Page 17 of Ravage

Right on cue, my father makes his appearance, repeating the words over and over. My chest is tight, heart beating fast as I try to fight back more tears. It feels like I might die, torn apart from the inside out.

Everyone leaves me. I should have known better. I never should have let anyone in. Letting people in only leads to agony, betrayal, and pain.

You still have Theo…

No. He'll leave me too.

They all will.

"The test is complete," Dr. Cromwell murmurs. "I'll draw more blood."

I barely feel the sting of the needle for the third time, piercing my already bruised skin. The pain inside is far greater than everything they can do to me.

"What a remarkable difference in activity," I hear Dr. West say happily. "Have them expedite the pathology results so we can compare."

"I'll run them to the lab now."

Hands grab the straps, freeing me from the chair, but I'm limp. The guards lift me, dragging my legs along the ground as I'm taken back to the white room. At least I'm placed more gently on the ground this time. But it doesn't matter—I'm already broken.

They aren't coming. No one is.

So, this is how my story ends—a fitting epilogue to the already fucked-up series of events that led me here.

The voice in my mind telling me to fight starts to fade, replaced by defeat. It weakly mutters to not give up.

But how can I not?

I don't have anything to fight for. I'm alone—maybe I've been alone all this time.

They wouldn't leave you. They love you.

It's a desperate scream in my mind, quickly silenced by the images of Grey kissing another girl. I want to believe what my heart is telling me, but my head is at war.

Be rational. Be strong.

How? How do I be strong? I don't know what's real anymore. I don't know how long I've been down here. It feels like forever.

You have to believe in them, believe that they are coming.

I'm tired. I've tried to fight. I don't want to give up, but I'm tired.

Tired of all the pain. I'm sick of fighting a losing battle. Life is meant to be hard—but not like this.

Maybe it wasn't live footage. Maybe they were just trying to hurt you for their tests.

The last part I believe without a doubt. And in my heart, I know that little voice is probably right. Theo and Grey wouldn't do that to me—Damon either. But even with the exhausted fight left in me, the thought that Icouldbe left behind, stirs up a fear of abandonment I had fought against by being distant from people long before I came to Lilydale. It's hard to fight against all you've ever known.

It's a reminder of everything I've suffered up until this point. It's the reality of my trauma, making me realize that perhaps Dr. Smith was right all along. I needed to heal those insecurities harboring inside, keeping my mind hostage.

Take a nap. Gather your energy. It will become clearer soon.

And finally, I give in to the voice, my body drifting off into slumber as I try to escape the narrative planted by the monsters in white coats. I hold onto my own version of events, gripping the tether between me and them.

Just hold on a little longer, Avery. Don't let go.

Chapter 7

Damon

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