SALEM

Chapter Twenty-Three

2020

"Mummy, what did that man want?" I watched my mother pace rapidly around our living room, throwing a bunch of both her and my clothes. She closed the suitcase and slowly came to kneel in front of me.

"Salem, I want you to know how much mummy loves you, no matter what". I looked up at her in melancholy, her eyes were dewy with tears.

"What's happening mummy?" She had a saddened expression, placing her hands on either side of my round face.

"We have to go sweetie, it isn't safe for you here anymore". I want old enough to understand the urgency she was lacing in her words.

"Ok mummy, can we bring uncle Kaiden and aunt Elise with us?" She patted my head and moved the hair out of my face. "I'm afraid not sweetie".

I frowned, who was going to play with me now?

I was looking at the floor fiddling with my fingers, my mum started to reach in her pocket and pull out a beautiful shiny necklace. It was shaped like a bird in flight, its claws creating the illusion of his holding onto an amber gem. She placed the necklace around my neck and secured it.

"No matter what happens hunny. I will always be with you". I looked at the new necklace that decorated my small neck.

"It's so pretty mummy! I love it!"

My mother brought me into a right embrace, resting her chin on the top of my head. I obligingly hugged her back.

"I love you mummy, you're the best".

My mother stared into nothingness, thoughts running through her mind relentlessly.

She was so worried for herself, but she absolutely petrified for her precious daughter.

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I was completely void of any emotion, my blank stare burning holes into the stone table that was showcasing my loss of blood and dignity. I clasped the charm on my necklace into my fist, hugging it tightly with my fingers. I lost all hope to fight my way out of this, I lost my confidence, my personality. Lazarus took everything from me, he took my entire identity. I didn't know who I was anymore, or what I was even fighting for. Justice? Acceptance? Love? It all just seemed stupid and futile now.

I wish that he had just killed me.

I was so wrapped into my own thoughts that I didn't even hear or see Demetrius's maid place food and water at the door of my cell. I looked at the tray, there was a metal bowl half filled with tomato soup, and half a cup of cloudy water. I stared the bowl of red soup, my lips quivering. I leaned over onto my toes and threw the bowl of soup at the nearest wall, the metal bowl clanging as it makes contact. I took the cup of water and eagerly devour the entire thing in three large gulps.

I sat back down and continued to absentmindedly stare into nothingness. I had no thoughts of my own anymore, my mind was a complete void of empty space.

After what felt like hours of me sitting and staring at the empty wall, I felt a presence was in close proximity of me. It was him. I could smell his familiar scent of musk and sandlewood. He was probably expecting me to acknowledge him in some way, to show my 'respect'. Too fucking bad, I didn't even want to look at him. The thought of him made me physically ill. He was more than just the monster I thought of him to be. He was pure evil.

"Little vixen?". He sounded somewhat empathetic, clearly he was good at acting as there was no way he would feel bad for me. He wanted me to suffer and break, and he did just that.

The clashing of metal echoed as he began opening the cell door. I still payed him no mind, my eyes probing at the wall in front of me.

He crouched down next to me, pushing pieces of my dirty hair to the side. "Salem, answer me or I'll"-

I snatched my head away from his hand, my eyes falling onto his. "Or you'll what huh? Make your bitch fucking boyfriend come and abuse me again?"

Demetrius stood up. Adjusting the collar of his dress shirt "No, I will not do that again". Yeah right, he couldn't give a care in the world about me, why would he? He loathed me for reasons I still didn't understand.

I stood up, just wanting this nightmare to end. "Yeah right. Look, you win okay? You broke me, made me scream, made me weak. That is what you wanted wasn't it? So fucking get it over with. Just kill me. Please."

I pushed his muscular physique backwards, I wanted him to be angry with me, angry enough to just lose it completely and end my suffering.

"I won't be doing that either I'm afraid".

"Why?! What else could you possibly want from me? I have nothing left to give you".

"You really want to know what I want little vixen?" He started to move closer to me, i stepped back pressing myself into the brick wall. He was merely centimetres away from me, towering over me.

We stared at each other for some time, his eyes just looking into my own. Without any warning he smashed his lips onto mine, pushing me further into the wall with his large hands cupping my face.

He kissed me. What the fuck?

I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him off of me. "What the fuck was that?!"

Demetrius looked just as stunned as I. "I don't know, I'm not sure what came over me".

"Well figure it out, I'd rather you torture me than touch me like that ever again". He seemed hurt by my words, why?

He rolled his shoulders back and smoothed out his slightly crimped shirt. "Don't worry sweetheart, that will never happen again."

Good.

Word count: 1000+
Last updated: 9/8/2024