14 Memories 1

"No! Stop it please! She's our daughter!" the woman's cries brought a wrenching pain in her chest and she started whimpering and crying. All the sorrow, hurt, and anger came rushing back to her memory.

All the men surrounding her were whipping sticks, tying chains, and other sorts just to get her down on the ground. She cannot see any face.

Everything was blurry. Nothing seems right. But then she felt everything was real. Every hit and wound they put on her smelled blood. The oozing fluid was dripping on her skin. It was warm and cold at the same time.

She gritted her teeth not seeming to surrender. She was broken as hell and she knew this was happening again to her. "Mo-om.. " Her voice faltered and she heard her mother's screams again.

"Get away from my baby! You animals! You outrageous monsters! Let her go!" Before she had the chance to look at her mother, somebody called her name. It was so soft and yet so commanding.

"Maia, stop scratching. Stop it now." the voice was calm as the sea and was very deep. The rich melody it brought to her ears stopped the storm within her.

"Mom... " Everything she was seeing faded away into darkness.

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He felt like something was wrong. He needed to talk to Maia.

When he entered her room, he found her screaming and scratching deep wounds on her body. The marks on her shoulders emerged as she ripped through her thin clothes.

He quickly grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her. He wasn't too late nor was he early. The wounds have been dripping fresh blood and the whole room smelled of her scent and blood.

Her tears flowed as she called out to her mother with anger, sadness and fear enveloped in her voice. The way she called caused Daemon's heart to shudder a little. He was clueless about her nightmare. And her screams are heartbreaking.

"Miss Maia... " Mrs. Marie rushed to both of them when she heard someone screaming from the second floor. All the rooms of the house were soundproof. No one would have heard her cries.

"Get the first aid kit and some new clothes." Mrs. Marie was trembling while nodding. She saw glimpses of blood on Daemon's hand and on the blanket but more on Maia's shoulders. The way he wrapped her seemed too tight as if preventing her to breathe.

When she stopped struggling and her breath slowed, he loosened his grip on her and the blanket.

"Maia... " she didn't respond and continued sleeping. Daemon raked his hand on his hair feeling upset and mad with the scene he just saw. New deep scars adorned her body like lines of rubies.

Mrs. Marie came in running with a tray with the kit and two glasses of water. "Sir, shall I change her now?"

Daemon looked at her madly. Mrs. Marie shuddered from the cold glance. She quickly opened Maia's closet and set new clothes on the bed then left in a hurry.

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It was midnight. The man had unbuttoned his white long sleeves and removed his black suit. His sleeves were pulled up and his eyes slowly taking in the raven-haired woman's sad face. She was sleeping peacefully now. She turned to the side and felt a stinging pain on her shoulder as she did. "Aahh... " Maia was weak. And she had no strength left to even lift herself up to sit.

He was observing her while sitting on the sofa he set on the corner himself. When he saw her wake up, he placed his wine glass on the bedside table and switched the lamp on.

"What do you need?"

She looked up at the man speaking. "You look bad. I just... need.... to... call Farrah." She was trying hard to force her arms up but was left breathless.

He chuckled on the side as approached her.

"Let her rest, she's sleeping." He raised her pillow and helped her sit. "The soup and bread are a bit cold now. want me to heat it up for you?"

"No... I... can eat it like that. I'm used to it." she hid her face from him. The truth is she was incredibly hungry and want to eat.

"Don't move." She stared at him. He moved gracefully around her room. He reached for the spoon and soup. She didn't blink as he sat beside him and started feeding her. Wide-eyed, she took in her first spoonful. She didn't know why but she tilted her head with a questioning look on her face. That was when she noticed the new clothes she was wearing. She swallowed hard.

"I changed your clothes." He knew she was looking at her clothes. Her eyes went wider and her face started to burn. She ate in silence and went back to sleep.

Daemon was still smiling while he observed how red she was the whole time.