Chapter 4- Screaming

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     -CONTENT WARNING: VERY GRAPHIC TOPICS, DESCRIPTIONS-  

       My eyes flutter open to my dark surroundings. My body is warm and I am sweating. I feel around me to a warm spot next to me. As my eyes begin to adjust, I notice I am layin7g in a bed. The shower is going in the next room. Finn must be in there.

       I hear the water turn off as I open the closet. I choose light wash jeans, a black t-shirt, and a pair of black socks. As I am leaving the closet, I cross paths with a very quiet Finn. He looks like he's been crying. He goes into the closet and closes the door.

       I turn on the shower and begin to rinse my body. Tears mix with the water as I look down at my stomach. Huge bruises are lining my stomach and sides. I grab the shaver from the side of the shower and inspect the blades. I take a deep breath and set it aside. Not today. Not yet. I lather shampoo in my hair and think about my situation. How can I help Finn?

       After I get dressed, I walk out into the living room. I sit on the couch and start scrolling through Netflix documentaries. It takes me 20 minutes to decide on something. I click on something called the bleeding edge and watch it. I'm intrigued by the medical field and how things tend to play out with faulty medicine.

       After getting halfway through the documentary, I hear blood curdling screams. I pause the show and peer through the blinds in the window. I see a girl, not more than 10 years old, being pulled along by her wrists. She has bruises and cuts all over her body. She looks like she hasn't eaten in weeks. Her long brown hair is matted and fraying at the ends. Her knees are dug into the dirt and she's pulled by a large man in a suit. I cover my mouth as the man whips around and puts a gun to her forehead. I try to look away, but can't bring myself not to watch. Her screams subside as her face falls. He lowers the gun and watches her stand up. She makes a run for it and the sound of a gunshot rings through the air. I close my eyes and turn around. My back slides down the wall and I cradle my knees to my chest, resting my head on top. What did I just see?

       "Hey Cori, ready for some f-" Finn stops mid sentence, seeing me on the floor, a blank stare on my face. His face falls. "Whats wrong, Cori?" He asks, worry coating his voice. A squeak escapes my voice as I look at his soft features. He nods his head then takes his place next to me against the cool wall. "Talk to me, it's okay, you can trust me." He reassures.

        Tear fall down my cheeks, again, as usual. I take a deep breath and look at the floor in front of me. "S-she c-c-couldn't have even been t-t," I stutter out. When I was her age, I had a stuttering problem. I can't even begin to imagine what lead her into this hell hole. I feel a warm hand on my knee and flinch instinctively. "Ten" I say, pain in my voice.

       He studies my face, grabbing my chin with a soft touch. "What did you see, Cori?" His eyes grow serious.

       Pulling my balls out of my back pocket, I finally speak up. "I saw a ten year old girl get shot in the head. She was fighting a man in a suit, then next thing I know she's running, then she's not anymore." I choke out, tears falling hotter and faster. Finn looks down, his face grim.

        Finn takes my hands in his and looks me in the eyes. "Cori, you are going to see a lot of that here. The men here are ruthless and disgusting. They do what they want, when they want, to who they want. These are the kind of men who don't hear the word 'no' very often. I'm sorry you had to see that, I try to shield you from what I can but that won't be everything." He wipes my cheeks with both hands, lingering there for a second.

       It dawns on me, why do I trust him? Blind faith? Stupidity? "How can I be sure I can trust you? I mean, you're in the business. You BOUGHT me, why should I put trust in you?" I ask, afraid of the answer.

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