Dedicated to all the mothers out there. Happy mother's day. ❤

Trigger Warning : This chapter contains lots of swearing and mild violence. Discretion advised.

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Chapter 9 The Aftermath

"And yes monsters do exist,
But you don't have to fear,
In face of trouble, protect yourself,
For no prince would save you there."

-Erin Hanson (modified)

• • •

"Don't tell me what to do." Mallory spat on his face as his left hand went inside his jacket to retrieve a handkerchief while his other hand kept hold of the girl.

Andrew wiped off the blood gushing out of his nose. Damn her! Damn this freaking girl! He thought. She was nothing but trouble for him.

He looked at the blood stained piece of cloth and immediately his heart rate quickened. But soon his attention was caught by shuffling feet behind him. They found them.

"Wear your hood." He whispered in her ear.

"If you try to do anything, believe me I would punch and kick you until you die!" She threatened him. Though it was a hollow warning. Because she was too scared. There was no way she could take him down, not physically at least.

What would he do to me? The question haunted her as a few traitor tears trailed down her eyes.

Andrew looked at the tear-stricken face and immediately his eyes widened as he became aware of their proximity. He had her pinned to the wall and his lips were almost touching her neck. As he saw her tear up, he realised what she must be thinking.

"Oh, god!" He whispered and immediately took a step backwards. While the girl, looked at him puzzled. What the heck does he wants! He forcefully pulled up the hood of Mallory's sweatshirt to cover her when a sneer caught his attention.

"Don't say a word." He whispered in her ear. "And if things get bad, there is a kni-"

"If you are done, can I have a turn with the bitch, now?" A tattooed man said baring his yellow teeth. Somehow that voice sounded familiar. Mallory shuddered, trying to keep her emotions at bay.

"She is my girlfriend, dude!" Andrew said through gritted teeth, which made Mallory stare at him. What the hell!

This was followed by laughter. And it wasn't the beautiful sound of laughing, it was as if they were mocking him, cruelly.

"Andrew, I never knew you were into hoes!" A middle aged man said.

"She is not a hoe!" Andrew's jaw clenched while Mallory swore under her breath.

Let them call me anything like that one more time...

"All girls are hoes." The middle aged man laughed at his own sick joke.

That is when a drunk man from behind lunged towards her, "Come on bitch, give me some sugar!"

That did it. Mallory snapped.

Before others could even realise what was happening, she kicked him in between his legs. And when he was on the floor groaning in pain, she sat on his stomach and slapped him right in his face - once, twice, thrice...

As the other three men took a step forward towards her, the tattooed man raised his hand.

"No." He said looking at the girl who was beating the shit out of a full-grown man. For the first time in years, he was impressed. Once again by a girl. Her rage reminded him of another girl from a different time. She had the same anger, the same fire in her eyes. She felt like she was the same girl, but yet she was different. If only he could see her face...

"But, Sean..." A man began but was dismissed.

"Take her away and come back later." He told Andrew.

"What is it abo-" Andrew began.

"Just get her away." He said. Andrew nodded.

"Hey. Hey." Andrew patted her shoulder, shocked by Sean's behaviour. He was known for being cruel and merciless, not forgiving. But yet he was letting them go. How was it possible? Somehow Andrew knew this wasn't the end this topic.

"Come on, let's go. Mal - Melissa." He said. Something told him that he shouldn't say her name.

Mallory came back to her senses, almost dreamily when she felt a hand tugging at her shoulder. Angry tears were rolling down her face as she looked at the her blooded hands and the unconscious man, she was sitting on.

She immediately got up with a start as if someone passed an electric shock through her, and looked in the familiar eyes. But somehow, they felt different. The dark black eyes she had joked about, felt almost cruel.

She remembered when she first met him, she knew something was wrong with him. And she almost pitied him. A few hours ago when she was in the cafe with him, she knew he was hiding something. But the secret would be so dark? She had no idea. She had no idea, that he was capable of something like that. Something so inhumane.

As she almost ran through the deserted alley towards light, her mind flashed back to moments ago. She felt disgusted, violated. Was he the same guy who had scolded her for driving recklessly? Was he the same Andrew who would groan at her sight? Was he the same guy she loved annoying? No, he can't be.

