Scarred Love

PROLOGUE;

-

Saturday morning.

The sun was already high but the heat was not even enough to warm someone. The streets and roofs of the houses were covered in thick white snow. It was plain white outside and it was cold. Most of the townsfolk are inside their houses drinking hot tea and staying lazy in front of the fireplace the whole day.

Everyone was idle except for a small house that is almost inside the thick forest. There was an out-of-place car that was parked outside. The expensive car was left unguarded but thankfully, no one was crazy enough to steal something on board the daylight.

The house was only a two-storied building and the interior is almost bare. There was a rocking chair on the patio in case someone wants to sit down and read newspapers but no one is out at the moment. They were busy preparing inside.

In the small living room, someone in a three-piece suit sat on a worn-out sofa. Despite the odd appearance of the thing that the man was sitting on, he didn't show disgust or comment on anything offensive. He just sat there quietly with a small smile on his face.

Later on, an older man came out from the small and disorganized kitchen. He brought a teapot with him and a couple of teacups. It was faint but two of the teacups have small cracks on them.

"I am sorry for the delay." The man said with all smiles. He put the cups on the small coffee table in front of the man and exaggeratedly poured him the tea. "Here, here. Drink this to warm your tummy. It's cold, yes indeed it's cold."

The man looked at the cheap tea that the man brewed for him. It was obviously brought from a small market and was stored for many months as if it was scarce and just found its use today. He wasn't sure about the taste but brought it to his mouth nonetheless.

After the awful liquid entered his mouth, he calmly concluded that he will not drink a sip of it again.

"How was it?" The old man eagerly asked, his yellowish teeth showing after smiling from ear to ear. "How was the taste?"

The handsome man smiled. "It's okay."

"I know right!" The old man boasted. "I spent at least a hundred dollars for this one. Because it was expensive I stopped myself from using it until a special occasion comes."

He was spouting lies and boasting about nonsense and when he realized that the man was not even answering, he closed his mouth and poured himself a cup of tea eagerly. He was dying to taste the tea since he took it out from who-knows-where. After drinking it, he realized how bad the taste is and he almost spat the liquid out.

He regretted drinking the tea, regretted that he made the man drink this death-inducing tea, and regretted the fact that he stored it for almost a year. He wanted to cry but he can't.

"Oh dear," he said, trying to cover his blunder. "It seems like they are taking too long, what could have happened, I wonder?"

He said that to distract their guest away from his mistake and he was really wondering why is that they are not coming down. He was angry at his wife and daughter for being tardy. He stood up and glanced apologetically at the man in a suit.

"I have to fetch-"

"Dear," Before he finishes his sentence, he was interrupted by his panicking wife. "Agnes is gone!"

--

In the middle of the filled snow forest, a redhead was very visible. That read head was walking around the forest at a fast pace and barely avoiding the low branches of the tress. The owner of the read head was pouting and her face was flushed due to cold. It was Agnes in her worn-out brown winter coat.

She was fast on her feet and she was already a kilometer away from her house. When she noticed the distance, she finally stopped and her eyes caught on a red stain on the ground. Her eyes widen as she tried to make her eyes focus on the blood stains without shuddering or screaming.

After a careful look, she noticed that the stain was trailing towards the back of a tree. Agnes followed the trail curiously and found a dead squirrel. Agnes' heart sank and she squatted down in front of the dead small animal.

"I am sorry," she muttered softly. She scoped a handful of snow with her bare hands and covered half of its body with it. "This is the only thing I can give you right now."

Agnes was not answered, but it was okay. She just stared in a daze as the blood slowly stained the snow she used to cover the lower part of its body. Then her mind recalled what happened earlier, she can't help but pout her small, pink lips.

Her mother just suddenly stormed her room early this morning. She forced her to wake up and took a bath. She was strongly against it because it was winter, baths are unbearably cold-they don't have a heater! Her mother didn't listen to her and sent her directly to the bathroom and she reluctantly took a bath.

After that, she received the biggest news of her life. She was getting married and her soon-to-be husband was already coming. Agnes was dumbstruck by the news. She can't believe it. Her? Getting married? She was just 19! She didn't even attend college yet!

Her questions were left unanswered until he arrived. She doesn't want to face whoever he is so she used the single moment where her mother was distracted and she slip out. And here she was, facing a dead squirrel and burying half of its body by snow.

