Disappearance: A broken Wing

Dead

It had been a while since I'd last seen Maely, and worry was starting to eat at me. She was the only friend I had left in this place, and if something happened to her, I didn't know what I would do. I had to find a way out of this hellhole, but my body was growing weaker every day. Still, I pushed myself to get up and start my daily chores, hoping I'd see her.

I didn't get far before Marco stepped in my path.
"Keto wants you," he said simply, his face unreadable.

I followed him without a word, my gut twisting as we climbed to the second floor. He stopped at a closed door and opened it—and my heart dropped.

Maely was inside.

She was chained to the wall, her body barely recognizable. Her face was swollen, her lips split, and her ribcage was a deep, horrifying purple. Burn marks covered her arms and neck. She looked like she had been tortured for days. I rushed to her side, tears streaming before I even realized I was crying.

"Maely!" I whispered, touching her face. She was breathing, but barely.

"Your friend here is in terrible shape," Marco said with a grin that made me want to claw his eyes out.

"Please," I begged, "she needs a doctor."

"We don't provide doctors for slaves." His tone was cold.

"Why? Why are you doing this to her?" My voice cracked.

Keto's voice came from behind me, calm but terrifying. "Because the only way to make you listen is to make you learn."

I turned to face him. "I learned, okay? I won't walk out again! I'll do whatever you want, I'll make the next guy happy—I promise!"

"I know you will," Keto said, stepping closer, "but promises don't mean anything unless they're written in blood."

Before I could react, he shoved something into my hands—a gun.

I froze, staring down at the cold, heavy weapon. "What... what are you doing?"

"You're going to do it," Keto said simply, his voice low. "You're going to kill her."

My body trembled. I tried to drop the gun, but Keto's arms wrapped around mine like a vice. He lifted my hands and aimed the weapon at Maely's face.

"Keto, no!" I screamed. "You've made your point! I won't disappoint you again—please, don't make me do this!"

"You will never learn if you don't," he said coldly. His hand rested on mine, his finger brushing the trigger.

"No! I'm begging you! I'll do anything! Just don't make me do this!" My words were coming out in broken sobs; my vision blurred with tears. My hands shook violently.

"I know it won't happen again," Keto said, his voice sickeningly calm, "because for every mistake you make, someone dies. And today, it's her."

"KETO, PLEASE!" I screamed, trying to twist away from him.

"I stopped listening," he said, and he pressed his finger over mine.

Bang.

The sound shattered me.

I screamed as Maely's body went limp, her lifeless eyes staring at me, a red hole where her future used to be. The gun slipped from my hand, clattering to the floor.

I fell to my knees, sobbing so hard my chest hurt. "No... no, no, no, no!" I cried, my hands trembling as they reached her, but it was too late.

Keto crouched down beside me, wrapping his arms around me like a mockery of comfort. His voice was a whisper of poison against my ear.

"It's tough killing a friend, isn't it? But now, I know you'll never forget this lesson. I need to know that every man who touches you from now on will leave... satisfied."

I couldn't even speak, my voice stolen by horror and grief. Keto grabbed my hair, yanking my head back so I was forced to look at him.

"Do you understand me?"

"Y... y-yes," I choked out. "Every man... will be satisfied."

"Good girl," he said, letting me go. "Before I send another man to you, you'll have a little practice round with me. But first..." He gestured to the floor, where Maely's blood pooled like spilled ink. "Clean up this mess."

He stood and walked toward the door. "Come on, men. Let's leave Kara to clean."

The door closed. I was alone with Maely.

I crawled to her side, my body shaking, my heart splitting apart inside me. "I'm so sorry," I whispered, my hands shaking over her still body. "I'm so, so sorry."

I cried until my throat was raw. He made me kill my only friend—and now I had to clean up her blood.