Butterfly Wings

Prologue

I am embraced in complete darkness, shadows flicker onto my battered body. My life over the last few months consisted of my family being crushed, flickering from the static on the television in front of me; I have never known loss as I do at this moment. The recorded footage plays on a loop from the news report about my disappearance, to my family's pleas for my freedom, and now to my only hope, the people that have kept me fighting... giving up.

Physically and mentally broken, I am just not there anymore, my body and soul are empty. It is as though the anguish and innocence are being ripped from my wellbeing like a favorite stuffed animal being shredded in front of a child's pleading eyes. The pain from the worn-down ropes is tight around my wrist and ankles. I can feel my heart beating against my chest; my head hurts from the constant fear. The dusted floorboards' creak in the room above the darkened basement where I lay, with every step from those in the room above.

My head whips toward the steel door, as footsteps stalk near and the sound of keys being jingled run through my ears. My heart begins to throb in fear as my body becomes as stiff as the table under me. My brain empties of all thought and emotion, as sweat builds and collects on my body; the door slides open, I am blinded as the light beats on my face. In moments like these I feel almost peaceful. Then the shadow comes into view and my peaceful, hopeful heart becomes tormented with nightmares inside my chest. My broken heart constricts behind the well beaten flesh of my torso and my eyes widen. My hearing starts to focus on the sounds of my quiet wheezes before I know that the peace is to be disturbed.

"My... My... beautiful butterfly... shall we get started?" his laughter falls on deaf ears, as my mind becomes numb and frozen in time.