"While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die."
- Leonardo da Vinci
chapter 10
People say emotional pain is much harsher than physical one. But somehow we always end up hurt in both ways, emotionally as well as physically.
Rachel woke up after what seemed like eternity to her. The darkness soon surrounded her when she tried to make Ethan stop from forcing himself onto her. She kicked, she cried but at the end she finally started feeling dizzy and gave up fighting. As a result she passed out for a few hours.
When she opened her eyes at first everything seemed a little blurry to her and plus she also didn’t know why did she pass out. Then her brain shifts to active mode and pretty soon the flashes of her struggle danced in her mind.
It was too much to take in. the guilt and remorse was killing her, but the feeling of being abused overpowered all the other feelings. Which left her fuming with anger; “Ethan sexually assaulted me”
Her mind started playing these words again and again until she opened her eyes fully in one attempt. She was awake and fully aware of her surroundings, which told her that she was being watched from behind.
“What happened? How long was I out?” Rachel didn’t need to look behind to check who was eyeing her. For sure it was Ethan.
Ethan felt a little uncomfortable watching her now, since she was awake. He was not stupid. Ethan knew that no matter how much he tried now, he can’t make things go back as they were before. The time when they both were just two people who were madly in love and nothing else mattered.
“You passed out due to dehydration. Almost an hour ago.” Ethan turned his back to her while answering. It wasn’t like she can see him anyway but he just couldn’t t bring himself to look at her. In fear that he might see the reflection of the real evil monster that he was in those poor glistening, pleading eyes which begged him to stop. But he never did.
“Oh” that was all that Rachel could speak. She felt as her throat was burning due to all the screaming. If it wasn’t for Ethan the first thing she would have done probably would be drinking water as her life depended on it.
But his presence was burning holes in her soul. She tried to find a reason to forgive him, but she got none. So she focused all her remaining energy only on one emotion which was hatred. Hatred for her husband.
She was covered in a blanket which surely didn’t belong to her. Rachel took a quick peak under the blanket to see that she was still wearing cloths, that’s a relief.
When Ethan saw her examining the blanket. He explained her that how and where did he find it. He was looking for spare cloths for Rachel when he found the blanket on one of the shelves.
But Rachel wasn’t listening to his magical story on how did he ended up finding this magical blanket. Her eyes were fixed on the hammer which was hanging on a nail some few steps away from her. Ethan was behind her and he was far away from the door, which meant maybe she can escape if she outruns Ethan.
“Helloo, did you even listen to anything that I was saying.” Ethan words wake her up from her lucid dream plan.
“I am sorry. What?” Rachel tried her best to not create any suspicion. She was not sure if it was going to work but what can be worse than being sexually assaulted by your own husband.
Ethan sighed and placed his hands in his jeans pocket before saying
“I said the wolf pack is gone now. They found a deer nearby lurking so they choose the deer instead of us. We can leave now… can you walk?”
Rachel stood up straight throwing the blanket far away to answer his question.
“Great.” Ethan muttered to himself before he started to walk towards the door. He looked as he was in a hurry.
But Rachel took very small careful steps until she was closer to hammer. In a swift move she took it and hid it behind her hand. for Ethan it must have looked like she was leaning on the wall for support.
When Ethan was in right in front of her with his back to Rachel’s face. He was opening the warehouse front door by turning the knob from one hand and he was holding the barrel in another.
That was it; Rachel had a pretty good angle right at this moment. She was merely a foot away from Ethan. She tightened her grip on the hammer she aimed at the top of his head which will definitely knock him out for few hours and if her chances were good maybe coma too.
She was about to bash the hammer on his head but at that very instant Ethan turned around and when he saw his bride holding a hammer. His eyes were filled with terror. Rachel didn’t notice that he turned around, she closed her eyes and let her hands do the dirty work.
But the hammer pointed on the top of Ethan’s head now landed on his upper lip and on nose. When Rachel didn’t hear the crack sound of opening a skull, she opened her eyes to see grown man screaming like a little girl. He was covering his mouth with his hands but the blood was too much, as a result it was leaking through his hands. His screams were muffled due to his hands, for a Rachel thought about her options. Option one run and never come back, option two help this man, option three hit him one more time.
So she went with option three and swings the hammer on his face one more time. Ethan’s eyes grew more wide when he saw the hammer coming to his face again. He was being attacked, he couldn’t think rationally. But somehow he managed to dodge it.
That gave him some confidence so he tried to get hold of her hammer with one hand while still trying to stop the flowing of blood from his nose and mouth. Rachel didn’t even consider her choices with a second if she doesn’t fight back, it was over for her. so she grabbed the hammer from both hands to get a better grip on it and with all her force lunged it in his stomach.
This time he wasn’t able to dodge it. So he falls on his face while cursing heavily. He was holding his stomach just like a little child who really has to pee. He wasn’t even to breath for a minute; his words were unclear since his mouth was filled with blood. He spat some blood out in an attempt to breadth through his mouth. But with blood some white solid material also came out. Oops it seems like he lost a tooth.
Rachel didn’t pity him, he deserved it. She kept the hammer to herself which proved to very useful to her in the latest event. She took a last glance on Ethan before opening the front door, and she started running in some random direction. Ethan screamed after her, but she was too busy running away to listen.
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It had been a few minutes since Rachel escaped from Ethan. She didn’t know in which direction she was going anymore. But she didn’t even try to stop, who knows how long those hammer blows can keep Ethan occupied. He was probably standing on his feet by now, which meant he was coming for her.
