Two months. It has been seventy six days, five hours, and thirty one seconds since the last time I touched her. For two months I have seen her in passing when they drag us to the showers where we are doused in soap and sprayed down with a cold hose. Two months of hearing her screams. We talked all day every day until one day it just stopped. I awoke to the sound of screeching that nearly ruptured my ear drums. She begs for me, she begs to a higher power, she begs for her family, but most of all she begs for death. No matter the amount of bedding I useto cover my ears or how loud I demand for them to stop, the screaming continues. I know what they are doing to her. The longer I think about it, the more lost to the darkness I become. I am slowly growing delirious. I still try to talk to her through the wall. I fill my time with stories, poems I have recited, and plans for us when we get out of here. Today is the day. I can feel it.
Everly POV:
They won’t stop. They take what they want from my body and then leave me on the floor, just as it used to be. I know not to fight them, it's faster when I don't. I feel nothing now. Pain is the only evidence I am offered to note my mortality. Blake’s voice through the wall is like nails on a chalkboard. He cries for me sometimes, like he knows I don't have tears to spare anymore. He tells me about his childhood, different times he watched me, even missions he has been on. He offers poems that he must know by heart. All of it falls on deaf ears. What hurts the most is him fantasizing about a future for us. One that contains children, the house, our dogs. I funnel it out because one thing is for certain, I am going to die. Today is the day. I can feel it.
Blake POV:
Today's breakfastconsists of the same shit as it's always been. Some form of slop that seems hardly edible, smelling of a type of carb I can’t pinpoint and maybe old meat. I inhale it in three bites. As much as my body fights its entrance, I know I need it to stay alive. I work out the best I can to avoid muscle loss and busy myself with talking to my Little Siren whenever I can, to keep my sanity. She never replies but I know she’s listening. Just as I start my fifth repetition of pull-ups using a pipe on the ceiling, the door to my room busts open. I drop from my perch coming face to face with someof Xavier's men. It takes everything I have to not kill them on the spot. These are the same men who have laid hands, and god knows what else, on my Everly. Their time will come very soon, offering me the smallest shred of restraint.
I cower slightly, pretending to be fearful. They need to believe they have broken me, little do they know there is a beast within rattling its cage bars like a rabid animal. Their torture is mundane at best, having faced worse by the hands of my own father. They approach me slowly and drag me by my arms out of the room. Walking down a hall, I’m thrown into the same room that I was placed in on the first day. I’m told to sit and “don't do any stupid shit.” Obliging, I plop myself down on the cold metal chair and lean back. Within minutes, Xavier enters looking as much of a pussy as he did yesterday. Not even the good kind of pussy either. Just the thought of Everly and her beautiful body causes my insides to stir. How I’ve missed the sounds of my Little Siren’s moans.Soon, I remind myself. Xavier busies himself with adjusting tools on a cart across the room. Oh good, more torture. I eye him suspiciously, watching as he absentmindedly adjusts tools.
The door creaks open loudly as my eyes click to its entering party. James enters first, looking tired. Ryon enters after, looking like the happiest person on earth. Lastly, Lucas completes the line up. His face looks haunted and he's lost weight. All but Lucas acknowledge my presence. Truth is, I hold no animosity towards him. What he’s gone through is unimaginable. He’s just trying to survive like the rest of us. Anyone else would be dead after facing the cruelest types of torture, but not him. He still doesn’t look at me even as he stands directly across from me. I’m sure he's both mortified and feels loads of guilt. Breaking the ice, I lean forward so I am in a better ear shot.
”Lucas, I don't blame you for surviving.” His eyes flash to mine and there is something deep within them that I can’t figure out. Nevertheless, I hold eye contact in an effort to convey my support and honesty. He offers a quick nod before turning his face away. With that, I take the pressure off by leaning back and look at the others. Each offering different expressions.
Just as I am about to speak again, the door opens for a fourth time and enters someone my soul longs for. Everly’s small shaking form comes forward. Her body is filthy, covered in new and old bruises. The fabric covering her skin is dilapidated and stained. I nearly vomit at the sight of her present state. Her hair is matted around her face as her eyes dash in different directions, never looking above the floor. I vibrate in my chair, using all my energy to stop from running to her. I must continue to look broken, even as my heart slowly does watching my once radiant love creep through the room as a shell of a being. She stops once she finds a back corner and cowers into a ball. Just then, I notice a cart holding an old television on its weak legs. Odd, I think to myself. Xavier clapping his hands draws my attention away. Just as he does, Everly and Lucas jump at the sound. James winces while Ryon sways back and forth staring at the ceiling.
“Now that the gang’s all here, we can get started. Today is the day my friends. Everly has begged for her death and we plan to give it, but first she must atone for her sins.” I raise an eyebrow at him while he collects a remote from his pocket, pressing the power button.
I turn my sight to the television while flicking my gaze rapidly between it and Everly, searching for the meaning of his words within her. She continues to shakewhile not looking up. Turning my full attention to the screen, a video begins to play. It shows two young girls strapped to chairs as men stand around them randomly. A familiar voice comes through the weak speaker.
“We are going to play a little game. Everly, you're the leader so this decision is yours. One of you is going into the red room. It’s your choice who the lucky girl is. You or Aria.” I look over to Everly who’s movements have reached an all time high as she rocks back and forth shaking her head. My jaw hangs slack as I continue to watch in horror.
