Jessica looked up at the door that kept her captive in her prison. However, unlike most prisoners, Jessica feared the door opening because that door was the opposite means to freedom. Honestly, Jessica didn’t know how she had lived so long. Physically and mentally she was broken down into a fragile girl that had nothing to live for. On occasion she sought the empty solace of death for her only means of escape, but every attempt failed because he didn’t want her to get out of her hell…he needed her.

Always alone, Jessica sat in the darkness on the broken mattress she called a bed although it would be far from the standards of one. Yet these times of loneliness would be the nights, Jessica liked the most. It meant no feeling of hands ghosting over her body or the painful memories that would echo inside her body.

The crack of thunder made Jessica jump which was soon followed by the patter of rain on the slit of a window she had in her solace. She watched the water glide down the window and wondered if the rain could also wash away the filth she thought she was covered in. Yet as the water started seeping into the floor, Jessica wondered how the water could break past these walls that were once so solid.

Getting up from her bed, Jessica walked over to the water that dripped in through what looked like a crack. Stepping up on her toes, Jessica examined the promise of escape closer. With another crack of thunder, Jessica saw a light through the concrete.

This was it.

Jessica knew that she had to get out now. While he was not here.

Looking around for a tool, Jessica remembered one of the bars on her bed frame was loose. Rushing over, she quickly worked on freeing the free beam from the frame. It took a while, but she finally got the metal bar released. With every crack of the thunder, Jessica hit the wall. She hit it until her hands bled and her bones ached with the reverberation, but she wasn’t going to stop until the rain ceased or until she got her freedom.

As Jessica broke into the crack of the wall, she saw a light, not just the light of the world behind her walls, but a light of hope. After gathering a few things, Jessica crawled through the last barrier that locked her in this prison.

The rain hit her hard and chilled her to the bones but the feeling of water cleansing her body was pleasant. Jessica wanted to relish in the feeling of having sins washed away from her body but she needed to run. The fear of him finding her was something she feared most.

However, as she wondered the streets, she didn’t know what to do to survive. Naïve to the world and their true dangers, Jessica found herself in a different world of horrors. For the first few nights she managed to survive on scraps from a restaurant but she needed more than just food. To survive longer, she needed a place to sleep that wasn’t an empty park bench.

One morning as she walked around, she noticed a local pawn shop. Discovering you could sell things there for money, Jessica thought of a way for quick and easy money. Then she spotted a bookstore a few doors down. Jessica new the basics of right and wrong in regards to steeling, but she thought maybe borrowing a few books temporarily would be okay. She was desperate.

As the door chimed, Jessica froze as if she was already caught. Looking around, Jessica gulped before taking a step into the store. It was quiet for the most part, which should be normal for a bookstore, so Jessica could only hear the squeak from her shoes as she walked further into the store until she disappeared between the book shelves.

Not knowing what books would give her the biggest profit, Jessica chose some that looked to be the oldest. As she placed the books in her backpack, she thought that this plan was easier than she imagined. Well that was until a smaller girl approached her from behind.

“Hey you!” Taeyeon yelled out. The person looked back startled and took off running, “stop! You can’t take that!”

Fear boiled inside as Jessica knew she was caught. Not wanting to go back to the place she came from, Jessica sprinted. With all the speed she could muster, Jessica ran away from the smaller girl however, as she saw the door, a pair of muscular arms lifted her off her feet. This was it…she already saw herself sitting on her broken bed staring at the concrete walls. She could already feel his arms and lips on her body as she remained silent in his embrace.

Jessica tried getting out a few times while she was questioned on her reasoning for taking the books. Then she heard the mention on police, “Please don’t call the cops!!!” She knew that would be her undoing and to her surprise, the man only asked for her to stay for food and then however things turned out the smaller girl asked her to stay the night.

Never having truly experiencing kindness, Jessica felt her body frozen to the atmosphere surrounding her now. A warm meal, a warm shower, and a warm bed…comforts she never had before.

With the sound of the smaller girl returning to the bedroom, Jessica quickly covered her head under the covers. She breathed heavily under the darkness while she felt the person next to her adjust until she heard a muffled, “good night.”

Sighing in relief that the girl might not be dangerous, Jessica whispered back, “good night” in response.

-----------------------------

Jessica managed to doze off a few times during the night but every time, she felt the same nightmare consume her. It was easier not to sleep.

When she heard the ringing of an alarm, Jessica quickly closed her eyes shut, hoping to avoid the shorter girl in the morning but that proved hard to do when she felt a body collapse onto her. With her eyes wide open, she looked up at the girl that hovered over her. Although the shorter girl apologized, Jessica wasn’t sure what to do in a situation like this.

She was close.

To cover her heated face, Jessica pulled the covers up. She heard the girl was going out to do some chores. Thinking of how the family took her in and gave her food, Jessica felt as though she should do something nice back before she left.