"Mallory. Mallory, listen to me." Andrew ran towards her. "It's not what you think."

But she paid no attention to him. Why should she? So that he can pretend that she needs his help and take advantage of her?

She breathed in relief as she reached the bustling road. Her breathing was heavy as her heart pounded in her chest. She could feel blood pumping in her ears.

"Get out of my way, you bastard!" She shouted at him as he stood before her. "You think, I am an idiot? You think I didn't know what you were trying to do? You tried to feel me up..." She said in disbelief as she saw him dabbing his nose with a handkerchief.

"I didn't, I was just searching a pocket, to slip in a pocket knife!" He said, pressing the red linen to his nose as he felt another trickle of blood.

"Oh, really? You think I believe that? You could have told me! You didn't have to touch me, like that!!!"

"Like you were listening! All you did was struggle and punch me!"

"Yeah, you pull me in an alley like that, and what do you expect?!?" She shouted right in his face and stormed off.

"Check the left pocket of your pants." He said.

She turned around and almost reflexively her hand went inside her pocket, and out came a Swiss knife. She stopped dead in her tracks, twisting it in her hands.

"You see." He said. "I could never..." He trailed off. "I was just helping."

She looked at the little knife and the into his eyes. They were sincere. So is he telling the truth? She was puzzled. If he wanted to do something, he could have just done it that day she was at his house. But, he didn't. So maybe, he was actually helping.

After much thought she finally said, "Okay. Fine. But, how the hell did those dogs know you?"

"I...um...work with them."

"You work with such scoundrels?!?" She almost shouted.

"Just because I work with them, doesn't mean I am like them." Andrew said in a harsh tone.

"Andrew, do you realise, one of them almost..." She trailed off, shuddering.

"Oh, believe me, he would be punished. Once the boss knows, he would be punished, brutally. In fact, all of them, would be..."

"So they would be handed over to cops?"

"Even worse. Much worse...they would beg to be handed over...but they won't be...No one, simply no one is allowed to force themselves upon a girl in our...umm..company."

"Okay." She said a little unsure.

She felt strong and weak altogether. Physically, it was like she could punch and slap a hundred more, but mentally she was drained. She couldn't yet believe, what had happened. Her brain was still comprehending. She looked at her hands and knees, badly scraped. But they didn't hurt.

Wait till the adrenaline rush is over. She told herself.

"Why hasn't your nose stop bleeding?" She quirked her eyebrow. "I didn't hit you that hard. Did I?" She almost smiled.

Yep. I can take care of myself. She thought with pride.

"I don't know, but it still hurts like hell." He narrowed his eyes at her.

She smiled. "Next time think twice before you shout at me."

Andrew looked at her in disbelief. "How? How can you be all normal, after something like that happens?"

Mallory shrugged. "Come on. Let's go to my place. My mom would fix you up."

Andrew looked at her in admiration. For the first time, he had encountered such a mysterious girl. And he planned to solve her mysteries soon or so he thought.

• • •

"That's not possible." Eva said, wiping Andrew's face and hands, which had a couple of minor cuts, with some antiseptic.

"What?" He asked.

"There is no way, your nose can bleed for forty minutes straight!" She said, thinking.

Andrew sat on the couch, his head leaning forward towards the floor. He pinched his nose with a clean cotton cloth while breathing from his mouth. As Mallory's mother pondered over the startling fact, he winced at the constant burning of the now drying antiseptic.

"It's not possible." Eva whispered to herself. "Unless of course..."

From his odd angle, Andrew looked at the pretty red-haired woman in front of him. He couldn't believe how coolly Mallory's mother reacted on hearing their story. She did scold her daughter and him for roaming in alleys, but apart from that he was surprised by her reaction. She was a strong woman.

He thought she would be all teary and horrified and that is why he didn't want to go with Mallory, but then again he needed help. Because there was blood, so much of blood. He shuddered.

"Melly, honey, get me the box of your pills." She told her daughter.

"My pills?" Mallory raised her eyebrow. "Why?"

