Thirty-three: A new place

Temperance

"Who the fuck Is this?"

My heart drops as I hear a booming voice. I turn around and come face to face with a large man that has features like my father.

A young woman stands behind him.

"Th-this is Temperance. Your niece." Kenli speaks up. I can tell she is afraid.

My palms begin to sweat as I start shaking. My heart is thumping in my ears.

Chris grabs my sweaty palm and squeezes it.

He's like the big brother I've always wanted. The big brother I've always dreamed of having. Even though I barely knew him, I felt this sort of connection with him. Like I can count on him to protect me.

Then my mind falls back to Alec.

I miss him so much.

My heart aches without him. I want to be with him in his arms.

The man snaps in my face focusing my attention back on him.

"I'm Austin. You will address me as 'sir'; if you forget, you will be punished. This is Vicki, my wife. You will address her as 'ma'am'." Austin's tone is harsh. He meant what he said.

"Explain the rest of the rules with her. We have to go to the police station." Austin rolls his eyes after glaring at me, then spins around with Vicki following after him.

Once they are gone Kenli and Chris sigh in frustration.

"The rules suck ass," Chris rubs his hand on his forehead.

"We all have to follow them. If we don't, we get beat and locked in the basement." Kenli shivers as she speaks about the basement. She obviously doesn't like the basement. She's probably been in there a lot.

"Don't look at them in the eyes. Don't talk unless you are spoken to. Ask to go to the restroom, eat, and leave the house unless going to school. Stay in the room at all times when they are home unless they call you out. We make dinner for them every night at seven. We also go to the grocery store with the money we earn from..... jobs. They don't give a single fuck about us. So don't try to connect with them. That's basically it." Chris takes a deep breath after explaining the rules.

I take a deep breath, trying to take it all in. I have to remember all of this.

It isn't hard. It's like it was when I lived with my father. But I had more beatings then they got.

"D-do you have a phone?" I ask them.

They point towards the house phone, and I walk over towards it, grabbing it.

"I'll be right back." I step outside and start dialing Alec's number that he forced me to read aloud until I knew it by heart...

I put the phone to my ear, listening to it ring.

Pick up. Pick up. Pick up.

"Hello?" Tears stong my eyes as I hear his voice through the line.

"A-Alec it's me." I can't help but cry over the phone.

"Temperance?? Ella told me what happened. Are you ok?! Where are you?!"

"I-I'm with my cousins. I'm ok for now. I need you to bring me some clothes. I have none here. Can you bring them to school tomorrow?" I ask him looking around checking for Austin and Vicki.

"Yeah sure. I'll do that."

"Oh and Alec? Don't call me back on this number."

I can already tell we aren't supposed to be using the phones from how they awkwardly pointed at the phone. We aren't allowed to do anything really.

"Alright.... I'll see you tomorrow?" He asks a sigh leaving his lips.

"Yeah. See you tomorrow."

There is so much sadness in the air when I hang up. We are both hurting. I don't want to be here. He doesn't want me to be here.

I go back inside and hand Kenli the phone.

Drearily I walk to the couch and sit down. What do I do now?

This is my life now.

Darkness.

Darkness is my life.

Then all of a sudden, I feel my chest tightening up. I can't breathe.

My palms start to sweat as I start to panic.

I shakily get up and steady myself as I almost collapse.

Chris and Kenli are about to shoot p to catch me before I shake my head no.

I shakily make my way back to the bedroom, touching the walls with my fingertips.

I am cold. I am freezing by the time I open the door to the bedroom. I close it behind me then collapse.

I curl up in a ball on my side, holding my stomach, trying to apply pressure.

I am shaking and freezing.

My breathing is short, and my heart pounding.

I can't hear, and I want to scream.

I can't. I can't make any noise aside from the gasping that comes out of my mouth as I try to breathe.

*********************************

A few hours later, I am awakened by yelling.

I open my tired eyes. I am on my mattress with a blanket over me.

But I didn't put myself here.

After my attack, I forced myself asleep curled up.

I wipe the tears from my eyes as I uncover myself. I stand up and walk to the door.

The yelling continues as I open the door and peek out into the living room.

I expect to find Vicki and Austin yelling at Chris and Kenli.

Instead, I find Chris yelling at some guy I haven't seen before. Kenli is sitting on the couch.

I look at her, and she spots me.

My eyes open wider, and my eyebrows go up. Trying to ask her what's happening.

She shakes her head 'no,' which is a sign to not come out.

Was I going to listen?

...no...

I roll my eyes at her and open the door fully and walk out.

Then I stand in front of the two guys arguing.

Chris looks at me, and his eyes go wide. "You shouldn't be here!" His attention is turned to me. And not the guy holding a wad of money.

I stand in place silently as the other guy eyes me.

He is tall, buff, with hot chocolate-colored skin with jet black hair.

"Carry on," I say as I walk past them to sit by Kenli.

Other people would ask something like, "what's going on?" Or whatever. But I know what is going on—a drug deal.

I can tell from the wad of money, and the bag of weed Chris is holding.

Other people would maybe try to talk him out of this. They would try to get him to stop dealing. Because it's dangerous, and he could get hurt.

But you see. They have to make money somehow. They have to pay a lot. If they couldn't get a job then this is another route. And I won't judge them for it.

Plus, Chris is a big boy. He can handle himself.

He has a small gun sticking out of his waistband.

Chris cocks his head to the side in question then looks back to the man standing in the living room.

I can point out one thing wrong with Chris's deal though. He did it in his house. Not just at his doorstep. But INSIDE of his house.

He should've done it in a different location.

Maybe he usually does. But this man shouldn't be in this house.

That's what I know for sure.