt. "Even before that, when I've picked her up from school I've seen you staring at her every time."

Nick scoffed. "You've got some eyes, I'll give you that. You're a hell of a lot better than the majority in this shithole of a school. Or her for that matter, but she started to wise up. It's all because of her, maybe if she'd done what I told her I wouldn't be feeling like this."

I scowled at the word "shithole" I guess he didn't like this school all that much like a lot of kids that went here.

"The heck are you going on about?" Elain said but was ignored.

His gaze became cold as his voice sounded empty. "But do you think someone like you could even stop me?"

Elain then grabbed me, carrying me as she ran as fast as she could to the door that we came in, but found that it was locked. "No...!" she snarled under her breath, not letting me down as my feet dangled off the ground. She was about to turn, possibly to go another way, but I could smell it. Nick. He had caught up to us.

"El behind you!" I yelled and she quickly moved, avoiding being hit by Nick's fist, only to grab my upper left leg and kick Elain in the stomach. Her grip on me became loose as the man pulled me towards him, I screamed from the shock of it as he kicked Elain again when she landed on her hands and knees. He clamped a hand over my mouth but I bit him the moment he did that. He was going to take me somewhere and I wasn't going to let him, I wasn't going to go down into that basement willingly.

And I was hit for it, my cheek stung as he staggered away into the classroom near us. It was for kids in kindergarten. The room was filled with big beanbag chairs, soft blocks and small chairs and tables for little tiny kids. The floor felt spongey, making my landing a bit softer, had it been the hard floor, it would have hurt more.

I gasped for breath, breathing heavily as I could taste copper in my mouth. Like I had put pennies in my mouth. I looked at him, and he looked angry as he shooked his hand from where I bit him he looked like he wanted to hit me or do worse.

And for a moment, as I looked at him, I saw it.

I saw myself dead on the floor, laying on the floor between us. Like a broken doll tossed aside. My clothes were ripped, a shoe missing, and my neck was red, I had been strangled, that's what killed me as my eyes were open. A void of nothing, emptiness, cold and lifeless.

Is that how he kills me?

Is that how I die?

At the hands of such a monster...

Yet, with all that he had done, what he wanted to do to me, to Elian. Something pressed in my mind. Something that came out before I could stop myself.

* * *

"Who hurt you?"

Nick stopped, freezing in place at Amalie's sudden words, her gaze boring into him as if she were seeing past his flesh and straight to his soul. He didn't know why, but for whatever reason, her gaze bothered him. As the rain began to pour heavily, thunder rumbled in the distance.