~Even more Complicated~

~Find her~

SOME HOURS EARLIER.

R had dragged her down the stairs. He didn’t mind her legs giving in and almost tripping. He guided her to the shelf, stood in front of it. It bucked and slipped opened. He pulled her in and this time her legs gave in and she yelled, crashing down the small stairs and landing on the carpeted floor with a thud. The small flight of stairs came as a surprise.
          R looked back. “Sh*t! I’m so sorry, pumpkin.” He crouched, hands reaching to help her up, but she smacks it away.
          “Don’t touch me.” Her voice stern but nothing but a mere whisper as she attempted to get up herself. Her hands wobbled under her as she tried and eventually, she did but it was a task. She took breaths with her back rested on the stairs. Her lower spine met with the sharp edge of one of the steps. It was uncomfortable but it’ll do.
          R stood back up with a sigh. “I’m sor…” The house bell rang interrupting him. Both eyes looked towards the opened shelf. “Stay down here.” He told her sternly and started up the stairs.
          Someone was here to get her? She thought. Zach? Maybe its Zach!
          Summoning all her strength. Eshaal grabbed him by the leg and dragged him back, causing him to lose balance and trample down the stairs. The adrenaline pump ran through her as she hand and legged up the stairs, running from the danger and towards the light at the end of the tunnel. She ran, at least she did her best to, her body was giving up but her mind was set. She just needed to get to the door and hit hard. He’ll know. “Zach!” She thought she yelled. Even her voice was betraying her.
          Just then, Nisha came out of no where and held her by her arms to the back. She fell back and was being dragged through the tiles. She struggled. “Let me go!” Her arms had gone numb from the position at which Nisha held her but her legs were struggling, squirming on the marbled floor. “I can help us, Nisha, pls, just let me go!” She cried as Nisha still dragged her back. Tears streamed down her cheeks as the little light she saw had began to extinguish. “We’ll both esca… pe. I promise.” Eshaal’s voice cracked. “Just let me…”
          “I’ll take it from here, Nisha.” Nisha stopped once they reached the shelf.
          R appeared in front of her. Legs on either side of her as he lifted her body and threw her over her shoulders, entering past the open shelf again and down the little flight of stairs.
          He walked some more and dropped her gently against the wall and crouched. He patted her head and sighed. “You’re lucky your stunt didn’t get a scratch on me, pumpkin.” He gave her a slight smile. “Boy, I’m glad you’re sick.” He threw in a small chuckle and then, his face grew dark. “Listen, Eshaal…” There was another door bell. “Hear that, I need to answer that. If you mess up, and I’m sure you know what I mean. I’ll kill you. Wasn’t my plan but its not too late for a change. If I get rid of you, you know how miserable he’ll be and then I’ll kill him too. Is that understood?”
          Eshaal didn’t respond.
          “Is that understood?” He asked, this time dangerously slow.
          “Yes.” She whispered and it was merely even that by now.
          He smiled in satisfaction and stood back up. “Let’s go, Nisha.” He instructed Nisha, who was by the door staring. Eshaal noticed her eyes still lingered on her before R guided her away from the shelf and closed it.
          Eshaal had tried her best, she had hit the shelf, thinking maybe Zach would hear her. But she only ended up in a puddle of her own vomit.
           Replaying the words R said to her. She gathered strength and slowly crawled towards the inbuilt wardrobe. It was bigger than it looked. She buried herself in the pile of clothes and silently hid till she heard voices. Someone had opened the wardrobe to drop some clothes, adding to the pile covering me. I guessed it was Nisha who saw and decided to help.
          I don’t need your help.
          Maybe somewhere, I still wanted them to find me. Somehow find me and pull a rush hour, I’ll hear a gun shot, and a heavy thud to see its R’s body laying lifeless on the floor as he begs for my mercy.
          The thought made the corner of my lips curl up.
          Someone opened the wardrobe and scanned, she hoped the person dug further down. Ironically, she wanted whoever it was to find her. I’m right here! Suddenly, she felt pressure on the top of her head, her heart slammed against her rib and she was paralyzed for a second. The person’s hand dug through the pile.
          No, I didn’t mean it.
          Do not find me!
          You would die if you do.
          We would die.
          Just when she thought their hands felt her head through her scarf. The wardrobe was drawn into half-darkness and after sometime, the doors closed with a soft thomp. They had closed the doors and my head felt even heavier. She heaved a silent breath. Maybe it was Nisha again.
          Silence filled the wardrobe. She'd never hidden in a wardrobe before but was it supposed to be sound-proof? I couldn’t hear a word.
          After some minutes, she heard the dramatic shift of the shelf opening. “You can come out now.” R’s voice boomed. She lifted her heavy leg and stretched it out with a slump, pushing open the wardrobe with the extra length. “There you are.” R cooed with his arms stretched out, walking towards her. The gesture was supposed to be heart warming yet he made her skin crawl. He was like an horrific creature skin crawler about to eat her guts up.
          One by one, he picked the pile of clothes off of her making a mess on the ground as he un-buried her. “Can you stand?” He asked.
          She didn’t respond. Was he kidding? She was sure he knew of her condition.
          Yet, as the tears on her cheeks dried and her glassy-veiny eyes threw him daggers. She knew she had to answer him. “No.” She mouthed, her voice was gone.
          “Must’ve used your last bit of energy to get yourself in here.” He sucked in his lower lip, looking around as if looking for something in particular. “Nisha!” He called. “I can’t carry you on my own, from you husband’s observation, you’ll probably puke your guts out to death at this rate.” He deadpanned.       
          Nisha came running down the stairs to his aid.
          “Take her right. I’ll take left.” She nodded at R’s instructions. Eshaal had the urge to puke again as she thought about how she could have escaped but the one by her right hindered it. All possibilities shattered. She felt repulsed but swallowed it back. She couldn’t go ahead and puke on an empty stomach again. It could kill her.
          Her legs were barely working as they carried her up the stairs and to her room. They dropped her on the bed and her eye-lids soon became heavy, before she knew it, she’d passed out.