Chapter 9: help from both sisters

Aleera's POV

The door opened and Celia walked back in. During the time she was outside the room I had turned
around and was now laying on my left side so I could see the door. I noticed she had some red marks
on her neck that weren't there when she had walked out. She noticed that I was looking at her neck.

"No need to worry about the red marks on my neck, Darius lost his temper because he thought I tried
to keep him away from you." She told me in a calming tone.

I nodded my head as she walked over to me and sat down on a chair beside the bed. She took my
hand and looked right into my eyes.

"Will you try to eat now or do you want to try it later?" She asked me.

I thought about it for a few seconds.

"Later." I whisper out. I was still afraid that the man she called Darius would come back in.

We sat there in complete silence for a few minutes. She was looking at me and I looked around the
room when Celia broke the silence.

"Is it okay if I remove the duvet to do some exercise with your legs so you can get your muscles back
on track?"

I looked at her and gave her a small nod. She smiled and raised from her chair to remove the duvet.
She placed her hands on my legs and moved my left leg first then she did the same on my right leg.

"Can you move your toes for me?" She asked me.



I looked at her confused. Why does she want me to move them? I looked at my toes and concentrated
on moving them. It took a while but I was able to move them after a while. When I had finally managed
to move them I spotted that Celia now had a huge smile on her face.

"Perfect! Now we know that your muscles from your back all the way down to your toes work." She said
in a happy voice. Celia looked at me before she continued.

"How do you feel about trying to get up and walk around the room?"

I looked at her before I nodded my head, I was a little afraid that I would fall. Last time I stood up my
legs felt like jelly and it was hard for me to stand at that time and I hope I will be able to do it this time. I
moved my legs so they dangled on the right side of the bed and moved closer to the edge of the bed.

"If you feel unsteady you can hold my hands."

Celia holds out her hands for me to grab a hold of if I needed them for support. When my feet touched
the floor I got that same feeling of having jelly legs so I grabbed Celia's hands for support. I moved my
left leg first and then my right leg. It felt like I was dragging my feet behind me. When I was about to
take the next step a loud and powerful howl echoed through the wind.

I froze in my position and my body shivered in fear. My grip on Celia's hands became hard and I could
see her skin turning red. I looked up and I saw the pain in her eyes but for some reason I couldn't
loosen my grip.

"Relax, it was just Darius." She tells me.

I slowly relaxed and loosened my grip on Celia's hands. "I do think you should start to breathe my dear,
before you will faint from lack of air." She told me with small amusement in her voice. I had not noticed
that I had stopped breathing before she told me and I started to breathe once again.



I looked down at my feet so I didn't notice where we were walking. It was not until I lifted my head I saw
that we had entered the bathroom and I could feel that I was starting to panic a little. I looked around
and I saw a shower in the left corner and in the right corner it was a bathtub. On my left side it was a
toilet and beside that was a big white basin. On my right side there were shelves where towels and
shower stuff was put in. Why was I in here?

Celia noticed my confused facial expression. "I was thinking we could use some freshening up, a
shower or a bath." She said.

I shook my head so hard that the room started to spin around. Just being in the bathroom brings back
memories I don't want to think of.

"Why not my dear, Alea?"

"It's nothing." I told her and I tried to turn around to walk out of there but Celia turned my back so I
faced her.

"Of course it must be something. You don't need to tell me now, but I'm going to guess it has something
to do with your past." Celia said.

I didn't know what to answer, so I just nodded. I felt Celia's hands move under my eyes, I didn't notice
that I was crying and I looked up at her.

"Shh my child. I know this is hard on you but just look at you, I can tell it was probably a long time ago
that you had a shower or a bath. I don't want to force you to do anything, but I promise that you will feel
much better after a bath. I will be here with you all the way. I will not let anything happen. I know you
have been through alot but somewhere you have to take a step to get on your way to recover." She
had a really calm voice.



