Chapter 4

Lucy

Life has not been easy for me. Being forced to grow up at a tender age does have a whole lot of side effects, those side effects which I'm currently facing right now.

Staring at the bills laying on the table, I prayed harder that my job request be accepted at that local diner down the street.Working as a waitress in 'lights off' doesn't pay all my bills, so I decided to put my free time to use since I usually work at night. My boss Miss Ashley is a woman with mixed personality, she can be sweet today and fucking mean the next. Judging from her interaction with the other workers there who happen to be on her bad side, I definitely do not want to do anything that will piss her off.

Her brother Mister Baron seem to be a nice person, but I'm uneasy with people's attiude. I think life thought me as much.

Thinking back to the night before, I thought about the man who came in with Baron.Over my one week stay at lights off, I've heard whispers about the boss's boss, about how intimidating he can be. I heard one worker was fired the last time he was here because she gave him a wrong order, and last night, I got a glimpse of what was rumored about him.Just that this time, it wasn't just any worker that was at the receiving end of his scolding, this time, it was Miss Ashley.

Despite the fact that the kept turning their gaze to me every now and then, I refused to believe that they were discussing me. I haven't done anything that warrants them discussing me.

Jerking out of my thought by my ringtone, I picked up the call, and the news that was delivered to me made my day.

"This is Helen's diner, I called to tell you that you have been accepted for the job, so you can come to our office for further enquires"

Immediately the call ended, I leaped out of my seat out of excitement, mistakenly knocking over my father's picture which was on the old coffee table, I picked it up and stared at it. It was the only picture I saw on social media and also the only picture I have of him. I really wish he is here with me, then maybe, my life would have been easier, with little or no drama.

Putting on a faded sweater on top of my singlet, I rushed out with my bicycle towards Helen's diner.

On getting there, I was given the job with a request from me that my working hours should fall between morning and afternoon hours.Since the pay wasn't much, my request was granted with the instruction that I begin the next day.

I happily rode my bicycle home, unknown to me that fate has another harsh stuff in stock for me because out of nowhere, a shiny black car slammed into my bicycle which sent me flying. As I laid on the cold concrete, the car zoomed off. The last thing I remembered was tasting my own blood before everything went black.

Beep...beep...beep...beep

This sound kept ringing in my ear and I can't just get it to stop. I can hear hushed voices but I'm aren't able to make out what they are saying. The darkness keeps opening it's welcoming arms to me and I embraced it with gladness of heart.

"You've been unconscious since a week now, it seems you like being in the dark"

That voice, it sounds familiar but I can't place where I've heard it before. For unknown reasons, my heart seems to seek solace from the sound of his voice. I tried telling him that I used to like the dark before, but right now, it scares me. I hate being in the dark alone and that I really want to wake up. I felt something cold touch my hand, gently caressing it then he spoke again

"I don't know what I'm doing here, Ashley is probably going to flip if she finds out I'm here but I don't give a fuck anyways. My promise to you is that I'm definitely going to find whoever did this and he is going to be very sorry"

I tried squeezing his hand to let him know that I can hear him but my hand disappointed me

"This hospital sucks, I would have transferred you to mine but they say I do not have the right as your boss. I'll be around until you get better, then I'll have to stay away from you. Nothing good is going to come out of staying close to you"

I felt his presence leave even though he promised to stay around until I get better.

I opened my eyes to a dark room with nobody around, just as I tried to sit up, the alarm went off. Within few minutes, a nurse and a doctor ran into the room probably thinking it's an emergency. They stopped when they saw me awake and the handsome doctor gave me a warm smile

"Welcome back Miss Clay,how are you feeling?"

I tried talking but my throat felt very dry, the nurse who came in with him handed me a cup of water. After gulping down the whole cup, I finally responded "it feels like I got ran over by a truck"

With the smile still intact, he made a joke "literally speaking Miss Clay, you got hit by a vehicle"

I grimaced "is that bad huh?"

The nurse kept checking my vitals or whatever it is that she was doing

"How bad it is isn't important right now, that is why we are here. Why don't you answer these questions Miss Clay?"

"Please call me Lucy"

"Okay Lucy, can you remember what happened?"

I tried to remember but my brain came back blank "apart from what you said about me being hit over by a vehicle, I remember nothing"

"Don't worry, it must be the drugs. Can you move your left leg for me?"

I moved it and he wrote down something

"Do you have any friends or family you'll like to call over?"

Damn, I guess it's for the bill. With no health insurance, I guess they are bothered about who will handle my bills "I don't have anyone to call, but I promise to pay the bill once I'm out of here"

He waved me off "it's not about the bill, I think your boss handled that. its just that we need someone to watch you"

My boss? I know Helen's diner didn't handle my bills, that means it's definitely lights off. Then I remembered that voice, that isn't Miss Ashley's voice. Could it be Mr Baron or Mr Cardin?

"I'll take your silence as a no" he pointed towards a camera "that camera have been watching you since you were brought in here so that we can monitor you but it seems we will still have to leave it activated so we can watch you the more. The nurses will stop by time to time to check on you. If you need anything, just press that button close to your bed okay?"

"Okay"

With that, he turned and left my room.

Is it possible for Mr Baron to visit me? Thinking about these things isn't what my brain needs right now, so I willed myself to sleep.

Nobody visited me at the hospital till I was discharged. My roommate Vivian didn't even spare me a glance when I walked into the house with my crunches not that I care anyways. I stopped expecting people to care for me a very long ago.

I woke up that night to a dark room, it seems the power supply have been cut off. I fumbled with the rechargeable lamp close to me, willing myself not to panic. But when the lamp came crashing on the floor, I began to panic. I immediately turned around to search for my phone on the bed but wasn't really sure if I really left it on the bed or on the desk. Unable to find it, my lungs began to squeeze tight. I tried talking myself out of it

"it's all in your head Lucy, you are stronger than they are, they can't get to you, you are a survivor"

I know all these talks are futile because no matter how many times I give myself this talk of encouragement, I still end up in that dark place.

"My sweet little thing, open up for me"

"Lucy....m...y...n...am...e...is...l..u...cy"

"Your name isn't important, what is important is what you can do for me, what you offer me"

I felt his finger touch my asshole

"one day, am going to take you here, when I think you are ready for me, I'm going to tear you open"

"S...ta...ya...w...ay...fr...om...me"

(Loudlaughter)

"I should stay way from you? Who? Me? You can't even see me my sweet little thing, so how can you tell what you can't see to go away?"

"I can't see you because you usually come to me at night and even when you do in the afternoon, you cut off the power supply"

(A sound of a loud slap filled the room)

"You don't get to tell me what to do or voice your thoughts. You speak only when I tell you to and because you have offended me, I am going to punish you"

"Lucy!!! Lucy!!!"

I felt someone pull my head hard, probably trying to bring me back but Mr faceless had my head glued.

"If you don't talk to me, I am calling 911"

"I'm not going to grant you any easy entrance today, I'll make sure I draw blood from that useless cunt of yours"

A bucket of cold water snapped me out of it, I blinked rapidly to see who my saving grace is. I saw Vivian glaring at me with her torch light pointing upwards

"I'm getting a new housemate next year, if you want to die, don't die on my watch." With that, she slammed the door.