When The Storm Comes (When We're Older alternative ending)

the attempt

everyone say welcome back Mae!!!!

Mae

My head jerked to the side as his palm made contact with my cheek.

The stinging pain tickled my skin, I blinked a few times to rid the spots from my vision.

With my hands tied behind the chair and my feet tied to the legs I was unable to move, glued to a piece of cheap wood.

Jansen paced in front of me, flexing his hand and hissing through his teeth as if the slap hurt him more than it hurt me. I was used to it by now—whenever I spoke up in class or anywhere really, I'd always end up in this small, grey room. They couldn't do much anyways...they didn't want to hurt the baby.

I blew my hair out of my face and looked back up at the pathetic man in front of me. I sighed loud enough to catch his attention. "You done?"

He scoffed and shook his head. "You take pleasure in tormenting me, don't you?"

"Well, I guess we have that in common."

"You deserve to be punished," He walked closer to me, sweat dripping down his wrinkled forehead. I like to think I was the cause of some of his new stress lines. "After what you did..."

"You really think I'm gonna play nicely?" I shook my head in mock disappointment. "You're stupider than I thought."

I tried to play nicely...didn't last more than a month.

"Well I sure thought you'd be smarter than to try to escape..." He leaned forward, face inches from mine as he dragged his fingers along the lines of my wound. I hissed through my teeth at the sting, I anger boiling inside of me whenever he got close. "You'll never get out of here."

He removed his other fat hand from behind his back and lightly placed it on my stomach. I clenched my jaw so hard at his touch, I thought my teeth could crack. I jerked my limbs, trying to free myself from the restraints so I could hurt him as much as he's hurt me. His hand on my stomach—touching my child set a fire inside of me. I would've killed him if I was able to. More blood poured out of my arm, I resisted the light-headedness I was beginning to feel from the loss of blood, the urge to get him off of me was stronger than the urge for the throbbing to go away.

He smirked and hummed through his lips. "I wonder if it'll turn out as pretty as you."

"Take your hand off of me." I spat.

Jansen gazed up at me and obeyed, removing his hand from my baby bump and touching my hair. It had gotten long since I'd been here, reaching almost to my waist. He ran his fingers through my locks, scratching my scalp the way Newt used to. But his touch wasn't comforting.

I moved my head away, resisting the urge to bite his hand. Jansen chuckled at my uneasiness. I hated how my demeanor changed so quickly when he touched me.

"So soft..." He whispered, I could feel his hot breath on my face.

Rage festered in me like a screaming tea kettle. Building up with every second that passed with his fingers pulling my hair or every moment I felt his skin touching mine.

In moments like these, I tried to find a happy place where my mind could run away to. Even if I was physically restrained, no amount of rope could keep my brain in one place. I tried thinking of my friends, the note that Jerry read to me. Newt was still alive, he knew I was alive. I thought of him sitting on the beach he wrote about and me sitting there with him, our baby in my arms. He wasn't looking for me in my fantasies—wasn't in imminent risk of being in danger.

Jansen finished tormenting me about an hour later. He made it known that what I had done was stupid and I was glad they didn't kill me. He told me again that the only reason they had kept me alive for this long and lowered the amount of testing I received was because I was pregnant. I didn't want my child to be a part of any of the threats or torment I received, but I silently thanked it for giving me a break.