Derrick stood with an amused expression.
Oh how he loved seeing his darling.
It has been so long since he'd seen her up this close 'doesn't mean he hasn't been seeing her from around.
Before Aurora could close the door, he forcefully pushed it open in the process Aurora fell on the floor with a twisted ankle.
She tried getting up, the pain already getting to her, but Derrick wasn't the kind to not enjoy this kind of situation.
He gave a creepy laugh as he pushed against the door more, stepping towards her, he crouched down to her level.
With his fingers gently cascading her face in mockery, with a sharp smile, "oh my dear, you have been such a…naughty girl."
Crack!
Aurora felt an immense pain on her cheek, the very cheek that was hurt, she didn't cry out.
She never liked showing any signs of weakness to them, that was then but never again.
The pain was there but her resilience was there too.
Derrick felt a fluttering feeling in his chest seeing the way she held her pain but didn't like it so much, so he lifted his foot and crushed it directly on her ankle.
She still held in everything but Derrick was having none of it.
' So it's real pain she wants, then pain she gets.' He harshly grabbed her hair lifting her face so she could meet eye to eye, and spat.
"You are still as useless as you were before – you think you could leave that job huh?"
Laughing menacingly, he dragged her across the living room and to the kitchen, where he put the plug in the sink and waited for it to fill to the brim with water.
Aurora's resilience was at the breaking point, as her scalp was hurting.
She couldn't stand because of her ankle pain but she knew she had to do something.
This was her house after all so she surely could find a way out of all these.
Frantically glancing around, she quietly opens the closest drawer next to her as Derrick was still distracted with the running water.
Sneakily putting her hand in, she felt some metallic objects and quickly figured out it was her utensils.
So with the same sneaky and quiet manner, she took a fork and withdrew her hand.
Now waiting for the exact moment to strike.
That's one thing about Derrick.
He never believed in the power of women. He never really saw any as anything but just a slave to whom would meet all his desires.
But his main motive wasn't the adult females, but the younger ones and he saw Aurora as a good bait.
Both to Viktor and him.
He glanced around menacingly like a fool without any notice of Aurora who was beneath him in pain.
He gave a sharp smile as he saw that the water had filled already.
He dragged her up forcefully, ready to plunge her head in the water, such a marvelous sight to him.
At that, Aurora saw that as an opportunity to strike and she did –on his thigh.
"Motherfucker!!...you nasty bitch!" He snarked as he threw her head harshly against her kitchen cabinet.
Derrick felt the pain rippled through him, he groaned as he steadily but with trembling hands unplugged the knife from his thigh, tossing it aside.
He was so furious and dragged Aurora's hair, hitting her continuously on the kitchen counter.
He wanted to see her bleed, to hear a crack, so much to feel less pain from just watching her suffer, as he laughed out loud in a mocking manner.
Aurora could feel pains as her head was repeatedly being banged against her counter, she still kept on resisting as he held her hands against the counter, giving some space.
Her emotions were numb, as her hands held her steady.
Even with all these she never wanted defeat, if it's a fight he wants, then a fight he gets.
Quickly she threw her whole weight backwards with a cry, managing to loosen herself from him.
With fast reflexes, she immediately grabbed the bloodied knife on the floor and stabbed him on his other thigh, twice and deeper.
With Derrick crouched low, coughing historically, Aurora grabbed her roller, and with all her remaining strength hit him straight in the face and was very elated as a crack sound was heard.
"Fuck!!!" Derrick groaned loudly as he covered his now blood stained face.
Aurora saw this as a chance to run,.and immediately limped to her sitting room, could she make it outside to call on a neighbor as the pain in her ankle became more prominent and her slightly feeling dizzy.
She dragged herself, opening the door , she screamed on top of her voice at the empty night.
"HELLO!!! Someone please help me!" She limped house by house banging on the neighbors doors, as fast as she could.
This was a very ungodly time of the night already and she feared she might not be safe as Derrick might come out anytime soon.
She kept on banging on the doors until she heard loud footsteps coming towards her, she already knew –Derrick.
She limped faster as he got closer,
"Help–
His palm covered her mouth right in a tight grasp around her neck, he spat
"Now be a really good girl and head back inside."
Already giving up everything, as she was being dragged away, a car flashlight shone them.
"Fuck not this", pushing her aside, he ran out of sight.
"Hey! Stop! Stop!" The car owner ran after Derrick.
The other rushed towards her and gently tapped her cheeks but she barely had any reaction.
"You caught him?"
The voice which held her asked.
"Nah, he was too fast…is the girl okay?
The other vice asked with a hint of worry in his voice.
"Yeah, we need to take her to a hospital asap."
"Rodger."
Aurora nearly lost consciousness, she could only identify them as the cops.