I sat down on the toilet when I saw Celia walk over to the bathtub and turn on the water. She put
something in the bottom of the tube, I guess it was something that will keep the water in the tub. I know
what it is but I just can't remember what it's called.

I heard the water splash in the tub and while the water filled up she helped me to take my clothes off.
Once she had pulled my clothes off I noticed it was not my rags that I had before. I had not noticed this
before.

"Where are the clothes I had on me?" I asked in curiosity.

"You had no clothes on you when Darius brought you here. He told me those wolves that attacked you
had torn them off of you, so my sister Cassie gave you some clothes she had never used before.

I just nodded and looked down at myself. I could see all my scars I got over the years as a prisoner. It
was scarred all the way from my legs up to my back. I had bite marks here and there.

Celia turned around to turn off the water and then walked back to me. She helped me walk to the tub.
When I was beside the tub I started to have a panic attack. Celia hugs me and tries to calm me down.

"I know you don't want to tell me anything about your past right now but please tell me why are you
afraid of the water."

I thought to myself for a few seconds before I started to explain it to her. "For the past few years, the
people that held me tried to drown me a couple of times and they almost succeeded. That's why." My
words stumbled over my lips as tears ran down my cheeks.

"My dear Alea, I will not let that happen. If you feel safer you can hold this pen to my stomach. Just
relax and trust me." Celia said to me in a trusting voice that made me want to believe her.



I nodded at her, but I was still scared as hell, and with that she helped me to get in the tub. The first
thing I felt was warm water and the warmth filled my body. The water was not deep at all, it only came a
little over my hips. Celia took the shower hose and turned on the water, she looked at me.

"I am just going to soak you down so I can wash you."

I was terrified and I pushed the pen against her stomach and I know she felt it.

"It's okay, now the water will come. Will you lean back for me?" She asked me

I did what she said and the second the water came over me I did have some flashbacks and I could not
take it. Celia noticed it and stopped to make sure I was fine. After I calmed down she asked to try one
more time but this time I tried not to think about the past, so I enjoyed the warm water that touched my
skin.

"When was the last time you had a shower? This water is so dirty already." Celia said with concern in
her voice.

"I don't know, I don't remember, the last time I remember is 5 years ago."

"Oh my God! That long? Then I really have to scrub you." She said with a little laugh.

She washed my hair with shampoo and conditioner and scrubbed my body with some shower soap. At
the time she started to wash me someone knocked on the door.

---

Third POV

"Come in!" Celia shouts out.



Cassie walks in to offer her sister some help and notices the pen Aleera had in her hand that was held
against her sister's stomach.

'Celia why is she holding a pen to your stomach?' She asked through the mind link in panic.

'I gave it to her so she would feel safe. It's because she has some trauma from her past.' Celia
answered back. Cassie calmed down when she heard that. Both of them helped Aleera up and put a
towel over her head to dry her hair then they put a robe over her body.

Cassie took out a brush to fix Aleera’s hair.

"Alea, is it okay with you if I cut some of your hair? A bit of your hair is so damaged. It will help your
hair to grow more beautiful." Cassie asked while she brushed her hair.

Aleera just nodded because she enjoyed this feeling. Cassie took scissors and cut off the hair that was
damaged. But she was of course careful not to scare Aleera.

"Would you like a french braid?" Cassie asked Aleera after she finished cutting her hair

.

Aleera remembers that her mom used to do that when she was a kid so she nodded again. Aleera
could feel Cassie braiding her hair. When Cassie was done they both helped Aleera

put on a light pink PJ’s.

Celia walks in front of Aleera and Cassie walks behind her from the bathroom to the hospital bed. They
helped her in the bed and put the white duvet back over her.

Aleera hadn't noticed that Cassie had put new food for her to eat on the table beside her bed before
she came to help in the bathroom. This time it was some sort of soup. Celia helped Aleera to eat



everything and then she told Aleera that she needed to get some rest. Aleera crawled down and she
closed her eyes. It didn't take long before she drifted off into a deep sleep.


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