Freedom Is My Redemption

Epilogue

It was dark, I felt myself slipping in and out of consciousness. My body was numb, and my breathing was shallow. I was covered in blood and dirt but I couldn't move, my ankles were tied to a chain in the wall. My mind was blank, but still tears fell from my eyes. I felt a twinging pain in my right hand and looked down to it, I swallowed as I felt the pain again.
He'd given them three days to find me. Three days. It should've been enough, they should've come then. But they didn't. The morning of the fourth day, he came barging into my cell, it was cold and damp in here, and held me down. He took my right hand bent the fingers, all of them except the pinky. I didn't understand what was happening then, but I wish I had. He'd told me it was my fault for not being good enough for them to want to save me.
You know it's true, my mind whispered to me. It was stuck on loop in my mind, that one simple thought, that, and watching him
He was clever and fast, I remember watching in fear as he lifted a meat cleaver and slammed it down effectively cutting through the bone and tissue that was my finger.
That's when the screaming had started. After he was done, he left taking the finger with him. Why did I leave my power? Why didn't I take it? I had no one to blame but myself, Tsu had warned me not to leave it all with Misther but- I was scared. Not as scared as I am now, but- after he'd taken the first finger, the mental warfare began.
He didn't let me sleep, only a few minutes at a time I was becoming paranoid, he didn't let me bathe, and I ate awful food that tasted like dirt. It never filled me up I was constantly hungry and constantly tired. It was awful.
He'd come in earlier, and had taunted me- that's how he passed the time. When the door opened, I'd felt my heart drop, he came sauntering in, knife lazily in his hand with that smirk on his face. He looked at my hand and his smile grew, it was sickening.
When he took the second finger- the ring one this time- he'd laughed the entire time. "Funny isn't it?" I sighed, "what?" My vision was fuzzy and my heart was in my throat, I knew he was here for another finger. He came every other day now. "You have all these friends and family," he said with air quotes, "but yet, none of them have come to save you. I thought you were special? I mean hell, I'm here for Johnny. He was all the family I had and you assholes killed him. I was up here the minute I lost contact with him, your family? You've been gone a week and a half. A week and a half!" He said enunciating his words with a slap to my head, "and still no sign." He stalked towards me and I barely budged.
I felt tears prick my eyes, he was right. They weren't coming. Jerome wasn't going to give his best people up just for me. He smiled now, "it'd ok man, I'll be your family. I've kept you safe, haven't I? I've given you good, shelter, I'll give ya water."
I looked at him incredulously, "you've cut my fingers off!" I even raised my bloodied hand up to him, it was poorly wrapped and the bandage was dirtied. He sighed and reached out to hold it, I couldn't hold back my flinch as he did.
He smiled softly at me, "I didn't. Your friends did this," my eyes widened. "I gave them time to get you, they never came. I had to, just to get their attention." My eyes filled with tears, "they wouldn't abandon me."
When his eyes met mine, I saw pity in them. "Timothy, we both know that's not true. Let me take care of you, I've lost my family too." I felt the pain in my chest as my heart broke, tears mixed with dirt and blood as they ran down my face. I sniffled, "c-can I shower?" He chuckled, "come on man, I'll getcha the biggest, warmest shower." He slung his arm over my shoulder and slowly we walked out of my cell. Jay Jay, please come for me. Please see through and passed what I'm about to do. I haven't lost faith.
"You and me kid, you and me." I smiled and nodded, "you and me, who needs family when we've got each other?"