The Legend (English Version)

Hell

<2030>

~Xia~

We were waiting at the police station and they gave me a chair to sit on. Despite all their insistence, I told them I didn't need a doctor. My appearance didn't make it convincing, but I managed to convince them. As I drank the chocolate milk in my hand, I was lost in thought. The police had called our parents and we were waiting for them to arrive.

I missed them, we hadn't seen them for a long time. The police said we had been missing for about a year. I must have lost track of time because it seemed like a thousand years to me.

Everyone who came to the police station was looking at Ala and me. Children were pointing their fingers at us, people were looking at us and grimacing. I couldn't blame them, after all, my whole body was covered in blood. Ala was cleaner than me, but he too had a little blood on his hands and clothes. And a thin cut on his neck.

I had done this to him, the cut. I knew Matthew would never let anyone hurt him, that's why I took Ala prisoner. I had to convince Matthew that I could hurt Ala. So I had to do it. Fortunately, Ala understood. At least we got the hell out of there.

I ached all over. My face and body were covered in blood. My clothes were already a mess. So was my hair. I was covered in blood for a year and I got used to it. I stank because I had the blood of dozens of people on me.

Ala was standing next to me, standing up. He was massaging my shoulder with his hands. I could feel him shaking. Matthew had hurt him too. No, he hadn't hurt him like me. But he had scared her. Who knows what he had done to her upstairs.

We kept waiting until we heard someone screaming at the door. It was Ala's parents. They ran to hug their daughter and started crying. I couldn't look at them. I fixed my gaze on the floor and involuntarily squeezed the carton of milk in my hand. The police were talking to Ala's parents and telling them that their daughter could leave after making a statement and that they could also give her protection if they wanted.

I couldn't protect her, I couldn't protect Ala. A tear stroked my cheek. It went further down and dripped onto the clean floor. I just stood there. Ala's family wished me well and walked past me.

Ala came to me after giving his statement.

"Are you going to be okay?"

I couldn't even look at him, nothing came out of my mouth. I could only nod. He put his hand on my shoulder. Then she hugged me. She was crying.

"I'll be fine too, I promise!"

But I couldn't hug her.

"I'm sorry, Xia, I love you."

He kissed my cheek before he left me. He went to his parents. Before he walked out the door, I noticed him turn and look at me, but I didn't wave at him, I couldn't even look at him.

I put my head in my hands and started praying for Ala to be okay.

...

When I saw my father at the door, I quickly stood up and ran to hug him. It was the first time I had ever seen him cry.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, Dad."

I smiled at him as if to calm him down. After a while of catching up, we were taken to another room for my statement to be taken. I had to answer every question the police asked me correctly.

"Ms. Xia, right?"

"Yes."

And my father was sitting there listening to us.

"We went to the house you told us about. It belongs to Mr. Matthew, right?"

"Yes."

"Mr. Matthew kept you in that house against your will for a month, correct?"