To tell you the truth, she was low-key curious about her husband-to-be. She can't help but question what he looks like. Is he handsome? Or just the average?

"What an unfortunate little animal. The lower part of his body was eaten even when he was still alive." A low and baritone voice rang from behind. Agnes jolted in shock and she whipped her head to see who it was only to be more shocked.

He was a rare beauty. He has these perfectly shaped jaws and a very alluring Adam's apple. His whole body was lean and it was very obvious that he is muscular even with the coat. Agnes stared at him and concluded that he was years older than him. 3? Or perhaps 5?

Suddenly, their eyes met. Agnes' heart pounded crazily inside her chest as she stared at his jet black eyes that look like a black hole that absorbed anything near it. Agnes opened her mouth.

"How did you know?" She asked about his statement earlier.

The man suddenly smiled. "Instinct."

Instinct?

Of what and why he used the words, she didn't ask or bothered about it. She was immersed in the man in front of her and can't help but ask inside her mind.

Is this what they call love at first sight?

The man reached out a hand and his smile turned sweater. "You are Agnes, I reckon?"

She unconsciously grabbed it and muttered a small 'yes.' The man gave off an alluring low laugh that tickled her ears. "I see."

He yanked her up and stared at her chocolate eyes, then he smiled, his eyes smiling with him. "Hello, Agnes. My name's Leon."

-

CHAPTER ONE;

One must run,

hide and stifle his gasps

in order to save his life.

***

"Agnes," her mother, Emilia, muttered uttered as soon as they entered the house. She stood up and went directly to her side and immediately checked if she was hurt. She held her pale small face in her rough hand. It was cold. Agnes was cold but she wasn't hurt. She heaved a small sigh and looked at her worriedly. "Where did you run off to? I told you to wait for me inside your room, didn't I?"

Agnes didn't answer her mother and stared directly at her pale green eyes. Her eyes are a carbon copy of her mom's. Everyone in the town admires their silvery green pigment and she felt rather proud about it. She got her small apple face from her mother also and her scarlet hair from her father. She is one of the beauties in their schools. Although they are not rich, they believed that their beauty can compare to those on the top.

That's what she used to think until he came.

The man was clad in black and a mysterious and chilling aura was seeping from him but she only dismissed it as one of his charms. His face is not something you can always see in magazines and TVs.

He was like a gem. A hidden gem.

Her father went down from the second floor. His face was black and he was clearly fuming with anger. His body was tense and his eyes are sharp as an owl's, ready to find its prey.

Then, he saw her daughter and wife near the door. He paused a little before stomping down in a furious manner.

The pair heard the angry steps and can't help but look over only to see Jack, Agnes' father, walking furiously towards them.

Emilia unconsciously stepped in front of Agnes in an attempt to protect her from her angry husband. Her husband noticed this and stopped midway in his approach.

"Agness, you-!!!" Jack furiously stated, pointing a finger in her direction. His face was scarlet because of anger and his eyes are bulging to the point that they seem to escape from their sockets anytime soon. "Who told you to run away-huh?! How dare you go out and displease your husband!"

Agnes stared at her father in shock.

Displease her husband? No way! They offended her first! She didn't even know that she'll be a bride at the age of 19, just one year after she stepped on the legal age!

Agnes can't help it anymore and opened her mouth to speak.

"Husband?! Displease him?" She said disbelievingly. "Father, how can you say that?! To me? To your own daughter? I should be the one who's offended by all of this! How can you arrange my marriage behind my back? Father-I am only 19 for god's sake!"

She was pathetically panting after her rant. She hasn't done this for a long time and it was refreshing to say your own feelings are unrestrained. For years she had endured shutting up herself because she doesn't want any conflict, but to this day, there's no way she'll stand idle and wait for her marriage to be decided without her knowing.

She hasn't raised her voice for the past few years and, sure enough, it left her father speechless. Even her mother looked over her shoulder, shocked. Agnes gained confidence from their reaction. She stood straight and even dared to look at them directly in their eyes.

"Father, Mother, forgive me. I do not wish to marry that-whoever that guy is. Besides, I have a guy I like!"

Yes, she found someone she likes. They only met earlier, but she had undoubtedly fallen in love! Yes, she believed that it was love at first sight!

Her father's eyes bulged beyond belief. His cheeks bloated and his face redden once again in anger. Emila turned to face her and her mouth opened, trying to tell her something but cannot create sentences that are coherent enough to understand, she closed it again and covered it with her hands.

