Her Tormentor ( Sinfully his.)

CHAPTER THREE. PAINFUL CLUTCHES

The sound of bird sweetly chirping woke up Ixora . She slowly bashed her lashes with a soft yawn , her hair tousled into a cute mess , her lips slowly stretched into a little smile as she stared at the intruder  by her window.

The bird slowly chirp again , this time pecking it's beak on the window rails .

" Hey foxy." Ixora mumbled as she settled closer staring at the bed in the eye. The bird didn't flinch instead it cooed making her to chuckle slowly. " Hungry ?" She took a grain of rice and spreads it out for Foxy who ate it hungrily.

" I am so jealous of you." Ixora whispered softly , gently she brushed Foxy wings , the bird didn't budge it's concentration was eating the grains of rice.

" You are so free . A free bird ." Ixora mumbled tearfully , she hurriedly cleared her throat.

" Unlike someone who is confined in the attic with no images of anywhere else except from her  little town.  But,.. You can fly. Isn't that great ." The bird pecked it's beak against Ixora wrist as it's way of consoling her. 

" I wish I was a bird. " A low whisper escaped from Ixora lips as she hugged her cold knees to her chest .

" Happy birthday to me ." Ixora wept silently , tears ran down her face as cold breeze blew into the room.

If you are mistaken, today it's her birthday but a death day to Ixora because her dreams, her hopes and future and including Ixora died along with her parents ten years ago.

The attic turned colder, Ixora wrapped the torn and thattered shawl around her little body. Winter is slowly approaching and it's going to be colder in here. It's always cold in the attic anyways. Ixora would cry during snowy days but Clarice refused to give her another room or finish building the roof top. Ixora thinks Aunt Clarice left the rooftop that way to torture her.  The walls of the room suddenly became colder, Ixora put on her gloves rubbing her hands. She wrapped the shawl around herself and watched Foxy flew away. 

" They all leave at the end." Ixora sadly muttered as Foxy flew away. Well the bird has been her friend for 10 days. Ixora found it by the window with broken legs so she took it in nurturing it's health back. Days after days she couldn't help but feel attached to the bird so she named it Foxy because of it's unkempt wings and she can't believe it was time to say Goodbye.

Though she predicted it two days ago when it started limping and flying slowly across the room , today Ixora had guessed it's leg had healed and it flew off without a good bye. It made her felt nostalgic a bit , her eyes slowly teared up and she shut her eyes lid tightly burying her head into the her tattered duvet.

Ixora  tried to fall asleep but her eyes were cleared , she groaned inwardly kicking her feet at the beep of her alarm. It was six on dot.

" Another stressful day." Ixora mumbled with a sigh. She dragged her feet down to the bathroom washing her face and she took a quick shower .

Ixora felt grease on her hair, another sigh emitted from her lips as she touched her greasy hair now smelling with fish. She was living so poor that she couldn't even afford a shampoo. Ixora brushed her hair against itself washing it with a small bucket of water . After a while, she came out with slow towel warped against her smooth delicate cream skin . Ixora hurriedly dressed .

" Seriously I couldn't believe I got scammed!!!!" Clarice furious yell echoed through the walls of the house , and her wild pace followed.

Ixora bit her lips straining her ears curiously. If she was hearing right did her aunt just got scammed . By who and how much precisely.

It doesn't matter.  Serves her right! Ixora subconsciousness jeered with a little scoff.

" What am I supposed to do Jane. It was...." Clarice voice toned to a low whisper , her eyes darted across the room , she didn't see Ixora hiding behind the stairs with her eyes gleaming with inquisitiveness.

" From the loan shark." Clarice whispered with a tremble fervor and she slumped on the chair rest tiredly .

Ixora swallowed her gasp with her widened eyes. Wait loan shark! Is Aunt Clarice crazy! Why would she borrow money from loan shark to start a business. Everyone in this town are practically afraid , terrified  and horrified of the loan shark. They were so brutal in collecting their money and sometimes can be super manipulative.

" It was the fastest option Jane. The bank couldn't lend me 2 million Euros . I thought it was the right decision to make . ". Ixora retorted sharply over the phone and it made Ixora eye ball roll , well her aunt never own up to her mistakes , NEVER!! .

" I know . !" Clarice snapped and bit her nails " It was meant to turn out great it Donald wasn't a thief and a scammer. I swear I would make him pay. I will find that son of a bitch wherever he is hiding and make him cough out my money!" She swore angrily with wild paces around the room.

" So what? What am I going to do? ."Clarice snapped furiously . "Shou..."

Ixora foot steps gave her out as her feet leaned against a damaged stair and it made a loud screeching noise which made Clarice turned back with a sharp glare on her face. Ixora hurriedly adjusted her dress trying to look natural. If Aunt Clarice knew that she was eavesdropping on her conversation , she would probably skin her alive and transfer her multiple aggression towards her .

" Good morning Aunt." Ixora mumbled with a respectful bow clinging onto her small purse.

As expected Clarice cut her off with a loud hiss and a disdainful expression on her face " Tell me what's so good about this morning!" She snapped eyeing Ixora angrily , she walked past her pushing her away harshly.

Ixora staggered and fell bruising her knees. Nevertheless Clarice muttered some incoherent curse words directed at Ixora " Useless nicompoo."

" I am leaving . " Ixora announced quietly and hurried to the door. She can't afford to be late to work. Her eyes searched around for Stacey.  Ixora did a rough guess that Stacey is still up snoring away in her room .

" Dont forget what today is?" Clarice harsh voice halted Ixora steps " i need to bring every penny back home. After all I have been feeding and clothing you for all these years.  Isn't it time to repay that effort of mine.." Clarice sneered blowing out her gum loudly and irritatedly to Ixora ears.

