THE UNKNOWN

[The Condescension]

"I doubt something like this will happen again. Apollo needed his ass beat anyway don't deny it." He moved a bit to kiss her forehead. "My father and my mother were the type to beat us, not abusive but psychical punishments were the go to method of disobedience with us. I won't ever lay a hand on our daughter if you don't think beating is the right type of punishment, Dedrich was the only one who grew up with issues."

 

[diwa]

'Well yes, of course, Apollo may deserve that.' Clarissa moved closer to Adrian and snuggled at his neck. 'But he was in a hospital. And Nicolas told me you just broke his nose!' She said incredulously. 'How is he, anyways?'

 

[The Condescension]

"I'm not allowed to see him personally just because he's pissed or afraid at me." He laughed, rubbing the back of her hand softly. "I did break his nose, thats not a lie. I also did a lot more."

 

[diwa]

'Alright.' Clarissa said jadedly, 'i'll swing by later to him, if you won't go.' Even though she knew that Apollo may deserve to be beaten like that, Clarissa can't helped being so damn guilty about it. But she's somehow annoyed, pissed and a bit scared at Adrian too. She promised herself that if Adrian lay another hand at her in his anger, she'll fight back or leave him.

 

[The Condescension]

When Apollo was asked by a nurse if Clarissa or Adrian were allowed to see him, he declined. He probably was embarassed and didn't want Adrian around him anyway.


Considering Clarissa mentioned the shitty hospital food Adrian was nice and took her out to lunch, them not getting back until mid/late afternoon. The sun already setting and turned the sky almost black at this point. Pudding was at home waiting and attacked Clarissa with barks of excitment and snuggled against her legs and Adrians


"Welcome home." Adrian said, laughing reaching down petting Pudding softly. "Do you still want that hot bath you wanted when you left?"

 

[diwa]

The day in the hospital didn't last long. Adrian took her to lunch upon her complaint. Before leaving the hospital, she went to the reception area and asked if they could point where Apollo Acher was staying. They wouldn't budge, they said that the patient doesn't want a visitor. She wanted to point out that she too, is a patient, bit stopped herself, sarcasm may not help her at all. So in the end, Adrian took her home.


As Adrian opened the frony door, they were greeted by their Wookie like dog. It was dangerous since Pudding was big and came running towards Clarissa 'Hey my pudgy Pudding.' She managed to sat on the couch and let Pudding lick her face. The dog may not be pudgy anymore but its mane sure makes a lot of puff and Clarissa won't forget how pudgy he was when he was a pup. 'I miss you pudgy pudgy Pudding,' she cooed at the dog like it was a baby. Like how Adrian and Nicolas describe, Pudding was giant ass bear dog and sheds like hell.


'Yes please,' she answered Adrian when he asked about the hotbath. 'I smelled like a hospital. Its disgusting.' A grimaced was on her face.

 

[The Condescension]

The man nodded and went upstairs, coming back about ten minutes after fixing her a bubble bath. "It's all yours." He said smiling at the girl who was playing around with their dog. He said as he went upstairs again with pudding this time to wait for her to finish batheing and relaxing.

 

[diwa]

She added more hot water on the tub as she strip from her clothes. It was scalding but seconds later, the heat was bearable when it licked her skin. The buldge that was her stomach was soak in the tub. The hot water along with the aroma of the soap was indeed relaxing. She would like to stay there forever if not for her cramping back and lower extremities. Damn that.


Upon drying herself, she grab a pair of loose white shirt and boxer shorts courtesy from Adrian's wardrobe. She didn't even bother to wear a bra as she clamber in their bed. 'Thanks for the bath.' She said to Adrian as she dive under the covers of the bed.

 

[The Condescension]

Adrian nodded and moved pudding so Clarissa could be next to him instead. "You're welcome." He said as he played with her hair softly.

 

[diwa]

'Can't believed i'm saying this,' Clarissa mumbled sleepily 'but i'm dead tired.' She took Adrian's hand and placed it under her cheeks as she leaned sideways. A small smile was on her lips as she closed her eyes.

 

[The Condescension]

He smiled down at her and laid down, letting her do whatever he wanted with his hand. "Sleep then, I'm not going to hold it against you."

