The door was rushed open with a swift wind cutting into my face. I braced myself for a demanding, nasty voice shouting at me. My aunt was the kind of woman who couldn’t be sweeter on the outside but was bitter on the inside, like dark chocolate that is sugar-coated.
My aunt’s gaze darkened on her fat, sweaty face, heavily made up, as she saw wet footprints everywhere, and even more so when she noticed the open window and my horrified face.
“Did you climb out of the window?” my aunt demanded straightforwardly.
Oh shit, I thought. I forgot to wipe the floor and close the window.
“N-no, Aunt Vanessa. I didn’t go out of the house, not even out of the room!” I gasped.
“Then why are you soaked? Why are there disgusting footprints on the floor with mud on them?” She raised her voice. “Girl, I warned you; you better tell the truth or you’ll stay on the balcony for the rest of the WEEK. If you tell the truth, it’s just staying in your bedroom for two days.”
I shivered. Our “balcony” is not exactly a comfortable hotel. It’s always dusty, and there’s hardly any place to sleep due to the tiny space; I can barely sit in the pile of broken housewares. And it’s Tuesday today, so I have to stay there for an entire SIX days. Plus, Chloe was still hiding under my bed, and it would come in handy if I could talk to her about our next moves. And she has a phone.
“Okay,” I said. “I climbed out the window and went to the forest.” Then I started to tell my aunt my story, carefully laid out so as not to mention my treehouse. “But then a stray dog tried to attack me, but I ran before I climbed a tree. After that, it started raining, and I got soaked. The dog left after a long time, and I climbed back inside the house after running toward it, and then you came back.”
I saw Aunt Vanessa frown hard at me. “I see,” she growled angrily.
In the suffocating silence, my aunt—my only relative I know—raised her hand and swiped down in the dusty air.
“Slap!”
I rolled onto my narrow bed and almost fell off. In the process, I saw Chloe’s terrified black eyes focused on me. Now my aunt has done it. Slapping was a rare punishment in our house. My left cheek felt as if it were burning with fierce flames. This hurts so bad. Tears were now streaming down my face, making the fire even hotter and spicier. I wiped my tears away but saw fragile dark red mixing into the salty water. Blood.
I put my gaze on Aunt Vanessa’s sharp, bright red nails on her puny hands. She must’ve scratched my face when she hit me.
In the searing pain, I saw my aunt’s bloody red lips move quickly. “I am going out to buy some canned food. You must stay in your bedroom, or you will spend the rest of your week on the balcony. Meals will be after I come back from the supermarket. Behave yourself, you naughty girl!”
Aunt Vanessa slammed the door in front of me, leaving me crying silently in the tiny room.
“All clear?” Chloe asked softly as I heard the other door slam, which seemed to be thousands of kilometers away. “Yes,” I whimpered.
Chloe rushed out from under my bed; her clothes were now covered in dust, leaving a trail of stuff behind her. She reached out her warm hand and patted me on the back comfortingly. “Are you okay?” she asked kindly, her black, worried gaze fixed on the scratch on my face.
“I’m fine. It’s just a scratch.” I tried to hide the pain in my voice, but it leaked. “Chloe, I’m sorry. Now you are stuck here with my aunt. You see how mean and terrifying she is.”
Chloe’s raven eyes were shining with sadness. “I don’t mind. As long as you’re safe and happy.” She offered me a big hug.
She then pulled out her phone and called her mom. “Hey, Mom. If I don’t come back in a couple of hours, DO NOT worry. I’m currently stuck in Katina’s house,” I heard her say. “Don’t try to find me here. Katina will get in HUGE trouble if her guardian finds out that I’m here, and I’ll be dead. Bye!”
I massaged my neck as Chloe finished phoning her mom. “So, what now?” I asked, because there was no way out. Aunt Vanessa is blocking the window right now. “Listen!”
We heard a faint knocking sound as we looked at each other, losing hope. “Aren’t there any other exits in the house?” Chloe said weakly.
“I don’t think so… Even if there are, Aunt Vanessa would have blocked them in case I escape again…” My words trailed off like someone slowly turned the volume down.
“Well, that’s a tricky situation,” Chloe mumbled. “No exit…”
“Should we ask Zoe? You know, she’s a genius,” I said, trying to keep the spirit up.
“That’s a great idea… But I don’t have Zoe’s number,” Chloe said sorrowfully. “I wish I had.”
“I know her number; it’s slightly hard to remember: 1890-8973,” I answered.
Chloe pressed the number and put the phone to her ear. Soon after, I heard Zoe’s voice ring loud and clear in the tiny room. Chloe swiftly lowered the sound—my aunt could come back any moment now. The grocery store was just down the road.
“Hi Chloe. What’s the problem?” said the voice on the phone.
“I am now stuck in Kat’s house,” said Chloe, then she explained the whole situation to Zoe.
“If there’s no exit, then create one,” said Zoe on the phone.
My brain jumped into action and instantly created a plan. “Thanks,” I replied into the phone.