"Oh, just go get it!"

"Fine!" She pulled out her tongue, at which her mother rolled her eyes.

While her daughter, ran up the stairs, Eva turned towards Andrew.

"Do you know you have hemophobia?"

"W-What?" Andrew said, his voice a little squeaky due to pinched nose.

"Son, you have fear of blood."

"No, I don't!" Andrew exclaimed.

Her mother gave him a disapproving look. "You should have told me earlier! You need to take some anxiety medicine."

"Why?"

"To lower your heart rate." She explained. "That is why you were bleeding profusely. I almost thought that your injury is serious, but since that's not the case, this is the only plausible explanation."

"How...?"

"It's basically like snake poison thing. More than three-fourth times, it's not the snake bite that kills you but your fear. Your heart rate quickens leading to increased blood flow." She explained. "Exactly, like you are feeling right now. Let me check your blood pressure." She said retrieving a portable blood pressure device from her bag and wrapped the Velcro around his arm. "Remove the cloth from your nose, it's all dried now. Isn't it?"

Andrew nodded.

"Okay, now, lightly blow your nose one last time," he did as directed. "Now, inhale deeply and try to relax." She whispered in a soothing voice and  started the device. A couple of minutes later, it beeped.

"One forty three and Ninety two. Pulse rate is Eighty nine." She read out loud. "You really need to relax, son." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Now tell me, did you know about this? That you are hemophobic?"

"Yeah, I kinda did." He looked at her apologetically, almost like a child who was caught stealing cookies.

"Andrew, it's nothing to be ashamed of." She whispered, patting his back. "So you must have some emergency anxiety pills?"

He shook his head.

"Do you know, fainting is a very common symptom for hemophobic people? Has it ever happened to you?"

"I don't think so." He pondered as his mind played a slide show of all the blooded-mangled bodies he had seen. He shuddered.

"Okay, I will give you a bottle of the pills. Always keep them handy." She smiled at him.

Andrew couldn't help but feel jealous of Mallory. Why couldn't he have a mother like Eva? She treated him like he was his own. Never, never did someone look at him with such concern. He wasn't abused, but he wasn't loved either.

No one really paid much attention to his existence, till she came along. She was the only one who would wipe his tears, who would make him laugh. She made him feel human!

"Here, I wrapped it up." Eva told him as she stuck a couple of wet bandages to his face. "And here take one pill now, and keep rest with you." She gave him a yellow bottle.

"Melly, get him a glass of water."

"I believe he is perfectly capable of getting himself some water. Your feet aren't injured, are they?" She said sarcastically.

"Just get him some water."

"Fine! Ridicule your daughter in front of strangers."

"I am sorry she is a little immature." Mallory's mother said face palming.

"Yeah, I know." Andrew smiled, a little smile.

"So what do your parents do?" Eva said as she took the glass from her daughter and passed it to Andrew.

"My dad is...umm...a businessman." He said nervously.

Eva looked at the boy in front of her. She sensed his discomfort and dropped the topic.

"I think I should go." He said getting up. He had to go meet Sean.

"Come on, I will drive you." Eva smiled.

"No, it's okay, Ms. Millington." Andrew said awkwardly.

"No, you shouldn't be driving. Those pills are bound to make you drowsy. Let me drive you." She insisted.

"Okay, I guess." He gave in. He gulped down the bulge in his throat.

"Yeah, drive him today. Adopt him tomorrow." Mallory scoffed.

Her mother narrowed her eyes. "Maybe I would, at least he doesn't have a big mouth." Eva chuckled.

"Let's go, Andrew." She said while he smiled looking in admiration at the lady.

As he followed the red-haired woman, he whispered to himself, "I wish I had a mother too..."

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Hello everyone!

First of all HAPPY MOTHERS DAY (belated) to each and every lady out there who transforms the little devils and make them humans..:D :P Much love!

Second, thoughts on this chapter? Personally I like this chapter, though I don't know if you people would, but I like Mallory like this. Independent and Strong.

Leave a comment.

A little surprise in next chapter.

See ya soon.

-Ridhima ☺