" Yes Aunt." Ixora replied feebly , she bowed deeply at Clarice before walking out of the room.

Well , ever since she have graduated from highschool she couldn't go to college because of the high fees and because Aunt Clarice wasn't ready to support .

Even colleges she applied for scholarship all declined her, it wasn't like she wasn't smart enough  , so she is working her butt to save and give Aunt Clarice so money , and now it seems Aunt Clarice got duped and scammed so at any time soon , Ixora is a hundred percent sure Aunt Clarice is going to show her more hell .

As Ixora scrambled down the stairs , she almost bruised her knees but an arm encircled her waist slowly and her heart skipped a beat , no two as she saw her pair of  eyes staring down at her. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw a familiar face staring at her. Carlos!! She gasped surprisedly slapping his hands away from her waist. She stared at Carlos whose face now wore a displeased frown .

" Why did I bother anyways." Carlos spat irritatedly and did the most brute action. He pulled Adrianna to his  chest and pushed her down the stairs that she had intended to fall on.

Ixora yelped as she rolled down the stairs , her stomach butted the ground with force and she whimpered painfully as she fell flat on her face .

Carlos watched all this with a cruel smile and walked into the house " Aunt Clarice. Is Stacey home?" Carlos asked politely , a complete version of the action he just displayed . towards Ixora .

" Hi Carlos , come in.. " 

" Stacey!" Aunt Clarice yelled loudly with her high pitched voice soon dissapating into fits of laughter as Carlos whispered some funny jokes in arrival for Stacey .

Ixora whimpered tearfully as she limped towards the bus station , with anger growing up into her chest. She quietly waited for the bus with her fists clenched . Passerby rushing to the bus . Ixora rushed along but someone pushed her aside and she ended up scrapping her knees again.

A low groan escaped Ixora lips as she shut her eyes tightly to prevent the tears from falling out . The bus drove off and the passerby went on unconcerned . Here in Greenville, everyone minded their business and beside even though the town was very small  , not many people are familiar with Ixora since she was an autistic person. She hated crowd especially the stares boring into her body from unfamiliar gazes.

Ixora sat beside the bench and she stared at her bruised knees , blood slowly oozed out from the wound. A cry tore from her lips as she tried to stand up .

" Ouch." She whimpered tearfully holding her knees, as she tore from her skirt and tied the knee tightly. A gruttal groan escaped from her lips , she shut her eyes with a soft sigh.

Another bus arrived . The passerby hurriedly moved into the bus with shoulder brushing against themselves. It's always like this , because this is the cheapest bus before the private ones comes in.

Ixora limped towards the bus and got  in before it could close . She slowly bowed as she walked in sliding in coins and sat just beside the window, she layed her head on the chair rest withering in pain. Her stomach churned wildly and she stared at the look of the bus occupants. Some stared nonchalantly and others started with a little smile.

Ixora bit her lips embarrassed. Well it's not her first time eating without sleeping and it was the same thing that happened yesterday. Aunt Clarice starved her because she didn't get the door for Stacey who came home at 9PM. Ixora was in the kitchen slowly watching the food and wandering in her thoughts , she had no idea of Stacey knocking due to the heavy rainfall. When she heard a yell,  her eyes snapped open and she rushed to open the door only to be welcomed with a hard slap on the face by Stacey. As if it wasn't enough, Stacey cried that she - Ixora had done in on purpose in retaliation for Stacey using her rag she called a clothing to clean the mess she had made.

Clarice yelled furiously at Ixora , insulted her late parents and even cursed them for bringing out someone as stupid , as wretched as Ixora . There was nothing Clarice didn't use to describe Ixora . Soon she kicked her to the attic and banned her from going to the kitchen for food which her Ixora prepared for the family with her last strength in every fibre of her body.

Ixora stomach churned again and this time painfully. It felt like something was eating her stomach deeply. Ixora faked a smile at the uninterested look of the passerby. She held her stomach tightly and slowly closed her eye lid .

" Miss." She felt a harsh tap on her shoulder but she didn't budge " Miss!" The voice snapped impatient pulling a sleepy Ixora up to her feet.

" Nazareth!" Ixora gasped loudly as she stared at the wide eyed conductor whose eyes was now gleaming with something familiar. Something she witnessed all the time.

The bus driver slowly smiled , his brownish dirty teeth almost made her puke. Ixora slowly bowed and strutted away but got pulled back by the hair " Why are you in such hurry." The bus driver said grimly and slowly shut the door.

" Please let me go." A soft whimper escaped from Ixora lips and it made the bus driver grin to widen.

" You look hungry." His hands gripped her breasts " How about some trade and barter champ. I give you money and you satisfy me, right now. Right here, on the bus." He whispered with his bad breathe entering into her nose. Ixora sucked in holding her breath .

" Please let me go. I am not a slut." She pleaded softly but the bus driver didn't listen , he ran his flighty hand across her face and her eyes slowly teared up .

" Come on. Don't be shy. I will pay you good and if I am well satisfied , I will always call you to warm my bed. Uh champ." The bus driver grinned arrogantly .

Ixora fists slowly balled as she felt a pair of hand gripping her breasts fondling it harshly. Her gaze landed on a bottle. An empty alcohol bottle. She slowly took it allowing the man to rub his fingers along her thighs. Then she broke the bottle on his head while sobbing.

" Screw you little bitch!" The bus driver snarled angrily pulling up Ixora , but she bit his arms, her fingers desperately unlocking the bus door . Ixora whimpered in pains as he gripped onto strands of her hair. The door was unlocked after some seconds of struggle

Ixora flee out running with her eyes never darting back. She ran and ran till she arrived at her workplace. It was a restaurant. McDonald's, it pays well but transportation took a quarter of the money and Clarice took the other half leaving her with almost nothing.