Clarissa

"Please let me in. Please." He pleaded. His voice had started cracking now.

It has been two days. The only thing I accepted was food, and two pairs of clothes.

He comes to knock at my door every hour. But I am not letting him in. I won't make the same mistake again.

"Just once? I have a reason for it Claire, you just can't judge me!" He bellowed.

Still, I kept quite. If he actually did have a reason he could have told me earlier.

He knows everything about me. My family. My past. Hėll I think he even knows about my grandmother.

And what do I know about him?

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

I don't even know if his actual name is Martin Clark.

Or was that fake too.

I mentally snort at that and continue to punch the headboard of my bed.

I have been doing that for continuously two days. My knuckles are bruised and the head board has turned into a make-shift punching bag, which may break anytime considering the loud thump that resonates in the room.

But that's the only way I can expel all this anger building within me.

A lady, the same who I spilled water on, enters with a plate filled with food.

And mind you, there is always a date or an almond pudding in it. And I have to eat spinach everyday.

Every. Day.

I hate spinach already.

"Why are some foods compulsorily on my plate? Do you eat this everyday too?" I asked in hopes of getting rid of it.

"No. We don't. It's for your health. Particularly, you bones' health. Everything has high calcium."

I gaped at her. Really?

"B-but I hate spinach!" I protested.

"Its healthy, kid. You will see the benefits in the long run." She smiled.

Just when she was about to leave, I noticed something shining in her neck.

"Wait. What-what are you wearing in you neck?"

It was exactly the same crescent moon pendant on a silver chain. The same I had gotten from my 'well wisher' that morning.

"Oh this? This is kinda, um, the signature necklace. Everyone a member of this Organization must wear it." She responded.

"Why?" I prodded with my brows furrowed.

"It's a tracking system. When we push this pendant," She gestured with her pointer finger on the pendant, "It will signal here, in the head quarters, and everyone will know that I am in trouble or maybe I need help."

"How do they know its you?"

"You know the QR code? It's kind of like that. Everybody has his own pendant. You can't exchange it. This pendant," She looked down at it, "is designated just for me."

She stated this and left. Left me in confusion.

Why would they attack me in the fair, if they already knew my home address, my name, and even the time when I'll be home to receive the package.

Why would they send me a security tracker, when they would come attack me. It makes no sense.

If they knew me why did they kidnap others. Others looking like me.

My brain is going to explode.

I sighed heavily and went back to punching the head board due to the frustration of confusion.

After a few minutes I hear a knock on the door.

I sigh again and reply, "No Martin, I am not letti-"

"It's not Martin, Clarissa." He took a long pause, "My name is Antonio..." His words leaking with a strong British accent.

"Whoever you are, why would I let you in?" I yelled.

"I-I was the one to send you that necklace. I am your well wisher. I can answer your questions."

If that was a bribe, it worked well enough.

I open the door to come face to face with a green eyed blonde. He was tall, and yes of course, well built.

He had a serious expression on his face, and when I stepped aside to give him space to enter, he did something terribly surprising.

He grinned.

A ear to ear big fat grin.

"May I know the reason of your extreme happiness, Mr. Well wisher?" I crossed my arms glaring at the stranger.

"Your actions are the reason of my happiness! I am now $50 richer than what I was 5 minutes ago. All thanks to you, Bee." He exclaimed with a big smile etched on his face.

I was totally confused now.

He was looking funny but I controlled my laughter.

"I am not giving you any money. Not even $5. And what is B? I don't have that letter in my name."

"Don't be such a dimwit lady. Brown literally starts with B and I am pretty sure that's your name. Besides," he claps his hands and once again grins dreamily like an idiot and says, "I had made a bet of $50 with Jacob and Martin."

I was still controlling my laughter on his actions.

"Can you stop keeping the suspense? A bet for what?" I retorted.

"Its so simple Bee. A bet for whom ever is allowed to enter your room by you." He starts wiggling his eyebrows.

And he was definitely looking funny now.

And my bottled up laughter came bubbling up.

Though I calmed down quickly.

"Seriously? Oh poor Martin could have got that money. By the way, who is Jacob, and did you instantaneously come up with a nickname for me, through my last name? That's so...ew."

After such a long time, I was actually having a light conversation which can actually lessen the stress and anxiety in my mood.

"No no no! It's not B, its Bee." He spelled the word, " Bee because whenever you are in trouble, you defend yourself no matter what, like the last time. And Jacob is the second in command in this Organization. He is very sulky, serious, scary, a mood killer, extremely un-handsome, and nobody likes him." He told all of it in one breath.

"Seems like you dislike him too much. And why a small tiny yellow and black colored bee? You could have told shark or, um, lion!?"

He looked me straight in the eye, very seriously, I thought he was going to collapse on me when he opened his mouth to speak.

"Sharks and lions," he took a deep breath and I furrowed my brows. Were sharks and lions something very close to his heart? Is he offended?

"Sharks and lions don't get in trouble," and the he again gave that big fat grin and whispered, "They create trouble."

As soon as those words left his mouth he emptied a half filled water bottle on my head, which sat on the bed side table, and ran to the other side of the room, laughing like a maniac.

I think I found a new friend here.

I look at my dripping locks with my mouth agape, and then show him an accusing finger.

