Chapter 8

Miguel's POV

My mom hasn't stopped pacing the floors since we walked in.

“Is there anything you ask of us, and we don't fulfil?” she looked pained?

“We've tried to keep you happy, but any request from us, you try to thwart. You gave me the wrong dismissal time, so you could what? Trek home from school?

For God's sake, Miguel, what's wrong with you? You don't pity yourself, knowing the condition you're in.

What if it starts again? Do you want to go through the ordeal all again?

Do you like the hospital that much? Aren't we fulfilling our parental roles?

I know we shelter you a lot, but not without reasons!”

She dragged her hair in frustration.

If I don't do anything, she might end up causing harm to herself.

“Mom, you don't get it_”

She didn't allow me to finish what I was planning to say.

“Get what?” she snapped, making me wince loudly.

Mom hasn't raised her voice at me for once. Not even during the times when I act like a spoiled brat.

For her to do that now, there must be a reason for it.

“Baby is sorry.” she apologized when she saw the look on my face.

I nodded at her apology. After all, being at fault here.

“You know we love you, and we want the best for you, and walking home isn't the best.”

“ I know that, mom. The only reason I don't want you taking me to school is that am now an adult almost graduating from high school, but still relying on you or dad to take me wherever I want to,” I whined.

I know, I am being dramatic, but I don't care.

“I get it, dear. I will talk about it with your daddy but don't repeat your earlier behaviour else I will confiscate your Kindle,” mom threatened.

“Your food is in the kitchen if you're hungry,” she walked towards the sitting room. “I have a date to catch with Jacob,” she winked.

Mom has been obsessed with werewolves ever since she started reading werewolf romance books.

She sometimes jokes about being a were a wolf, in her first life with dad as her mate.

“Who knows if you will catch yourself a werewolf mate,” she jokes, and every time I gag at her absurd obsession with those creatures.

Who believes in that trash in this twenty-first century? Not me, I guess. 

“You can have your mates all to yourself, am not interested.”

She will frown at the words and threaten to confiscate my Kindle. That's the only threat she knows I fear.

I fear nothing more than that.

Walking towards the kitchen, I took my lunch, which happens to be spaghetti and meatballs.

Taking a milkshake from the fridge, I headed up to my room.

*

After my lunch, I wrote my assignments, completed the novel I was reading _room hate by Penelope Ward, you have got to try to read it, the novel is quite gripping_ and took a much-needed nap.

My mom wasn't in the sitting room when I came downstairs to take my late lunch snacks.

She's already prepared it for me. How I love that woman.

I washed the plates I made use of earlier before I left for the comfort of nature.

I took my fries and headed to the backyard.

Our backyard has no fence, all it has for protection is a vast forest I haven't had the time to explore since I've been busy sorting out the things of life.

I'm drawn to nature and its calming properties.

There is nothing that calms a person more than taking a breath of fresh unpolluted air.

I feel at peace in a place like this. It's the best place for relaxation.

A whimper alerted me of another presence.

I looked around, but I couldn't locate the position where it came from.

I resumed eating my fries since it was obvious the whimper was a product of my imagination. 

It happens almost all the time. There was a time when we lived in Nigeria. I walked out late at night and almost got lost just because I thought I heard the sounds of a crying baby, am a sucker for babies.

Turns out it was an animal they call bush baby. A catlike animal.

Another whimper disturbed my eating.

Dropping my plate on the chair, I listened to know the direction it was coming from.

Bingo!

The sounds are coming from the forest.

I decided to check it out since it sounded like an animal or a person distressed.

Being the soft-hearted person I am, I couldn't possibly leave the animal or person to its devices.

I walked into the forest.

The more I walked towards the sound, the deeper it went, and soon I was lost.

I looked back towards my house, but it wasn't visible from the place I was standing.

Where am I?

I turned to go back, but the whimper grew stronger.

I momentarily forgot my urge to find my way home as I hurried towards the sound, the sight left me speechless.

A girl was gurgling on blood and a gaping wound was on her bound feet.

I cautiously walked towards her, “Who could have done this to her?”

I asked no one in particular. I wasn't expecting the girl to answer my question.

She stopped whimpering as I walked closer to her.

She wasn't behaving like an injured person, instead, she had a calculating glint in her eyes.

An injured person can have a look like that, right?

I took a step back, looking around frantically.

When she saw I was retreating, she resumed her scarred look.

“Don't let him get to me. Please help me,” she pleaded.

I shook my head to clear the confusion, I am having with her change of mood.

She looked frightened enough as she kept repeating to me not to allow him to get to her again. She is the real portrayal of a damsel distressed.

I can't allow her to be here. 

“Don't worry, no one's going to hurt you ever again.

I've got you. All I have to do now is try to get you home where it's safe, before dark.”

I knelt five paces in front of her.

T doesn't hurt to be cautious, some people get violent when they are in pain.

“Can you walk?” I slowly asked. I would rather not do anything to spook her.

She shook her hair, there's one odd thing about her.

Since I came she hasn't moved a step forward, instead, she moves back whenever I take a step forward as if afraid of crossing an invincible line.

Seeing that she was afraid to move forward, I closed the gap between us and knelt to check her wounds.

“Gotcha!”

She shouted, and before I knew what was happening, I was hit with a club.