September 2016
The unfamiliar whimpers of pain could be heard in the distance as Alfonso zipped up his pants, while I lay at his feet, my skin still throbbing from all the bruises he inflicted. I trembled as cold penetrated into every bone while his bodyguard laughed loudly, taking a step to take his place between my legs.
Somehow, when Alfonso jumped on me earlier, my mind miraculously blocked it, because his hit to my cheek was so strong it knocked me out cold. Waking up when it was over seemed like a gift from above.
How grateful I was Dominic and I shared our magical night together, that he was my first. The love and adoration I received in his arms was indescribable. Not everyone was lucky enough to find the love of their life at such a young age, but we did.
My heart panged painfully that I’d never see him again and how our relationship ended.
“I hope you’ll be happy, my love,” I whispered, right before my eyelids felt too heavy to stay open and the kingdom of imageless dreams took me.
If I weren’t so weak, I probably would have heard Alfonso’s giddy voice, which echoed loudly in the disgusting basement. “Dominic, Don, you have no idea what is going on here.”
Charlotte, North Carolina
September 2016
My eyes snapped open as a light rain fell onto my burning skin. I screamed in pain, trying to move away from it, but failed because my muscles didn’t respond. Scanning the environment around me, I whimpered when I noticed a car burning upside down with the fire spreading rapidly across the grass toward my naked body only a few feet away.
“No, no,” I whispered, my mind in a haze. Where was I? Why was I here? Where were Alfonso and his team?
However, I didn't have much time to dwell on it as orange flames reached me and touched my already bruised body. I screamed in pain as it burned my skin, rain at least somehow soothing the agony.
Did I really deserve such a violent death? Why didn’t they just kill me without any fuss after what they had done to me? This world lacked justice; what else could explain the madness my life had become?
Loud sirens in the distance were the last thing I heard before pain became too unbearable to endure anymore.
My poor Russian.
How would he survive without me?
Charlotte, North Carolina
January 2017
“Honey, please wake up.” The quiet sobs penetrated my mind like the nagging feeling when someone pokes you in the side. Unfortunately, I couldn't move away from it. My body refused to obey my commands. “I don’t know how to live without you.” The person with the voice placed soft kisses on my shoulder while breathing me in, and a shudder ran through me.
His touch wasn't welcomed.
“There is so much we haven’t done… so many dreams,” he said. His hand covered mine and squeezed hard.
Who was he? Why was he crying? Where was I?
I couldn't stand his presence, his smell, and the darkness around me called as everything in me begged me to succumb.
Away from the man and the pain that slowly slipped into every bone in my body.
And then another voice entered like the soft touch of a feather on my skin.
Krasavica.
The darkness wasn’t appealing anymore as a bright light beckoned at the end of the tunnel.
Krasavica.
I just wanted to reach the voice, to bask in the warmth of it and never let go.
Krasavica, open your eyes.