They were being dramatic. Agnes thought inside her mind. It was already the 20th century, yet they still do this old, unfashionable thing called arranged marriage?

Besides, they are poor for god's sake! Her father is a gambler, and they can't even afford a heater because their money always falls on gambling games! Who will dare to marry someone like her? Of course, someone with the same status as her and might not even handsome as him!

Good god! She'd rather seduce that hottie than the guy she's supposed to marry.

"You- you-! Agnes-!" Her father can't take it anymore and he advances to slap her but Emilia was there to stop her furious husband.

"Dear," she called out, hugging him on his waist. "Do quell your anger. Don't hit our daughter!"

"Excuse me," a low baritone voice rang from behind, at the entrance of their small, shabby house. It was brief yet there was a whistling sound, a sound of brief laughter.

The three paused. Agnes recognize the voice and she blushed.

Right, he was here. He probably heard everything! Goodness! Her image!

Agnes jolted to the side, trying to hide from the entrance of the door. Her parents obviously relaxed and they stared at the entrance, expecting him to show himself.

He didn't disappoint them, he stepped inside their house with a small warm smile.

"I'm sorry to disturb your, warm conversation," he started. Agnes flinched after hearing the word warm. Where did he even get that word from? Where was the warm part there? More likely, it was a heated conversation! "But,"

He smiled at Agnes' parents. "ma'am, sir, I brought back your daughter as promised."

"Thank you, Mr. Brown," Emilia stated, her voice getting softer. "I'm sorry to bother you with this."

Leon, who is apparently surnamed Brown, smiles warmly at her mother. "No worries. It's not a bother at all."

"I'm really sorry about it Mr. Brown!" It was her father who talked this time. His face was void of anger like it didn't exist before, instead, his face was covered in frustration. "My daughter displeased you. I hope you forgive her, she's still a child after all."

Leon laughed lowly. It was so low and matured, that it gave the illusion of allure. Agnes'ears tingled when the seductive low laugh entered her ears.

"Of course, Mr. Wright. I understand."

During their whole exchange, Agnes remained motionless but her eyes were bulging and her mouth are gaping. She was shocked. Shocked beyond belief. She can't even begin to explain her emotions.

Do they know him? And he also knew her parents? Is this fate? Did fate bring them together?!

She turned giddy by the mere thought.

Her excitement was building up and she can barely contain it. She closed her mouth and opened it again shakily. "Mother? Father?"

Both Emilia and Jack look over. Even Leon's attention diverted to her. She almost shrinks in their gaze.

"You know him? No, wait--you know each other?"

Jack frowned, not knowing what in the world is his daughter thinking. "Yes. We told you earlier that you are meeting your husband."

He moved to stand beside Leon and unceremoniously put his hand on his shoulder. It was a funny scene since Leon was a head taller than her father but she was not in the mood to laugh.

"Leon, that is Agnes. Agnes, this is Leon, your fiance."

"... What?"

***

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Three ear-shattering sounds filled the cold air. The bullets created a small whooshing sound as they swiftly sliced the air before plopping after they hit a tree.

The gunshots were left unheard to other people since the place was far away from the others, but the figure that was dashing fastly into the woods flinched and it glanced behind it, trying to see if the shooter was near.

He wasn't. No one was going after the running figure.

Before the figure can sigh in relief, its feet caught a root that was peeking slightly at the ground. It loosed its balance, then stumbled unto the ground.

There was a slope.

The figure rolled on the ground painfully. It rolled and was forced to raise its hands up to protect the head. It only stopped when the figure painfully crashed into the tree.

The tree was badly shaken. Some of its leaves fell. Because it shook, the moon that was barely lighting the whole forest peeked its light inside.

The light reached the face of the figure that was now lying painfully on the ground.

It was Agnes.

Her face was scrunching in pain. She groaned and slowly, she pushed herself off the ground.

Before she strengthen her back, there was a sheering pain on her back that almost made her cry when she heard a rustling sound from the distance.

She held her breath almost immediately and her body tensed. She surveyed the surroundings, trying to make out where and what was that sound.

She expected that someone will suddenly appear out of nowhere, but she waited and waited. No one did. The forest was so still and silent.

Agnes sucked in a large amount of air in relief.

She supported herself using the tree to stand. Although no one was there, she can't bear to sit still. He might be coming anytime soon.

