RUN WITH ME
CHAPTER 11: THE WORST MEMORIES

...!THE WARNING!...

...CHAPTER CONTAINS VIOLENT CONTENT, PLEASE BE WISE IN READING IT....

...⁕⁕⁕...

"Arun doesn't want to!" The energetic cry echoed to every corner of the Bumantara family home and could certainly be heard by everyone there so many servants quietly peeked from behind the walls and doors.

"Arun is now starting to like to argue, yes," said Claris—ibu Arunika— in a very intimidating tone. Little eight-year-old Arunika lowered her head and tightened her embrace on the deer doll in her hand.

"Arun instead of arguing, Arun just wants to play with Aileey," Arunika's rebut still with his head bowed.

"But Arun knew that today there was a German course with Master Matteo, Arun forgot?" claris asked again which made Arunika speechless, while next to Aaron stood Matteo who said nothing. He felt he had no right to speak because he was not Bumantara and was there to earn money.

"Can the course change days? Arun promised Aileey to play today." Claris's eyebrows swooped sharply when she heard that, but she tried to hold back her emotions because there was someone else next to her, she knelt one foot to match her height with her youngest child.

"Why did Arun make a promise when he knew he couldn't keep it?" Arunika's head lowered deeply, unable to answer her mother's questions. No, not because of inability, but more to not dare because the only reason Arunika made a promise is in order to miss the German course, he said, or at least get a day off from all his learning activities.

"Then, I'll call Aileey to explain it and now Arun is taking the course first, how? Arun wants?" Arun shook his head loudly, defying his mother's offer. Claris closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"What does Arun want?"

"Play with Aileey," replied Arunika quickly.

"Mom told you Arun can't play! The course is more important than all of that! Why is Arun so hard to understand?" Like a mountain erupting, Claris was no longer able to withstand the explosion so he shouted right in front of Arunika's face. The little one froze with widened eyes and before long small circles flowed on his chubby cheeks.

Everyone there was silent. Matteo did not know where to look and the servants exhaled softly, feeling sorry for their young lady. Claris exhaled again, "again you cry, why aren't you like your two brothers?" he murmured while gently rubbing his face. He stood up and turned to look at Matteo.

"It looks like Arun is not feeling well today, so I'll call back to rearrange the schedule, are you willing?" Claris tried to give a smile as gracious as possible even though her heart was filled with anger. Matteo could only nod his head and quickly left the house, he was uncomfortable lingering there.

After the teacher's departure, Claris looked back at her son with a cold and piercing look. On the other hand Arunika tried to stop her crying because she knew the mother did not like to hear the stuffing out of her mouth, which there would only make her more scolded. But it feels very difficult and even makes the stuffing harder. And if this is the case, Arunika knows very well what will happen next.

"Arun, get into the room now! Don't come out until mom and dad allow it!" claris snapped while pointing towards the stairs that led to the second floor of the house. Not wanting to make her mother more angry, Arunika could only walk towards her room with tears that kept coming out. Arriving at the room, Arunika buried her face into the pillow and her cries hardened. It really poured all its sadness on that white pillow.

Inside his little head kept spinning his mother's screams and his heart kept saying that his mother never loved him. From birth she never felt the affection of a mother. To her, Claris was just a woman with the label 'Mother' in her head and never carried out her role as a mother for her or for her two older sisters. Her mother never read a fairy tale and kissed her affectionately before going to bed, her mother never asked how her day after school, her mother never realized what Arunika needed, even Arunika's favorite food is certainly not known. All he cared about was the material and how people looked at him.

Little Arunika fell asleep tired of crying until she did not realize the door to her room was open and showed two teenage boys with faces that were very similar to Arunika, which distinguishes only one of them has neck hair. The taller teenager turned to the right and left— making sure no one was around— while the other ran slowly closer to Arunika.

"Don't wake her, Demi." The high man persisted while closing the door slowly and walked over to his two younger siblings, Demian and Arunika.

"No way, we've done this a lot, brother," Demian replied while holding Arunika's hand slowly.

"Sister Dev, please hold her foot." Devian, the eldest son of the Bumantara family, nodded at the request and did so.

"On the count of three, we turn his body," Demian commanded in a whisper. Because the position of Arunika is still lying on her stomach with her head set on the pillow, the two brothers took the initiative to rotate her body so that the position of Arunika changed to supine. Without Arunika knowing, this was like a habit for Devian and Demian when he fell asleep after crying.

"One, two, three!" Devian and Demian immediately gently pulled Arunika's right hand and right foot so that her position changed to supine. Can they see a plain face with her red eyes, Arunika fell asleep while hugging her favorite doll. They exhaled a sigh of relief and Devian slowly enveloped his sister. After that they landed their buttocks on a small sofa located right in front of Arunika's bed, sitting facing Arunika who moved to secure her sleeping position.

The two men were silent, as if busy with their own thoughts.

"Sister, are we really no way to protect her?" Demian finally revealed what was in his head. He lowered his head and rubbed his teary eyes.

"Means we have to be the new adult to protect Arun?" tanya Demian made sure and answered a nod by Devian.

Demian clucked in annoyance, "but it's all still a long time, sis, you've only turned fourteen and I'm twelve. You need four years and I'm six years, too long, brother," he lamented.

