You are still alive

Chapter 9

Oaklee Monroe POV

I know I'm not getting out of here until he checks my back but I don't want him to. I mean he won't touch right since he's just checking he will only look and I can always make a deal with him too. I look over at the door to see Mr Rivera isn't there anymore. I inwardly smile and nod my head forgetting the question he asked.

"I am going to have to put on gloves though." He said as he walked towards me.

"NO." I shouted making him stop. "I mean please don't touch my back yet."

"Ok, but will you let me look?" I nod and stand up. I grab my bag and put it on one of the beds. I look to see Mr Rivera looking at me and Dr Cruz. 

"Can it just be us?" I whisper to him not wanting to upset Mr Rivera. He nods, giving me a small smile. He pulls a curtain around the bed to cover us. He stands by the bed and I sit down on it. I take off my shirt, thankfully I wore a bra today. 

I make sure not to look at Dr Cruz because if I do I'll lose all my courage to unwrap my bandages. I start to unwrap it and soon all of it comes off. I hear him suck in a breath before some shuffling behind me. I turn my head around to see him looking at my cuts.

"These don't look to good." He sends me a sad smile before putting on some gloves.

"I'm just going to clean it up at bit, ok?" I nod and he grabs some wipes and gauze. 

He gently wipes my back and then presses gauze to it to stop the bleeding. I watch as he throws out the bloody gauze and wipes. 

"Now I'm gonna numb you up and then stitch them up, ok?" He turns around holding a needle and that's the last straw. I grab my shirt and bag. As I run out I put on my shirt, I run all the way to the library and hide where I hide before.

I hear footsteps and voices calling me but I ignore them as I feel an oncoming panic attack.

I feel my breathing become shallow and I close my eyes to focus only on myself. I put my hand on my wrist to feel my pulse and try to calm myself down. I open my eyes and frantically search my bag. When I finally find the blade, I look at it for a few seconds before putting in my hand and  squeezing it to help control my breathing.

As my breathing grows normal, I look down at my hand and see blood oozing out between my fingers. I clean the blade and put it back in my bag before wrapping my hand with a bandage. 

I stay under the bookshelf for another hour before getting the courage to get out. It was a that moment that I remember my aunt probably heard everything. That means more punishments. 

I think I'm hungry but the ache in my stomach is ever present that I don't even know anymore.

I walk home slowly, making sure that I don't see any of the 3 men who tried to help me, a far to broken girl. 

When I got home, my aunt was in sitting at the kitchen table. I shivered in fear as I took off my shoes and slowly walked to the table.

"Sit." She demanded me without looking at me. I slowly sink into a seat across from her and put my bag down next to me. She looks up and narrows her eyes at me.

"You almost got caught today." She looks at me with raised eyebrows but I don't know how to answer her because it wasn't even a question.

"That's something this family cannot afford and you know the punishment for getting caught." I pale and she smiles like a chestier cat. 

"B-but I d-din't get caught." I stammer as I try to get myself out of my aunts cruel punishments.

"Except you did because you showed your back to that man didn't you." I want to lie and say I didn't but I did and lying won't help. I just stare at my aunt, not admitting anything but also not denying anything. 

"Now, let's get started."