Although she'd fallen unconscious, she could still hear all that was being said.
*******
Everywhere was blank. Aurora was just in a floating state, with no idea of the void she was in.
She could hear beeping sounds but it sounded like it was deep in the ocean, far but at the same time, near.
Slowly she stirred, slightly awakening from the dark void.
Her eyes slowly opened with slight difficulty and pain.
White walls.
Smell of disinfectants.
She felt a light weight on her left arm and pain on her right.
The light weight on her left shifted sensing that she was awake.
"Aurora, my child!"
Aurora was quite startled by the voice as she looked around.
The voice sounded quite familiar…Mrs Salmon?
Aurora fully opened her eyes and Mrs Salmon out of panic called a nurse over.
The nurse checked her vitals immediately leaving the room to call the doctor.
Aurora was still confused as she couldn't remember anything apart from that night.
"Aurora my child, how are you feeling?"
Mrs Salmon's voice disrupted her from her inner thoughts.
"Yeah…how long have I been out?" She turned to face Mrs Salmon more but felt an immense pain on her head.
"Careful child."
Mrs Salmon quickly but gently held onto her and laid her back on the bed.
"You have been in the hospital for a week now. The doctor…
Aurora immediately drowned out the conversation.
' How is that possible? What happened to Derrick ? Also – Sandra, where was she.
She cut Mrs Salmon off in her sentence and frantically asked,
"Where's Sandra ?"
"Oh," Mrs Salmon was concerned that she was cut off by her, but replied, "Sandra travelled to her hometown for an important event. I myself haven't heard from her since."
Could it be that Sandra was –NO.
She couldn't think of that. Viktor wouldn't think of hurting Sandra right?
No, she had to do something – anything. She can't let them.get to her.
"Aurora Eira Volkov?"
A male voice resounded in the room.
"Yes." She answered.
"I'm Dr Sean, your doctor and as such I'd like to get some information from you for a little while if you don't mind."
Sean said as he strode in.
He was an African American man. He looked to be in his late twenties. He stood about 6 feet 3, broad shoulders with grayish eyes and lower pink lips, with dreads.
He looked around and gently glanced at Mrs Salmon as if asking her to leave.
"Aurora my child I'll be outside, let me get you some food." She said as she left the room to give some privacy.
Although she'd always seen Aurora as her child, she has never been nosey in anything Aurora felt uncomfortable sharing.
So she understood and left.
As the door was closed shut.
"Where you ever in an abusive relationship, miss Aurora?"
She knew already that they would ask such a question and since there was no need lying she nodded.
Sean wrote something on the tablet he was holding as he sat on a stool.
"You were brought here by a cop and his intern, passed out with severe marks giving it evidence of physical abuse.
What will be needed for you is enough bed rest and proper consumption of your medications and all would be fine."
He stood about to leave, "and the cops would like to have a chat with you if you don't mind?" with a raised eyebrow he asked.
"...I don't mind." Aurora replied, but her main focus was on Sandra and her sudden visitation for home.
"Hello miss, I'm Jack and this is my intern, Marcus. We would like to ask some questions on what happened that night, no pressure."
The cop immediately went straight to the point after introducing himself.
Aurora never wanted to give off any information about anyone or else she or any other person involved will be dead.
Not even the government can stop Viktor.
"I'm sorry but he's my ex and was a very abusive man."
Silence.
Jack couldn't decipher why she couldn't say much but nevertheless said,
"Okay that's all?"
Silence.
"Whenever you feel more comfortable talking, you can come to the station later and we'll be all ears. Thanks for your time."
Jack said and left with Marcus.
Aurora just stared in the blank space.
She searched for her phone but couldn't find it, just then Mrs Salmon came in.
"Are you with my phone?"
Mrs Salmon, stunned, spoke, "my dear, you were brought here without anything so I don't know."
Aurora's eyes widened as she froze, of course because of Derrick.
"Can I please use your phone?"
Mrs Salmon handed Aurora her phone and she immediately dialed Sandra.
On the third ring there wasn't any answer so her only was – Viktor.
*******
As Aurora stood in front of her house, she opened it quietly and surprisingly her phone was just at the center table and she couldn't remember ever dropping it there.
As she picked it, she noticed she had a voice note from – Sandra?
She played it but the voice and the message sent were her worst nightmare.
'Release me you motherfuckers!!'
Sandra's voice could be heard in the side background as Viktor's sinister laugh took over.
"Oh dear Aurora, we have your precious little friend here, if you know what's best for you, do it."
He spat as he cut the call but not before a heart coiling scream of Sandra was heard.
Feeling numb, she couldn't understand why all these were happening to her as she fell on her knees and cried out.
"WHY! WHY! WHY!!"
She cried and slowly her consciousness slowly faded.
*********