XXII: Captured

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I woke up with an awful headache.

It didn't help that I could strongly smell metal and dried blood, almost making me feel sick to my stomach. I tried to reach up to my head, but quickly realized that my hands were tied behind my back.

My grogginess instantly vanished as I assessed my situation, finding out that I was sitting in the middle of a small cell, the awfully familiar sound of clanking chains right behind me. My stomach dropped as the realization sunk in.

I was back at the orphan farm, captured and tied once again.

I growled in panic as I tried to free myself, almost coughing as I leaned a bit too forward, causing the metal collar on my neck yank me backwards.

My breathing felt quick and shallow, as I felt like a helpless child once again. I felt like I was transported straight into my very nightmares.

"Ah, the fucking rat is awake." A raspy voice mockingly said as a man emerged from the dark hallway to stop in front of the metal gate. He pressed a code and it came sliding open, and as soon as he entered the cell with better lighting, my blood ran cold upon recognizing him.

He looked a lot older, but I still recognized him as the man who used to torture me.

He sat down to look at me at eye level, a disgustingly amused smile plastered on his face. "Funny how fate is, eh? You, the little fucker worth only ten credits, would eventually be worth ten thousand?"

He chuckled. "What did you even do to piss off the hutts that bad?"

My brow twitched at that newfound knowledge. So they don't know what was the item I stole?

"None of your fucking business." I spat out. He immediately slapped me across the face.

"Grown some balls, huh?" He scoffed. "You think you're all important now? Just because you have a bounty on your head?"

He grabbed my hair to harshly yank my head backwards. "You're still just a fucking rat that came from us. We dressed you, fed you, gave you a place to grow up because your own fucking mama threw you away because she couldn't be bothered keeping you. Whether you like it or not you owe us, so have some fucking respect!"

My eyes widened at his words. "I was... thrown away?"

"Aw, you didn't know?" He pouted mockingly. "Your mama left you on the streets like she just dumped some trash. That's why it was so easy for us to find you."

"FUCK YOU!" I screamed and spat at him. It disgusted me how he could mock my orphanhood so casually. At the same time, I felt a newfound pain at the knowledge that my supposed mother left me on her own accord. I always just assumed that I was forcefully taken. Or she died at childbirth.

But finding out that I was so willingly thrown away, I felt an overwhelming feeling of hurt and betrayal. I felt my sense of self crumble into pieces.

As I expected, he slapped me once again for talking back. "The hutts said we should take you alive, but they didn't say anything about torture."

He chuckled menacingly as he started to unclip something from the back of his belt, and I was quick to recognize it as the black whip I dreaded so much.

"No--" I started to plead, but was cut off as he kicked my torso at an angle so I fell on the floor facing down.

"This ought to silence your dirty mouth."

"NO!" I screamed as the first whip landed on my back. I choked out a tear at the searing pain.

I hoped it was just a nightmare. I hoped I was bound to wake up soon, with Qimir shaking me awake back into the cave I started to feel solace in. But then everything that happened in our last encounter came crashing back on me, how I treated him like a complete stranger, yet he still chose to bring me to safety in his last moments despite what I did.

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