“Marquise, hold up his hand,” Bonnie ordered.
Marquise spun V around to face away and splayed his fingers. I glanced at the swollen blue digits from being tied so tightly. My own fingers felt the same—numb and dying from lack of blood.
“Hair or his finger, Nila. That’s the deal.”
His voice sliced like a sickle through my blankness. But I didn’t move.
Daniel vibrated with anger. “Hair or finger, bitch.” He gnashed the shears together. “One or the other. You have ten seconds to decide.”
I didn’t need ten seconds.
I already knew my decision.
I wasn’t vain enough or alive enough to care.
“Hair. Take my hair.”
Daniel scowled. “Where’s your fight gone? You’re being a fucking wet fish.”
I found a magic in ignoring him.
He couldn’t torment me anymore.
None of them could.
I didn’t think about Jethro or Jasmine or home. I didn’t think at all. About anything.
Prowling behind me, he gathered my hair in his fist. “You have such beautiful hair. Last chance to change your mind, Weaver.”
My voice held no fear or objection. If my tone were a colour, it would be colourless. “Do whatever you want.”
I’d never cut my hair.
Ever.
It was a stupid reason but one I’d done for my mother. She’d loved to play with it. To plait it, thread it with flowers and ribbon—show me off as her little princess.
That was my last remaining memory of her, and Daniel had stolen that, too.
“Gonna slice every strand off your head,” Daniel promised. His touch tugged on my hair, twining it into a rope. “Ready to say goodbye?”
My heart didn’t hurry. My eyes didn’t burn.
“Don’t fucking answer me. See if I care.” Daniel’s fingers yanked harder and the rusty yawn of the scissors bled through my ears.
My eyes closed as the first snip turned me into a stranger.
Physically, I couldn’t feel pain, but spiritually, Ihowledin anguish. It hurt. It hurt sosomuch to have such a poignant piece of me stolen without fighting, without screaming, without protecting what made meme.
The second snip broke me.
It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.
The third snip destroyed me.
Stop, stop, stop...
The fourth snip completely annihilated me.