 

[diwa]

Clarissa just grunted as a response, to lazy to speak but wanting to make a sarcastic remark. She tried to peek but her lids were heavy as lead so Clarissa just let her mind relax and dosed off.

 

[The Condescension]

Adrian not being tired just laid there, pudding snuggling against his back. It being about two hours of him just laying there before he heard the faint sound of the front door opening.


He frowned at the sound and got up, it being a week day so he knew it wasn't Nicolas and certainly not Apollo. He went to the bedroom door, locking it. If it was just his father for some odd reason showing up he wasn't going to stress Clarissa out hoping she'd stay asleep. He flipped the bedroom light switch to the on position frowning when nothing happened, someone cutting the breaker to the house or the power by luck just went out. He stood there listening for a moment though heard nothing, he never heard the door shut either.


He went back into bed with Clarissa shaking her slightly to wake her up out of the daze. "If I leave the room, don't follow me. Stay here, I'm serious." He said in a hushed voice being more focused on listening if he was just hearing things or someone had actually entered their home. Pudding had moved so he was sitting up on the bed though wasn't growling or anything so he couldn't judge off the dog. His arms wrapped around Clarissa holding her softly his hands resting on her stomach.

 

[diwa]

She didn't knew how long she slept but she sure as hell knows that she doesn't want to wake up. When someone shook her, Clarissa wanted to punch Adrian's throat. But what he said weirded her out. 'What's wrong?' She whispered. She felt how Adrian was suddenly tensed and alert. It was all dark, she wanted to say to flipped on the damn lights but if he could, Adrian would probably done it by now.


'Adrian, what's wrong?!' She hissed again, she was getting scared. Her heart was pumping faster. The darkness adds to the anxiety she's feeling. Pudding was no help either, he just sat up and looking at the door. Clarissa held her hand on top of Adrian's.

 

[The Condescension]

"I heard the front door open, or a door at least." He said quietly pulling her body closer to his protectively. "Just be quiet, I haven't heard anything else yet so I'm going to wait. Try to stay calm please." He said, rubbing her stomach gently worried that she might stress herself out again. "Again, if I leave the room. Please stay in here with the door locked, it'll be better the both of us."

 

[diwa]

Even with him being there and his reassurance, Clarissa was still scared and nervous. 'Stay here?!' She whispered angrily. 'We should call someone!' Clarissa silently cursed herself, her phone was still drained and on the couch downstairs when she petted Pudding. 'Where's your phone?! Mine's drained. We should call the police.'

 

[The Condescension]

"Just shush." He said, ending the discussion. The silence of the house was eerie, his arms unwrapped from her as he heard foot steps coming from downstairs. Pudding started growling but stayed at the same spot, Adrian training to be a guard dog actually coming in handy for once. The dogs growling turned into loud barks and he glared at the dog forcing its muzzle shut forcing it to make the dog be quiet.


"Stay." He said to mostly Clarissa knowing she'd have a harder time listening than Pudding. Pudding remained on the bed though didn't look happy about it as Adrian stood up grabbing the knife he had used to pick the lock days earlier, it was small but considering his options it was better than nothing. He paused for a moment taking out his phone figuring it was best to call someone; when he tried to even turn on his phone it wouldn't do shit.


"Well.. I'll deal with it myself then." It was his plan to deal with it all long but in the case something happened to him by mistake no one besides Pudding would be there for Clarissa. "I'll be right back I'm serious Clarissa listen to me, I'd like to know where you are. Lock the door behind me." He said as he left the room, all the house lights were off which was weird because he knew he left some on by mistake. He left their bedroom leaving Clarissa alone with Pudding hoping she'd listen like Pudding would.

 

[diwa]

Her sarcasm and snarkiness was finally held at bay especially when Adrian told them to stay. She knew pudding was an obedient dog, so the command was mainly for her. In normal circumstances, that would lead to one bloody fight. For once her survival instincts kicked her and shut her mouth.


Her heartbeat was hundred times faster, even when combined with her unborn child. She felt like throwing up because of anxiousness. Then Adrian walked outside. As he close the door behind him, with an order of locking up, it took her some nudge from Pudding to finally lock it. She doesn't want it to be lock, in case if Adrian comes back and she needed to open it quickly. Her hands shook as she tried to lock the door as quiet as possible.


