Cautious
"How are you feeling, Alisha? Are your feet feeling better now?" Mary asked, smiling as she once again changed the bandage.
A week had already passed, and somehow Mary and Alisha were holding up well together, but Alice hadn't come to disturb them. Alisha was just resting due to her injuries.
Mary was glad that Alisha was slowly returning to her usual self. She was healing—her wounds, her eyes—everything now looked happier than when she found Alisha at that monstrous mansion.
"I'm feeling better, Mother. I think I should start going to college now. It's already been over a week, and I'm missing out on a lot," Alisha said. She no longer felt the pain in her feet.
Since the day she left Alice's house, she had been getting nightmares, but they were slowly changing.
She enjoyed being with the kids and Mary's company. Slowly, things started to feel better. She didn't know how long this feeling would last because she still felt paranoid about what might happen if he came back and did something.
That day, she left without caring, and she was even shocked that he didn't stop her or do the things he usually did—go crazy and punish her—that was his mantra.
"I don't think it's a good idea," Mary immediately refused. She didn't even want Alisha to leave the house for a moment.
Just the thought of it made her feel like she would lose Alisha again. She didn't know what Alice would do because she still didn't trust his silence.
Things were like that, so she felt they needed to be cautious. That could only happen if they all stayed close and didn't give him any space to interrupt them.
"Mother, how long am I going to sit around in this house? I can't always be inside because of my fear of him," Alisha replied. She had enough of Mary's denial.
She knew Mary was right, but she couldn't sacrifice her studies because of Alice. She needed to grow up soon and start working, so she could support the orphanage.
Even with her lower IQ, she could see how difficult it was for Mary to run the orphanage. Alisha wanted to give back. She wanted to work harder and do everything she could for the kids in the orphanage and support Mary too.
"It's not just that, Alisha. Your feet aren't completely healed yet. I don't think it's safe for you to go out now," Mary lied.
Alisha's feet were almost fully healed, and she could walk now, but Mary didn't want to let Alisha leave.
She wanted to keep Alisha under her wing to keep her safe and keep things good. The days when Alisha wasn't here, only Mary knew how hard it was for her to breathe. After seeing Alice, Mary couldn't do anything but be extra cautious.
Mary sighed, feeling torn between her protective instincts and Alisha's desire for freedom. She understood Alisha's eagerness to resume her studies, but she couldn't shake off the lingering fear of Alice's potential return.
"Alisha, I know you're eager to get back to your routine, but we can't ignore the risks," Mary said, her voice tinged with concern. "I promise we'll figure something out, but for now, your safety is my top priority."
Alisha's shoulders slumped in resignation, understanding the gravity of the situation. Despite her frustration, she knew Mary only had her best interests at heart.
"Okay, Mother. I trust you," Alisha replied softly, giving Mary a reassuring smile. "But you have to trust me too."
Alisha wanted to convey to Mary that she was mature enough to handle things, even if not entirely, at least in most cases. While Mary's concerns were valid, Alisha couldn't live her entire life in fear. It simply wasn't sustainable. How much could hiding away really prevent?
Ever since her ordeal with Alice, Alisha had understood that if he wanted to harm her, he would find a way, whether she was inside the house or out. So, hiding away didn't seem to make much sense in most cases.
"But..." Mary tried to reason out again, but her words faltered.
Deep down, she knew Alisha wasn't entirely wrong, and she herself was right too. Alice was influential, and avoiding him indefinitely wasn't a viable solution.
"I promise, I won't be wandering around. I'll focus on college and be back on time," Alisha assured Mary, her voice tinged with desperation. She needed Mary's agreement more than anything.
"Okay. But I have a few conditions," Mary finally relented.
"What conditions?" Alisha asked eagerly.
"I'm going to take you to college, and after your classes end, I'll come and pick you up," Mary declared firmly, determined to keep Alisha safe at all costs.
Alisha felt a pang of frustration, feeling like a child once again with Mary's insistence on taking care of her like she was two years old. But despite her irritation, she knew she couldn't argue with Mary's determination.
"Okay, as you wish, Mother. You know I can't stop you," Alisha conceded, her tone tinged with resignation.
"Then it's final. You can go to college tomorrow, but make sure you stick to your word. There's no way you're going to engage with or talk to any strangers," Mary asserted, raising her eyebrows expectantly, waiting for Alisha's agreement.
Mary understood that one of Alisha's major issues was her tendency to stray down unnecessary paths. If only she hadn't trespassed into Alice's mansion for Lucky that day, things might have turned out differently.
But Mary acknowledged that the problem wasn't solely Alisha's; anyone in her position might have done the same.
"Pinky promise, Mother. I'm not going to do anything that gets us in trouble," Alisha vowed earnestly.
Mary nodded her head in acknowledgement before leaving Alisha's room.
With a sigh of relief, Alisha closed her eyes. Only she knew how exhausted and suffocated she felt after a week without any contact with fresh air, confined within the house. It was suffocating, and it only fueled her overthinking about what Alice had done to her.
She had confided everything to Mary, yet there was one detail she couldn't bring herself to mention—the kiss and ice cream scenario. It felt too disgusting, and she couldn't bear to share such a repulsive incident with Mary.
‘Now, I will finally be free.’
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