Following the shorter girl, Jessica did as she was told until Taeyeon left for school.

Now in the kitchen taking small bites of her breakfast, she noticed the older woman observe her a bit until she placed some juice in front of her, “So Jessica how did you sleep? Taeyeon is a bit loud at night I am afraid.”

Jessica knew there was lots of kindness in the woman’s face as she saw the wrinkles of smiles and laughter, “Fine.”

“That is good. Taeyeon will be in school for a while do you mind hanging around here until she returns? I feel like she would be sad if you left without giving her a proper goodbye.”

How did she know I wanted to leave?

“You can choose. I take care of the flowers while my husband manages the bookstore. Or you can do both?”

Biting her bottom lip, Jessica thought about the pros and cons of staying with these folks and fortunately for the Kim family, Jessica couldn’t think of another location that could give her what the Kims were offering. She was out of money and didn’t know the city well. Where was she really to run off to?

In the morning, Jessica found herself doing things around the flower shop. Although she liked the sweet smell of blossoming flowers, her hands started to sting from the cuts she had from before. Her fingers started to twitch from the sting of a wound reopening. Eventually blood started to drip down onto the flowers. With the sight of red drops, Mrs. Kim rushed over, “Oh my, did you cut yourself?”

Jessica retracted her hands from the warmth of the other, “It’s fine.”

Giving the young girl a stern look, “Jessica we have to wrap that up. Come with me to the bathroom so we can wash away that blood.”

Seeing the older woman adamant on treating her wounds, Jessica followed behind closely. The woman was careful as she bandaged the wounded hands, “You probably shouldn’t be in the greenhouse. I am afraid that you will reopen these wounds. How about the bookstore? You want to help out there?”

Jessica shrugged at the suggestion. Really it didn’t feel like she had a choice on where she was to help since the older woman already made up her mind to where the girl would be placed.

Although a larger man, Jessica wasn’t afraid of Mr. Kim. He had the same subtle expression of warmth and kindness the older woman emulated. His voice was gentle and he was able to describe to Jessica the ins and outs of the bookstore operations. It was when she was organizing the books on the shelf, that Taeyeon came back home from her studies.

As she continued to help Mr. Kim, Jessica had a strange feeling of longing. The longing to have the life Taeyeon had. The girl had a family with both parents that were kind enough to take in a stranger and let her stay without much assistance. She hardly thought the work she did around the shop counted as payment for what the Kims were offering her.

“Jessica did you finish?”

Looking back to the man, Jessica saw she had three books left, “These…”

The man looked down and took the books, “Let me help you. I already locked the doors.”

With the help of the older man, Jessica and Mr. Kim finished their work in the bookshop so that they could go up to the kitchen and join the other girls who were preparing dinner.

As Jessica entered the kitchen her eyes automatically sought out Taeyeon who was busy cutting the vegetables. Jessica wondered if that was something she would have done with her real mother…

The family had dinner that was full of happy stories and daily gossip. Jessica found the ones involving Taeyeon to be particularly funny but she didn’t laugh. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to smile, but every time she felt that spark of happiness, her mind would wander to the bad thoughts. Why couldn’t she live a life like this? Every day would be happy if she were surrounded by a family like this right?

Glancing over at Taeyeon, Jessica noticed the girl also looking at her, but she didn’t see the mirror of joy that her parents radiated. Taeyeon was looking at her different. Almost like Taeyeon was trying to get into her head…sounds strange but Jessica saw that Taeyeon was looking at her for answers.

Jessica thought about having another night with the Kims could be a bad idea…she wasn’t sure if she wanted to create an attachment. She didn’t know if time with them could last. Wanting to escape her thoughts of having to leave the Kims, Jessica shut her eyes but she forgot for that instant that other nightmares would come.

The door creaked open slowly.

Her breath hitched as she heard the familiar steps of boots hitting the wooden stairs.

He was coming.

Looking around she saw no escape. There was never a place to escape.

‘Jessica shut your eyes…he will be gone when you open…’

The man continued to approach the bed until he sat down and cupped the girl’s face. He wanted to observe her for a few minutes…until he shoved her face into the bed, “Be a good girl…”

With his palm on her face, she heard the belt go first…helpless…she started crying.

As she whimpered, a sudden warmth came upon her. Never before did she know such warmth to be consumed in.

Looking up, the man was replaced with her mother’s loving smile, “you came…” Wanting to forever be in the warmth of the embrace, Jessica tightened her hold.

With a soft to her hair, Jessica slowly opened her eyes to see that it wasn’t her mother holding her, but Taeyeon. She thought of releasing herself from the hug but as she looked up at the girl’s face, she knew for some reason that Taeyeon was there to heal her. Maybe her mother couldn’t come back to her rescue but Taeyeon was here now. Maybe this was really where she was supposed to be.

Author's Note

I wasn't sure if I could finish this chapter after feeling very depressed myself. 

Well comment ^^ See you around readers