I quickly shake my head, which he raises an eye brow to but doesn't question.
He straightens up, never removing his gaze from me before stepping closer, forcing me to step back. He takes another and again, I step away. Seth keeps approaching me, hi...
"You're braver than you believe and stronger and smarter than you think." ―A.A. Milne,Winnie-the-Pooh
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
**********
Peeking around the corner of the door, making sure no one was about, I silently crept along to freedom for the next hour. Closer and closer, hand outstretched, inches from the long metal bar that would release me out to my solitude that I so desperately sought. I let out a premature sigh of relief, skin literally brushing the cool metal when suddenly I'm tugged backwards. It wasn't hard, but the shock and surprise of the action had me jumping, yelping and throwing my arms out, before crashing back into what could only be described as a solid block, steel bands wrapping round me.
A deep chuckle rumbles around the room, vibrating from behind me.
"Well, you certainly live up to your name Panda cub!" a deep velvet voice whispers behind me, and it only takes me a moment to register who it is, and begin wiggling to escape his arms.
"Shh! Calm Panda cub, I'll let you go if you settle, don't want you falling now, do we?" He teases, his arms loosening slightly, as if to show me.
I let my body fall limp, leaning back against him, only now taking stock of my racing heart, pumping at a rate far beyond normal, my breaths sounding slightly laboured, even to myself while my body screamed its pain to my mind.
It had been two and a half weeks of successfully avoiding Seth, and since I'd returned to work. I remember waking up the next morning, both mortified and relieved. Why? Well, apparently when I had grabbed clothing to wear to bed without looking, I had grabbed Seths t shirt that he had loaned me along with a pair of short jammie shorts. I was mortified that I had actually slept in his t shirt, embarrassed not only because it had happened, but of how comfy I remember it had felt against my skin. However, I was relieved that I had woke earlier than my step dad. God only knows what would have happened had he found me in a guys t shirt. I had quickly got showered and dressed for the day, getting stopped by my step dad on the way out so that he could threaten me before I had ran to school, and continued on my plan of avoiding everyone, with double the motivation to avoid Seth at all costs. And it had worked for a few days with Faith before she bounced on me and made me eat lunch with her in Music while she practised singing her solo part that she had been given and made me promise to at least socialise with her during school every few days and to at least message her more, which I had felt guilty for shutting my best friend out. Ally had also managed to corner me at school, slinging his arms round me in what looked like a loving, tight hug, but what really was him digging nails into my sides and a whispered promise to see me later. And he did. He had upped his abuse slightly, hitting more, harder, and taking advantage more too, a lot more violently than I had ever thought he would. With Seth however, I had been extremely successful.
Until now that is. After a few moments of silence, only broken by my slightly ragged breathing which was calming down by the second, Seth unwound his arms from around me, leaving his hands on my waist a few extra seconds to make sure I was standing steady before pulling back completely. Closing my eyes and taking in a large breath, I slowly turn and peek up, hands fiddling behind my back. I almost felt like a toddler getting scolded. Seth's face was emotionless, any trace of amusement he might have had a moment before at my expense was completely gone, and there was a hardness in his eyes that I had never witnessed before, and it made me shrink into myself. It was a look that had me terrified, a shiver running through my body. His arms, that were crossed tightly across his chest, muscles bulging through the thin material of his shirt, dropped to his sides as he let out a heavy sigh before bending down and swiping up my long forgotten bag and walking past, pushing open the double doors, stepping out before holding them open for me. I looked up at him for a moment, unsure of what exactly was happening.
