Thud. Thud. Thud.

One. Two. Three.

My eyes crack open, the throb in my head is blinding, and my body aches. As soon as I shift, I realize I’m naked. My gaze darts around and I know exactly where I am. The stench is so familiar. Too damn familiar.

The recognizable basement taunts me. Cold seeps from the cement walls into my bones. The cage he’s locked me in is the same one I spent so many months in. Each day he’d come down here, abuse me and leave. I had no way of defending myself.

I’m not sure how long I’ve been out, but there’s only a sliver of light coming in from the small hole in the wall that used to be my refuge. I’d look to the sky through the small space and pray for death. The cage is big enough for me, and perhaps one more person, but the height forces me to spend my time crouched in the damp. My skin prickles as the cold breeze filters in from the hole close to the ceiling and I can’t help shivering so hard my teeth chatter.

There aren’t any lights in this place, so as my eyes adjust to the dark, I notice another smaller cage only inches from where I am. “Hello?” I call out, my voice croaky and raspy. There’s no sound, no response, just my breathing.

I hear him before he enters the room, so when the rattling of the keys in the door alerts me that he’s about to open the door, I crouch down and act like I’m still asleep. I grit my teeth hoping the chattering doesn’t alert him that I’m awake and aware of him in the room.

“The little whore is still asleep,” he grunts as I hear the clang of metal. Fear skyrockets when I hear a soft whimper and then another loud bang. I don’t move. I don’t even breathe. He doesn’t stay for too long in the room because I hear his voice near the door only moments later. “You’re both going to play for me soon,” he threatens angrily then slams the door shut. Once again, the keys rattle and I’m unsure of who he was talking to, but I have a feeling I’m going to find out soon enough.

When I shift along the floor of the cage, a gasp comes from my left. I open my eyes to find a pair of eyes staring back at me. In the dimly lit area they look almost luminous, but when I kneel, crawling over to her, I notice they’re a strange green that seems to change as she moves her head, watching me.

“Who are you?” I ask, softly, knowing she’s probably scared and freaked out. I was too when I first arrived here. This time though, I realize I’m no longer afraid, I’m angry. I always thought I was the only one. I was stupid enough to think he’d learned his lesson when I left. But she’s proof that there’s nothing for this vile monster to learn.

What needs to happen is he needs to be killed. One way or another, I’ll find a way out of here and I’ll make him pay. She watches me for a moment longer before stepping closer to the bars of her cage.

“I’m Ellie.” She smiles. She’s incredibly pretty. Young. The thought hurts my heart that she’s in here when she should be out there living a normal life.

“Why are you here? How did he find you?” Her eyes brim with tears as she regards me and I’m afraid I’ve upset her more than I wanted to. She shakes her head, but watches me. “I was here a long time ago too. I escaped. We’ll get out of here. I promise.” My words feel foreign. Who am I to promise her anything. We’re in this together. If I can keep her strong, willing to fight, then we’ll get through it. Somehow.

“I…” she starts, but her voice breaks and the tears flow as she blinks. “I thought I was safe when he said he’d help me.” Fury rages through me when I realize he gave her the same sordid story he gave me. Just then, the rattle of keys renders my body rigid with fear and when the door swings open, I am face to face with my tormentor. The monster.

“Little whore.” He smirks, eyeing me ravenously.

He stalks into the room and straight for me. There’s nowhere to go. I’m trapped once more and he’s going to hurt me worse than I’ve ever been before. I know this because when I glance down he’s carrying chains. Thick metal chains that dangle and clink loudly. Echoes hit the walls and attack my ears with vengeance.

I can’t do this. Not again. I try to breathe but I can’t. It’s difficult. The suffocating attacks me viciously, gripping my throat and squeezing. Once the door to my cage is wrenched open, he reaches for me, gripping my arm painfully as he rips me from the safety of my prison.

“It’s time I taught you a lesson on why little girls never run away from me,” his tone thick with lust and filthy with sin. Nothing will stop this from happening. I’m too weak to fight, and he’s too agile and alert to make a mistake.

He pulls me toward a chair, shoving me into the seat. Then he goes to work. His hands move quickly, binding my ankles to either of the chair legs. My hands are bound behind me, which causes my breasts to jut out. My body is on display, open for him to use and abuse as he wishes.

