Page 10 of Psycho Saviors

I drowned out their harsh words as I cried, hiding in the dark crevices of my mind to escape this hell.

I wasn’t sure when it stopped, but finally, with my entire body aching and bruised from my father’s beating, my eyebrow and lip split from his boot, they moved off upstairs.

I lay there in agony, wishing I’d died long ago, not wanting to live this hell any longer. I was nothing. I’d had everything taken from me. I had no one.

No. That wasn’t true.

I dragged myself from that kitchen floor, stumbling outside, my body screaming in pain as I hobbled down the street. There was a women’s clinic, I’d go there, I needed to be seen. Then, I’d find Naomi. She was the one friend I knew I could count on. It’d been too long since I’d spoken to her, having lost all my privileges since I was held in that damn house, but I knew she’d come through for me. We’d promised to be there for one another back in school. After we’d shared our traumas and bonded.

I’d go to her. She was all I had now, and I just prayed she answered my call.

5

SCARLET

“Your parents were monsters, Scarlet,” Julian muttered, pulling me from the heart-breaking memory which I relayed to him. It was the last time I’d ever seen my parents.

“Yeah,” I said with a sharp laugh. “But it is what it is.”

“Who was he?” Julian asked.

“Hmm?”

“The man who did that, did you know his name?” Julian asked, his voice oddly quiet, a stranger undertone to it.

“Ian Dutton,” I hissed. I’d never wanted to utter his name again. I wanted to burn away every memory of him and my life before this city.

“Right.” Julian didn’t say anything else, just sat in silence with me as I cried without a sound.

“So yeah, I get nightmares,” I spat as I wiped my eyes harshly before patting Kenny, who had now squished himself in the tiny spot between our legs.

“I would be concerned if you didn’t,” he said after a moment.

“Yeah.” I gave a sharp laugh, knowing that expecting any sympathy or even a hug had been too much from him.

“Go back to sleep, pyro, if you can. I’ll keep watch,” he said as he stretched his legs out. “Lay down here.”

I frowned at his lap, and he just sighed. “You need rest.”

“So do you.”

“Someone needs to keep watch.”

I swallowed, a numbness having set in after sharing my horrid tale with him. I was spent, emotionally drained and tired, and I didn’t argue as I laid down on his lap.

I closed my eyes as he started to stroke my hair in a rare show of human understanding and tenderness. I wasn’t going to say a thing and ruin it, because right now, it was something I needed. I didn’t want to feel alone here, locked up and awaiting death. It was not something I wanted to do by myself.

I flinched as a door opened somewhere out of sight around the corner, and voices reached us.

“Great,” Julian muttered. “My headache was just starting to ease.” He turned to me, his voice low. “Don’t say a word, stay out of their way.”

I stiffened as two men came into view, sneering at us as they came to a standstill before our cell. I sat up, Julian’s soft touch vanishing before they even stepped into view, and they cocked their head.

“She is a pretty little thing, isn’t she,” one man said. Mr. Compensating. Wonderful.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less. Amazing what kind of women will throw themselves before a man with money and power,” his companion stated, and I gritted my teeth.

“I think we should skin the cat though. It’d make a nice pair of shoes or gloves,” Mr. Compensating said with a scoff, and I instantly reached down to touch Kenny by my feet. I wouldn’t let him touch him, I’d die for my little furry friend.

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