"𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐀 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥"

VI/Bonds Strengthened

Two weeks had passed since Amelia had been transferred to the new cell and met her new friends. During these two weeks, the raping had stopped, but the abuse had not ceased entirely. Greta still came to slap and curse her, but the men had not returned. Amelia found a small solace in this, though the daily pain was still present.

From Scott, Lyra, and Vinnie, Amelia learned that they had never been touched sexually. Even though they were just kids they knew being touched the way Amelia had explained was wrong and sick.When they learned what had happened to Amelia, they were furious.

Vinnie's eyes darkened with anger.He had always known that their captors were monsters, but what they had done to Amelia was beyond comprehension. He looked at her with a mix of sorrow and anger, his heart aching for his friend. How could they do this to her? How could they take something so innocent and beautiful and shatter it?

Scott's anger was a slow burn, simmering beneath his protective exterior. He had always been the one to look out for Lyra and Vinnie, and now, Amelia too. The knowledge that she had been subjected to such horrors made his blood boil. He clenched his fists, vowing silently to protect them all, no matter the cost.

Lyra was devastated. She couldn't fathom the depth of Amelia's suffering, but she felt an overwhelming urge to comfort her, to show her that she was still loved and accepted. Her own fear was secondary to the need to be strong for Amelia.

Amelia, meanwhile, was trapped in her own mind, scared that they would hate her now that they knew she had been touched. She thought they wouldn't want to be friends with her anymore. She sat in the corner, hugging her knees, afraid to meet their eyes.

Seeing her distress, Vinnie spoke up, his voice gentle but firm. "Amelia, we're not angry at you. We're angry at them. What they did to you... it's not your fault."

"Yeah," Lyra added, her tone equally soothing. "We're here for you, Amelia. We always will be."

Scott nodded, his expression softening. "You're one of us now. We're a team and take care of each other."

Amelia looked up, tears welling in her eyes. "But I'm... different. I've been touched. I..."

"It doesn't matter," Vinnie interrupted. "You're our friend. We'll get through this together."

Touched by their words, Amelia felt a flicker of hope. For the first time in her life, she felt like she belonged. She began to trust them, and slowly, she started to open up.

They shared their stories with her, explaining how they knew each other. Scott, Lyra, and Vinnie's parents were childhood friends, and naturally, their children became friends too. Scott, being the eldest at eight years old, was always the protector. Vinnie and Lyra, both six like Amelia, were the heart and soul of their little group.

One day, as they were sharing stories, Amelia asked, "How were you guys kidnapped?"

"We were taken from a park," Scott replied, his voice tinged with sadness.

Amelia frowned, puzzled. "What's a park?"

Lyra's eyes lit up as she explained, "A park is a place with grass, trees, and sometimes playgrounds. It's where you go to play and have fun."

Vinnie added, "We used to go there all the time. Our parents would sit and talk while we played games and ran around."

Amelia listened intently, trying to imagine such a place. A flicker of sadness crossed her face as she realized she had never experienced anything like that.

In these two weeks, they became very warm with each other, even Scott, who at first didn't trust Amelia, now trusted her completely. They started teaching her secretly, beginning with the basic things they had learned from school. Amelia turned out to be a fast learner. They also discovered that she had been kidnapped when she was a baby, and Greta, the woman who tormented her, had told her she should be thankful to be alive. But Amelia couldn't see what there was to be thankful for, living like this.

One day, as they stood in their cell, the door suddenly opened. A harsh-looking man and woman entered. The woman's eyes were cold and calculating, her mouth set in a permanent sneer. The man was equally intimidating, his face hard and unyielding.

"Stand up," the woman ordered. The four of them did, bowing their heads.

"Listen, from now on, things change," the woman said, her voice like ice. "You will be trained to kill. You will become monsters. If you don't succeed, you will be tortured to death and fed to the wolves. One single mistake, and you will be punished."

The man stepped forward, his gaze piercing. "You will be sent to another location, a fortress. You cannot escape. You will be divided into groups. This is your group. There, you will learn to fight under our watch. Remember, one mistake will have consequences."

Amelia's mind raced. The idea of becoming a killer was terrifying, but the thought of failing and being tortured was even worse. She glanced at her friends, seeing her own fear reflected in their eyes.

Scott's protective instincts kicked in immediately. He was determined to keep them all safe, no matter what it took. He couldn't let anything happen to them, especially not to Lyra, who was so special to him.

Lyra felt a knot of fear in her stomach, but she steeled herself. She had to be strong, for her friends and for herself. They had to survive this, together.

Vinnie's heart pounded in his chest. He didn't want to become a monster, but he knew they had no choice. He reached out and took Amelia's hand, squeezing it reassuringly.

The guards grabbed each of them, and they didn't talk or thrash, knowing it would only lead to more pain. They were gagged and knocked out, waking up in a car with other children.

As they were transported to their new hell, each of them resolved to survive. They had each other, and that gave them hope. It was time to become assassins, and it was time for Ronan's plan to succeed.

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I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. What do you think of the story so far and about the characters?
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-M