Chapter 6 The Shelter

• "Morning Flo, please come in. Thank You Maggie..." he ushered me to sit on the chair, while he closed the door after Maggie said her goodbye.
• "So, I heard that you have a room waiting for you at the shelter?"
• "Yes, and they seem nice. I'll take anything than to get back to my parents, and this was more settled than what I had planned for myself each time I tried to run away, which was nothing. I just needed to get away." I know deep down that I would be safe, that he would take care of me.
• Moments later he took a phone from his desk and gave it to me. "This is for you, please take it. I need to know that you will be fine. I already put my number there, just call me if you needed any help. Okay?"
• I nodded and took it from him. But his vibe was different, it was like he was building a wall between us. I retreated to my seat.
• Why is he doing this? I thought he wanted me too? Am I wrong with my own future?
• We talked for a while, then he signs my release paper for Maggie. She came by to his office and took me back to my room.
• Later that afternoon, I said goodbye to Maggie. I fiddled with my phone as I go to the shelter, I arrived there half an hour later. Ruth greeted me at the front door, while Teresa paid for my taxi ride.
• "Welcome Florence, come let me show you to your room." I went with Ruth, as we pass the entrance then through the hallway.
• Damn. I don't like the vibe of this old house.
• "So, what's the story with this place?" I asked Ruth, while she opens the door and gave the key to me.
• "Your room...this old house was once owned, by the wealthiest family in the country. It had been passed down from generation to generation until there was none. Then the city claimed the house after it was abandoned for almost a decade. And now it's ours, I imagined that it was a very beautiful house at its time of glory." She kept on talking to me as we both entered my room, she opens the curtain which was overlooking the overgrown back garden.
• "The garden area is so big that we have to let it overgrown from time to time, the maintenance cost is just too expensive. You might not want to step your foot out there, for the time being, just in case there are snakes or other dangerous animals."
• "This is more than what I expected Ruth, thank you. So, what's the schedule here?" I asked as I put my small bag, filled with used clothes and shoes, which I got from Maggie.
• "Oh honey, we were all the same once, that's why we're here. We are the lucky ones indeed, but there's no schedule yet for you today. You can take your schedule tomorrow morning. But as for today, why don't you just rest. I believe you are still recovering from your bruises? There would be no chores for you for time being, just a couple of group sessions. I'm going to leave you to rest, dinner will be at six, but feel free to roam around. Me and Teresa will be at the reception area or the office."
• She left me alone minutes later. I was right, the feeling hit me right away after she was out the door. I quickly sat back down on the bed.
• No...please leave me alone.
• I was tempted to call Walter. But remembering the wall that he built around himself, I put away my feelings for him for the time being. We will meet again if we are meant to be.
• The suffocating air hit me right away, then I was taken back years ago to the time when the house was still in its glory days. I was brought down to the other part of the house, away from the gleaming lights of the chandelier. I could hear the piano sound coming out of the music room.
• I was led down through to the dark corridor, it was then when I saw a man as he took my hand and made me went with him, obviously involuntarily. He made me feel weak. Then my body was raised up to the sacrificial table, where several men were chanting an old language. It sounded satanic, and they passed a knife and started slicing their palm and letting their blood pooled to the center of the table where I was laid in a white long dress. My hair was suddenly very black and very long.
• This is not me...I'm living someone else's...
• Then I let out the loudest scream when I felt the knife went through my heart. That knife transpired all the sadness and cruelty that had touched it. My mind was going crazy as I took it all in. I kept on screaming, trying to free myself from the hallucination that I was trapped in. This wasn't my body, but I couldn't leave it. I feel like was stuck in it. It felt like I was enduring the pain for hours until I finally give up while they kept on draining my energy.
• I was ready to let go, as my body was getting weak, and that was when I felt him. His energy surrounded me, his warmth woke my senses.
• Walter, he came...
• "Florence, wake up...it's okay you're safe I'm here now." His deep voice guided me back to my body.
• "Walter..." My voice was small, I could see Ruth and Teresa behind him. They looked worried. But then they leave us when Walter asked for some privacy.
• He kept on holding me in his embrace and transferring his energy making me stronger, as I was sobbing on his chest.
• "Maybe you should just take me back to my parents, I couldn't stay here and I doubt that I could live anywhere else. At least I'm safe from the entities there."
• "It's okay...you're coming home with me, I have a spare room. You'll be safe there, the house has been cleansed."
• I didn't know what he said to Ruth and Teresa, I feel bad for leaving them. But I was still too weak to explained what I had endured to them. So I let him do the talking. I just hugged them and told them, that I was sorry that I had caused them trouble.
• They were hugging me back and wishing me luck. Walter kept his hold on me the whole time, he was still giving me his strength knowing that it would drain me again, just by giving them a simple hug.
• God, I hate being so weak...
• An hour later, we arrived at his place.
• "Walter, I really don't know what am I doing here with you. I know that you had built a wall for us already. So, why?"
• We were seating down, after eating our take out. I actually was feeling out of place in his companion.
• "You know we're not like other people, and I felt like we were meant to be together. It's just weird when you act apart..." I was letting out my frustration when he cut me off.
• "This afternoon when I felt that you needed me, it shattered my mind that I might have to go through the pain again. But, this time I can't avoid it. Yours is way stronger. Don't you get it? You are my fate, and you terrify me to the point that my wall is crumbling down as fast as I'm building it up again." He got up and started pacing, while his fingers ruffled his thick overgrown hair.
• "So, honestly I don't know what we're doing. But I know that you needed me and I can't let you suffer alone. I know that deep down I care about you. It's a weird feeling. It's like we're doing this backward. Damn it, Flo! Just stay here, we'll figure it out in the morning okay?"