Page 16 of The Eraser

"Dad?" I scream as the pain intensifies. It feels like my body is on fire, like I'm burning and my skin is melting.

I'm lying on a cold stone table, my arms and feet bound in chains attached to it. There's no escaping.

More laughter erupts and I lift my head to see three of Dad's men standing in front of me, all watching closely. But it's the mirror that's hanging on the wall just ahead of me that has me crying out. Dad stands behind me, a pair of gloves on and a lighter in his hand.

"You deserve this," he snarls as he reaches for a bottle of lighter fluid. I cry out as he pours it over my back. Then he clicks the lighter and flames appear. It's as though I'm floating beside my body watching what happens as flames engulf my back. The heat is too much for me to bear, and I cry out once more. God, it's so very painful.

I'm once again pulled into the abyss.

When I wake again, the pain is tremendous. I ache in every limb of my body.

"Shut it," Dad snarls. "Shut the fuck up. If I hear one more cry from you, I'll keep going."

I bite my lip to stifle the scream that’s lodged in my throat. God, the pain is unbearable. The licks of the flames at my back are too much. The smell of burning flesh clings to the air, making it hard to breathe. Why is he doing this to me?

Dad's men are standing watching me, their faces pale and sweaty. Most of them have handkerchiefs pressed to their noses as they try to block out the smell. One has his gaze down on his feet.

My vision swarms once again as Dad continues behind me. I pull against the bindings, but the metal cuts at my wrists as I try to pull free.

I've no idea where the hell I am, or what the hell this place is used for. I shudder to think of what else has happened here.

“You should have listened to me, Jessica.” The nasally voice of my dad filters through the blood rushing to my head. “I warned you what would happen if you went against me.”

The flames burn brighter. There’s no way I’m going to survive this without scars. Hell, I'm not sure if I can get out of this alive.

“Listen to me, you fucking cunt!” my dad yells as his hands tangle into my hair. He tugs hard, so hard that my jaw clatters and my back bows. The pain from the burn is too much. A strangled scream escapes me, and the laughter that comes from my Dad is enough to let me know this isn't the end.

“Jessica, Jessica, Jessica," he says with disgust, “you didn't listen when I told you to stay away from Maguire.” Anger rolls off him in waves as he comes to stand in front of me. The narrowed eyes, the clenched fists, the way his body is locked up tight... it’s enough of a warning. Whatever’s going to come is going to hurt.

I brace myself.

“I fucking told you to stay away from him,” he growls. "You were seen. You were fucking seen. My men have been talking about you,” he sneers. “My men now know that you’re a whore. They’ve been speaking about you,” he repeats. “You’re a fucking embarrassment and need to be taught some rules.”

"I didn't—" I stammer. His fist hits my face before I’m able to react. My vision swarms, and I know it’s not going to take long until I pass out again.

Within seconds, Dad's gone from in front of me and the hot flames hit my back again, the putrid stench of burning flesh getting stronger. A gag rises in my throat and I swallow it back down.

He's not going to stop until he's taken off every inch of skin from my back.

I blink away the tears and close my eyes, keeping my fear from him. I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing that. He's evil. I've always known that he was different, but I never expected him to be this evil.

My mind takes me to a safe place. The whiskey-coloured eyes are filled with darkness, but not for me. They brought me safety. I only met him today and yet he's the person I think of when I think of solace.

How fucked up is that?

"You whore yourself out, Jessica, and you'll pay the price," Dad snarls. "You fucked up and you'll now live with the reminder."

Darkness once again comes for me, and this time, I beg it to take me. I want this to be over. The pain is indescribable. Today has been the worst day of my life. I thought losing Mam would have been the worst thing to happen to me, but how wrong I was.

Finally, the pain becomes too much and I sink into the abyss. My last conscious thought is that this is just the start of the torment my dad has planned for me.

ChapterSix

STEPHEN

Two and a half years later

She keepsher head down as she moves quickly through the busy streets. She's changed a lot since her ma died over two years ago. She's still beautiful, still the only person who has managed to shift something inside of me. But I've kept my distance. I've watched her from afar. Not a week has gone by when I haven't sought her out. She has no idea that I follow her.

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