Devian turned to look at his sister and smiled faintly, "but that means we still have plenty of time to prepare everything and when the time is right, we can instantly draw Arunika into our protection, didn't you?" Demian fell silent hearing that, then nodded weakly. Devian patted his sister's back.

"Come, we're trying our best to be the place to take shelter." Demian nodded strongly while gently rubbing his eyes, Devian chuckled at that. Then they came down from the sofa and walked up to Arunika, one by one slowly peeking at the cheek of the sister and whispering in Arunika's ear.

"Arun knows that Brother Vian always loved Arun, right?"

"Arun's not alone, there's still Brother Demi, okay?"

After saying it, they immediately left Arunika's room, did not want the servant or worse the mother saw because for Claris, Arunika was in a period of punishment and should not be found by her two brothers. This was also done as an example to Devian and Demian if they dared to act like Arunika, and of course the two men were no longer affected.

Unconsciously Arunika fell asleep until night, and may be able to continue until the next day if the door of her room was not opened violently and violently by someone. Arunika blinked her eyes, of course the sound of the door interfered with her sleep. However, it only took a second for the face to change expression, from being initially confused to full of fear. Arunika rewinds her body to stick to the head of the bed with her hand tightly grasping the blanket.

"Dad," called Arunika with a quivering voice. Yes, it was the head of the family who entered Arunika's room with a face full of anger. Arunika suspects that the mother has told her what happened this afternoon and now she must be ready to accept her father's anger.

"ARUNIKA BUMANTARA!" Arunika jumped in shock, the heavy voice as well as deep it really frightened her. Unknowingly his tears flowed back and stuffed out without Arunika allow.

"Why did you become this senakal, huh?" aaron shouted as he roughly pulled Arunika's hand down from the bed and dragged her out of the room as if Arunika was just an item. Arunika tried as much as possible to balance her father's steps, which of course could not be because one step of her father was equal to three small footsteps.

"Sick, dad!" Arunika tried to release his father's grip that was getting hardened, making his wrist throb pain. But Aaron is indifferent and continues to pull his son's hand towards his study.

The terrible event was certainly witnessed by many people, not least Devian and Demian who hid behind the door of the firstborn's room. Devian slowly closed both of his sister's eyes which had broken down profusely. Demian held her brother's hand with a trembling hand, or perhaps more precisely with a trembling body. Without Demian knowing, a pair of bright brown Devian's neutrals are not much different from him.

Arunika's small body is pushed into Aaron's den. Arunika grimaced with eyes that were still crying, her whole body was in pain now because the energy her father had put out was not playing games. But Arunika tried to re-establish her body and when the view circulated throughout the room, the mother turned out to be beside the work desk with her cold face. Arunika's cry grew louder, she really did not understand why her mother could be that cold. Though every day Arunika prayed, at least the mother could be conscious and willing to protect her from the cruel husband.

While Arunika was still staring at her mother, Aaron took off his belt and several times wrapped it in his hand. He violently swung the object on both legs of Arunika. Suddenly Arunika shouted loudly and bowed her body with her head that touched the floor, her legs bent and held. Now Arunika's body position really looks like she is prostrating in front of her father.

"Give me your foot, Arunika Bumantara," said Aaron with a cold tone and a sharp gaze. Arunika shook her head slowly.

"Don't ... Arunika promise will not argue again, promise will not repeat it again ... Arunika please, don't hit Arunika again, "please Arunika with her weak voice. Aaron's anger intensified, he again hit Arunika's back with his belt.

"Everything we give is for your own good! Why are you so hard to understand? Aren't you as smart as your two brothers? Didn't he? You idiot!" During the words, Aaron's hand continued to sweep his belt to all sides of Arunika's small body. He really exerted all his anger on each swing, while Arunika could only take those blows by continuing to mutter one word.

"Stop ... Quit ... Quit ... STOP IT!"

As if life re-entered his body, Arunika was aghast until he sat back on his wide bed. His breathing was irregular with eyes wet with tears, as well as his body filled with sweat. His body trembled with his heart racing fast. A huge feeling of fear overwhelmed him, plus his head that was buzzing in pain. Arunika pulled both her legs and hugged her, submerging her head in between her legs and body. The woman remained silent for a few minutes, hoping that her panic attack would subside quickly. But no, the attack did not stop.

Arunika raised her head and her hand touched the little nightstand next to her, then turned on the drawer there and opened it with a little roughness. Several times his movements stopped because of the dizziness that hit his head. His hand again touched the contents of the drawer and took a transparent tube-shaped object, then brought the object before his eyes. Bright Netra Arunika stared at the tube containing her anxiety reliever, then returned the tube to the drawer, she decided to calm herself down without the help of the medicine.

Arunika changed her position by releasing a hug on her leg and sticking her back to the headboard, then straightening her legs. He also took a pillow and hugged her. His eyes closed and began to regulate his breathing by inhaling and exhaling slowly. Arunika did it several times until her breathing felt more stable. Then Arunika also focused her mind by counting numbers from one to one hundred, so that she did not remember the nightmare, he said, or perhaps it is more precisely said to be a memory that Arunika seeks a deep grave.

After feeling her condition had calmed down, Arunika slowly opened her eyes and stared at the balcony of her room which was deliberately only half closed with a curtain. Arunika clearly saw that the sky was still dark so she took her phone and opened it.

"Four three." Arunika exhaled slowly.

...⁕⁕⁕ ...