Pudding did stop barking but his growling continues. She ran towards the bedroom window but outside was just foggy and eerie looking. Clarissa ended up sitting by the bed, followed by growling Pudding. She whispered words of comfort as she brushes Pudding's mane. The words are for her mostly, convincing herself that everything was going to be fine. But even the dog didn't seemed to think that it was true.

 

[The Condescension]

Once the door was shut and locked behind him, there was his footsteps of him walking away from the door though the house fell quiet once again for several minutes that seemed to linger in the air. The lack of noise wasn't broken at first, the door having some light shine underneath it from a hall way light Adrian either turning on the power to the house again without getting caught or the power came back on.


A thud a few moments later could be heard from downstairs, Pudding clearly not enjoying it and barked loudly keeping himself close to Clarissa. It was Adrian who got the jump on whoever it was because his scream wasn't that high pitched no matter how of a girl he was.


The girls scream was met with Adrian screaming at them in german. In the time period they had known each other which was over a year now, he never screamed when they faught so clearly the girl who had came in crossed lines in him. Adrians screaming only got Pudding more riled up it visibly fidgeting and growling. What was odd was the girl could be heard talking back to him and she talked like she knew him.


Her words were scrambled and panicking like she wasn't planning on having someone actually fighting her. Adrians name came up in her pleads for him to speak in English and to let her just leave, Adrian holding the girl downstairs preventing her to leave if Clarissa left the room and went downstairs at that point she would see Adrian holding a girl who couldn't have been much older than 17 with blood running down from somewhere on her head.


Adrian being taller than her by a decent amount had the girl in a choke hold pulled close to him making the girl unable to move and got some of her blood on him, he very clearly didn't care though. The girl couldn't have been related to them, her lack of german and just didn't look the same. She was shorter, brownish colored hair that was short and seemed to be on the pudgy side.

 

[diwa]

Minutes passed seemed like forever to her. She didn't bother to walk around the room, she knew that if she did she'll only risk herself in falling because her legs felt like jelly ever since Adrian stepped outside. She could feel Pudding vibrating, his growl was like a magic fingers, it would be funny to point out but they are in wrong time. She thought that she was just hearing voices because of the darkness and the eerie quietness. She suddenly grabbed Pudding by his collar when their lamp turned back on. The humming of the electricity coming back to life didn't seemed to help her anxiousness. She could finally see yet Adrian wasn't back yet.


Suddenly she heard voices again, and this time she couldn't say that she was making it up. Pudding was barking madly at the door. His bark resonates and echoed in the room. Clarissa gave Pudding the stern glare she used when she was pissed at Adrian, who knew it also works on the dogs s Pudding placed his paw under his snout. She couldn't be more wrong, she heard voices. She could hear Adrian's voice, but she could also hear another one. . . . male or female she's not exactly sure. Clearly worried at Adrian, she needed to know what exactly was happening, so she grabbed the vase she used to bash Apollo on the back when he attacked Adrian, and unlocked the door with her steady fingers. As soon as she opened the door, Pudding followed suit. From the open door, she could hear two voices, the unidentified voice was finally belong to a female. Before she could stop their giant leonine bear like dog, it ran in the hallway and down the stairs while barking loudly.


"Adrian? . . ." The intruder probably heard the super bark of their dog so Clarissa risked calling out to him. "Adrian..." she called out again. Two things are playing out in her mind: one) the intruder subdued Adrian and its going after her next. She's dead all the same. Two) From Adrian's talk about his Navy training, he already subdued the intruder and it was somehow safer for her to go out.


Gingerly, she climb downstairs and was surprise to see Adrian. He was holding the intruder . . . the same way she remembered her classmate held Deidrich when he was about to attack her. "What the f---" She hissed. "Who the hell is that?!" Clarissa said angrily, the vase was still in her arms and Pudding was still barking like crazy as Adrian was holding a bloodied girl in front of him.

