THE LIGHT OF HOPE.

She slowly opens her eyes and all she could see was the gloomy sky. The room without the drawn curtains felt as if it was out of life like the girl that lay within it on the bed.

Her back arched in pain, Her hands pale almost matching the color of the white handkerchief stained with dried blood.

*Life is hard indeed...I wish I could sleep like this for eternity with no one to plead with, just me and my sleep.*

She caresses her hand and drops of tears fall down her cheeks.

She lays for a while and when the house seemed to be as silent as a dead land, she sits up in her bed.

*What time is it?*.

She looks for her phone which she hadn't touched since the day before yesterday. She digs around the drawer and her school bag and there it was, as fine as she had left her school bag in the front pouch.

She lifts it and the screen flashes up.

58 MISSED CALLS FROM ALIYAH.

44 MESSAGES FROM ALIYAH.

5 MESSAGES FROM MOM.

*Mom?*.

She hurriedly clicks on the messages from her mom.

"Hua lin, I am taking off today. I hope you got the letter and some money I left for you. please take care, love, and forgive me. This is my last message to bid you goodbye and this number won't be reachable once I land there. I love you."

She holds her phone tightly.

*Why? why do you have to remind me again and again? you could have just left quietly*.

She takes a deep breath and opens her friend's messages.

"Hua Lin, Did you reach home safely? I was worried about it since you weren't in a good mood today!".It was the message of the day before yesterday.

" Hua, you aren't replying to my messages. Are you fine? Call me Asap!".

"Where are you? You aren't picking up my calls too!"." You didn't come to school too!".

The messages from yesterday.

" I came to see you today but no one answered the door! Are you out somewhere?".

*Aliyah came to see me?*.

She holds herself in a hug.*Should I call her and tell them the situation? But mom said she would tell aliyah's parents about me? So she didn't!.*

Bang! Bang!

The door gets banged loudly.

Hua lin jumps startled.

*Dad?*.

Bang! Bang!

It is banged again.

She slowly moves towards the door and holds the clutch tightly hesitating whether to open it or not.

The house falls silent once again. She takes a deep breath and opens the door slowly.

She peeks outside and finds no one.

*Wasnt dad here?*.

"Come down!". She hears a chilling voice from within the stairs.

She trembles and hides her phone inside the school bag.

She moves downstairs slowly.

The scene was the same as it was, the glass pieces weren't cleaned and left.

She moves to the living room but no one was seen.

" Hahaha, Mr.yang! Ah, how could I not respect you.....sure! ...ah! yes I would be glad sir, ...sure sir!".

She hears a faint yet loud noise from within her parent's room.

After a while, the figure appears from the room.

"Oh! you came down!", His face beamed.

" Yes!".She answers with her head down.

He comes closer to her and bends to reach her level.

"Why didn't I notice?". He caresses her face and removes the dark hair strands flowing on her face.

A sudden shrill runs down her spine and she backs off.

He straightens himself and smiles.

" Your mom seems to have left the country!" He laughs, "That wench, she thinks I won't be able to reach her".

Her face dims, " How did you know?".

"Oh, So you knew right?", He looks at her with cold eyes.

She clenches her fist and stoops her head down.

He smiles," You don't need to worry! instead, why don't you atone for hiding it from me!".He raises his eyebrows.

She looks up at him.

His face brightens, "You remember Mr yang right? The one whom we met during the new year's eve celebration at our company?".

She glances in confusion. Of course, she remembered the perverted old man.

" Ah!!! what to do? His eldest son seems to be interested in you and now they are asking me to collaborate our companies and it will be saved from bankruptcy".He laughs.

She looks at him stunned.*What?*.

"What do you mean?".

He comes closer again and pats her head.

" You are going to serve him! You will, won't you?".

She backs off and removes his hand.

"What do mean by serving?".

He looks startled," Why? ".

She smiles, " Dad, I am your daughter! are you trying to sell me off to some perverted household just for money?".

He smiles, "I am not selling you off!".

She looks at him with hope.

" I am giving you to them!".He smiles."You are going to be 18 soon, Lin, and look your father is trying to give you a happy life. He is giving you off to such a prestigious household!".

