Purple Romance

The door opened and Lisa walked out, she straightened her dressed and said to Paula.

''Paula, are you done?''

''Oh, where you inside there?'' Paula pretended to not know and asked.

''Yes, let's go'' Lisa held the IV pole and they walked away.

...

Lisa looked in front, coming back to her senses. She realised they had arrived at her apartment. She cleaned her face and turned to Leslie.

''We are here already?'' she looked at her wrist watch. It almost 20:45PM. ''Paula must be inside already''

''Go in and get some rest. My number is on speed dial on your phone. As long as you press 1, it will come straight to me. Call me no matter what happens, no matter the time, I will come to you'' Leslie said to her.

''You sound so charming when you say such things. Aren't you afraid that I might really call you?'' Lisa teased him, flashing him a flirtatious smile.

''I am serious. Call me before you go to bed and leave your GPS open all the time. I will be able to find you faster'' Leslie suddenly moved closer and kissed her forehead and smiled before moving back.

''En, thanks. Get home safely'' Lisa said, quite startled by his actions as she got down and nodded at him before going inside. She yawned and shook her head. Leslie waited till she was inside before he drove away.

His kind gesture made her smile. She brushed her hair off slightly as she closed the door.

''It has been a while, Lisa? Don't you miss me? Dad missed you badly, Lisa''

''You…'' Lisa turned coming face to face with the man who had been her nightmare for ages since she could remember. He still looked the same, with his long hair and beard but his face was a little rugged.

Lisa's face turned pale as she took a step backwards and tripped on her gown, falling to her back. the purse fell at a distance and the things inside fell out. Her lipstick rolled to her side and she took it.

''Why do you look so surprised to see me? Did you think that I couldn't get out of that place?''

''What are you doing here?'' Lisa stuttered and kept moving back, dragging her body backwards on the ground. She looked horrified and her body quivered under the gown.

''Oh, right. You friend didn't tell you right, that I came looking for you at the capital?'' the man squatted in front of her and stretched his hand towards her, brushing her hair with his fingers.

''Don't touch me'' Lisa screamed at him and tried to flunk his hand away but he beat her to it. he held her hand tightly, pulling her closer to himself. He sniffed her scent and looked at her with an obvious furious gaze.

''Why do you have another man's scent on you? Have you really been fucking around in my absence? It seems that you have been a very bad girl. You do know what happens to bad girl's right?'' he screamed at her and laughed, ''I've been watching you. tell me, who is that man who brought you home? right, he was the same person I saw at your café a few times between two weeks ago and this week. It seems you have a special feeling towards him, right?''

Looking at him, Lisa felt disgust. This was the kind of man her mother married. No, they never did get married. They just moved into his house and made it their home. she had never known who her father was. Her mother never spoke about him.

Thinking about all the past, the things that this man made her go through, Lisa felt like killing him. He was the one to make her feel dirty about herself. The first time he raped her. She had locked herself up in the bathroom, bathing and scrubbing her body till her skin began to peel off but she couldn't stop him. She didn't have anywhere to go to. Nobody to go to and her mother whom she trusted the most in the world turned a deaf hear to what was going on. She acted as if nothing was going on. Each time she tried to report him, her mother would threaten to kill herself. The man too would threaten to kill her mother. It was like they were cosplaying her.

''Are you coming with dad or do you want me to take your friend along? I don't mind feeling her up. her thick body is the preference of men lately''

''Don't you dare have any designs on Paula. I will kill you'' Lisa shouted at him.

''How dare you shout at me?'' he asked and slapped her face. He stood up and angrily kicked her in the stomach a couple of times and she screamed, ''this is why a slut like you shouldn't be allowed to be free. You think you are allowed to be free? Your mother sold your freedom to me the day she entered my house and used my name as your last name''

''I changed my name when I was in high school, I don't use your name anymore'' Lisa said as she used her lipstick to make some scribbles on the concreted ground.

''It doesn't matter to me your slut'' he lifted her weak body up and frowned, ''look at you so weak''

He dragged her out of the gate and Lisa's purse fell down on the ground.

….

A few minutes later, Paula arrived inside Andy's car. she got down and waved at him before turning to the gate. When she opened the gate, she saw Lisa's purse at a distance and furrowed her brows.

''Lisa is back?'' Paula took the purse saw the scribbles. She went closer and looked at the scribbles. It was a set of abbreviated letters, ''kbtm-sos'' Paula scratched her hair, ''what sort of letters are these?'' Paula stood up and started calling Lisa, ''Lisa…'' she stopped at the door as a memory came to her.

''Paula if anything ever happens to me, I will definitely leave you a note even if they were scribbles. My favourite words are SOS in the dictionary. Do you know what they mean?''

''Save Our Ship?''

''Fool, I call if state of distress''

''But, there is no 'D' in it?''

''Does it matter?''

Thinking back, Paula gasped in shock as she ran into the apartment. She rushed to the hall and then to Lisa's room.

''Lisa'' Paula ran out of the house and took another look at the scribble, trying to make a meaning out of it. her in distress, she dialled Andy's number.

''Hello babe'' Andy answered at the first ring.

''Lisa is gone!!!'' Paula said and heard a screech sound. It was made from the abrupt pull over that Andy did.

''I haven't gone far'' she heard him say before the line went off.

Paula went outside the gate to wait for Andy. It didn't take much time before he arrived again and got down.

''When did it happen?'' Andy asked as he held Paula's shaky hands.

''I don't know'' tears trimmed down her face. ''I saw her purse outside and a few scribbles. I don't understand the meaning of those words''

''Show me the scribbles. I called Leslie, he will be here soon''

''Over here'' Paula took him to where the scribbles were and showed him, ''I can't read them''

Andy went closer and looked at them keenly, ''TBTM-SOS. Taken by that man'' Andy looked at Paula.

''Taken by that man? Lisa's stepfather. He is the only one we often refer to as 'that man', how did he find this place?''

''He must have known about this place for a while now'' Leslie spoke as he entered through the gate.

''You are here?'' Andy and Paula looked at Leslie. He seemed to be calm.

''Andy, will Lisa be okay?''

''Paula, don't worry. In this world, nobody gets to take away what's mine''

''What do you mean?''

''Before I dropped Lisa off, I installed one of the latest tracking device that my company made into her phone. Lisa's current location is at her café'' Leslie explained. He had suspected that she and her stepfather didn't have a good relationship. That day at the beach when he saw the slit scar on her wrist, he had started to study her. he had also gone to the hospital where her mother stayed and asked the administrator there.

After finding out what happened through the hospital's administrator, he had come to a conclusion which was closer to the truth but he didn't want to confront Lisa as it was her personal affairs.

''She is at her café?'' Paula wiped her tears and asked.

''Yes, don't worry. I already called our uncle who is in the police department. Andy, stay with Paula tonight, I will go and bring Lisa back''

''Alright, be careful'' Andy replied as he held Paula's hand.

''Leslie, please make sure you bring Lisa back. she has been through a lot''

''I will bring her back'' Leslie gave Andy a knowing look before he turned around and left.

''Andy…'' Paula sobbed.

''Paula, it's alright. Leslie will bring Lisa back today. Let's go inside'' Andy led her inside the apartment.