Escape To The Unknown

Athena's pov

My thoughts spiraled endlessly, a whirlwind of questions and emotions I struggled to control. The silence around me felt heavy until Paden’s voice suddenly shattered it.

Paden's sudden voice broke the deafening silence, catching my attention. I could hardly notice his presence until he said, "Hey! Give that back," while trying to reach for my book, but he was a giant compared to me.

Then his tone shifted—colder, sharp with annoyance and disapproval. “Where’s my tea? And why haven’t you cleaned my room yet?”

My heart sank as his dark eyes burned with anger. I fought to hold back tears, terrified that any show of weakness might make things worse. This wasn’t the first time he acted this way. Each second under his gaze felt like a weight crushing me.

I was at the verge of breaking but this was not the first time of him being this way. His gaze made me uncomfortable. Each passing moment.

“Girls as lovely as you listen to men like me. Do. You. Understand?” His voice was loud, stern, dripping with arrogance.

I kept my eyes down. “I did clean the room.”

Suddenly, his hand gripped my neck, cold and firm. Shivers ran down my spine as I struggled to breathe. I knew I could break free, but I feared the consequences. I swallowed my panic, choosing silence over risk.

Then, out of nowhere, I spat in his eye. “Why did you spit on my eye? You moron!” he yelled. My heart dropped—this only made things worse.

I knew I had made a mistake, and my heart sank. I could feel the weight of the situation bearing down on me. Paden rushed in, interrupting the tense moment before it could escalate any further. I scrambled backward, pressing my back against the wall, helpless and trapped. My voice was no match for his laughter, barely a whisper lost in the chaos.

There were objects everywhere, my eyes, my mind, my breathing was in a frantic state. I tried to keep my calm, but it was of no use. I felt trapped and the feeling of helplessness was overwhelming. I could feel tears coming out of my eyes.

I forced myself to remain focused and determined, despite the fear that threatened to engulf me. It was as though the ball was in my court now, and I had to make the most of the limited resources at my disposal if I wanted to survive.

Paden's smug smile was laced with mockery as he asked, "How can you escape now, dear? Your shit plans won't work." His words stung, but I ignored them and tried to keep myself calm to find something to protect myself with.

That's when a dusty baseball bat caught my eye which was tucked away in the corner. It was perfect for my needs, but I knew I had to act fast.

With my heart racing, I took a deep breath and called out, "Mrs. Katherine is here!" My voice trembled with hope as I prayed for a miracle. To my immense relief, it worked, and I seized the opportunity to grab the bat.

But before I could swing, he caught a glimpse of me from the corner of his eye and deftly pushed the weapon aside with his arm, sending me crashing to the floor. My heart started racing more and more, each passing minute which felt like hours. I scrambled to my feet only to find my self cornered against the corner of the room with nowhere to run. He advanced towards, laughing. My tactics seemed helpless. I just accepted my faith and closed my eyes tight shut

I was so deep in my thought that I failed to realize what happened in matter of seconds. A sudden loud thud brought me to reality. I slowly opened my eyes, to see Paden lying unconscious on the ground. To my shock, Lewis was standing there behind him. His face blank. There was nothing. He just stood there for a minute, when he came back to reality.

He simply looked me in the eyes and said, “We can’t live here. I did not know things had got this bad after I left.” His voice unwavering until he added, “I’m sorry.” It was barely a whisper when he looked up and then at me.

“You are coming with me to America, I have a job there anyways and we can figure the rest when we land there”

My heart was pounding with a mix of fear and happiness. Lewis was the best brother one could ask for. Taking his hand, I got up.

He handed me a backpack. "Go pack all yours, Athena," he insisted. I nodded hastily and rushed down the stairs, barely avoiding tripping over the clutter.

I reached the cramped basement. It was honestly abandoned. I could feel the musty thick air which had a sickening odor. There were insects. Maybe a few? Despite my nervousness, I let out a nervous chuckle, attempting to mask my anxiety that was about to rise again but I brushed it off.

I tried to keep my composure as I rushed to pack up my belongings, my diary and the two precious outfits being the only possessions I could afford to take with us. I stuffed everything into a bag and slung it over my shoulder.

The prospect of starting a new life in America was clouded by the fear of the unknown, the fear of trying something new. All these emotions were new, yet I felt a deep sense of gratitude to have my brother by my side.

As I walked upstairs, it felt as if rocks were stuck in my throat because of how heavy it felt. Suddenly, I heard Katherine's voice fill the house, which made my nervousness skyrocket.

"I'm home!" she said sweetly. It was the worst timing, and realized we had to face whatever was ahead with Katherine there. My heart pounded with fear and anxiety as I observed her making her way toward the bedroom. Swiftly, I stashed my bag behind the sofa, and tried to brainstorm a plan to dodge her impending wrath.

Emerging from my hiding spot, I eagerly relayed the news, "Mr. Paden has something special planned for you; it's going to be a surprise!" I tried to sound enthusiastic and cheerful, but Mr. Paden was nowhere to be seen in the room or else Katherine would not have been so calm.

Perhaps Lewis had relocated him. My voice quivered with nervousness. At that precise moment, Lewis emerged from his bedroom, his expression morphing from confusion to disappointment as he laid eyes on her.

With exhaustion evident in her voice, she bellowed from the couch, "Bring me the usual" However, her annoyance was only just beginning to surface.

She followed up with an even louder voice, "Lewis, my dear, why on earth are you helping her? don't you ever want to listen?" Despite the pressure, Lewis simply closed his eyes and let out a gentle sigh before responding, "I want to help her."

Her response was crisp and tinged with annoyance, "I said no helping," but Lewis remained resolute. "I learned something new today in the restaurant, and I want to implement it."

"Yeah, whatever! Why even bother trying, Lewis? You know, becoming a chef is not within your capability?" I looked at him apologetically, motioning for him to close his eyes and take a deep breath to contain his anger. He did that and obediently replied, "Yes, Aunt."

From Lewis's bedroom door, Paden appeared out of the blue, and we froze in bewilderment, absolutely alarmed by his sudden entrance. He looked menacing, fists clenched, eyes ablaze with anger.

"Both you brats, you..." he said as he rapidly approached us, my heart racing with fear. But I didn't let my guard down.

Without hesitation, I swiftly retrieved the pepper spray nestled in the kitchen drawer and aimed it directly at his eyes, hoping to deter any harm.

"Darn it, Athena!" he exclaimed, clearly taken aback by my quick reflexes. I breathed a sigh of relief, but the tension in the air remained palpable.

As Paden lunged towards me with a sharp knife, I grabbed an immense pan from the depths of the lower cabinet drawer and swung it to the side deftly.

To my surprise, Katherine collapsed in a faint instead, adding to the chaos of the situation. Initially finding the situation amusing, when I caught Paden's gaze, I knew I had to act fast.

Thankfully, Lewis came to my rescue, grabbing Paden's wrist and kicking him in the stomach. "You don't treat your father like that," Paden grunted as he squirmed in pain on the floor.

"You are not my father or hers," Lewis asserted, his voice filled with defiance.

Without wasting a second, we ran. I grabbed the car keys from the rack and tossed them to Lewis. He caught them and unlocked the door.

The engine roared to life as we sped away into the quiet neighborhood.

We didn’t care.

We had to leave.