“Better swallow fast,cupcake. Either way, you’re going to sleep.”
My body was in complete panic, convulsing as it tried to suck air into my burning lungs, unsuccessfully.
I swallowed the pill, my ears popping painfully and watched a satisfied smirk spread across his face as he saw my throat bob. He hooked two fingers into my lower teeth and pushed it down as I gulped for air, seeing if the pill was gone.
“Good girl.” My body went slack and my vision blurry from the sudden oxygen. Grayson tied my wrists together with a scratchy rope. I couldn’t fight him as he lifted my limp arms over my head and secured them to the bedpost.
Gods, why would you let this happen to me?I prayed to Lilith, to Hekate, to anyone who would listen, but no one answered.
“Let me go,” I rasped. My throat was on fire. He didn’t answer me, just backed away and sat on the windowsill, watching me, exploring me. His arms were folded over his large chest.
When his gaze brought nausea up my throat, I clamped my eyes shut. “Why are you doing this? You don’t have to do this.” The tremor in my voice almost swallowed up my words.
Grayson stood, looked at his watch and walked over to sit down on the bed next to me. He gently caressed the side of my face. “Everything will be okay in a minute.” I tried to twist my head away from his touch. The tears were running into my ears and down my neck.
“I’m begging y…” My speech was slurring. A fog lowered onto my mind. It couldn’t be the sleeping tablet. It doesn’t work that fast.
“What pill…” I felt myself slip away.
“Shhhh, sleep now,” was the last thing I heard before darkness took me.
Iwokewithapounding headache. Did Rachel and I go drinking last night? I stretched my arms out. The bed felt strange, but comfortable.
Strange… Was this my bed? No. Rachel’s bed? I tried to open my eyes, but it felt like sandpaper was wedged underneath my eyelids. The light was too bright.
“Rach?” I groaned. I tried to turn away from the light, but pain shot through my body. Gods, why did everything hurt so bad?
Realisation struck me.
No.
The bank. The van. The cabin. His voice. The memories came flooding in.
“Shhhh…” No, no.Oh gods, no!
I wanted to die. In that moment, I wanted to die. I couldn’t face it.
My fingers trembled over my aching body, to feel if anything was out of place. As if they could feel what he had done to me.
Ice crawled up my spine and I yanked the covers down, looking at myself. My long-sleeved shirts and cargo pants were gone, replaced by short, soft, green pyjamas. Nausea pulsed through my body. I tried to get up to run to the bathroom, but my legs were jelly. Instead, I crawled to the bathroomon trembling limbs, reaching the toilet just in time. Bile was all that came out. I haven’t eaten anything lately.
The nausea returned each time I caught a glimpse of the green material, making me heave over the toilet once more.
After a while I could sit back, finally having the courage to look at myself again. My bare legs and arms were covered in cuts and bruises. Some of the deeper cuts had butterfly plasters on. There was a bandage around my upper arm. How many of these happened while I slept? Maybe I shouldn’t know.
A tapping sound interrupted my morbid thoughts. A crow tapped on the window with its beak. Was it here to help me, or waiting to scavenge the meat from my carcass?
My hands clasped weakly over the rim of the basin as I pulled myself up, locking my knees and willing my shaky legs to stand. My reflection in the mirror scared me. My red hair was sticking to my grey, sweaty face. My once sparkling green eyes looked sunken, defeated. Paired with the black circles underneath, I looked incredibly sickly. Yet, it still couldn’t compare to the way I felt. There were bruises on my cheeks, and the insides of it, were cut. Probably by my own teeth when he tried to get my mouth open.
The bedroom door opened, and I whirled, grasping the basin for balance.
Grayson sauntered over to me, looking merry. He was yet again dressed in cargo pants and a black t-shirt that was a bit too tight. “Good morning, sunshine. Slept well?” He grinned at me,mockingly.
Rage and disgust filled my every fibre. How fucking dare he? He touched me… he… gods, I couldn’t think it.
When he stopped in front of me, I spat. Right in his face. His grin slid away. Grayson just stared at me, murder in his eyes. And I stared right the fuck back. The red gashes over his eye, made by me, almost had me smiling. At least I left my mark. People would take one look at that pretty face of his and know. Know that I had put up a fight. Even if I ended up like those poor humans in the picture. At least I had his skin and blood under my fingernails.
Grayson moved slow, but with an intent that made me hold my breath. When he was right up against me, his fingers closed around my neck while he bowed my body backwards over the basin; his body, solid and unyielding, pressing into me. My stomach churned again. Our noses were touching. He didn’t bother to wipe the spit from his face.
