𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐍 & 𝐄𝐂𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐘-𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮

TWELVE

TW: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE AND DESCRIPTIONS AHEAD

My head was pounding and I was cold. So cold. I tried to move but it felt like my arms were tied behind me. Something wasn't right.

I opened my eyes groggily and tried to raise my head, but it felt so heavy. I groaned and heard hushed laughter. I closed my eyes and tried to shake out the fogginess. I tried to lift my head again and this time I succeeded.

When I opened my eyes, I saw three blurry figures. I blinked, clearing my vision slightly and saw who was standing in front of me.
I couldn't remember their names, but it didn't matter, because I knew who they were. Jackson's friends. They smirked at me, raking their eyes up and down my body. I frowned and looked down, realizing why I had been so cold. I was completely naked.

I screamed and tugged at the rope that kept me tied to a tree. The bark scratched at my arms and back and I had no choice but to stop struggling. They laughed at me and I felt the tears coming. How the hell had I ended up here? And where was Nico?

It was darker than it had been earlier and I knew that some time had passed. "You guys are idiots if you think they're not looking for me."

One of them smirked and stepped forward, too close for comfort and I was already uncomfortable as it was. "It'll take them a while before they find us. We made sure of that." He turned to the other two and they all laughed.

I swallowed the lump that grew in my throat. "What did you guys do to Nico?"

The ringleader–or he seemed to be the ringleader as he was the only one talking–rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, we didn't hurt him that much. Just knocked him out, alright?"

"What do you guys want with me?"

The ringleader squinted his eyes. "You sent your little boyfriend after Jackson. Almost killed our friend. Did you think we were gonna let that slide?"

I felt the tears come faster, breathing hard. "I didn't send Gally after him. And if he hadn't come near me, he wouldn't be in the Med-hut right now. It was his own fault." Before I could get the last word out his face connected with my face and I cried out. Pain surged up from my cheek to my head and made it pound harder.

"You shut your mouth. If you hadn't come up this wouldn't be happening, now would it?"

"That wasn't my choice." I groaned out. He hit me again and I saw my vision double this time. They continued to taunt me and after a while I realized that whatever I said, I would continue to be hit, so I just took it wordlessly.

They laughed and made it a sport in who could hit me the hardest and I thought that I would actually die from this. I couldn't do anything but cry and scream from pain.

It seemed like the torture had gone on forever until I heard a shout from deep in the woods. I had long given up on bracing for the pain, long given up on moving, but the shout forced some clarity in my pain riddle brain. I laughed even though it hurt and grinned through bloody teeth. "They're coming for you fuckers." Fear covered their faces and I couldn't do anything but laugh. "They're coming for you."

They took off running, but even they had to know, there was nowhere they could hide. I heard another yell and screamed back, as the voice got closer I realized it was Gally.
My savior.

–Gally–
    I forced my legs to move faster as I heard Florence's screams get louder and then she started screaming my name and that was all the motivation I needed.

When Alby had come to get me from the Slammers to tell me that Florence was missing, I had imagined the worst, but I didn't ever think of the possibility of her tied to a tree in the Deadheads, bloodied, bruised, and naked.