Page 15 of Hell Breaks Loose

“Hmm. I’d rather not.” Marco stands, wiping his hands off and turning to leave.

A sound like screeching metal rises in my ears, tearing through my brain. A scream from deep inside my soul. It’s deafening.

Crushing.

It’s coming from the looming darkness of the door at the end of the hall when Marco points for them to throw me in. Promising me madness.

I only realize right before we reach the doorway that the sound is matched by my own cries, begging, crying, pleading for them to let me stay in my cell, on my cot.

Just not the dark room.

Not there.

The world slows down as the hands holding me flip me around, untying my wrists. Marco watches from the end of the hall, impassive.

I see Grico turn back to ask a question, pointing to his face, then back at me.

Marco just nods once, shrugging.

Right before Grico’s fist connects with my head.

And everything goes blessedly quiet.

3

TELL

“Twitch, twitch, bish.”

There are so many times a day I want to slap the shit out of myself.

I don’t, because my whole body still hurts.

Which I would be a lot finer with if I weren’t on the verge of a total meltdown emotionally. That also means I’m at the limit of how much control I can maintain over my ever-itching OCD.

See, I lost my fix.

The salve to my ticks and quirks.

I know it sounds pathetic. Stupid.

And I really thought I was getting a handle on some of it myself, without her help.

But then I lost Hellena. She let Marco take her in exchange for their not beating me the last inch of the way to death. I almost wish they had.

It would be better than living with knowing that I lost her.

I failed her.

The car swerves a tiny bit as I flash back to that night again—the kicks to my ribs, Hell’s screams for them to stop. All that after tumbling down a hillside in my car. Right after the dam burst.

Thanks for that, universe.

Insults and injuries aplenty.

And I am absolutely feeling sorry for myself the whole way out of town the next day. After dragging myself out of the ditch they threw me into, I managed to get back to my old vehicle.

First stop was the only place I knew wouldn’t likely be flooded.

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