Page 92 of Ethereally Tainted

When I don’t say anything, he repeats. “Tell me!”

I recoil, not from fear, but from the thought of what could happen to him. I see how he’s slowly slipping away from me, succumbing to his deepest darkness and sins, slipping through my fingers like sand in an hourglass. I slowly inhale a deep breath before gently placing both hands on his cheeks. Immediately, his body relaxes, his breathing slowing down to a steady pace.

“When I look at you,” I start, tears gathering in my eyes. “When I look at you, I see this perfectly imperfect human being who is so goddamn strong. I see a man, my man, fighting and battling his inner demons daily. You are no monster; if you are, so am I. We can be monsters together as long as you stay with me.”

His tears leave streaks down his cheeks, but I quickly brush them away before his lips meet mine, and I can feel all the emotions he’s pouring into the kiss.

“I don’t deserve you,” he whispers into the silence surrounding us.

“No, I don’t deserve you.”

I move away from him, studying his face as a terrified sound escapes my lips. “What did they do to you?”

His body tenses up as my hand moves over his face. All those bruises on his face look worse than when he was taken from me. His bare chest is covered in whip marks, and new scars make me fear for his safety and well-being.

“They told me they would take me to the new program, meaning I would no longer be with you. But then I overheard them saying they would take you too, and I lost my shit. This was my punishment.”

Our tears blur together as I kiss him passionately, unable to find words to express my feelings.

Yet, before I can even realize what is happening, the vehicle quickly stops, and I hold on to Grey with fear gripping me tightly. I had forgotten that we were in an unknown vehicle, the only focus was on Grey.

“Grey, what’s going on?”

“I’m sorry,” his voice is barely above a whisper. “They found out about the two of us and how much you mean to me.”

“What?”

Sweat beads on my forehead as my heart races, and panic takes hold of my body. Placing a sweet kiss on my temple, he holds me close as if trying to convince himself that he can keep me safe.

As the van doors open with a loud squeak, I am speechless, and my breathing halts upon seeing the scene before me. We are in front of a man whose intimidating stature is accompanied by his sophisticated suit and a sinister smile spread across his lips, causing me to tremble. All I want to do is escape my skin and run away until I reach somewhere far away from here.

Emilio Ricci stands there with an evil smirk even more sinister than Frederick Grimhill’s, with an imposing structure looming in the background. I cannot make out much, but it’s enormous, with a foreboding feeling that makes my skin crawl.

“Welcome to the dollhouse.”

Chapter 34

Grey

8 days earlier

The only thing Ican think about in my drug-induced state is pain, making my head throb in an uncomfortable manner until all I want to do is hit my head into the wall repeatedly. More pain will cause me to lose consciousness. I can feel it as my vision blurs and the room spins around me. It wouldn’t be too dangerous to lose consciousness because it would relieve pain for now. The pain is all I can think about, that and the boiling anger in my veins that feels like it’s going to bubble over until I finally explode. Those two things are what I latch on to. They remind me that I am a living, breathing human, even if the monster inside threatens to take over.

That monster was born during my childhood when I lived in multiple foster homes and ran away from my parents, often out of fear that they would catch up with me. They ruined my life repeatedly.

Even as a small child, I was aware that something was wrong with me, that I was suffering from an illness that seemed to permeate my very being. Upon arriving at Dankworth, my suspicions were proven correct through multiple encounters with the doctor; instead of aiding me in my healing process, they only twisted my feelings until all I believed was wrong.

When I took the blame for my little brother’s sins, the judges said Dankworth Institute would help me heal and control my burning emotions before releasing me into society.

It was all a lie. A brutal, manipulative lie.

Now, the living monster inside my very soul is what makes me want to kill everything and everyone. Perhaps I would have found some peace if I could smash someone’s skull into the hard stone skull right now.

I knew the plan to run away with Naya wasn’t a good idea, but that weak moment where I got the faintest hope made me carry through with the plan. It hurt that my friends didn’t believe me, but I knew deep down that their friendship would be passing and never last. At a time when I needed support and companionship, they came into my life, and now that part of my life has come to an end.

How did I end up in this shitty situation?

I was taken away from Naya, and the chance of us being reunited again may have been snatched away from me forever. Instead of grieving, I only want to punch the wall, and that is what I do. Over and over until blood spurts and my knuckles bruise again. Pain is good, anger is good. Those two emotions keep me alive.

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