Page 9 of Bound by Affliction
“Don’t,” is the last word from my lips as the darkness finally takes over. Whether she could understand me or not, I’ll never know. It’s oblivion, a dark space I find myself in where I’m not all the way conscious, but I don’t think I’m dead yeteither.
The rope rubs on my torn, tattered flesh, but the pain increases as someone is touching me. Fear rushes through me again. Opening my eyes, a fog is over them making everything fuzzy and grainy, unable to focus. I must have passed out. Everything comes running back in a flash, and I tug at the ropes, wanting to get far away from these men, some of my fight coming back, but along with that comes the hurt and pain as well. Adrenaline courses through me as my body wants to give one more fight, and my mind wants to succumb to the darkness ofdeath.
“Easy, Leah. I’ve got you.” Focusing on the voice and blinking a few times, Stone, Bristyl’s brother, stands on the side of the bed untying theknots.
Tears fall from my eyes, and I don’t know if it’s relief that he found me or if it’s mortification of how I must look. Everything is swirling in my head so fast, I wish I’d pass back out, but I really want out of here because they’ll come back. That I have no doubt. If this is my one little sliver of hope to get out of this mess, as painful as it is, I’m takingit.
A tug comes on my arm, and a whimper escapes, “Shh… let me get you out of these ropes. The ambulance is on itsway.”
I should be relieved, right? Getting away from those assholes and receiving medical attention, but all there is, is fear. Fear they will come back. Fear that they will hurtBristyl.
God, Bristyl. Did they saveher?
Stone is here, I try to clear my thoughts. The panic builds. Fear that they will hurt Stone if they find him here. There’s also confusion, kind of like my brain has been put in a blender set on high and swirled around forhours.
Painstakingly slow, he removes the ropes, but my body doesn’t want to move from this spot, the rough part of the rope leaving my wrists bloody and torn up. My arms lift a slight bit, but everything feels heavy, almost numb, like my brain knows it’s in too much pain to get through another moment. I want it all to goaway.
“Oh God.” My eyes, only small slits, slowly focus on the door and Green stands there, his face losing all of its color. The same mortification fills me, but this time it’s also the knowledge that Green will never look at me the sameagain.
We’ve kept in contact since our first meeting at the rally, even met a couple of times in person. Getting to know him without seeing him face to face was unbelievable, and I felt connected to him in a way I never had with another personbefore.
Now.
Now. I’m a mess. Inside, outside… I’m conflicted, wanting him here and not wanting him here in the same breath. When he comes to the edge of the bed, kneeling down and grabbing my hand, sobs erupt until I passout.
There is no hope for things to ever be the same between usagain.