"How dare you! Yo-you dimwit! You will pay for this!"

I look around the room to find some thing for revenge while he was still laughing at my condition.

The pillows were the last resort hence I grab them and lunge at him to initiate a pillow fight.

"Stop." I hit him with the pillow. "Laughing," again a hit, "Your asś," hit, "off." And I hit once again.

I say all this through gritted teeth but there was surely a smile on my face. I was enjoying it.

I slid against the wall, exhausted, I took deep breaths, and looked at him. He was still laughing so I threw the pillow at him which he easily deflects, making me wonder about why his reflexes were so good.

But as I see him laughing, I join it too, mentally adding it to the list of good times I have had, which are very scanty, in the past few months.

"Please. Please tell me that this is not some facade and in the end even you are going to deceive me. Like Martin did." At the start I speak in between laughs, but my laugh fizzles out at the end.

The look he delivered was serious. Completely serious. There wasn't even a hint of humour in his eyes as he stated, "he didn't betray you, Clarissa. There were many things that had happened four years ago."

"We didn't expect him to be in this town, where you live in. Four years back, after Jacob's father died, Martin separated ways. We hadn't seen him until now." He looked into my eyes, stark truth clear in them. Hopefully.

I open my mouth to question when he beats me to it.

"I know you have a lot of questions. But it'd be better if you'd allow Martin to answer those. Some questions are only his to answer. And god, he is roaming in the house, clutching his hair like a love sick puppy." He chuckled at the end.

I looked at him bewildered. Love sick puppy? Are we in love?

He got up, dusting his pants and looked at me. " I should leave now, I guess, don't--"

"Hey Anthony," I wait for him to correct me, because I wasn't sure what his name was.

"Antonio." He corrected.

"Oh okay, Antonio, so do you work here?" I question him curiously.

"Yes I do." He replied simply, not elaborating.

"What job do you have?" I prod.

"I am a cleaning staff member."

"You came here all the way from Britain, for a cleaning job?" I raised an eyebrow. "Atleast lie nicely."

He rubbed the back of his neck, and suddenly jogged out of the room, bellowing a, "you will know it soon!" to me.

I closed the door and slid my back against it. This was a hell lot of an awkward meet.

But maybe I kind of connected with him.

A few seconds passed by and there was a knock on the door.

I guess he forgot something.

I open the door to come face to face with a tired looking Martin, eyes red and hair tousled. And mind you, he still looked absolutely gorgeous. Not that he will know of it.

I cross my arms, suppress the smile trying to come to surface, and raise an eyebrow at him.

"Atlast you opened the door." He spoke, a slight breathlessness in his voice.

I raise both my eyebrows, and turn around to sit on the bed.

I don't speak a word. Because it's not my turn to speak.

"Please forgive me, I-I didn't mean to-I didn't betray you. Trust me."

I look at him, giving him an incredulous look and turn my eyes away from him.

"Say something Claire please? I am really sorry, I didn't mean to. This wasn't supposed to happen. Please say something." He spoke in a defeated tone.

He slowly trudged towards the bed and took a seat at the edge of it, barely away from me.

Not that it bothered me in anyway.

"I am sorry." He barely whispered

"For what Martin?" I spat, anger quickly taking over all my senses.

"For not leaving that place when I told you to do so? Or for knowing these people here which you shouldn't? Or for not telling me what your past was before?" I was breathless, and irate.

"No Claire," he caresses my cheek with his knuckles, "I am sorry that you are special, and they know it."

The touch instantly made me lean instantly towards him. His warmth was sooth-

Wait-what did he just say?

"Who they? The ones outside this room?" I ask with my brows furrowed.

"No. The ones back in the fair."

I was momentarily taken aback. What the fùck?

"You mean to tell me they weren't the same people? As in, these both are, what? Different groups?" I inquire, my brows still furrowed.

"Yes you can tell that. They are from an Organization named Plazma. The-"

"Deamonne. Vexx Deamonne. A genetic engineering plant." My eyes wide with realization, I look at him to find him bewildered at the fact that I know that name.

"Ho-how do you know?" He asked unsure.

"I Googled it up." I shrug at the end of the statement.

He opens his mouth to say something when I beat him to it.

"So you mean to tell you aren't sorry for keeping me in dark about your past, at all?" I raise a brow.

"N-no that's not wh-what-" He stammered, his eyes wide.

I cut him by laughing a little bit, pulling him towards me by his collar. "I knew you didn't betray me. I just had a feeling deep inside my gut somewhere. Can I trust you now?" I ask with uncertainty in my voice.

"Yes. Yes, you can definitely trust me. I am sorry I didn't tell it before." He looked down at our intertwined hands, lightly playing with my fingers. "They say the past will always haunt you. But I believed we could begin again. Me, Suzanne, dad and mom, away from all that happened here. But look where running away from it got me." He gave a humourless chuckle, tightening his hold on my hand and looking up at the ceiling for a brief moment.

He stared at me, his eyes so vulnerable, raw pain deep inside it. he spoke, barely a whisper, "I almost lost you."

I cupped his cheek, rubbing my thumb over his slight stubble, making him look at me, "You haven't lost me." I stated.

"I am here. I am always here"

☆