Destined To Love

ANISHA’S POV

As I got closer to the gate, I began to quicken my steps. I was very late, and I knew this was going to affect my employer ma’am Larissa la Martina. She would not be able to leave home before my arrival, since she had a nine month old baby, Liam. Oh Liam, what a sweet little boy. I rushed up the front stairs and knocked at the door just for formality. I hardly ever knocked, and ma’am Larissa usually left the front door open for me. Before anyone could answer, I pushed the door open.

“I’m here, ma’am!” I called out with a smile. The house was unusually silent. Every morning when I reported for work, I was always greeted by some music.

“Ma’am? Liam? I’m here!” I shouted louder as I hurried towards the child’s bedroom. In the hallway, just before I could ascend the stairs, I saw some clothes thrown about, as if someone had been in a fight. A fight? Could sir Lucas ever be in a fight with ma’am Larissa? No. Not the man that I knew. He loved his wife too much to ever raise his hand on her. Or maybe...maybe they…or no…could they have been just having fun in their house, and ended up leaving their clothes thrown about on the stairs? I used my hand to cup my mouth in great embarrassment, and I decided it probably was not the right time for me to go up the stairs. What if sir Lucas was still in the house, and I would just walk in on them? Oh no, I could not imagine such a scene! I quickly ran down the stairs and entered into the lounge.

The room was dim, so I opened wide the curtains and the windows. I picked up a few toys which were scattered all over the floor, and then something caught my eye. A huge drop of blood. Huh? What was happening? I shifted my gaze and saw that just a few centimetres from the huge drop, there was another larger blood stain. And another, and another. My sight followed the red trail, and I saw that it moved up to the carpet, the deep red blood painted a huge stain on the carpet. It seemed like someone was bleeding and they walked into the lounge with blood dripping. Who? Who had spoiled the floor with their blood? Oh; where had they gone to? Sensing danger and beginning to be very scared, I followed the drops of blood, which led me to the kitchen. My whole body shook in terror, but I continued to tiptoe.

“Ma’am Larissa!! Sir Lucas!!” I called out with a voice so hoarse and shaky that I could not even recognise it as mine.

I was nearing the kitchen door when something caught my sight. From within the kitchen I saw numerous drops of blood.

“Ma’am?” I called out again but there was no response.

Slowly and in fear I started to walk towards the kitchen, following drops. It led me to the most horrific sight of my life; my employer ma’am Larissa lying on the floor. Just behind the kitchen counter she was lying, and from looking at her, I immediately knew that I needed to call an ambulance. She was covered in her bath towel.

“Ma’am?’ I shivered as I drew closer asking myself, is she alive?

“Ma’am! Who did this to you!! Who did this to you ma’am?”

Tears started to stream down my face as I hurriedly searched in my bag for my phone.

“Hold on ma’am, I will call 911”, I said as I fished my phone out. Just then, my phone rang. It was Sir Lucas la Martina, husband to ma’am Larissa.

I quickly answered it, “sir, you have to come home now….”

“Listen to me, Anisha,” in a deep scary voice, he interjected. His voice was so serious that I dared not say a word to oppose him. All I could do was listen.

He continued: “Go into our bathroom, check carefully between the sink and the shower doors. You will find a loose tile. Move it. Get inside the tunnel. It leads to my secret basement. Check drawers of old white cupboard. Take as much cash as you can. Take one of my cars. Run. Take Liam with you. Leave Southrain City now!! Do not go to the police, the police cannot be trusted now! Someone in the police is after you and Liam!! Go as far away as you can!” and the line went dead.

“Sir? Sir? ….” I called out, but there was no response.

I kept staring at my phone in fear and confusion. Someone in the police force was after our lives? Liam and myself? I could not understand it at all. He said I had to leave the city of Southrain? To where? Southrain was and had always been my only home, I had never left the city for any other place; and the two people I called family were in Southrain City. I was very much confused and scared, tried to call back Sir Lucas’ number, but the line was not going through anymore. Then I remembered Liam. Where could he be?

I stood up and ran as fast as I could up the stairs. The child was asleep, I quickly picked him up and he woke up with a cry “shh! We will call the police now” I said as I picked a set of car keys and hurried down the stairs. In my hurry to go and pick the child, I had left my phone on the kitchen counter, so I went back in, took the phone and started running outside. In my rush, I almost dropped Liam, and as I struggled to keep him in my hands, I dropped my phone and it fell with a loud thud, the screen immediately shattering and going blank! Oh no!! I cursed out loud and ran outside, but I did not know what I was doing. Ma’am Larissa hardly ever spoke to her neighbours, and so I also did not know them well. Standing by the side wall, I screamed towards one neighbor’s house “help!! Help me!!” There was dead silence.

I called out again and just then a man appeared through the gate. In great fear, I ran towards the garage, aiming to get into a car and drive off before the man got to me. I was continuously pressing the car remote, checking which car was responding so that I could jump inside. Who was that man? Was he the one who had attacked ma’am Larissa? What was happening? I ran like I had never ran before, towards the beeping car. I pulled open the door and hopped in with Liam in my hands. Car seat…car seat! Oh no! It was too late for that! There was no car seat, and I just had to go. I fastened the child using the seatbelt in the back seat.