Take Me Away

M City didn’t see a whole lot of showers during the summer, but now the autumn rains had been endless. The torrential rain went on and poured heavily until the next morning,

its sound muting everything else’s.

Fiona woke up to the storm. She stifled a groan as she tried to move her stiff and sore body from under the thin quilt. Before she could, she felt a heavy arm wrap around her.

Spencer was unceremoniously awakened by the ruckus, and as he opened his eyes sharply, he quickly scanned the whole room and immediately happened upon Fiona.

In a futile attempt to get out of bed quietly, she grabbed her clothes to cover herself up and tiptoed away as her legs trembled. Waking up from last night did not elicit shyness, only hatred and humiliation.

"Where do you think you’re going?" Spencer sat up on the bed slowly and lifted his eyes inadvertently to take in her features. Instead, he became slack-jawed as he saw the two scars running along her otherwise smooth back.

As she heard his deep, booming voice, Fiona stopped for a moment, only to remain quiet. Instead, she continued walking.

"Where did you get those scars?" he blurted out before he could restrain himself.

Fiona stopped on her tracks and reflexively turned around, trying to cover her back. She met his doubtful eyes with a sad smile. "Don’t you remember asking me why I was still alive the first time we met? I almost died once. The scars, of course, were left on the day of the car accident. There you go. Satisfied?"

His eyes darkened as he stared at Fiona. Ten years ago, when he rushed to the hospital and witnessed his mother die, there had been a little girl in the next room, fighting for her life.

"Are you satisfied now, with what happened last night? Are you happy you finally took you revenge on me?" she asked him without a hint of emotion.

Spencer finally came to his senses a moment after and looked back at her mocking expression. As he stood up and lifted the quilt, he saw the bloodstain on the sheet. His heart clenched, but he wore a cold smile. "No. I need to teach you how to satisfy me more."

She took notice of the blood on the messy bed and her eyes started to sting. She turned away and clenched her fists.

In the midst of what felt like a never-ending standstill, Spencer’s phone rang over the tense silence. "Hello. Grandpa, what’s up?"

On the other end of the line, Wayne could hear that Spencer spoke differently from his usual harsh tone. In shock, he asked, "Did you just get up?"

"Yes."

"Where are you?"

added, "In

Wayne couldn’t help

He cast a

her?’ "Last night

said happily, "Take

"Yes, Grandpa."

her on

doorknob as she heard the deep voice on the other end of the

top to bottom, he felt a tinge of nervousness. And so, seemingly annoyed, he

her lips as she held the phone to her ear.

stopped himself from overreacting. "Today’s the weekend. Come home and see me, all right? Take Spencer with you. I’ll ask the cook to prepare

"Of course," she replied.

raining quite hard today. I’m looking forward to having lunch with

Grandpa." After hanging up the phone, she walked back to her

she gingerly put her fingers

her head, she shut her

unable to find Fiona. He went to her bedroom and was about to knock when felt his feet getting soaked. His eyebrows furrowed, and as he looked down in confusion he saw a stream slowly spilling out of the gap underneath the

opened wide and he started to knock at the door with clenched fists. "Open the door! Fiona, can you hear me?" He was worried something might have happened to her in

response. He pursed his lips and was about to kick the door open, but then he

stood at

I doing?" He pointed at the water on the floor. "Why don’t you

As she was about to close

to set off in time

her hand as she

as he looked down

pay for what you’ve done to me," Fiona