Cicaro

Chapter Twelve

When I wake up, I re-adjust my eyes to the light. This room is cold, I reach down to hug myself and then I realize I'm completely naked and in a bathtub filled with water. The tears flow down involuntary, I reach down to feel myself, check if I had been violated. Fortunately, I don't feel sore.

I sincerely do not know if I could've taken being violated by these monsters. I'm already so damaged by something that happened to me as a child, imagine what would happen to me if it happens when I'm old enough to remember everything.

"Boss, she's awake," A voice says from behind the door and suddenly they're all trooping in not caring for my privacy.

This time, I don't shy away, I don't even try to cover myself, I feel numb, I've finally lost all hope, I feel like I am staring at death in it's cold eyes.

That is until I lock eyes with him, the cause of my misfortune. He's looking at me with pleading eyes, silently begging me to rethink my decision, like he can read my mind and he knows I'm ready for death.

My mind flashes back to my mum, my dad, Camila, my goals, dreams, aspirations, I find my inner strength. "Just leave the room, please, I'll tell you from behind the door." I whisper. You're doing great Iris, there's no one in the room with you.

Probably because he realizes if he doesn't go out, he wont get anything from me, he agrees. Bad breathe beckons on them and they move to walk out of the door but before he leaves, he leans over me and puts his big hand on my chin "Don't try anything funny," he warns with so much hostility I whimper.

I call out my dad's number as quickly as I can and sigh while I wait for something, anything from my captors, it comes shortly after.

I move from the bathtub and sit on the floor, my head erect waiting, counting, minutes turning to hours till he walks in, he has a rope in his hand. "You're free to go Iris, I just have to," He raises the rope up. "It's just so you can't escape," he adds quickly like that can justify his actions.

But bad breath rushes into the room impatiently and pushes him back roughly, he puts a cloth over my mouth once again. Could I survive anymore of this is the last thought that crosses through my mind before I welcome the darkness.

I wake up in the hospital, drips in my arms and my mom right next to me. I squint to adjust my eyes to the bright lights above me and try to speak but the tube stuck in my mouth doesn't let me.

I move my hand to reach for my mom and she jerks up immediately.

"Iris, you're awake!" She exclaims joyfully, tears flow down her face and mine too, I reach to give her a tight hug.

She rushes out to call a doctor and after the normal check up and routines, she comes back in.

She hugs me again then drags my shoulders backwards and looks into my eyes deeply "Your dad, we thought we would never see you again," She says before engulfing me in a bone crushing hug once more.

"Iris, oh my God," a voice says in front of us, I open my eyes to the sight of my dad. I all but stop breathing. He rushes to engulf me in a hug too nevertheless.

He doesn't notice my discomfort till he holds my hair in his hand trying to hug me even more. I cry out in pain and push him backwards.

He moves backwards, I see the unshed tears in his eyes, he is deeply hurt, more hurt than my rejection has ever made him. I reach out to try and apologise but he gives me a tired smile and walks out before I can.

"Iris," my mom says drawing my attention back to her. "Your dad paid half a million dollars to get you out of wherever you were," she starts slowly drawing her words.

"I know I'm not supposed to say this now but you shouldn't have done that," she adds wiping her tears away. "If you continue, you'll be making me have to choose between you and your dad." She ends with a firm tone and stands up placing a hand on my shoulder. She bends down and places a kiss on my head. Just as she's about to walk out, a woman in a police uniform walks in.

"Mrs Anderson, we need to ask you a few questions, my assistant May will take care of Iris till you're back." She says looking at my mom sternly.

May tries to start a conversation with me when they walk out but I shut my eyes and lie back down.

Luckily enough, they don't move past my room door. I can't hear them well, but I hear them fairly.

"I'm trying my best, you try raising a child with androphobia," My mom screams. I hear the officer mumble some stuff trying to calm her down but my mom doesn't let her. "I won't let some sorry ass police officer teach me how to raise my child," she adds and walks back into the room slamming the door behind her.

"Can you leave, please," she says to May her eyes in permanent slits. May takes the hint and walks out of the room sparing me one final glance.

"You can't talk to any of those people till I'm back, okay Iris?" my mom asks while searching her hand bag for something, she brings her hand out with a bunch of hundred dollar bills enclosed in a tight fist, she then places them in my hand.

She pats my hair for a while before whispering. "Caleb and Ruby will be here in a while."

I open my mouth to argue but she gives me a shut up and listen look.

"I know you're angry right now, but they want to apologise okay, you have to give them a chance." I want to scream at her and cry at the same time but I keep quiet instead. "I'm just afraid you won't make any progress if this doesn't work out besides you're already comfortable around Caleb." She says pacing around the room nervously.

At times like this, I have reason to believe my mom is just as sick as I am.

"Mom, I don't want to see any of them," I say carefully threading on each word so silently I don't think she hears me.

"I won't have any of your bratty character Iris," She says, her voice rising but when she she's looks my way again, she calms down, walks towards my bed and hold me in her arms.

"They'll probably help us catch whoever did this to you too," She says like what happened to me is the most natural thing ever. "You need friends around you right now."

Her phone rings and she picks it up, a smile lights up her face seconds later when she sees the caller.

"They're here, bye Iris," she says and she walks out the door. Doesn't even spare me a glance, she just walks out.

Caleb and Ruby walk in shortly after, guilt written on their faces. I have half the mind to call the doctor and have them dragged out but my inquisitive nature gets the better of me.

"Iris I-"  Caleb starts but I raise up my hand in front of my face.

"Just let me explain," he adds. Ruby just stands resting her back against the wall, she looks like she doesn't even want to be here.

"Say whatever you want to, I'm listening, but when you're done, kindly use the door," I say when I finally come to a decision on what I want to do to them.

I watch him take a seat on a chair at the far end of the room, I close my eyes and listen.

"We're not really who we said we were," he starts, his voice wavering.

Tell us something we don't already know Caleb...
Thanks for reading. Remember, this is a first draft, I'll re-edit the whole story when I'm done.
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