Anna's P.O.V

Nothing seemed to be going my way anymore. I had bills pilling up even though I was

taking on three jobs at once and just like that I ever worked for has been taken away

from me all in one day. I was making my way towaords the bad side of the city where

my old run down apartment I called ahome was located with tears runnuing down my

face at an uncontrollable way. I just had to cry to relieve myself of the pain of losing

everything.

I am so sorry I didn't introduce myself even though I doubt I am worth the recognition.

My name is Annabella Murphy, nineteen years old with one amazing boyfriend. I am

independent, well what do you expect when you lost the only people who actually cared

about your wellbeing in an accident. With no other relative to cater for me, I had to

learn to fend for myself since age sixteen. I was just in my second year of high school

when I lost my parents but I didn't let their death hold me back from finishing my

education so I took up two jobs while in high school.

I have a best friend since high school but unlike me, she has everything she could ever

wish for but still had something negative to say about it. We have our differences but that

was what brought us closer in the beginning and we are still stuck together after four

years. I realised that I was already in front of my doorstep. Once I checked my mailbox

for my mail which only consisted of bills that I couldn't pay no matter what. Looking for

an escape from reality, I went straight to bed when I entered my room and cried myself

to sleep. There was nothing else to do to get my mind off everything that was happening

to me.

••••••••••••••••●•●••••••••••••••••••●•●••••••••••••••••••••●•●••••••••••••••••••••●•●••••••••••••••●•●•

When I woke up the next morning, I looked at my reflection in the mirror and shook my

head at the image staring back at me. My forest green eyes lost the life they had and

under my eyes were heavy bags as a result of sleepless nights. I cleaned my face and

brushed my teeth then took a long cold shower to calm my nerves and the terrible

headache bothering me. I knew I had to go job hunting because I really needed the

money. I was just stepping out of my apartment when my phone rang, the phone I've

had for ten years straight.

" Hey Vera."

" Oh my God Anna, I saw your text late last night. I'm so sorry.

Are you okay? I'm a terrible friend I know. I'm really sorry Anna,

really really--" Vera was saying when I cut her off.

"Vera, it's fine. I'll be fine and you're not a terrible friend" I told her sincerely

" Don't try to make me feel better" She said brushing my reassurance away

" I'm not but I'll find another job today" I told her trying to sound convincing enough.

I didn't want to burden anyone but myself with my problems, I was resolute to get a

new job and i wasn't ready to let any one or anything stand in my way.

"Anna are you listening to me?" Vera asked snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry Vera, I zoned out for a minute what did you say?" I asked her.

"I said, have you told Nick?" She asked again

"No. I didn't even think about it" I told her

"Let's meet up tonight for dinner. We have a lot to talk about" Vera said seriously

"Sure, how about at eight?" I asked her.

"Great, see you at the donut shop across the street tonight. Love you" she said.

"Yeah you too" I said and waited for her to hang up first. Unable to afford a cab, I had to

walk uptown for my hunt. By the time I went through eight shops I lost hope. I was done, disappointed washed over me because there seemed to be no one hiring.

I wondered if it was just my luck that all this was happening.

"I can't believe this" I huffed as I walked out of yet another shop. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket so I took it out. it was a text from Nick asking to meet up for lunch.

At least it seemed like my day was getting better. by noon I was so drained that j didn't even know how I would endure lunch with Nick and also let him in on my current frustrations. I made my way to the local diner we usually met up at to meet him.

"Hey" I said once I walked over to the table he was at. He stood to greet me being the gentleman he was and I couldn't help but blush.

We sat and ordered drinks and as we waited I decided to ask what the sudden meet up was about. "So....., what did you want us to talk about Nick?" I asked.

"It's really important to me, I just want you to understand that" he started off by saying. he was leaning over to the edge of the seat now and I was starting to feel like something was going to happen.

"of course, Nick. what is it?"

"Well... about us..." he said looking directly at me. "what about us? Are we "moving too fast? too slow... wait... are you trying to pr-"

"We've been through do much together and you've stuck with me no matter what but I can't keep lying to you anymore" he said then there was silence as if waiting for the words to sink into my system.

"wait! what?!" my voice shook as I looked at him dreading what he actually meant.

"I'm sorry. I don't think we're going anywhere with this relationship. I don't feel the same anymore" he said looking over my shoulder. I stood up and asked if there was anyone else and he nodded slowly as if to date my pain. I turned and ran out of there.

I walked in the direction of the bridge on the rich side of town. it took me a couple of hours but I made it there anyway. I stood behind the bars barricading the bridge and decided to catch a glimpse of the view below.

My eyes restlessly searched the area for any sign of life that would hinder my plans at the moment but I found none. a sigh of relief left my lips as I decided to take the first step forward.

I stood in the edge as I said a silent prayer to whichever god was supposed to answer my prayers and stepped off. The sharp sting of the water never penetrated my skin as I waited an don't didn't seem like I was weightless no more. my eyes willed themselves open only to stare into another

"Am I in hell already? " I asked. my breath uneven as I tried to accept my earlier decision. The owner of the pair of eyes that shone like black marble just stared at me as if he were trying to read my soul through the windows of my eyes.

." Not yet. but that's where you would have ended up for sure" he answered and I felt my feet touch the ground but he didn't let go of me. "So I'm not dead.. you're not the devil?" I asked. I clearly jumped of the fucking bridge, how did he save me and why.

" A thank you would be appreciated very much. I just saved your life"he said.

