He groans.
“Fucking tease,” he mumbles.
All the way down the corridor towards the door to the basement where the “holding pen” is, a heaviness hangs in the air. It’s like death, so intense and thick that you could almost bite into it.
I think a month ago I would've run from here to get as far away as possible, but now, I welcome it. I want to bathe in it. Dima grabs my hand, saying nothing, just gives a knowing look, and walks me down the steps towards a large black metal door. It looks like something I would expect in a high-security prison; obviously no expense spared here. He opens the door, and we walk through together.
Wow. It’s fucking huge, I don't know why I pictured a small room, but this looks more like an executioner's playroom mixed with a surgeon's wet dreams. It's so white in here, it's almost blinding. All of the walls and surfaces are white and shiny, the floor is the only contradiction, which is a high-shine black with a few drains strategically placed for what I assume is for clean-up.
Just how much blood has been spilled down here?
The far back wall is covered in every kind of knife you could imagine, along with saws, drills, pliers, and everything you would need in a workman's toolbox. At the other end of the room is a long metal bed, similar to what you'd find in a morgue, but this one has leather restraints at the sides for holding someone down. Next to it is what looks like an industrial medical fridge and freezer. Fuck knows what’s in there. It's nothing at all like I expected and everything I expected at the same time.
After I've taken in my surroundings, my eyes land on the muffled sounds of three people who are in the middle of the room, each tied to their own metal chairs. Zayn, Katie, and Damon. The heavy door closes and Lev, Simon and Jules enter, gathering around the three living corpses about to meet their fate. If I thought the air upstairs was intense, it's something else down here.
On top of the scent of death, I can feel the mix of excitement and fear. I understand why Lev enjoys this. It's a powerful feeling being the judge, jury, and executioner. I look at Katie and try to feel any emotion that isn't anger or hate, I can't remember anything good about what we had. The mask has been lifted and all I am left with is the evil and betrayal that makes her who she is.
Lev walks over to the back wall, taking in the selection of weapons like he is shopping at the grocery store. He picks up what looks like a hunting knife that Rambo would be proud of and walks towards Zayn who has been very quiet and stoic. His leg is still bleeding from the gunshot but from how still he is, you wouldn't know he’d been hurt.He stands in front of Zayn, making a show of looking at the knife.
“Now, where should I begin, traitor?” Lev says.
Zayn looks ahead with a blank expression, but he isn't as unaffected as he makes out, the rapid rise and fall of his chest and the slight glisten of sweat on his forehead give him away. My heart rate is picking up too, but it is from a buzz of foreign anticipation.
I can't wait to see what he will do.
Katie is crying and wriggling around, always has to be the irritating bitch. Zayn pulls off the fabric covering Zayn’s mouth.
“Any suggestions?” he asks Zayn.
“Do your worst. All of you are fucking pussies, all talk and no action.”
As soon as that last word is out of his good-for-nothing mouth, Lev grabs his ear and proceeds to cut it off with crude force. The knife cuts through it like it’s butter. The scream that echoes down here makes it sound like it is coming from another world. Everyone watches with zero reaction. Lev grins like a freaky as fuck demon, flapping the severed ear in front of Zayn’s face, taunting him, while Katie’s muffled screams sound from the gag with snot running down and over her mouth. Damon is quiet, but from the widening of his eyes, I think reality is setting it. I look at Dima who is now staring at me, and I can't help but smile.
“My turn,” I say.
As the screaming from Zayn continues, which I get because that must've hurt like hell, I peruse the weapons. I was thinking of using a knife, and remember I do have one in my boot, but that's not what I'm feeling. My eyes land on what it is I'm looking for, a blow torch. I pick it up and make my way over to Katie. I can feel Dima and Lev behind me, Simon and Jules are standing off to the side.
I kneel down in front of Katie. She is shaking so hard. This is the most honest I have ever seen her. Pretty sad actually. I remove her tacky heeled boots and the socks underneath that have holes in them, classy as ever. Wait a minute, these are my old socks. For fuck’s sake, is there anything of mine this bitch didn’t steal?
She tries to kick out at me as I remove the rope from her legs. That’s when Lev decides to bend down and hold her legs for me. I lean up and remove the cloth that's gagging her, I want to hear all her screams.
“Get the fuck off of me, Seb, you fucking psycho!” she screams, her body completely hysterical.
“I’m not a psycho, Katie. I’d say I’m better described as the consequence of all your bad actions. Anyway, I thought you wanted Lev’s attention?” I look up at Lev who is grinning like the scary fucker he is.
“Don't wanna suck my cock anymore, sweetheart”? he asks.
She hisses at him. “I wouldn't touch you if you were the last man on Earth, fucker,” she says, spit flying out of her mouth. It doesn’t escape my notice that she hasn’t begged for her life or apologized. Huh, and she thinks I'm the psycho.
I get the blow torch and rotate the nozzle until a long blue flame appears.
“What are you doing?” Katie whispers.
I let out a sigh. “I've no idea. I’ve never done this before. You see, I was a sane average guy before you fucked with my head. This is what’s left because of your games.” I shrug. “So let's find out together.”
I aim the flame at the in-step of her foot and she screams, and I mean screams her very soul out. Her body shakes so hard the chair rattles. I continue to move the flame up and down her foot, creating the perfect line of melted skin.It's fascinating to watch the skin burn and melt off her foot.It reminds me of the caramel on top of a creme brulee when it's being melted.
I pull away the flame and turn the nozzle off. The smell of burnt and charred skin is fucking disgusting, but I feel great like a weight has lifted. The feeling catches me off guard.
