Alpha Ryker: Cursed Collision

Chapter 2

The Cure

“I need to escape”

I whispered, unable to sleep. I lay flat on the cold floor, my back pressed against it as I stared at the dungeon walls. I have slept more nights in this dungeon than on my actual bed - or what the Rinn think is a bed- so it wouldn’t be strange to say I felt more at peace here. On a typical day, I always arrive here with a bruised face, sore body and one occasion - a broken bone.

Several times, I have been forgotten in here with no food or water and those days ironically were the most peaceful days of my life. I used to enjoy being locked up here, it meant I didn’t need to work till my finger nails break or that I had to see the faces of the people who caused me nightmares but today was different.

I tossed and turned on the cold cement, trying to come up with a plan to escape.

I’ve always had a plan to escape, the moment I knew I had a mother waiting for me within the walls I found a new reason to live - to endure this pain.

Edward Rinn, Madame Faye Rinn’s husband and the man whose ball sack I came out from had tried to hide the fact that Madame Faye was not my biological mother. He denied and denied every time I asked him who my mother was. Lied that I had just lived in a different place at the beginning of my life and that his wife was my real mother.

She played her part in his lies until one fateful ball where she exposed him, when someone asked her why I looked so different from the rest of the family. Unlike Michaela and Manson Rinn, I do not have a ginger hair or hazel eyes. My skin was not pale like a porcelain doll, I am of a darker skin tone. I also didn’t wear that soul gripping darkness on my shoulder like the Rinn and I barely shared any trait with Edward Rinn besides the color of my hair.

‘She’s the daughter of a w***e Ed f.cked on a drunken night’ Madame Faye had said, then turned to stare at me ‘She’s his drunken mistake. One that has haunted us ever since that cursed day’

I wasn’t hurt contrary to what Madame Faye may believe, I was actually glad. Her words confirmed what I suspected and gave me a new purpose in life - finding my mother and first I had to find her name and who she was.

I do not care why she gave me up. From what I knew my mother is from the lower class and she must not have had the power to stop Ed from taking me away from her. He didn’t even want to tell me her name, so I pleaded and pleaded. Promising to do anything he wanted but he refused. I had to find her name myself. It wasn’t easy but I found the name of my purpose.

Hellen Borden.

I cannot believe all my plans and effort are all about to go to waste. I have money that I saved and hidden in the floorboard of the room. It's not enough to travel to Daria, the country where Ed and Hellen had met. Neither is it enough to look for her but it is enough to leave this town and to change my name.

I’ll start from there.

Maybe with a new name I can get minimum jobs and earn enough to travel to Daria. I could wash windows, maybe even milk cows and sell cigarettes. Anything to get enough to buy a ticket to Daria, I just need to find a way to get out of this house first without being caught by the guards or worse by - the Rinn.

I heard a low growl, and a shiver ran down my spine as I slowly sat up. My eyes had already adjusted to the darkness but that didn’t make me feel safe. I placed my back against the walls and I hugged my legs.

It’s here again.

My heart is fighting to crawl out of my chest but I swallowed it back in fear as I heard another growl.

Emerging from the walls, a majestic wolf walks towards the iron bars that kept me locked in. Its fur was darker than the night, with its eyes golden. The wolf was larger than I'd ever imagined a wolf could be. I estimated its length to be nearly 10 feet, reaching a height of almost 50 inches. Its sharp eyes locked onto mine.

This wasn't the first time I'd seen this wolf. It had started five years ago. Every time I was locked in the dungeon, I saw it. It had never attacked me or came near me. It just stared at me for a few minutes and then disappeared into the darkness. But it didn't make it any less terrifying every time I saw it.

Nobody believed my words when I tell them that there’s a wolf in the dungeon. They think I’ve lost my mind and maybe I have.

I heard the door shake, taking my attention from the beast to Manson and two guards behind the door, trying to unlock it.

I held my breathe, should I tell them that the beast has returned? The wolf looks like it would kill them before they even get the chance to scream. It could give me enough time to run, grab my savings and bolt. This might be the chance I need to escape.

“There’s a wolf in here” I find myself yelling instead.

Ressa, you are such an i***t.