 

[The Condescension]

After the girls struggles calmed down, he let go of her and she rubbed his neck. Adrian being more than strong enough to snap it out of place and was probably extremely close to it. "Her name is Alex. Though it's been fucking a while?! What the hell, last time I seen you you were so much younger and innocent." His face scrunched up at the girl who just stared at him clearly shooken up. "Since when did you start breaking into houses?"


"I don't.. Dedrich paid me to scare you basically. He told me you shouldn't be home tonight and I just needed to cut the breaker to your house and move stuff around.. I did-" She seen the look Adrian was giving her and just shut up knowing she had already dug her grave at this rate she was lucky he didn't kill her.


"How does he know we don't live with Apollo anymore?"


"I don't know.. He just gave me this address.." She said her hands still rubbing her neck. "I-I'm sorry please don't call the c-" She screamed when Adrian threw a knife at her head, purposely missing her but just barely. It embended itself into the wall from the force that he had thrown it. He had a look of pure hate for the girl and she got the message she needed to leave, quickly leaving the home. Pudding who had stopped barking standing basically ontop of Adrians feet looking up at Clarissa and his Papa.

 

[diwa]

Alex . . . . Deidrich. Deidrich sent the girl Alex to their home just to freak them out. Deidrich knew where they live inspite of him being in prison. How did he knew and why did he want them scared was the one million dollar question. Or it wasn't a question at all, being Deidrich. . . well Deidrich.


Clarissa screamed when Adrian suddenly flung a knife at Alex. It nearly got her head, but knowing Adrian, he could just missed it on purpose. The girl scurried off as soon as the knife thudded the wall behind her. Clarissa left dumbfounded. She wanted to sit, but she can't. Adrenaline were too much in her right now.


'I think I need a drink.' She walked towards the cabinet and reach for a bottle of expensive scotch. Upon pouring it on the glass she rememebered her tiny Swooshy. 'Fuck. I can't have a drink.' She took the glass with her shaky finger and slide it on the kitchen counter.


Leaning on the counter, Clarissa's hands were covering her face. Clearly shaken at with happened. 'Explain.' She said quietly, hiding her face at him. Her expression was calm yet she wanted to scream out loud.

 

[The Condescension]

Adrian frowned and went over to Clarissa after shutting the front door. "I have no idea, I haven't heard anything about Dedrich in months." He paused for a moment before getting some raw meat out of the fridge tossing the dog a decent size chunk of it as praise basically.


Adrian stood next to Clarissa him pulling her close he was still on edge but didn't seem as nearly as bad as Clarissa. "She either moved my car or stole it, someone else might've done it though.. I know her barely she never crossed me as a criminal type. Go charge your phone and I'll get Nicolas to come pick us up. Tomorrow I'll stop by the prison but I'm not stupid; Dedrich doesn't just 'scare' people. It'd be idiotic to stay here for the night." He rubbed her stomach softly. "We're fine for now though.. You are okay, right? You're not in any pain?"

 

[diwa]

'Who the hell is this Alex?!' Clarissa tried to stay calm but failing. 'Can't belie . . . you know her barely?! You nearly killed her!' She aggresively pointed the knife on the wall. 'What the hell were you thinking?!' She was panting, her breathing was labored but she check for pain and felt none. 'And why are we not phoning the cops about that intruder?!' She asked frantically at him. Clarissa's stride towards the couch and fished out her phone and charger. It took her a while since her hand was shaking and she can't seem to find her phone inside her bag.


She poured the contents of her purse in the center table, 'my phone is missing.' She tried rummaging her things but it was really gone. 'She took my phone. Unbelievable.' Clarissa scoffed, silently wishing that maybe Adrian should've cut her, 'What's wrong with yours?!'

 

[The Condescension]

"Mine won't even turn on." He sighed watching her panic not knowing how to help her calm down. "I wasn't going to kill her Clarissa. She broke into our home, stole my car and probably took your phone, also hacking into mine too. Do you not thin- oh yeah she cut the power off to our house. Do you not think having the shit scared out of her was called for? At least I know she won't be popping by any time soon." He sat down on the couch and held her arms out to her.


"Come here and let me hold you, you need to calm down. Please I don't want you to go into labor or anything. I'll figure something out, for now we're fine I promise. Even if she comes back by some off chance you know I won't let anything happen to you."