Chapter 05 Ariele

On the third day, I still hadn't met Toni and wandered around the house. The next morning, when I woke up, I didn't hesitate to go downstairs. At the convent, I used to wake up early, and old habits die hard.

As I descended the stairs, I tried to mentally prepare myself for the interaction. I could already hear voices from the dining room. Eric insisted that I have meals with them, even though I could see his sister-in-law's displeasure.

I remembered the way he looked at me, with his penetrating black eyes and a crooked smile that always seemed to hide something. I remembered the way he spoke, with a firm hand on my shoulder, as if he owned me.

I was tired of all of this. Tired of being kept captive, even if he claimed I was just his niece's babysitter. Tired of his insinuations and lascivious looks. Tired of everything!

I was almost reaching the kitchen when I heard his voice. I wasn't going to join them today; I would eat with the other staff.

"Hello, Ariele. Did you sleep well?"

My entire body shivered at his voice. I tried to maintain an impassive expression, but inside, I was freaking out. I hated the fact that he could have this effect on me.

"Yes, thank you." I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

He approached me, and I could feel the warmth of his body. I fought the urge to move away.

"You know you're very beautiful, don't you, Ariele?" he said, touching my arm. He was so brazen and shameless.

I swallowed hard and pulled away my arm.

"No, Mr. Eric. I don't want to talk about that." I said, my voice trembling slightly.

He laughed, as if he found it amusing.

"You're so shy, Ariele. But don't worry. I won't do anything you don't want."

I knew he was lying. I knew he would do anything to have me, and I was terrified. I wanted to run away, but I knew I couldn't. I was trapped, and I didn't know if I would ever escape.

I took a deep breath and tried to maintain my composure; I couldn't let him see me weak.

"I'll have my breakfast now." I said, moving away from him.

He watched me for a moment, as if studying every move I made.

"Of course, Ariele. But don't worry. I'll always be here when you need me. Have a good day, my Ariele." He said, a malicious smile on his face. But what frightened me was the certainty in his words, looking into my eyes as if I truly belonged to him.

I felt my heart sink as I left the kitchen. I couldn't bear another day in that house. I needed to get out of there.

I didn't leave my room for the rest of that day. I confess that at night, hunger hit me, and surprisingly, one of the girls who worked in the kitchen brought me dinner and dessert. I wasn't sure if it was Mrs. Cassandra or Eric; it might even have been one of them who missed me. But I thanked them and ate, falling asleep shortly after everything was taken away.

The next day, during breakfast, Toni was at the table. Blonde like her mother, blue eyes, a doll, but there was no childlike sparkle in her.

As we were finishing, I decided to strike up a conversation, as Eric wasn't there, and Cassandra didn't seem willing to cooperate.

"Hi, my name is Ariele. What's your name?" I asked politely.

"My name is Antonieta. Are you the new babysitter?" Antonieta replied with an unfriendly expression.

"Yes, it's me. I'll be happy to take care of you." I replied, smiling.

"And why do I need a new babysitter? I already have my mother." Toni questioned.

"Ariele will help you and take care of you when mommy isn't around." Cassandra answered with no enthusiasm.

Toni didn't seem too pleased with my presence and continued asking challenging questions. Cassandra just observed everything in silence.

"Do you know how to play chess? And what's your favorite game?" Toni asked with a challenging look.

"Yes, I know how to play chess. And my favorite game is..." I was interrupted by her.

"You can't be my babysitter if you don't know my favorite game." Toni said authoritatively.

"I'm sorry, Toni. What's your favorite game?" I asked with a smile.

"My favorite game is Risk." She replied, satisfied.

"Oh, I love Risk too! We can play together sometime." I suggested excitedly.

Finally, Toni seemed interested in me, and she began asking more about what I liked to do and what cool things I could do.

In the end, I think I gained a bit of Toni's trust, and she let her guard down a little.

I realized she was a very demanding child. Her day was filled with activities: ballet, swimming, bilingual classes, and extra lessons. I could hardly believe she was only six years old. But Toni explained that it was important for her so she could excel in the future.

I found it frightening how many mature thoughts she had, and I questioned what kind of attention her mother was giving her. I had to choose from several outfits, make sure her hair was well-groomed, and that she was wearing the right ballet slippers. After taking her to class, I waited anxiously outside.