Slowly, she stood up, supporting her whole weight by leaning on the tree. The pain was still there, but she have to move, fast!

She stifled her cry, wanting to be as silent as possible to not arouse the attention of her chaser.

She slowly turned and walk behind the tree.

It was cold, the winter was already up but nights are still cold. The wind was whistling in her ears like devils taunting her, luring, seducing.

Agnes bit her lip in an attempt to keep herself sane. She was scared. Frightened. She wants to cry and shout for help but she was not given the abilities so.

She can only cry in her mind and ask; why the hell it was happening to her? She remembered living a carefree and easy-going life, but that memory seems distant anymore. It was only months!

As she was lamenting about her life that was overturned by an unknown factor, she caught a glimpse of him. She froze and her body tensed then shudder. A cry of surprise almost escaped from her mouth as her heart beats faster than it did a while ago and her body turned icy cold in fear.

He was there, standing not far away from her. Half of his body was obscure because of the lack of lighting. But his face and what he was holding in his hand were oddly lighted.

There was a cold, chilling thing that was pointed at her. Agnes almost cried in fear as she backed away.

It was Leon, and he was holding a gun that was pointed at her.

He smiled, but the smile brought nothing but fear to her heart. The warmth that was original there was gone, it was nothing but an amused and sinister smile. Then, he opened his mouth, a cold, low, and alluring as a devil's voice came out of it.

"Found you."

-

CHAPTER TWO;

One can't help but

freeze in front of the thing

that they fear the most.

-

The wind was already chilling and freezing, Agnes thought that she will not experience a temperature colder than that night until he came with a gun.

The silver gun was pointed at her from the distance. The polished muzzle of the deadly cold weapon glittered against the light of the moon as if mocking Agnes who once again saw herself trapped like a mouse.

Leon was standing still but his eyes are sharp and active, ready to shoot anything that moves.

Agnes didn't dare. She didn't move and stood still while her pale face was illuminated by the moon's mocking light. She was disheveled, far from the gracious and precious image that she carried for almost 19 years. Her red hair was like a bird's nest with blades of green grasses and dirt on top of it. She has a small wound on her pale cheeks, corner of her right eye, and lips and they were bleeding. The red blood slid down slowly on her face, painting it red.

The white loose shirt she was wearing is also covered in dirt and because she was wearing short shorts, her legs were covered by small wounds, old and new. She was on her bare feet but she was wearing slippers a while ago. She lost the pair in her run after realizing that it was easier to run without them.

"Found you."

Leon said in a low and manly voice. This kind of voice can make girls go crazy, she was no exemption. She will also squeal like a hyena and will even blush because of it.

Sadly, that was before.

The voice that supposedly will give you goosebumps and shivers in joy and perhaps, temptation, made Agnes shudder and flinched in fear.

She was very scared. She wanted to turn away and run then hide in her room. But also because of fear, she froze and her mind failed to function. It was as if she forgot how to walk and run.

You will indeed freeze in front of the thing that you feared the most. Agnes feared him. She feared Leon.

Leon's smile deepen and he walked slowly, very slowly, towards her. He was like a beast that was slowly nearing its trapped prey in order to intimidate and dominate it. If he was really a beast, he would be growling and overflowing with saliva.

He was indeed a beast, a beast in human clothing.

Seeing him approach, Agnes stepped back until her back laid flat on the surface of a tree. She almost trips on her feet many times in an attempt to escape backward because of the roots and stones but glad she didn't fall which made him suddenly agitated and accidentally pull the trigger of the gun and shot her.

"Now, now, why are you walking away from me?" Leon laughed briefly but the sinister smile remained on his lips. "If I remember correctly, you were being too clingy to me months ago, so why are you running away from me now?"

He crossed the distance between them and lowered his gun to her abdomen. Agnes felt the cold mouth of the silver gun pressing on her belly. She almost shouted but she bit her lip in time. Her cry escaped muffled.

The pathetic muffled cry reached Leon's ears. His black eyes glittered and his smile widen even more. It was an alluring smile. A smile of a devil.

He hold out a hand and then reached for her face. He caresses her small pale face with his big palm and long fingers. He touched and tapped her cheek gently with his thumb. It was cold. Her face was cold and she was close to having frostbite. He frowned at the texture. It was unpleasant to touch.

His thumb went to her lips next. He rubbed it and instead of feeling the soft, delicate, and plump feeling he always felt before, his thumb felt a whole different texture. It was rough as sandpaper but as his finger wandered, he touched a sticky liquid.

