Chapter 25: Chapter Twenty-Five: Nightmare of the past

"Can I ask you something?" James said and he drove. Clair snapped out of the memory of that night and got back to reality. "Sure." She replied and put on a cold and indifferent front but in reality, she was feeling quite ashamed of herself for thinking about those things she did to the poor man.

She waited for him to ask the question and looked out of the car window. She noticed that they were arriving at her place. She started getting her things ready. She then glanced at him waiting for the question. He waited until they were at the entrance of her mansion. He turned to face her and he sighed.

"I want to know about that day. I want to know why you jumped."

Clair's expression changed. She gave him a cold look and she took out her seatbelt. "That's none of your business." She replied and exited the car.

James sighed. He knew that she wouldn't tell him but he still wanted to know. His curiosity was eating him up. He had been having the same question for the last five years. He watched her jump-off. He saw her pain and he saw the tears in her eyes.

He waited until someone from inside the mansion came out to welcome Clair and he then left.

Before entering the mansion Clair looked back to see if he was gone. After confirming that she walked inside. She changed into some comfortable home clothes and wandered around the house with a bad potato chip in her hands.

She walked around all the long passages. This helped her calm down and clear her thoughts so she would do it once in a while. After remembering something she took a set of stairs leading to her lab located in the basement. The doors automatically closed and she put on a white coat over her clothes.

She then started working on creating the formula for her hair product. "It should be ready by tomorrow morning." She mumbled. If it didn't take that long to create enough of the substance for one use then she would have made it before heading to the arrangement today.

If she had known James would be there she would have never showed up. She was supposed to be dead to him but unfortunately, things changed. How is she supposed to face him and not think about her past?

"Can your life be any more depressing?" She chuckled at that and started doing her work. She watched the colors of the different substances she applied, change. She added different types of substances into one beaker and waited for all the substances to create the product she invented.

Since she had the ingredients in the formula ready it didn't take her too long to finish the job. She stayed there for the whole night until the blue product was done. She placed it in a container and left it in a freezer. Once she was done she headed back to her room and she fell asleep as soon as she landed on the bed.

Today was an emotional rollercoaster and she was exhausted from it. While she slept she ended up thinking about what James had asked her.

Why did you jump?

Hmm what an interesting question. Why did she jump?

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Ainara (Age 9)

"When I tell you to run you will leave. Don't even look back just run as far away as you can and never come back" Ainara whispered. The little girl next to her nodded her head. Both of them were in a dark room. They were wearing the same clothes that they had since they arrived at this place. Their hair was tangled and their faces were dirty. Their legs covered in small injuries, their arms bruised.

The darkroom opened and a small squeaking noise came from the old rusty door. A man in his 30's entered. He had a long black beard and he was approximately 6'1 way taller than the two girls.

"Have you learned your lesson or do you want to get punished again?" He sneered at them. He knelt in front of them and took the little girl by her hair. "You are a lucky one. Since your friend refuses to obey my master you will have to pay the price." He told her and gave Ainara a disappointed look.

"Tch stupid girl." He mumbled. Ainara looked up at the girl. The little girl's eyes became teary and she looked towards her with a hurt look as if she had just been betrayed. A few seconds later the little girl started sobbing as the man dragged her out of the room by her hair.

Weren't they planning on running away? The little girl was so confused.

"No! Please I'll go with you!" Ainara shouted. The man halted and he smirked. He let go of the little girl and walked towards Ainara.

Ainara lowered her head. She clenched her small fists and acted extremely submissive. "Don't even think about playing any tricks." He warned her and took her by the wrist. He dragged her out of the room forcefully but unlike the other little girl, she stayed quiet and didn't complain.

Just as she passed by the little girl who was crying silently on the floor she whispered, "Run." She took the rock she had hidden in her pocket and she hit the man's head with it. Her aim was not the best and neither was her strength. The rock was not big or heavy but it atleast caused the man to rub his eyes and groan in pain.

The man's forehead was slightly injured but not enough to kill him or cause him to faint. His moment of weakness was short and limited but at least it was enough for the little girl to run away. Ainara smiled.

At least she listened. The little girl ran and never looked back. That's good. The last time they tried to escape the stupid girl came back to get her and made them get caught. At least this time one of them will be free.

Before she could take her thoughts elsewhere her little body was suspended in the air.

This time it wasn't the man with the long beard that had her in his hold. It was someone else. He squeezed her neck tightly with his hand as he lifted her in the air.

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Clair gasped and she held onto her neck. She started coughing anxiously. She gripped the bedsheets reminding herself that it was nothing but a nightmare of the past.

After taking a few minutes to calm herself down she walked inside the bathroom to clean up her sweaty body and clear up her mind a bit. While she showered she still held onto her neck afraid that someone would come and try to choke her.

She couldn't help it. This was the first nightmare she had in weeks.