Dire {h.s.}

9

Ava Manakova

I regain a sense of life within me, however every muscle within me is strained of energy. My eyes flutter open, trying to see if I'll awake in the afterlife or meet the dark ceiling of a cell.

However, my eyes do not meet with something, but rather with someone. No ceilings or dark rooms, but only brown eyes, his eyes wide and panicked, but relieved the second they notice my own are open.

"Thank fuck." Louis says, releasing a breath.

I focus more on where I am, and from where I stare into his eyes. I can see the sharpness of his jaw from below when he looks up, but he moves his eyes back down to me too quickly for me to focus on it.

A panic rules through me once I realize that my head is not against the floor, but only on his lap. I want to move, but my body is still numb and my brain is trying to scrape for any recollection of a memory. I can't remember much from what just happened, but the last thing I remember feeling, or rather hearing, is the struggled gasp I tried to take and the sound of my name being called out in desperation.

He leans back against the wall, relaxing himself entirely, my head remains in his lap.

"What the fuck happened?" I hear from above, I look up tiredly to meet the glare of Harry.

"She stopped breathing." Louis answers, noticing the lack of my stability.

Harry stares at me intently, looking a bit angry with me.

"Get up." He says coldly, rage circling his gray eyes, despite how dark they seem.

However my body remains frozen, and a bit fearful by his intense glare. I'm almost afraid to move away from Louis, despite how much he's hurt me, physically and emotionally. But I would never want to take any chances with Harry, that's a death wish in itself.

"She can't Harry, give her a minute." Louis says, standing up for me.

Harry's head snaps in his direction. "Why the fuck would I give her a minute? Who does she think she is?" He spits, before taking slow and dangerous steps towards us, and with a threatening look within his eyes, "she's just another victim. Worthless and used, just like every one of them back in the basement, where she belongs." He glares harder, and my heart starts to beat faster by how much fear pumps through my veins. For some reason, all I want is to hide behind Louis.

Harry squats down to my level, and to my shock, grabs me by my neck, instantly cutting off any open airways I've managed to take control of again. I gasp, finally regaining my sense of reality, as he pulls me up from Louis' lap to a sitting position on the floor. "You think you'll stay here for long?" He asks, and all I can detect in his voice is menace. He notices my silence, but it's only from the fear withering my unspoken words. He squeezes his hand harder around my neck, earning a squeak from me. "Answer me!"

I quickly shake my head, unable to speak.

"Words." He orders, slowly releasing his grip, but keeping his hand around my neck.

I choke out a short gasp before managing a single word, "N-No––"

He tilts his head, drawing my chin up and forcing my face closer to his own. "I want you to get this through your head; you mean nothing and you're being used to make cash for us. Once you're used, nobody gives a shit about you. Just because you, out of all of those girls were taken here, doesn't mean you fucking won't go back. So keep that pretty mouth of yours shut."

His words cut through me like a thousand knives, and I swear I forgot about the breath he's forced me to hold onto. Stinging like a million bees have just jabbed their stingers into me.