Athena

Chapter 9

"When everything feels like the movies, yeah you'd bleed just to know you're alive"
-The goo goo dolls

I thought I knew pain. I have been physically abused before. Kicked in the ribs, slapped in the face, punched in the jaw. But nothing can compare to what I am feeling right now. This is not abuse, this is torture. And the worst part is that I don't know what I did to deserve this. There is nothing I can do to stop this, simply because I did nothing wrong in the first place.

I have been in this room for more than two hours. The only reason I know this is because I count the seconds as a distraction. Anything to take my mind off of the pain. It's a tactic I adopted back at the orphanage. It helped at first, when the only thing he did was slap me and kick me, but as the time went by and I didn't give him the reaction he wanted, he started to get irritated.

He untied me from the chair and kicked it out of the way. He turned me around while I struggled in his hold and ripped the back of my shirt. He then grabbed a whip from the table and kicked the back of my legs, causing me to fall on my knees with a loud thud.

Seeming pleased with my position he started whipping me. I had never been whipped before, not even at the orphanage. He would hit me again again while shouting profanities at me.

Silent tears where streaming down my face caused by the immense pain he was inflicting me. Numbers where a foreign consept in my mind, I couldn't count, I couldn't think of anything other than the agonizing pain. I wanted him to stop. I needed him to stop.

"What do you want from me?" I asked in a small voice, barely keeping a sob from escaping my mouth.

He stopped for a second, probably thinking about my question.

"Honestly..." He begins "You have nothing to offer me. Your brothers on the other hand have everything I want. I need to get to them somehow and you are the best option. They need to see what I'm capable of, incase they decide to deny my offer." He answers while walking to stand in front of me.

I lift my head to look at him." You think the best way to get to them is through me? I don't - " He cuts me off.

" Oh, I know so. They have been looking for you for so long. They'll do anything for you. I-" He is interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in." He commands in a strong voice.

"Sir," A man enters the room "There is someone here to see you, it's important" He announces and then leaves the room once Volkov nods at him.

He lowers his gaze towards me. "Well, looks like we'll have to continue this another time. Let's get you back to your brothers now, shall we?" He says while gripping my upper arm tightly and bringing me on my feet.

We walk the long corridor back to the room he holds the others and when we reach it, he opens the door and pushes me in harshly, causing me to fall on my knees. He then proceeds to smile sickly at my brothers and lock the door behind him as he leaves.

Once their eyes fall on me, or rather my back, I can hear them all gasp simultaneously.

I slowly get back on my feet, ignoring their presence and walk over to the farthest corner. The room is not too big but not too small either. It's larger than a usual cell, with ciment walls and a tiny window up high across the door.

I curl in a ball, trying to make myself appear smaller, while I bring my knees to my chest and hide my face in my hands. Tears stream down my face, like an endless waterfall.

I try to think of something in order to distract myself from my wounds, but the pain that shoots through my back with the slightest movement deems it impossible.

I have lost so much blood that I'm starting to feel dizzy. Everything hurts. Apart from my back, I can feel that my face is swollen and my ribs are sore from his kicks and punches.

"Athena..." I hear Matteo whisper but I don't look up. I don't know what I'm supposed to say.

"Athena is it true?" He asks in a broken voice. "Is it really you?"

I keep my face in my hands and stay silent. Instead of words, a sob escapes my lips and in that moment a can feel all the emotions that I bottled up these past years resurfacing.

I cry an cry and cry until I have no more tears left. At some point I can feel someone sitting down beside me, placing me on his lap and running his fingers through my hair while whispering reassurances and kissing my head.

I grip his shirt tightly even after I finish crying, not wanting to let go of this safe feeling that comes with his presence.

After a few moments I will myself to look up, only to come face to face with a crying Atlas. I didn't realize he was crying as well.

"I'm sorry" I whisper silently but it looks like everyone heard me since they turned their heads to look at me.

I don't even know what I'm apologizing for. I always do this, say sorry, because it just feels right.

Atlas smiles down at me, shakes his head and engulfs me in a hug, careful not to touch my wounds.

"I have missed you so much, so, so much" He breathes in my hair.

He then proceeds to cup my face and look into my eyes with so much emotion that I feel I might start sobbing again.

"I love you, Athena. So much." He says while placing a soft kiss at the crown of my head.

At this I frown. "You do?" I ask.

"What do you mean? Of course I do. We all love you. You can't imagine how hard it has been for us while you were gone" He answers confused.

The others seem to be listening in closely but the choose to not intervene.

"Then why?" I ask while wiping my eyes with the back of my hands.

"Why what?" Ares is the one that replies with his own question.

"Why did you leave me?" I whisper feeling a new wave of tears brimming in my eyes.

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I feel like my chapters are getting worse and worse. Anyway some brothers know! Vote and comment!

-A