Behind closed doors

Therapy

(Thriller, PTSD, Nightmares, Post-Season 1).

"This doesn't have to be so difficult..."

A cold chill echoed through the stone walls.

"...Black sheep."

Red sore eyes met with a cold and vile soul. "We don't betray family, lambkins." Coach added.

"So, I'll ask you again..." a painful zap of electricity coursed through the teenager's veins, causing a bit back cry of pain accompanied by a small whimper.

"Why did you?"

Maelstrom's cold voice echoed in her head. Why did she try to deflect from VILE? Why had she abandoned her family and endangered her friends?

"Let us in..." a merciless voice spoke.

"...Black Sheep."

As the young thief were processing these words, a painful shock of electricity ripped her apart, it tore through her from the inside out, a scream ripped itself from her throat-

"Carmen?!" A frail and scared voice called, -as the young women were snapped back into reality.

Carmen found herself sitting up in bed, her body was wet, and eyes watery... oh, she was sweating.

In looking around for Coach Brunt and Maelstrom, the Argentinian was relieved to find Shadowsan and Ivy.

They looked worried, what had happened?

...and where did the VILE faculty members go?

Studying the confused look on her face, Shadowsan approached to place a hand to her shoulder. He wasn't good with physical gestures, but Carmen grew up with them.

...it was how VILE got under her skin, how they manipulated her into trusting them.

"You had a nightmare." The soothing voice spoke, though it were laced with concern.

She took a moment to process this, looking down at her weary hands in thought. After looking up at Ivy for a moment, she was surprise to be enveloped in a hug.

When Ivy squeezed affectionately, she hardly bit back a whimper of pain.

Noticing immediately, the Bostonian women let her go in shock.

"Sorry," she gave a sheepish smile and leaned back, away from her unstable friend.

Cursing internally, Carmen then turned to her father figure, who was investigating how she was injured. This wasn't going to go well for the Argentinian, the young women has always been incapable of lying when it came to the samurai.

The man finally spoke up,"Where are you hurt?"

Carmen only brushed off the question, she assured him that Ivy had squeezed too tight. Earning herself another sheepish smile from the Boston sibling.

"Where," Carmen gulped at the question, "-Are you hurt."

Sighing to herself, the independent young women gave in. She shuffled off of the side of her bed, walked past Ivy, and made her way to the front of the room.

From there, she slowly adjusted her shirt and turned around. Almost instantly, the samurai and mechanic gasped at the injury.

Carmen's shirt was lifted up enough that her entire lower back was exposed, while her bra remained hidden.

The red pattern on the women's back looked as if she had been struck by lightning. The red marks were very branchy and horrifying to look at. There was also a number of scars and bruises from the capers that Carmen had gone on over the course of a year.

(google: scars from being struck by lightning).

"When did this," Ivy began, finally rid of her speechless state, she gestured to Carmen's back instead of completing the sentence.

Carmen cut the women off, and dropped her shirt. "After my failed attempt, at leaving VILE..." she stopped to swallow tears that threatened to spill.

Turning around and staring at the floor, she continued. "Professor Maelstrom and Coach, they... sent me to 'therapy'."

At Ivy's confused look, she clarified. "Shock, Therapy."

Shadowsan's eyes widened in fear as he continued to listen.

"The device was made by Dr Bellum, she and Maelstrom agreed that the more intense it was, the more it would work."

Tears spilled from Carmen's eyes as she collapsed in on herself, Ivy was there instantly to catch her, while Shadowsan stood by to support.

The thief allowed all of her pent up emotions out as she slowly relaxed into the strong women's grip.

"They tortured me," she cried out between sobs.

And that, was Carmen's first trauma nightmare ✨

I hope you enjoyed this fic as much as I did in making it!

Word count is 711 words.

Originally Published: 24/12/21