SHIVER

Chapter 16 - Torture

Charlie's POV

I open my eyes. Emily is standing there and I groan. I can feel my warm blood trickle down my face. Emily screams. I try to move, but my body is numb. I begin to panic. I can't remember how I got here, I just know I didn't even make it into the building before I was ambushed. I remember men coming at me from all sides, then darkness.

The next thing that I remember was waking up to see Eric hovering over me, a cruel gleam in his eyes. He grabbed me by the colar on my suit and punched me in the face. I had felt my nose crack and I then tasted the blood as it began to pour from my broken nose. Eric had then dropped me and began kicking me hard in the stomach, legs, arms, groin, wherever he could in order to cause me pain. I had obviously blacked out, and now here I am with Eric and Emily.

"Ah, Emily, have you come to join the party?" Eric asks her. Emily doubles over, obviously in pain. She begins to tremble and shake before eventually vomiting on the floor. I think she just had a flashback. I long to comfort her, but all I can do is groan as I try to move my aching muscles. I don't know whether or not she can hear me groan over the cold, cruel laughter escaping from Erics lips. She kneels on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

Eric walks up to Emily, grabbing her by the hair and dragging her closer to me. He throws her onto the floor next to my head. She looks me in the eyes and mouths I'm sorry. I give her a confused look. What does she have to be sorry for?

She turns to face him, and that's when everything goes to hell.

***

Emily's POV

"I'm sorry," I mouth to Charlie. He looks confused, but he will find out soon enough. I stand, and turn to face Eric. He smirks at me and I shiver under his cold gaze. I take a deep breath before I explain the story, mostly for Charlie's benefit.

"It's a long story, but it's one that needs to be told," I say. Eric looks confused. He only knows half of it. Just before I begin to explain, Joseph comes into the vault. He is out of breath.

Joe swiftly enters after him, both of them panting. Joe has a swollen eye and a bleeding lip, so I know he has run into bother. There is shouting from the corridor's leading up to the vault. I look at Eric, anger etched upon his features. Three of his men enter, and they stop when they see what is happening.

"Boys, grab Joe and Jospeh," Eric says. His lackeys obey his commands. I gasp as they bend Joe's arms right back. He groans in pain, and I rush forward out of instinct. Before I get too far however, Eric catches me. He grabs my arms, his finger nails digging in. He then pushes me, hard, and I fall backwards. I land on my tailbone, gasping for air. I'm winded and bruised.

Eric glares at me.

"So," he says. "I believe a lot of explaining has to be done."

I glance at Charlie. He is shaking. He gives me a confused look before groaning in pain. I whimper, and nod to Eric. The menacing glare does not ease.

"Charlie, the reason he has done this to you is because he loves me," I say. The whole room is silent. Eric is glaring at me and is nodding as if to confirm. I take a deep breath before I continue.

"He wanted me, since we met. I had always refused as I didn't really like him, plus, he is the enemy as Sarah would say. We always bumped into each other, and he would always help get me what I needed to get. It's confusing because it was his father's money we were stealing, but he would always help get me it. I was fifteen at the time. When I turned sixteen, however, his father found out what he was doing and he started to harm Eric. Later on, I found out that Eric killed his father months after.

"Eric stopped helping me after he asked me out again and I refused. That was when me and Joleen were partners. Our next mission was extremely dangerous, and it was the reason for Joleen leaving. I still have nightmares about it to this day," I glare at Eric, so that he is aware that it is his fault. He smirks at me, proud of the fact, and I continue.

"We had to come here, to steal from this very vault. The power had been shut off, and it was dark and cold. There was no-one near me, and I was startled by the smallest of things. I reached a door, and I entered. I remember it vivdly and every time it makes me want to vomit.

"Eric had Joleen tied up, and another old worker was being tortured by Eric himself. There was blood everywhere, and the old worker had an arm being cut off," I shudder at the thought. Everyone is looking at me with concern in their eyes. Well, I say everyone, but Eric looked pleased by that fact.

"Sarah came to the rescue, but that worker died in hospital two hours later from blood loss. And it's all because of that monster right there!" i point to Eric and he takes a bow. His lackeys laugh, and I have the urge to harm every single one of them.

"Well boys," Eric announces. "It's been fun, but it's time for you to go!"

He takes a gun from his pocket, and I freeze in my spot.

"Well Joe, since you have loved Emily for longest, you can go first," Eric says. He saunters over to Joe and points the gun to his forehead. Joe is white and I can see him tremble. 

"Say goodbye," Eric says, and he pulls the trigger. The bang has my ears ringing, and a scream escapes my lips. Tears flow down my face and I run toward Eric, punching him in the jaw. He stumbles and I kick him in the groin. He drops to the ground groaning, and I grab the gun. I turn to the men holding Joseph back, and I point the gun at them. They throw Joseph to the ground and run. One remains. I close my eyes as I aim the gun at him and I squeeze the trigger.

I hear him hit the ground, but I can't look. I can't bear to see what damage I have done. Joseph has grabbed Charlie, pulling him up, and I run to Eric. I point the trigger at him.

"What have you done!! You bastard! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!!" I scream at him. He grins at me, and I kick him in the face. 

He rolls over and mumbles something that I only just catch.

"You can no longer say you are not like me, Emily."

The words ring in my ears. I aim the gun, but before I can pull the trigger Joseph has dragged me away.

We make it out of the mansion, but only just. I feel numb as reality sinks in. Joe is dead. I killed a man. I'm a despicable human being. All this is my fault.

We enter the car, and we drive back to see Sarah. She is waiting for us, an anxious look on her face. She grins as pull up, but then the grin fades as quickly as it arrived.

"Where's Joe?" she says, alarm platered on her face.

"He's dead," I say. Sarah begins to sob, in disbelief. We stay like this for a while, with Joseph, Charlie and I standing there as Sarah sobs her heart out.

When I eventually make it home, a single voice runs throughout my head.

You killed a man, you are no better than Eric. You should die also for what you have done.

I listen to it, not sleeping at all. I don't think I will ever sleep again.

I know for a fact it will be hard to fight off what it is telling me to do, since I already believe it myself.

***