After the episode in the kitchen, Marin began to watch every gesture, every sidelong glance, every ambiguous comment her "cousin" directed at her.
The idea of running away crossed her mind often. She felt used, as if her presence in that house existed only to satisfy the interests of those around her. Now, a new and repulsive danger was creeping in.
She even considered seeking shelter in a religious temple. However, being underage would bring legal complications. She was close to turning eighteen. She only needed to endure a little longer.
On an ordinary day...
After her cousin left for her prep course and her aunt went to work, Marin woke up early, as usual, to take care of the day's chores.
But she couldn't push away the announcement she had seen the night before on the living room TV. Even with her eyes closed, the words, the images... the sea—all of it filled her thoughts.
It was a time of war, a worldwide conflict. Daily life still wore the mask of normality, but the threats crept closer with each passing day. There was already talk of nuclear war, making the future increasingly uncertain. In times of fear, solidarity among people dwindled drastically.
For those and other reasons, governments promoted an aggressive campaign for military recruitment. That particular announcement spoke specifically of the Navy. Regardless of sex, social class, or background, anyone over eighteen with the will to serve could enlist and undergo training.
The images of recruits, the ships, the blazing sun, the raging sea... all made her heart race.
It was a calling!
That was how she felt. Something greater was pushing her toward change.
Without realizing it, she smiled while clearing the breakfast table.
"Why are you so happy?"
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
At that voice, a piercing chill ran down her spine.
She turned and saw her aunt's stepson standing at the kitchen doorway.
She knew they were alone. She usually didn't worry about mornings, since the university student never woke before noon. He spent his nights locked in his room, immersed in who knows what.
Even so, Marin always took precautions at night. She avoided any encounter with him, even when he whispered near the door of her tiny room or tested the doorknob to see if it was unlocked. What did he want so late at night? She preferred not to know the answer. Since he had returned to live there, the months had been dominated by fear and tension.
During the day, her aunt's and cousin's presence shielded her. Even if neither noticed the real danger, their mere company was enough of a barrier.
The head of the household left early and sometimes returned in the mid-afternoon. Her daughter attended a prep course three times a week, usually coming back by lunchtime. That was why Marin felt relatively safe in the mornings—only at night did she push her desk against the door of her little room, using it as a barricade.
She considered telling her aunt everything, but feared being dismissed—or worse, blamed.
Yet that day, which had begun like any other, would take a different turn. He was there. And they were alone.
Why was he up so early?Was it on purpose?What was he planning?
He didn't need to say anything. Marin already knew.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
She felt the presence of a sick desire, something crawling and drenched in power.
Disgusting!
A shiver ran down her body.
The man smirked crookedly. His eyes traveled from her feet to her head.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
"Now you're quiet, with that same face as always!"
He slowly stepped closer to the table.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
"You should smile more. You look prettier that way..."
Instinctively, Marin stepped back from the table, moving slowly in the opposite direction of her "cousin."
"I'll just put the food back on the table... there's still plenty left."
Her voice was steady as she turned and walked toward the exit.
"Hey! Hold on!" He lunged forward and grabbed her arm.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
"Let me go!" Marin wrenched herself free, disgust burning in her gaze.
That enraged him.
"WHAT IS IT? Since I came back, I've only been trying to be nice to you. I even gave you chocolates! Why are you acting like this?"
He planted himself in front of the door, blocking her way.
"You talk as if we were close. We've never had a single conversation. And now, all of a sudden, you're so interested? I'm not the one acting strange..." she shot back.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
Even with her heart pounding and her muscles tense, Marin stood her ground.
She tried to pass, but he yanked her back violently.
"Getting full of yourself, aren't you?" He seized her by the waist, squeezing hard, as if he meant to crush her right there. "You should be grateful I'm being nice to you. Plenty of people would give anything for this."
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
His voice grew darker, dripping with a twisted sense of entitlement.
"Let me go!" Marin shoved him, but his grip tightened. Her body froze. The pounding of her heart roared in her ears.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
"Running from me won't help! You're always hiding in that storage closet you call a bedroom. But now you're going to listen! I'm sick of your insolence!"
She felt his hands crushing her waist, invading her space. His hot breath crept dangerously close.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
Disgust!
Her instincts screamed.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
Marin's eyes searched the room for something—anything.
The Chinese vase on the shelf!
Without hesitation, she snatched it up. The cold glass confirmed her choice.
With all the strength desperation granted her, she hurled it.
CRASH!
The vase shattered against her aggressor's head. He staggered, eyes wide, and collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
Marin backed away, her fingers trembling, still holding a jagged piece of ceramic.
He was unconscious.
But for how long?
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
Her heart pounded in her chest like a siren of urgency.
The memory of his touch, his breath, the despair... all still burned on her skin.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
She couldn't stay there.
She had to act. Now.
To be continued...