I couldn’t believe I was throwing away my chance of escaping out the window to save people who weren't worthy of it.

“There you go again, acting crazy” Mason sings as he unlocked the door.

“Manson, you’ll die if you come in here” I yelled.

Gosh! Shut up, Ressa.

“And I’m supposed to believe you want to save me?” He scoffs. Clearly he thinks I’m out of my mind and I do too.

I turn to the wolf staring at the door as if waiting for them to come closer so it could pounces on them and tear their open their flesh, devouring them limb for limb and I'll be next. After them it would be me.

“Manson! Don't” I pleaded. The wolf growl echoed through the dungeon like earthquake. My chest tightens and I forget how to breathe watching Manson walk towards us and the wolf lunged itself towards him.

I screamed, closing my eye. Covering my sanity from the gorge about to happen.

“I warned you” I cried. My eyes shut tight but I could still feel tears trinkle down my creak “You never listen to me. It’s not my fault. You brought it upon yourself, I was only -“

“So your plan is to act crazy?“ I hear Manson’s voice covered with disgust.

I opened my eyes to see him standing in front of me, with the iron bars the only thing seperating us and a judgment stare burning though my skin.

No Wolf.

No dead body.

“Where did it go?” I asked myself more than I asked him.

“You would have to try harder than this make believe craziness, dear sister”

Manson orders the guard to unlock the doors while I stood there questioning my sanity.

Have I truly gone mad like they assumed?

I do not get the luxury to find the answer before the guards dragged me out of the dungeon. I paid no attention to where they were taking me, my mind still occupied by what had just happened.

Has it all been my delusions?

Have I been imagining the beast all these years?

Have I lost my sanity?

Only when my skin is met with a splash of icy water do I return to reality or what was left of it. My clothes are nowhere to be found as I stood naked in front of two of the house maids. Manson wasn't anywhere to be found also thankfully.

How long have I been in my head for? And why are they bathing me?

“I can't believe Madame Faye is trying to sell you off to that monster” Beatrice, an older woman cursed under her breath as she wipes my body.

I've known Beatrice since I was a child, she has been warm to me despite Madame Faye’s strict rule that has caused many staff to lose their job here if they showed me any ounce of kindness.

Hearing Beatrice quietly curse the Rinn almost made me cry. I didn't think anyone would care that I was being sold and although she could not do anything about it, her curses gave me comfort.

Beatrice and the younger maid, Adeline had be ordered by Madame Faye to bath me and dress me to look appealing to Sir Valerie Russo. I almost vomited when I heard he was two hours away from reaching the Rinn Estate. I can’t believe I spent the night thinking of what to do and didn’t get an ounce of sleep only to come up with nothing.

“Poor thing” Beatrice mutters, biting down her lip as she stares at me in the new dress. I’ve never wore something like this before, I almost couldn’t recognize myself in the mirror with the pota dot dress accompanied by a silk sash tied in a delicate bow at my waist. A seamed stockings with a pair of heeled oxfords and a Victory roll hairstyle that only Madame Faye and Michaela were allowed to wear in this household.

I stare at myself in the mirror looking like a home cooked meal for a mad man and reality slaps me on the face, reminding me of how real this truly was. My chest sinks, I do not recognize myself. I’ve always wanted to dress like this, I secretly envied how Michaela was allowed to dress femininely and sophisticated while I was only ever allowed to wear rags but now that I was dressed like this.

I hated it.

“Sir Valerie has arrived” Adeline informed.

“You bags have already been packed” Beatrice gestures at one suitcase the end of the room.

I do not have any priced possession and one suitcase was more than enough to hold everything I could ever need but that didn’t mean it was less painful to see that all I have ever meant to this house was brought to just one suitcase.

“Could I please have a moment to myself?” I ask Beatrice and she nods. Hushing herself and Adeline out of the room. As soon as they were gone I ran to the floorboard under my bed, pulling out the three sachets filled with the money I had saved. I hurried and placed them into the suitcase, hiding the money deep in between my clothes and when I was satisfied I had kept them hidden enough I grabbed a pair of scissors.

I know I cannot escape now with Sir Valerie here but I will be damned before I let myself look appealing to him.

With that, I drove the scissors into my long black hair.