"Why the hell would you do something like that? I don't remember asking for you help and who made you dictator of my life? Did I tell you I wanted to keep living?! why do you all want to torture me?!"

" Are your problems worth dying over?" he asked looking genuinely interested in the answer I would give him.

" I think it's justified in my case. I just hate my life as it is"

"Then give me your life"

"what?!"

"You don't want your life so give it to me" he said with a straight face looking at me as his eyes shone with ridicule.

" Are you insane. Who do you think you are?" I forced out through my gritted teeth. This man was unbelievable.

" Don't worry doll, you'll sign the contract with me. you life will be mine and if you ever try to take it again everyone you've ever cared about will pay for it"

"What are you? The devil?!" I asked him incredulously. He was wrong if he thought I would give into such a contract for sure.

" Doll the devil has his own territory" he said with a laugh.

" don't worry doll. you'll be well taken care off. all I need is your life. I'll own you so you won't have to worry about a thing."

I scoffed at him and stepped back." You're sick" I said to him as I turned away to start walking back home. "Stop!" the stranger demanded and my feet listened. it was as if an invisible force held me feet glued to the ground. I cranes my neck to watch him, now I realized he wasn't just anyone. His face came into my view with a small smile playing on the corner of his lips.

He looked absolutely amused as he watched me struggle to move. His eyes shone with satisfaction as my body trembled beneath his gaze. I had to concede but I didn't want to.

When I woke up, I found myself in a totally dark room. All the curtains in the room pulled together to keep the light I noticed as I sat up in the bed. I took off the covers and made a move to get out of bed but my body was reluctant to leave the feeling of comfort and luxury of the bed. I finally made it out of the warmth and walked to pull the curtains apart. Curiosity getting the best of me. I stood there staring at the night sky and admiring the view I had from above.

“You’re up” A voice said, pulling me out of my thoughts. I turned around to find the man that had saved me from the anger of the waves, sitting on a couch on the other end of the room, legs crossed just staring at me. I tried to recollect the events of the previous day as I watched him.

“*Give me your life. Since you don’t want it, just sell it to me. All you have to do is just be a doll. Stay at my side and I will provide anything you want whenever you want.” 

“Are you sick?” I asked incredulously. 

“I didn’t even ask you to save my life. I was ready to die”. I wanted to pull out my hair out of frustration with this stranger.

“That’s not my problem doll. I saved your life for my benefit not yours”

“Your benefit? Do you have any idea how sick you sound right now?” I was just confused by the whole conversation going on. This was not the era for slave trade why the hell would he want to but a human doll out of all the things in the world.

“You stop me from jumping off a bridge because you want a human doll? You don’t look like someone who has trouble picking up girls. I’m not even interested in your deal anyway leave me alone.” I said to him and turned to start walking away but I felt my body get heavier with every step I took then I couldn’t move anymore. My chest tightened and I couldn’t help but struggle to breath.

“I would have you one way or the other. It doesn’t matter how but if I want you, I’ll take you”

“Just leave me alone dammit” I demanded. I really didn’t want to be around this creep anymore. He just seemed like a rich man looking for a ********** the way he kept asking me to be his doll. Struggling to move my limbs but still finding it impossible I just relaxed and watched his face contort with an arrogant smile when he realized I had already stopped fighting my current predicament.

“Done fighting he asked me with the stupid smile on his face letting me know he had won this round. Let’s start again from the beginning. I want your life since you want to end it.”

“What would my life benefit you anyway? I’m dirt poor in dept and just got dumped” I stated plainly. The audacity of this man to want a human doll was just sick to me. I didn’t even understand why he would want to bother with me out of all the billions of people in the world.

“Is that why you wanted to jump off the bridge. You humans are so narrow minded. Just because of a few setbacks you try to take your life to relieve yourself of burden?” he scoffed at my reasons and I felt the anger in me surge from the pits of my stomach. I know my way wasn’t the best way to handle the situation but hearing him mock me just made me want to curse him to hell. I gritted my teeth and refused to look at him. He could mock me all he wanted, I was weak and I wasn’t going to deny it to put up a fight he would easily win.

“Let me guess the boyfriend was the last straw? Why did he dump you? Fell in love with another or just wasn’t happy being with an unaccomplished woman like yourself.?” His questions were bringing my blood to a freaking boil as I heard the mockery in his tone. I wished I could stab him over and over until he bled out on the fucking floor for the ground to soak it up.

“Who the hell do you think you are to be judging me?! Look just let me go. I don’t know whatever demonic shit you’re using to keep me here but I don’t like you, I don’t trust you and I just want you to disappear from my sight.” I said I was tired. The fight is gone. His judgment weighed me down because he was honest but worst of all I felt less of myself because I had fallen so low*.

*I stood there before him. my knees shaking as he just looked at me as if I was an exhibit. His smile never wavering as he looked at his watch ticking on the wrist of his left hand then he looked at me as if telling me that time was running out. I didn't want to be a doll for some strange man I didn't know and I didn't want to be under his control. I took a deep breath looked at him and decided my fate.

"Sorry to disappoint but I can't take the deal you're offering me". i could tell he was not happy with my answer by the way his eyes glazed over with mirth as he looked me in the eye and said" silly girl - what made you think you had a choice?" His ivy tone sent chills down my spine. The pressure on my body was reducing and my hopes went up thinking it was over but that hope came crashing down again when I felt an arm go numb and blood flow down my arm. I looked at my arm and my eyes rolled back*.