“Please, no. I can’t. Don't make me choose.” Everly’s voice speaks, sounding younger than she does presently.
“If you don't pick, whomever goes will have it worse than ever before.” Her figure in the video thrashes against its binds as she screams out cries of panic.
“Pick! Now!” The voice yells while putting a gun at the other girl’s head.
“Aria. I pick Aria.” Everly says in a rushed tone before hanging her head in grief. The other girl stills, turning to look at my Little Siren’s younger self.
“It’s okay. It’ll be okay.” She says softly, offering Everly comfort amid the ever apparent doom portrayed on the screen.
Quickly, the girl is shuffled out of the room and the video switches to another. It’s a video of Everly in a sleeping room behaving frantically while screams and cries can be heard from somewhere beyond. It’s hard to make out but the voice coming through sounds like the other girl, Aria, crying out for Everly. She begs her for help and asks why she did this to her. My heart nearly shatters at the words. The screen switchesagain to show halls filled with smoke and dead bodies laying around. Everly is seen being marched around by men in full tactical gear as she opens each door along the way. Finally she lands on one that causes her to collapse in a fit of screams so loud the audio begins to cut in and out. The camera switches to a view of the room. Red clings to everything as blood drips and pools through the room. It looks like a body has been exploded only to see a minced meat looking corpse splayed on the bed. Hardly recognizable but it’s clear by context that it’s Aria. I freeze in shock as I look over at Everly, sitting in her corner. She no longer shakes as she stares at the screen herself. All emotions are gone on her face as she continues to watch the frozen image of her captive friend in a pool of blood.
“Everly, you are here to atone for your sins. These are your sins. Sacrificing an innocent in a selfish display, to avoid your own suffering. How will you repent?”
“Death.” Everly speaks but it barely sounds like her. The voice that comes out is hollow and void of any life. Xavier smiles at her declaration. If my heart wasn’t already broken, it would shatter in this moment.
He crosses the room in seconds and grips her hair painfully as she screams. Dragging her across the floor, he brings her close to the television and forces her face forward practically pressing it against the glass. She thrashes slightly before going limp. His gun is retrieved from his waistband as he presses it to her head.
“Oh you’re so fucking dead,” I tell him, laughing hysterically. Just as I am about to stand, Ryon speaks.
“But first, have you met Koshka?” He smiles while simultaneously pulling out a small black cat. My eyes turn to saucers as I look at him in shock. Xavier turns towards himin confusion just as Ryon yells something in Russian. The cat launches itself from his hand and hurls towards Xavier’s face. Latching on, they flail around the room as he crashes into the cart and lets go of Everly in an instant. Letting go of all internal restraints, I break free from my seat and dive onto one of the guards. I begin laughing like a crazed man as he backs away from me with his hands up to protect himself. Maybe I am crazy. Captivity and torture will do that to you. Primordial drive takes over as I grab him and plunge my teeth into his neck. Blood gushes from his carotid artery into my mouth and down the front of me. I relish in the feeling as he screams bloody murder. That is exactly what is happening though, a bloody murder. Throwing him to the ground I continue to laugh as I bash my hands into his face. Slowly, his visage becomes nothing more than a pile of flesh and crushed bones. Standing, I find Everly still cowering near the tv cart. Rushing towards her, I gently place my hand on her shoulder just as she begins to scream at the top of her lungs. Lucas jumps in between us, raising a hand to stop my movements.
“We don’t like to be touched.” He says in a shaky voice as tears cling to his eyes. His haunted image nearly stops my breathing. Whether he realizes his words were in the plural form or not, I respect them and force space between us. Looking around, James and Ryon can be seen in the hallway, continuing to bare hand fight our captures. Choosing to listen to Lucas, I go to help them.
“It’s now or never.” I say loud enough for them all to hear me. I turn around to see Lucas trying to coax Everly to stand but she erratically shakes her head no. She might hate me for this but we are running out of time. I run back towards them and give an apologetic look to Lucas.
“I’m so sorry, baby. I have no choice.” I try my best to sound strong but I know what I am about to do might just tip her over the edge she seems to already be freefalling from.
I reach out and scoop her up in a firm hold as she thrashes wildly in my arms. Her screams grow louder as she attempts to fight me but I ignore it. I need to get her out of here and to safety. I’ll deal with the consequences of my actions later. Moving through the room and out the door, I walk us through the hallways and down the maze of tunnels until we find a staircase. Climbing it two at a time, James pushes past me and grabs the handle. It doesn’t budge. He pushes me back enough and slams his foot into the door. It pops open, bouncing off the wall behind it. Light floods the area and we all wince as it burns our eyes. Moving on, we find our way outside. We stand in an open field with a small bunker entrance behind us. Xavier and the rest of his men are nowhere to be seen. Letting go of that like a fleeting thought, I look to the men behind me.
“Anyone grab a phone?” Ryon pulls one from his pocket in response to my question. Love this guy so much I could kiss him. His fingers flip up the front and rabidly punch at the keys. He plunges it back into his pocket as he looks back up to me before whistling.
“They’ll be here in thirty.” He says just as his cat comes from the doorway and jumps into his arms. Now in the light, the realization dawns on me.
“Uh, you know that’s not a house cat right?” I chuckle while still taming the wild beast in my arms. He looks at me with confusion. I’m not going to be the one to tell him he's holding a black leopard.