She laughs in disbelief," Giving? I am a toy to you like my mother. No wonder she couldn't even stay with you for long!".

His face darkens, "What?".

" I said I feel envious of my mom. She got freed from you.".

Slash, she gets hit by the huge hands.

She holds her face and smiles," Right? hit me!".

"Hit me till you are satisfied, But that won't change the fact that she left you! And I won't be going to that prevented old man!".

He laughs," What? Did I ask your permission? Where are you standing right now? My house! Whose daughter are you? Mine! I can send you wherever I want. I don't have to ask you!".

She clenched her hands in anger, the tip of her nails engrossing deeper on the fatal wound from yesterday.

He holds her face up, his fingers clenching her jaw tightly.

"What? We will be going tomorrow! So be ready and doll yourself properly!".

She removes her face forcibly," I said I won't!".

"What?". He laughs in rage.

" What did you say?", He grabs her hair.

"I said I won't go!", She shouts.

He grabs her hair tighter until they both hear the telephone ringing

He pushes her aside and clicks the phone.

" Hello!", Hua lin hears a similar voice.

*Aliyah!*.

Tears fall down her eyes. Somehow aliyah's voice was very reassuring to her.

He raises his eyebrows and glances at the girl.

"Hello! is this Hua Lin's home?", the concern could be heard in her voice.

" Yea, it is!".His deep voice runs through the phone.

Aliyah gapes at her phone as she hears the voice.

*Hua lin's father?*.

Her heart beats faster than ever. She knew how outrageous Lin's father was.

"What do you want?".

Alyiah couldn't answer, her voice seemed to have been stuck in her throat.

Tears flow down her eyes, *speak! Linn is struggling alone out there*.

She takes a deep breath," I wanted to ask about Hua lin! Can I speak to her?".Her heart beats even faster.

"No!". A single answer leaves aliyah with no words.

" Why?".She continues.

"She isn't here! She won't be coming to school too! so stop bothering about others' lives and focus on your own.".

beep!....beep...

He cuts the call.

Hua lin couldn't suppress her emotions.

" Why? why would you say that!".

she cries.

"Which part? About you not being here? or about you not going to school?".

He glances at the girl.

" Everything! why would you say that?".she kneels and cries.

"I have already made myself clear and I won't repeat it! you are going with me tomorrow!".

She wipes her tears, "and I will say the same thing again. I won't go with you whatever it takes!".

She stands up and goes to her room.

"where are you running? come back here.!". he rages in anger.

She slams the door and clutches it.

*

As the phone cuts off. Alyiah dazes for a while.

*her father is back!*.

" I have to reach her!".

she gets her mobile phone and dials her number. * It's going through, please! please pick it up lin!*

*

Hua lin stands aloof behind the door, as she hears her phone vibrate.

She reaches through her phone and opens it.

The screen flashed.

ALIYAH CALLING!

*Aliyah?*.

she wipes her tears and picks it up.

"Hua?".

Hua lin couldn't hold back her tears.

" Hua? is that you".

"yes!".she tries to hold back.

Aliyah bursts up," Hua! are you fine? why didn't you call me! your dad is back?"

They both get engulfed in tears with no exchanging words.

"Aaliyah, I am scared! my mom....my mom...".

Her tears couldn't stop flowing.

" Don't worry Hua! I am here! what about your mom?".

"My mom ran away!".

" what? she ran away! ".

" Yea! she wanted a divorce from dad but she ran away and right now she must be out of the country!."

"Hua.. Hua..listen to me. it's okay alright! don't be scared and don't do anything that could provoke your dad.".

Aliyah had known her family since childhood so she knew the circumstances and situations of her family.

" I'll tell my parents about it and come to you! okay!".

Hus Lin gets relieved with the words. *Right! if she comes to me then I will be fine.*.

"You will come to get me right?".

" Yes, Hua!.I will tell them and come to get you right away!."

"Okay!".Hua Lin wipes her tears.

" I will call you soon!". She hangs up.

Hua lin holds her phone and smiles with relief.