4 In-laws acquaintance.

With all hopes lost, My body voluntarily freed itself as my expression froze. This was all a nightmare, and i shouldn't be tensed at whats not even real. Atleast thinking like that made it less hurtful as he continued to graze his hands all over my body and lips fundling on to my visible skin.

Unwanted tears deliberately soaked the sheets on the bed. His hands reached the buttons on my shirt. Not even a movement came out from me. It was already over any way. He was going to kill me after using me.

Three buttons gone and the next was to show me almost half naked. A little whimper escaped when suddenly he stopped alerted as if he heard something. He paused for a while as if he was planning something in his head. Moments ended when he picked me up and headed towards a bathroom that was embedded inside the massively endless room. He put me in the bathtub and stared at me panting.

"Do not come out of here or make any sound. Do you hear me!" he warned adamantly.

His malevolence left the room with him letting me breathe a sigh of relief. He locked the bathroom door as he left. Why did he even have an outside lock for the bathroom?

I heard a few rustles and banging as if he was hurriedly dismantling the room. It was quiet for about five minutes before a woman's voice was heard from downstairs it seemed.

The man's voice also echoed from downstairs. I couldnt pick out the words they were saying but it sounded like muffling arguments. The next thing I heard was a race up the stairs and straight to the bathroom door. A few aggressive twists and turns on the door knob before huge bangs followed.

"Sherman open the door!! I know she is in there!! Now before i lose it open the damn door!!" the woman shouted again. I didnt know what was going on but it had me curled up in the bath tub in a defence mode. Ever since last night i have experienced nothing but fear.

"Mom please just calm down. Shes not hurt or anything. I just br-" I heard the man say before being cut off.

"Sherman!!!" The woman excruciatingly screamed.

He just said mom. And the woman just called him Sherman. What ever was going on was a whirlpool in my head but i had to embed this information in my head.

I started to hear the lock and in no time a middle aged woman burst in with the man i came to know his name to be Sherman came in behind her. Utter shock written all over her face. She looked distorted at the sight of helpless me.

"What have you done Sherman." She began to weep so sadly even i started to cry with her.

"You actually did what i begged you not to do and you promised. You promised Sherman, you promised" She started hitting him as she kept crying.

Sherman held her arms as if he couldn't take anymore of the pain from his mother's beatings.

"He said it was her. He said she was the on-" Sherman spoke in a persuasive tone before being cut off again.

"HE..!!! is not real sherman. And its time for you to grow up and realise that already!" The woman nagged. For all i knew she was really upset.

With my hopes up that this woman was on my side. I decided to plead one more time. "Please help me get out of here. Please." I couldnt help but cry.

The woman looked at me as tears rolled down her cheeks and walked out the bathroom in complete denial. Sherman looked at me in an expression i could not exactly detect. I became a curled up centipede once again.

Sherman walked out eventually locking the door again. I couldnt do anything but lay down in the bathtub and imagine all sorts of deaths that i may face. It was either being shot in the head to death and mutating my body into different bags and throwing those bags into different parts of the city, or being stabbed to death and then mutating my body in this bathtub and then feed it to wolves that looked like they lived surrounding this house. If i had an option i'd atleast want the first option.

After a few traumatizing hours the mother walked in, almost convinced of what has been decided to be done to me.

"come out from there child!" She said as she approached me helping me out from the tub sniffing and wiping her tears. At first i flinched but it crossed my mind that she was the only one who could possibly help me.

She walked me out the bathroom and sitting on the couch was Sherman blatantly sat comfortable staring at me.

"Sherman i need you to excuse us please." the woman gritted as she spoke.

"does it even matter if i leave." he spoke nonchalantly.

"I dont think the lady here feels very comfortable seeing your face after what you've done to her. Even i dont feel comfortable looking at your face. Now if you may escort yourself out of your room thank you." She said taking control.

Sherman looked at me for a second before getting up. I held his mother tightly, trying to hide behind her as he walked passed us.

the door closed behind us and i felt a lot safer.His mom looked at me in disdain, holding my hands and leading me to sit on the bed with her.

"Whats your name child?" she asked.

"Elayne.." I replied softly

"How old are you?"

"19..." I answered again. She looked shocked again before sighing deeply.

"I honestly apologise for what my son has done to you. I really didnt know he would go this far." She said emotionally.

"Please help me. I want to go home..." I tried again.

"I really wish i could. But having thought about it, I dont think i am ready to send my son to jail. I know what he's done to you is absolutely terrible, and i know that. But i really cant do that to him. He is the only one i have left." She started crying again and i followed with her vigorously shaking my head, begging for a diversion in what she was saying. " However i promise, I will treat you like my own daughter and make sure no harm comes towards you. I will buy you anything and everything you want. But only on one condition..."

"Please i just want to go home. I promise i wont tell anyone." I couldnt help but brush off everything she was saying. It just wasn't sitting well in my system.

"Listen. Listen to me." She held my face trying to grab my full attention. "Its not safe out there for you. Sherman has told me everything but in other peoples perspective what sherman has done is kidnap. Its either i leave you here with sherman alone. Or let me stay to take care of you on my conditions. Your choice." Ofcourse. As a mother she would do anything for her son, unlike the mother i had. My head drooped down losing all hope for ever experiencing freedom.

"What are the conditions..?" i asked accepting my fate.

"Ive asked my assistant to make a contract. You will have to sign a contract that you came in to this house willingly and in no way were you abused, blackmailed or forced to do anything. You will also have to sign a marriage certificate with Sherman." As the last sentence left her mouth, i quickly averted myself from her in shock.

What the hell was this woman saying.

"Why do i have to sign a marriage certificate? Im not getting married to him, his psychotic. I am too young to get married please." There was no way i was going to get married to him.

"According to your age you are legally allowed to get married. And this is all to make the story more believable. You ran away from home with a man you loved because you didnt think your parents would accept him and you ended up marrying him. This is the best decision for both of you." I shook my head vigorously.

"I cant..." I weeped.

"its either that, or ill have to leave you here in Sherman's care and ill know nothing about this incident. This way i cant help you at all."

I nodded my head even though i was dissatisfied. But if i was to be kidnapped i would rather have someone to protect me from the psychotic devil waiting outside.

She held my hands gently once again. " I am really sorry that i have to put you through this. But i promise, you are gonna start loving it with us. I promise." She smiled, wiping my tears.

"The papers are gonna come by tonight. all you have to do is sign them." She added

After moments of trying to reassure me, she got up and looked down at me. "Are you hungry dear. Do you want me to make anything for you?" she asked but i shook my head not feeling comfortable.

"Common.. You have to eat something. You must be starving by now." truth be told i really was starving. I nodded silently.

As she was about to leave, I abruptly ran to her and held her shirt like a child asking to be with their mother. She looked at me with pity flooding in her eyes.

"Sherman go eat out. I dont wanna see your face at all today." She said in a low tone. She was definitely speaking to Sherman but how was he going to hear that. She looked at me with a smile and carressed my cheeks. It was as if she was telling me that it was alright. We walked all the way down to the kitchen and surprisingly Sherman was no where to be seen.

She made a meal, I dont think ive ever tasted in my life. It was so delicious it made me forget the horrifying situation i was in.

Maybe staying here wasnt all that bad.