His frown deepens. He forced her to look up at her. Agnes was ducking her head slightly and he can't see what was on her face so he roughly used the hand that was holding her face to look up by her chin.

Because of the force, Agnes gave out an involuntary small gasp and whimper.

Thanks to the light of the moon, he saw the cut on her chapped lips. His frown was wiped away instantly and he softly said, "You cut your lip? You are a lady, you need to mind your actions."

The whole time that he was holding her, she tried her best not to whimper again. She bit her lips so hard that the small wound open up more. She tried her best not to shed tears but a stubborn one fell out. It trailed on the side of her face and she felt that side dampen.

Leon watched the small tear and he unconsciously leaned in and kissed the water. It was salty but he didn't mind, rather he even trailed his kiss up to her eyes.

The feeling of the smooth and moist lips made her tremble and she tensed. Her breathing stopped and she stared blankly in front of her. If her brain was working even a little bit earlier, it now stopped fully.

His lips were warm and his breath that was fanning against her cheek was burning. Agnes felt like she was a candle melting under the flame.

Leon was emersed with his butterfly kisses that he leaned more on her. The gun was pressed even harder than before. Agnes snapped into reality and her lips paled.

"D-don't..." She managed to grasp a word albeit shakily.

Leon clearly heard it. He smiled and leaned back to look down at her. He saw his face reflected in her silvery pale green eyes.

"Hmm?" He asked, gently putting his hand on her waist. He gently touched the small waist with his thumb and the movement sent thousands of electric shocks to Agnes.

She suddenly snapped and slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me!!!"

She shouted in fear. The hand that slapped away his was shaking so badly. She slapped him. She slapped his hand away!

Her whole body went cold and numb when she realizes it and she panicked.

Leon's face darken after she did that. His features suddenly turned gloomy and the atmosphere that surrounded him turned murderous. His red as fresh blood lips were pursed tightly and his jet black eyes were sharp as a knife.

His eyes stared directly at Agnes', she flinched at the sudden contact. She once again tremble under his gaze and she leaned on the tree more in a futile attempt to support herself.

'Good god,' she can't help but cry in her mind. 'Please help me!'

Right now, there is only one word that she can describe the beast in front of her; death.

Leon's face was void of emotion but his eyes speak louder than words; he was furious. He was mad. In anger, he grabbed her hair behind her and yank it down.

"Ah-!!!" Agnes shouted in pain. Leon used too much force that she felt the scalp of her head was numb. She also almost cracked her neck in the process of yanking her red hair down.

"You had only run longer than the other times, yet now you're acting like high and mighty?" Leon slowly said, mockingly. In every word he uttered, the hand that was gripping her hair tightened and the gun on her tummy was getting buried deeper than before.

Agnes gasped in terror and her shaky hands were pressed on his chest. The tears that she refused to show were now showing themselves. They fell one by one on her pretty small face.

"I-I'm so-sorry...!" Agnes cried. "I didn't m-mean to!"

She received no answer but he removed the gun from her abdomen. She can't see since she was facing upward.

When the cold mouth of the gun left her body, she sighed in relief inside her mind. But what Leon said next and his action made her shout-

"Since I don't want to shoot you right now," he held the gun up then he smiled at her sweetly. Agnes' eyes widen as she stared at the silver gun in fear. "I'll hit you with it instead!"

"NO-!"

[London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, My fair lady.]

The gun paused midway and they both paused. The handle of the gun was a milimeter away from her forehead, it almost hit her.

Agnes was closing her eyes and when she heard the familiar melody, the tense body she have almost melted on the ground. Her eyes were filled with tears but there was unmistakably joy in them.

Leon paused when he heard the familiar song. He pursed his lips and loosen his grip on her hair before walking back and leaving a big distance between the two of them.

Agnes body went mushy and she sat on the ground, gasping.

He stared at his wife on the ground before sneering and walking away. "What an unlucky day." He muttered on the wind.

Agnes didn't move until he completely disappear from her sight. She gasped again and the sound of cries that she held back for too long resonated against the still wind.

It might be an unlucky day for him but she was in her luck. The song that was meant for the children was still there, singing along with her cry. That song, was the mark that means the end of the game.

She cried and cried her eyes out in joy.

'Thank god,' she said inside her heart. 'I have survived another day of the hunt.'

-