My heart starts beating faster than normal as I struggle to breathe. I do not know what scares me more, the fact that someone else knows I exist, or the fact that this person might harm me.

"Who are you?" I croak.

"You don't need know that, gorgeous," he says in a slimy tone, his atrocious breath fills my nostrils. I hold my breath to prevent death from his bad odour, but Madam's beatings have not killed me yet, so I just might survive this. "All you need do is follow me and you happy, I happy," his tone is raspy this time, that makes him sound like there is something stuck in his throat. He starts moving forward slowly and I have no choice but to follow suit. I am already too weak and bruised, I cannot win a fight against this pot-bellied beast. I start to sob silently as I think of all the things that can happen to me in the hands of this strange man. 

 Timothy, where are you? 

As if on cue, I hear his familiar voice say from behind me: "If you wish to live another day you'll let her go right this second." The pot-bellied beast sharply turns around causing me to turn with him. A very menacing-looking Timothy is standing in front of us, his jaw is clenched and he has both his hands in fists. "Let her go," he warns, this time calmly.

"Listen up pretty boy, mind your business and I disappear with this delicious cupcake right here," he licks his lips close to my face, and then his grip tightens around my waist. I flinch.

Timothy walks towards us and smirks. "You have no idea how much I have been itching to put my fight training to use," he says and in one swift move, he punches the pot-bellied kidnapper very hard in the face. It is a shock that he does not hit me in the process. The man lets go of me and he holds his swollen face in his hands. "Close your eyes, love," Timothy warns me and I do as he asks.

I hear Timothy throw hard punches at the man, one punch seemed to bounce back, he must have punched his rotund belly.  I have never seen this side of Timothy before, but surprisingly, even with all the abuse I have suffered I am not scared of him. On the contrary, I feel safe in his anger.

 The man screams and pleads for dear life.

"Please stop," I cry. Although this pot-bellied beast just tried to kidnap me, I do not want him to get hurt by Timothy. I do not want him to get in trouble because of me. I open my eyes and I see that Timothy is adjusting his clothes. The man is on the floor and his beat-up body is slowly backing away. "I'm sorry," he blubbers like a wee child and then he stands up and limps away.

"Are you alright, love?" Timothy runs to me and holds me in his arms. I nod my head and I sink my trembling body into his heaving chest. "I'm sorry you had to witness that, but I'll kill anyone that brings you harm," he coos and strokes my hair gently. I feel so safe in his arms, like nothing bad can ever happen to me as long as he is around. I wrap my arms tighter around him.

"Thank you," I smile and then I look up at him, this is the first time I am really looking into his beautiful hazel eyes. His gaze is so powerful like fire, and I feel like a candle which he is melting  to nothingness. I trace my fingers over his handsome, perfectly chiseled face, he is perfect and I am scared that this will not last forever.

"Did he hurt you?" he asks while inspecting my face and arms. I frown because even if he did hurt me, Timothy probably will not be able to tell the difference from my normal bruises.

I shake my head and smile "I'm fine." He lets out a sigh.

"I mean it when I say I will kill for you," he says in a serious and breathy tone and presses his forehead to mine. I can feel his hot breath on my face along with the moistness from the sweat he let out from his fight. I am worried about how serious he is sounding, I do not want him to harm anyone just because of me. I especially do not want him to harm Madam.

"I'm guessing you are not up for going out anymore," he rubs my shoulders.

"Another time," I smile.

"But don't think I'm leaving you all alone, and I promise you that I'll be gone before midnight," he winks.

"Okay," I smile.

We both crawl into the basement through the window and I place the window bar back into position as soon as we are both in.

"Why don't you sleep in your room tonight?" He suggests.

"No," I say quicker and harsher than I meant to. "I mean no," I say more calmly this time. "I like sleeping here. I find it more peaceful," I smile.

He observes the space with his hands shoved in his pockets and he nods. I walk to my mattress and lie down. Timothy sits on the edge of the mattress and places my head on his legs. He strokes my hair gently and traces sweet kisses down my face. I let myself fall asleep, I trust that he will leave before it is midnight, so I know I have nothing to worry about.

-

I wake up in the morning feeling empty once I realize that Timothy is gone. Sleeping with him watching over me made me feel safe, safer than I remember feeling when I slept in Madams' arms as a child.

I hear the jiggle of Madams keys and I get up from the mattress. "Good Morning, Madam," I greet as soon as she is on the last step.

She smiles and pulls me in for a hug. "Good Morning dear," she says. She seems to be in a good mood today. "Follow me," she says. I see her walking up the steps. Did she have one too many last night? Is she asking me to follow her up the steps? I stand unsure of what to do, maybe she is just testing me.

She notices that I am not behind her so she turns around with a frown on her face, she climbs back down and takes me by the hand. I follow her walking slowly, my body hesitating, I feel heat rise up to my face. I have waited for this day for many many years, so why do I feel so uneasy? I take in a deep breath. I should be excited. As I walk up the stairs I see images from my childhood play in my head, memories attached to a time when I knew what freedom was. It must be at least ten years since I was last here, but not much has changed. The walls are still the same pastel green, I still see the pencil drawing I left there days before I was thrown into the basement. It leaves me a bitter-sweet feeling.

I place my hands on the wall and I feel its familiar roughness on my palms. I smile. And a tear escapes my eyes. We soon get into the living room and then fear washes through me when I see a man sitting on the teal-coloured, flowery couch. I recognize the man as the pot-bellied beast from yesterday. I instinctively take a step back and widen my eyes. He turns around and bares all his yellow teeth, the sight of them makes me squeeze my face. "I don't give up easily cupcake," he says through his brutally bruised mouth.

Madam turns around and smiles a smile I translate to mean that 'I am in trouble'. Sweat starts tricking down my face. "This man here says he sees you outside often and that he really likes you," Madam clenches her jaw and puts on a fake smile. "Why don't you keep him company while I bake some cookies?" she grins. I stand with shaky legs as I watch the man along with his jiggling belly, walk towards me. I gulp.

Madam comes out holding a pillow, she still has the evil grin on her face. She walks behind the man and taps him on his shoulders. "It was nice meeting you," she says and then I hear a bang. I watch as the man falls to the carpet, I see blood. There is a pool of blood forming around him. My eyes widen, Madam is breathing heavily as she towers over the man's body and watches with gleaming eyes as life is being sucked out of him.  Although someone has just been shot right in front of me, all I can think of is Timothy, I cannot let Madam find out about him. Just yesterday I wanted to protect Madam from Timothy, today, I realize that the more dangerous one is Madam.

Madam destroys, Timothy protects. They are the same, but different.