Chapter 8: 8. The unforgettable experience I

Derek had called Charlotte that morning and told her to bring some clothes for Rory. She was over the moon when she got the call that she should come and see her daughter. She couldn't wait. She packed her essentials into one of her chests and hurriedly left with the men that Derek brought over to pick her.

When she got to the place, she felt a bit scared. The apartments in that area were wide apart from each other. And the space between each apartment was filled with trees and thickets. She casted a look around in fear as the car entered one of the desolate apartments and her heart sunk. That was where they had kept her daughter? She looked around as soon as she got down from the car and seeing those hefty looking men and the creepy place made her tense up in trepidation. Oh God, she hoped her daughter was okay, because she was sure going to die if Rory was in a bad shape.

They led her towards the backyard, and her eyes bulged at the huge flower garden that came to view. That explained the nice smell of flowers that met her from the entrance when they got in. She wasn't expecting to see something like this from the look of the building.

She was led through a pebbled path towards a pavilion where she was asked to sit and wait. She kept looking around, noting all the different kind of flowers in the garden and what she would have done if she was to work in that garden. She loved flowers a lot. Had her daughter seen this? She wondered.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her peripheral view caught sight of someone approaching. She turned and saw Derek coming towards her and she sprang on her feet, crossing her arms in front of her like an obedient servant meeting her master. Well, that was what she was to him now. A servant.

"Go...good morning, sir." Charlotte bowed and greeted even before Derek could. There was no doubt she was scared of this man in front of her, although since they met, he had not raised a finger on her. She wasn't sure of her daughter though.

"Did you bring her clothes?" Derek asked curtly, ignoring her greetings.

"Yes, sir. They're here." Charlotte pointed to a chest by her and Derek nodded. He ambled his way towards the couch and sat down with a plonk. His eyes travelled to the woman and gestured her to sit across him, which she did, without question. She had so many questions to ask, the first one obviously being where her daughter was, but she kept mute to save her own life.

"I want her to go back to school on Monday. So arrange to get all her necessities here before then." He drawled in his deep voice and Charlotte bobbled her head up and down, feeling relieved.

"Please can I... do that now? I mean... I can go for her books and other things right now, if you don't mind." Charlotte said, sounding a bit rush, not able to hide her excitement. Well, she was very happy. She thought he wouldn't let Rory go back to school and would let her work for him to pay off the debt. So she was glad and she wanted to get everything ready before he would change his mind.

"As you wish. My men will send you to get them." He said and wordlessly glanced over his shoulder at one of his guards without making eye contact, and he nodded in return.

"Let's go, Ma'am." the guard said and Charlotte was quick to get up and follow him to the front yard where they got in the car and left.

When she returned after about an hour, her heart nearly stopped when she saw her daughter sitting with the man. She wanted to run and hug her badly. When her daughter saw her she stood up with a start and stared at her with a broad smile. She could see her eyes glistening and she knew she could break down anytime soon. She wrapped her arms around her and hugged her when she finally got to her.

Derek got up and walked towards the mansion, giving them the needed space. Before he walked into the mansion, he turned to spare them one last glance, and that was when he caught the scene of Rory holding her mother's face and kissing her all over, their tears pouring endlessly. He clenched his jaw tightly and turned away after some seconds.

He took quick steps towards the mansion and made his way down to the underground room. He needed to be alone. But his steps faltered when he remembered the room was occupied now. He nearly punched the wall out of frustration. He quickly went to his room up on the second floor and took a deep breath when he shut the door behind him. He felt... He couldn't describe what he was feeling right now.

That scene... He shouldn't have seen that. He regretted looking back. He wished to unsee what he just saw.

He went to his bedside drawer and brought out a packet of cigarettes. He took out one and scampered through the drawer impatiently for a lighter. His eyes were now bloodshot. He felt some tightness in his chest which he didn't want to feel. He needed to smoke to calm his nerves. After lighting the cigar, he drew it in and took a deep breath through his mouth. Closing it, he let the smoke swirl through his nostrils with his eyes closed. And just like that, about three sticks were gone without his jittery nerves calming down.

He took out a bottle of wine from the drawer. He needed to drink. He shouldn't remember that night. He couldn't go through that pain again after trying hard to push it back, far away from his memory's reach. No, not now. But the more he tried to fight the memories back, the faster they flooded back.

His parents and two elder twin sisters... Their agonising cries reached his ears, sounding as vivid as if it was happening all over again. The night he lost all his family. The night he wished he was not punished and sent to the dog house. The night he wished he had also died. The night he had to witness four deaths at that very tender age.

It was a night he wished never had happened. He hated himself after that night. He had angered her sister, Laura, the second twin, and he had been punished by being whipped and sent to the dog house to spend the night with Snooky, their dog. He remembered his mother begging on his behalf. Even his sister later regretted pushing the matter that far. Their dad was a military man, so discipline was his hallmark. He never let an offense go unpunished.

That day, Derek was on his game pad since morning, and when it was lunch time, he would not even stop playing to come for lunch. Laura got annoyed and went over to him and took the game pad away from him and hid it somewhere in her room, promising to give it back to him after he finished eating all his lunch. Derek got angry and went into Laura's room, throwing things apart to look for the game pad. When he couldn't find it, he reached for one of her High school awards and smashed it on the floor, breaking it into two.

Laura had cried and swore to report him to their father when he came back home. And that was when Derek started shaking from fear and pleaded for his sister not to tell their father. He didn't want to face his father's wrath. That evening when their dad came and the report was made, he remembered running to hide behind his mother to seek refuge when his dad pulled out his belt and rushed towards him. He hated spoiled brats, and that was what Derek was, a spoiled brat. He was a snitch who would always report his sister's to get them punished if they didn't do something for him. And as usual, being the last born and only male child, he was pampered and was spoiled. Edward, their father, wanted to pay him in his own coin. He was whipped and later Edward sent him out and threw him into Snooky's house.

All the ladies rushes out after them, pleading that it was going further than they thought. Laura felt bad. She thought Edward would just scold him or end it at the whipping part. What was with this sleeping with Snooky part? She pleaded with Liana, the first twin, and Monique, their mother, but Edward would not listen. He locked the door from the outside and threw the key into his pocket, ignoring Derek's pleas to be let out. The ladies stayed outside Snooky's house to keep him company and then later went inside to sleep.

Derek had cried himself to sleep, snuggling with Snooky. But he was awakened in the middle of the night by some strange voices in their home. He later heard gunshots and the shrill cries of his mother and siblings, and the pleading voice of his father.

Oh no!! There were armed robbers in their home!!