Page 31 of Salace

The smallest kindness she could do for me would be to untie me. I don’t know how much longer I can stand it here like this. The next thing would be a sip of water.

I know that asking for anything other thanherwillmore than likely get ignored, though.

I have to try and get her to think about something else. Maybe Aimee. They live under the same roof, and I doubt that she’d want her daughter to know just how crazy she’s gotten.

Above me, I can hear the faint sound of footsteps, and I realize that I’m finally beginning to come out of the fog.

I have no idea what the hell she gave me, but I know I never want to try it again.

Inhaling a steady breath, I slowly begin to wiggle my fingers, and once I realize that I still have control of them, I do my best to bend them in an attempt to untie the restraints. If I can loosen them even slightly in the state that I am, then I’ll be able to get out of this shit one way or another.

“No, no, no, no,” I whisper urgently, when the tip of one of my fingers gets entangled in the restraint.Fuck! I can’t be like this when she comes back down.

Panic sets in as I try to wrestle my finger out of the trap I inadvertently set for myself.I’m going to have to break it, it’s the only way.

Grinding my teeth down as I brace myself, I take a deep breath, then pull down as hard as I can, swallowing the scream of anguish that attempts to spill out of me.

I don’t know how I’m going to explain this either, but at least my finger isn’t stuck anymore and it’s easier to hide for now.

Creak, thud.

I close my eyes swiftly and tell myself to find comfort in the darkness.

I can hear Julia humming as she makes her way down the stairs. She seems to be in a hell of a good mood, so I’m hoping that whatever happens next won’t take too long and won’t be painful.

As I hear the sound of glass being set down near me, I let my chin fall to my chest again, and squeeze my eyes tightly shut.

I want to go home.

And that’s when the terrifying realization hits me, that I probablyamhome now. I know that Dad won’t notice that I’m missing, and if he does, he’ll just chalk it up to me running away with Eden. Mom will agree with him because she wants so desperately for him to notice her.

Like I wanted Aimee to notice me.

I do my best to flex my finger and then swallow down the sickening feeling of having such a violently broken digit.

“So young, so ripe,” she breathes, still a few steps away.

I forgot that she was down here again already.

I’m making more mistakes within the confines of my self-imposed darkness than I am when I see the blurry figure moving in front of me.

I think about Eden, how another day with herwouldhave been better than being a prisoner in someone else’s home. I think of how—if I had just resigned myself to being her wallet on legs, her fucking doormat—that I’d be at home right now, staring at my cellphone in my hand, hoping and praying that she’d acknowledge me.

Where is my phone?

The thought is invasive and self-defeating all at the same time, because even if I knew–even if it still were within reach–it really isn’t. I’m picking myself up with thoughts and actions I won’t be able to act upon, then knocking myself down again when it continues to sink in just how helpless I am.

Unless.

“Julia?”

I smack my lips together a few times, trying to get the sensation of dry-mouth to go away.

“Yes, Kasey?”

“Tell me what you want. I’ll do my best to give you anything so long as you promise to loosen these straps. My arms are starting to really hurt and it’s getting harder to breathe.”

It’s not entirely a lie, more of another desperate realization of my helplessness, and I’d rather not die from my lungs collapsing all because this alcoholic bitch wants to get her rocks off with a teenager.

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