The thought of facing Ethan again gave Rachel a sudden adrenaline rush, her legs started moving faster. Suddenly she started regretting not wearing shoes when she escaped, and also she had no protection against cold. She was weak but she still didn’t stop.
When a u sudden cracking sound distracts her from looking forward which came from behind. She ends up bumping into a tree, not a big tree just enough to make fall on her back also to strain her ankle.
So now she is lying on snow without any shoes and without any coat. Her eyes wide open and her hands making an angle of 90 degree with herself.
She wanted to get up, she wanted to run. But her body was giving up. Sweet slumber of darkness was taking over her. She wanted to protest with her body but the darkness seems so comforting just like an invisible blanket.
And before she has time to pass out it starts snowing. Pure white snow, it looked so beautiful. Rachel was still awake, her eyes open and she was looking at the dark sky from which soft snow was falling. The soft snow particles touched her face, legs, hands and some of them also touched her eyelash.
Her body didn’t have the energy to get up, but her mind was still active. And it was telling her that any minute Ethan would come for her. But she didn’t make any attempt to move, she lay there all her problems forgotten for a few minutes; still gazing at the sky.
Soon the view of grey sky and beautiful snow falling from it was blocked by a dark figure. It was Ethan, he looked terrible. His once perfect lips were swollen now and also bleeding. His white teeth which were very important to him since he was a dentist were also broken. He was still pressing pressure with his hand on his stomach where she hit him.
He spat some blood out to clear his mouth and all he could manage to say was that “this...” he said pointing to his face “wasn’t necessary at all.”
Rachel didn’t reply she tilted her head back so that, she wouldn’t have to see his face. And took a long deep breadth and closed her eyes.
She heard Ethan punch a tree and then he started cussing again. He ran his fingers through his hair before finally making up his mind.
“I am going to punish you for this.”
“Do whatever you want to do.” Rachel eyes were still closed.
He knelled down to pick her up, she didn’t resist. Ethan took this as a good sign.
She was almost about to get lifted from ground when Rachel opens her palm and grabbed a fistful of snow, and shoves it in his eyes. Ethan immediately takes his hands back and starts shaking his head trying to get his vision back.
Rachel took this opportunity to escape again. She got up on her legs, but they were still numb from being in snow. It took her some few seconds to regain her balance, but when she tried to run. Her left leg gave up since her ankle was dislocated.
But nonetheless she started gimping her way away from Ethan. Placing all her weight on her right leg, she looks over her shoulder. No Ethan…yes. It looks like she beat him.
“Looking for me.” She turns around to see Ethan walking with her side by side. No she didn’t beat him at all; some snow can’t keep him occupied for long. She should have known that.
Yet she still refused to admit defeat she keeps walking. She tries to go a little faster, but a crack sound stopped her. It was her left leg; she bends down to take a look at it. And there she saw her small bone penetrating through her flash, but there was no pain. Since her leg was still numb, but when the warm blood started oozing down her leg; the pain started doing its job. She falls on the ground with a large thump and tries her best to not scream.
Ethan saw this he was right behind her all this time; he just wanted to see how far she will go. And the answer is not far enough. He kneels in front of her and takes a look at her leg.
“The bone is dislocated. I have to put it back in, but it would be painful.” Ethan says touching her swollen leg.
“No, no please no. no more pain just kill me now. I can’t take it anymore.” She says grabbing his hand.
“I am sorry.”
“For what?”
“For this.” And with that he takes out a small tranquilizer dose from his pocket enough to send her to sleep for an hour and injects her with it.
Within a few seconds, her eyes rolls back in. and she falls in deep sleep. Ethan takes her leg between his both hands, and twists it. The bone was back in its position but it was still broken and the wound still fresh.
He looks around himself something to cover her wound. Ethan sees that they were back at warehouse after all this running away finally.
A flash of what happened here earlier makes his boil blood with anger. He blames this place for what happened with him and Rachel. So now he wishes to destroy it, so that he can forget what he did to Rachel.
He takes hold of her both hands and drags her towards a tree. He makes sure that her back gets the support from the tree, while her leg remains straight.
He goes inside the warehouse and picks up the barrel and opens its lid. What was the point in keeping it anyway, he can’t carry it now.
Ethan starts pouring the gasoline everywhere, on the table, on the shelves. He also found a gas cylinder here; he makes his way towards it. And opens the vault which was keeping it locked. He exists the warehouse with a satisfied smile plastered on his face.
He takes out a matchbox from his pocket, lights a match and throws it in the warehouse direction. As soon as the spark hits the gasoline the whole warehouse catches fire in a matter of seconds.
Ethan limps towards Rachel direction, he was sure that he definitely had some internal bleeding. He picks up Rachel in bridal style, and starts limping his way to the cabin.
The warehouse was right behind them, the whole wooden structure was on fire. And then came the gas cylinder; due to so much heat the cylinder gave up.
BOOM the blast was big, the whole warehouse blasted away into millions of pieces. The small wooden pieces which were on fire went flying hundred meters away. However Ethan and his bride were untouched, call it luck
Ethan didn’t even look behind to look at his creation; he just kept walking ahead in pure silence. Rachel was still under the effect of tranquilizer, and Ethan was carrying her back to their home. Where they will celebrate the rest of their honeymoon, which still contained a lot of surprises.