Chapter 22 - Sara
When I feel a soft touch on my forehead, warmth grows in my chest, and I wake with a smile on my face.
“Shawn,” I whisper.
“Guess again.”
The voice is such a soft hiss, there is no way I could identify it—but I don’t need to. Even in my barely woken state, I know exactly what’s happening.
The hand that touched my forehead so softly clamps hard across my mouth and nose. I try to struggle, but I’m yanked out of bed, and an arm as strong as steel winds around my throat. With my face covered, it only takes seconds for the pressure on my throat to take me out.
When I come to, I’m being jiggled painfully against a sharp weight in my stomach. I struggle hard, my eyes flying open, and I see a swirl of trees and sky before my back slams against the ground hard enough to knock the air out of my lungs.
A shadow appears above me, and a sharp blow cracks across my face. Darkness crowds my vision, and there is a faint sense of motion beyond my consciousness, as if I’m being dragged.
The next sensation is pain. Horrible, excruciating pain ringing through my skull and lancing through my temples. Every muscle and joint throbs and aches, making me beg for the darkness to return.
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Father’s voice says, right in front of me. “Wake up now, girl. Time to make breakfast!”
His words are so shocking, I open my eyes, coming fully awake with a jolt as I try to leap to my feet. All I end up doingis hurting myself even more as I strain against the ropes that are pinning me to a tall tree.
Father starts laughing, slapping his knee.
“Got you, didn’t I, girl? You thought you were back home again! Was the time with your husband really that good that it was a dream you’d never want to wake from?”
“Shut the fuck up,” I gasp, trembling against the ropes. “I’m not afraid of you!”
“Oh?” he says, dancing forward with his fist up. I recoil so fast, I hit my head on the tree.
“You’re scared, alright,” he chuckles. “But not scared enough. It doesn’t matter. I’m not out to torture you this time. I have a purpose that goes beyond my personal enjoyment.”
“You’re a monster!” I scream at him, fighting the ropes. “Fuck you—”
Father steps forward and slaps me hard across the face. Pain lances through me, making me choke and gasp as I writhe against the rope.
All this time, I never knew how strong he really was. He’s been pulling his punches my whole life.
“Listen up,” he hisses menacingly. “I need you quiet. If you want to start screaming, I’ve got lots of ways of shutting you up, do you understand?”
I nod, desperately gasping for air.
Can’t fucking talk with my face numb, anyway.
“Aw, but, boss,” Bruce says, appearing behind Father. “I really like it when they scream.”
“Yes, yes,” Father says, waving a hand at him. “I know all about your appetites. Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to make sureyou can have your fun exactly as you want it. At the moment, though, I don’t know exactly where her husband is, and we don’t want him showing up at the wrong time, do we?”
“Shawn,” I gasp, trying to force a scream out of my throat. “What—”
“What have I done? Nothing yet,” Father says. “Aside from kidnapping you, of course, and that was long overdue.”
“You’re scum,” I mumble. “You’re evil—”
“Oh, well, look who’s got opinions, now? You used to be so quiet, so submissive. What’s that boy been teaching you?”
“Self-worth,” I growl.
Father laughs. “What a pity. A great illusion. You’re nothing, and you’re worth nothing. I thought for a brief time that I’d found a use for you, but since that idea’s gone to hell, the best thing I can do now is get rid of you.”
