Chapter Five.
Ava's POV
The humiliation I felt earlier still throbbed through my body alongside the pain I felt in my right hand that was crushed as I opened the door to my new apartment. Well, I tried to open it with all of my strength and I finally did.
I walked into the apartment blindly, not looking at my front and stumbled over the packed box that I had not touched yet. I fell face first and injured myself by hitting my head on the vase that I had not moved out of the way also.
“Ouch.” I yelped and groaned as I felt an excruciating pain that walked it way from my injured hand right to my head.
I sat up and rest on the couch. Tears sprang into my eyes as the pain continued. At this point, I think I'm just unlucky. There is no way in hell that all of these will happen to me on the same day.
After running from an abusive ex who has treated me like the dirt under his shoes for as long as I can remember, I didn't expect that I would get princess treatment from other men. The least I could ask for was the basic respect for your fellow human beings.
Not to be treated like trash by another man. One that I thought was attractive. I must definitely be a bad judge of character if all the men I attract will be hitting and beating me up.
I wiped at the tears angrily. I should not be crying over a man like a lost puppy. I should not do that. It's wrong. The reason I'm crying right now is because I have pain in my hand. And a very intense pain at that. I think I'll have to see the doctor for it.
But then, that can wait. I might as well set up my apartment right now instead of stumbling upon things here and there. And for the record, I like having my space in order. It's like an OCD of some sort.
Maybe after years of having someone who condemns every single thing you do and wanting to impress him made me like that, or the fact that I've always wanted the validation of my parents for the longest of time.
I stood from the floor I was sitting on and got to work. Even though I knew it was going to be a long day for me. But I needed to do it. Then go to the hospital about it later.
It was a good thing I could get a real estate person on the phone at the last minute on my trip over here and I could get a good apartment to stay in a good environment.
The fireplace wasting die for. I loved how the necessities were up and running. Something good about my whole day though, which is good. I made sure to add more wood so as to allow the fire to continue burning for the meantime. The cold outside was freezing.
After what seemed like forever, I got everything in order and the place was squeaky clean, I rested a little. I checked the wall clock and it was a little after eight. I don't have any groceries and I need to eat something since I've not exactly had the best meal today.
I opened the freezer, knowing I will not see anything inside and I sighed in relief. There were at least a couple of ice packs in there. I picked one and put it on my injured hand, wincing in the process.
When I was coming here the other time, I saw a particular stall that made corn sticks and some other junk food. Maybe I can get myself something to eat from there.
Throwing my hair in a bun, I used my good hand to open the door then I stopped suddenly when I heard a scuffle outside.
It sounded like muffled sounds of anguish and pain. I opened the door gently peeping through the small opening. What I saw made me jerk against the door, with my palm flying up to my mouth.
What the hell?!
Nothing would have prepared me for the image in front of me that I could not look away from right now. My eyes widened, heart pounding in my chest with how scared I was right now.
Oh God!
There is a mutilated man in front of my door.
That was the mantra that I was chanting in my head without being able to look away from the said scene.
Whatever is happening right now, I have no idea. The man had blood gushing out from his fingers and…
I stopped my train of thought when I looked well at the hand. There was nothing left of the fingers. He had no fingers anymore.
His five fingers were gone.
What seemed to be like vomit walked itself up my throat but I pushed it back down. Looking at the scene.
The man was on the floor. Crying obviously, but his cries and screams were held in by the rag that was stuffed in his mouth. His face and body was bloodied. Looking at him from here, I'm sure he had a couple of broken bones in his body.
A man stood over him like a grim reaper who was ready to collect his debt. I could not believe my eyes right now. I must have made a sound, because the man who was the perpetrator turned slowly towards me.
My eyes clashed with his own and I froze in my boots. Literally.
It was him.
Oh God.
I closed the door so silently, I hoped he did not hear.
The man was more of a devil than I thought. He did that to a man. A fellow human being.
My injured hand suddenly throbbed painfully as though to remind me of what he did to me. All traces of hunger left me and I locked the door.
My breathing was unstable because I couldn't get what I just saw out of my head and also, the amount of blood that was on the ground.
His icy gray eyes still haunting me, I walked to the bedroom in the one room apartment and fell on the bed. All of these things, I was doing them absentmindedly. I still can't believe what is going on right now.
I cowered under the thick blankets, having different strange and bizarre thoughts in my head.
What should I do?
Why if he had seen me?
What if he later comes for me?
I shook the thoughts away from my head. There was no way he saw me. I mean, the door was only opened slightly and we've had all but one encounter. There was no way he'd recognize me.
Cradling my hand beside my head, I willed myself to sleep. It was hard, but I did.
My eyes flew open.
Something was wrong. The atmosphere in the room was colder than it's supposed to be. The room and bed heater was on but it was still cold. I can't place my hand on what it is, but I know something is wrong.
I sat up in the bed, about to switch on the bedside light that I hope I get at once when I froze in place.
“Don't you dare switch that light on, Bambi.”
Chills ran down my spine and it felt as though a bucket of ice was dumped on me from my head down to my feet. I can't believe what I was heard.
My gaze shifted to where I heard the voice.
“Maybe I'm hearing things. That's not possible right?” I said, as though trying to assure myself that I was not insane.
At least, not yet.
“You heard me good. Do it, and you'd regret the day you laid your eyes on me.” It sounded real this time. Both of my hands flew to my mouth as though to cover my thoughts from coming out.
I was about to ask what he was doing here and how he got in, even though I can't exactly see him in the darkness, when I smelled him close to me.
“You like peeping don't you?” He said in a tight frozen tone. Before I could reply and act like I didn't know what he was saying, there was something like a cold metal pressed to my neck before I could blink.
My eyes widened when I discovered what it was.
A knife.
Again.
What an irony? I thought grimly.
“What are you doing in my house?” I whispered in a controlled tone, hoping my voice didn't hint at the fear I was feeling.
“What do you think? What did you see?”
“I don't know what you are talking about...”
“Don't fucking lie to me. What did you see?” He said in a hard tone that scared the shit out of me.
“You're a fucking monster, Jaxon.” I said. Even though I knew not to fuck with him after what he did to me today, I could not hold my tongue. Not to talk of even biting!
He laughed dryly.
“You will be having the time of your life with this fucking monster, Bambi. Now speak the fuck up.” He said the last part seriously and made emphasis by pressing the blade into my neck further.