“You know, it was so easy to find you. Imagine my luck when I found you had given yourself to Elijah Draydon, the man I was watching for some time. Mainly because I knew he was the man from the hospital who had been visiting you,” he tells me. Stalking around me, he continues. “You think it’s real love? A man like him doesn’t love, he fucks, and he’ll break you, just as I will do now.”

“You don’t know anything about—”

His hand slams into my stomach causing me to retch, the puke burns its way up my throat as it falls from my mouth. “You never were an obedient slut,” he hisses in my ear.

He then casts a glance behind him, toward the second cage. Ellie, the sweet girl is crying now. “You’ll watch this, because if you ever try to leave, this is what will happen to you.” He picks up a leather belt from the cabinet which houses torturous devices, and lifts it, bringing it down on my thighs. He rips sounds from me that are inhumane.

The leather burns, it stings. Cutting into the sensitive flesh of my inner thighs. Tears stream down my face in rivers of pain.

“You fucking little bitch, running away from me is something you’ll never do again. Do you hear me?” He grunts, it’s feral and vile. He sounds maniacal as he spits his words. Suddenly, cold liquid is splashed on my thighs. “Whore.” He utters with disgust. When I finally manage to open my eyes, I notice the red paint all over my body. It drips like rain from a rooftop.

My eyes glance over to Ellie, she’s sobbing uncontrollably and all I can hope is that Carrick is on his way. That somehow, he’s found out where I am because I’m no longer able to do anything. William stalks closer to me, he looks older than he did when I was here last. His hair is graying, and I know he’s not older than forty.

He reaches for me and I feel the prick of a needle before I see it. Electricity races through my veins at an alarming rate and when I glance at him again, I notice how my vision blurs. I can’t open my mouth, I feel lethargic and I wonder if he’s drugged me to pass out. But then he brings something warm toward me. It sends a shudder through me.

“Do you like that feeling, whore? The heroin will slowly eat away at your restraint and make you pliable,” he informs me. I open my mouth, but I’m not screaming anymore. There’s no longer fear, just acceptance. I’m going to die. At least before my end, I loved someone. I gave Elijah all I had and I spent those final days happy.

A knife is pulled from somewhere, and glints in the dim light, as I watch the tip of the blade trail a line over my chest. A crimson trickle appears in the wake of the blade as he marks me. I can’t tell from here what he’s carving into my flesh, all I can feel is this overwhelming urge to cry, to scream. But my mind is no longer mine.

The trickle of blood tickles as it drips from the flesh that’s torn. Just like me, I’m ripped apart. A toy that’s no longer good for anything. My breathing is shallow as he drains me.

“You see, little Ellie, this is what happens to whores. You’re not a whore, are you?” He sneers. My narrowed gaze is locked on him as he strolls over to the cage, unlocking it, and tugging the poor girl out. I’m afraid for her. I no longer care what he does to me. But she’s innocent. She shouldn’t be here.

He grips her breasts, tugging at the nipples, causing her to scream.

“Whore, do you hear that? She loves my touch, not like you. You’re a filthy broken toy. Elijah Draydon will never want you.” Once again, the words he pierces me with hurt worse than the wounds on my body.

He drags Ellie over to me, forcing her down on her knees. The drugs and the loss of blood, make me dizzy, but I try to focus on the girl. She gazes up at me with fear, trepidation and I wish that somehow, at least she will be saved.

“Take this,” he tells her, shoving a knife in her hand. “Make her scream.” His order is clear. He’s wanting to torture me by using an innocent child.

“Fuck you,” I spit. I’m weak, but I will fight till the end. His backhand slams into my jaw, causing me to lurch and the chair to topple. The chains dig into my flesh.

“Is that what you want?” he hisses. Gripping my hair, he pulls me and the chair up and I hear the sound that’s haunted me for so long. A belt buckle, a zipper, and then my throat is full. I heave against the crown of his filthy cock that’s shoved so deep down my throat I feel it pulse in my esophagus.

Tears blur Ellie as she whimpers on the floor, watching me get violated. Rather me than her. He continues to hurt me, to fuck my face so hard, I feel the bile rise in my stomach and up my throat. I retch violently as the burn of my vomit hits the cuts on my chest.

I close my eyes and go to another place. I go to Eli. I see him, I feel him. I allow him to bathe me in his comfort. And that’s when everything goes black.