Petal [h.s.]

Chapter 60

TW: physical and emotional abuse

Violet.

I woke up hazily, my chapped lips and dry throat instantly notable as I slowly opened my eyes. I was disoriented for a bit, not sure where I was until I realized I was unable to move my almost numb hands. My head was pounding and I squinted my eyes in the bright lights of the space I was in.

Panic flooded over me when I felt myself immobilized, tied to a pole behind me, my hands bound with some sort of rope. I flicked my head up, breath ragged as I was instantly in some sort of survival mode, adrenaline rushing through my veins while at the same time paralyzing me in fear.

My dark strands of hair were in front of my eyes as I scanned the room. It was cold and wet here, the air fresh as I was seated on my knees on a cement flooring. I glanced around, seeing no one seemingly in the room, only light coming from a small window at the top of the wall in front of me and from bright, white lights on the ceiling.

I was in a basement, that was for sure. 

I tugged on the restraints around my wrists, but found myself immobilized as I shuffled up to a standing position, giving my knees some relief. 

I quickly remembered everything. 

Finn picking me up from work, talking about the gang and how he felt unappreciated, smashing my phone, showing me the four fingers on his hand and knocking me out with his gun. I had no idea how long I had been out, but my body felt slightly drowsy beneath all of the adrenaline I initially felt.

The bright lights in the room prevented me from seeing outside the window decently. I couldn't tell if it was day or night.

My whole body flinched in high alert when I heard shuffling behind me, but I couldn't see who or what was making the sound.

When footsteps echoed through the space, I could tell it was a person, and I turned my head as far as I could to see who.

I frowned when an unfamiliar man entered my vision, walking slow circles around me from a decent distance.

He was tall, had light brown hair in a quiff on the top of his head as he wore all black. He had boots on and a leather jacket. He looked around my age, jaw cleanly shaven and no signs of any scars or marks on his olive toned skin.

My eyes followed his every move as the man continued to slowly walk until he was in front of me, a few feet away. His head was still kept low.

He finally lifted his head and I was met with a pair of green eyes. But not the green I was familiar with, not the green that calmed me down and made me feel safe. It was the sort of green that made the hairs on my arm stand up.

"Violet." His deep voice stated my name as a fact and I nodded before realizing it, as if confirming that was indeed my name. I was holding my breath as he walked into my line of sight.

I was in fight or flight mode, even though I had absolutely no choice to fight or flight as I was tied up, my body restrained as there was nothing I could physically do.

The right side of his mouth turned up into a small smile at my nod. "We haven't had the pleasure to be introduced yet before."

I frowned. "I-You've seen me before?" My voice sounded hoarse and I hated how shaky it was.

"Of course. At meetings. It doesn't surprise me that Harry never bothered to let us meet. I'm not important enough for that."

"Name's Chase Becker." He continued.