When the class was over, I took her to swimming, where I had to go through the same routine of choosing swimsuits, helping her change, and waiting outside. After swimming, it was time for bilingual classes, where I was impressed by Toni's ability to learn foreign languages so quickly.

But what truly exhausted me was the extra lessons. Cassandra demanded that I review Toni's lessons with her every night to make sure she was making progress in school. Toni was only six, but her schedule seemed more like that of an adult.

I knew Eric was doing his best to give Toni a quality education, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for the little girl who didn't have time to play or have fun like other kids her age. I wondered if Toni would be happy in the future if she continued living in such an exhausting routine.

I talked about these thoughts with Cassandra, but she only smiled cynically and said I didn't need to worry about those things. I knew they were involved in dangerous things, and their lives were very different from mine. But still, I couldn't help but feel sorry for the little girl who seemed so lonely and unhappy amidst so many activities and obligations.

...

Today, I had dinner alone with Toni. Her mother didn't join us, and neither did Mr. Greco, but I confess I enjoyed having a quiet dinner with my little friend. We talked about our weeks and laughed a lot.

After dinner, I helped Toni get ready for bed. She put on her pajamas and brushed her teeth, then snuggled under the covers. I sat on the edge of her bed and asked:

"Toni, would you like to hear a bedtime story?"

"I don't know, Ariele... I'm not sleepy yet." She replied, yawning.

"Come on, Toni! I promise it will be a really cool story!" I insisted, excitedly; we had developed a connection in such a short time.

After a few seconds of hesitation, Toni finally agreed. She settled in bed, covered herself with the sheet, and closed her eyes. I began telling the story, and at first, she seemed quite attentive. However, as I described the events from the book, she fell into a deep sleep. I watched over her small body, feeling a strong attachment already.

After leaving Toni in her room, I returned to mine. On the way, I bumped into the mobster. He had some bloodstains on his clothes, and his face was bruised, but he still seemed unshaken. He greeted me with a sarcastic smile and started talking to me.

"Hello, Ariele. I see you're coming out of my niece's room. I hope you two are having a blast." Eric said with an ironic tone.

"What happened to you? You're injured." I said, noticing the bruises on his face, and trying to ignore his sarcasm.

"It's nothing. Just some business that needed to be taken care of." He replied with a satisfied smile.

I started to move away from him, but Eric got closer, leaning in to whisper in my ear.

"You know, Ariele, there's something exciting about the smell of fresh blood. Blood sex is a luxurious experience that few are lucky enough to try." He said, seductive.

I immediately backed away, horrified by the idea. I knew Eric was a dangerous man, but this was too much even for me.

"Eric, you're disgusting." I said, feeling a chill run down my spine. Without caring about using his first name, he still exuded that powerful and masculine aura, dominating the entire environment; this man would drive me crazy.

I ran away, shaken by his beauty and, at the same time, horrified by the idea of whose blood could be on his clothes. I couldn't believe I had just had such a bizarre conversation with a man.

I rushed to my room, my heart racing, and my breath heavy. I could hardly believe what I had just experienced. The mobster, with his cruel face and filthy words, was still etched in my memory. His presence terrified me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that he was everywhere.

The words he said seemed to have a magical power over me. I didn't know what had happened, but something in his tone of voice and the words he used made my body react in ways I didn't understand. I felt disgusted and terrified, all at the same time.

This had been an emotional roller coaster over the past few days.

I sat on the bed, trying to calm my mind.

I felt like I was losing my sanity, like I could burst into tears or rage at any moment.

I needed to go back to the convent. There, I had peace and tranquility, living in harmony with myself and with God. Here, I lived in constant fear and anguish, not knowing what might happen next.

In desperation, I remembered that Toni had given me a cellphone; she had so many of them, it was an unnecessary luxury. I didn't have contacts, but she convinced me that when I was far away, she could talk to me.

Trembling, I picked up the device and dialed the emergency numbers she had left there, labeled as "Fire, Police, Ambulance, Emergency."

I knew Eric was a mobster, but let him deal with the police; I just wanted to go back to my home. Besides, I highly doubted that the authorities didn't already know who he was.

When someone answered the phone on the other end, I said in tears and panic:

"Please, I beg you sincerely, help me go back to the convent. That place is my true home. Here, I have no future and no hope. My life is in danger every moment.

I know it might be hard to understand my situation, but please try. I don't know what else to do; I'm completely lost. If I can't return to the convent, I don't know what will become of me. Please, help me."