Run (a Taylor Swift Story)

7- A mistake

Carrie lay in the cold, unforgiving silence, her body bruised and sore, but it was the weight in her chest that was unbearable. She could feel Taylor’s presence beside her—small, fragile, trembling like a bird in a storm—and every sound, every shaky breath from Taylor only deepened her sense of failure. She had promised she would protect her, but now Taylor was broken in a way that Carrie couldn't fix.

Carrie slowly pushed herself up, pain shooting through her body as she did. Every inch of her felt like it was on fire, but she couldn’t rest. Not now. She had to do something. Taylor was still kneeling on the cold stone floor, her arms hugging her body tightly as if trying to hold herself together. Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes haunted by the terror they had just experienced.

Carrie reached out, gently placing a hand on Taylor’s trembling shoulder. Taylor flinched slightly but didn’t pull away. Slowly, she turned, her eyes wide and filled with a helplessness that crushed Carrie’s heart.

"It’s okay," Carrie whispered, though her voice cracked. "I won’t let them do that again. I promise you, Taylor. I won’t let them."

Taylor’s voice was barely a whisper, broken and fragile. "What if they come back... What if they do worse?"

Carrie’s throat tightened. She wanted to tell Taylor everything would be okay. But the truth was, she didn’t know if it would be. The guards had shown no mercy. Mick had been cold and cruel. They had no idea what the men would do next.

Carrie took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, knowing she had to be strong for both of them. "We’ll figure something out," she said, her voice barely more than a hoarse rasp. "We’re not giving up. Not yet."

But inside, doubt gnawed at her. What could they do? The chains, the guards, the walls—it all felt like too much. She had nothing left to fight with. The room was small and suffocating, the air thick with despair. She knew they couldn’t stay here forever, but how could they escape? The odds were against them. The guards were everywhere. Mick was powerful, and there was no telling what he had planned for them.

A soft sob broke through Taylor’s quiet demeanor, her body shaking as she buried her face in her hands. Carrie’s heart broke, but she couldn’t let herself crumble now. She couldn’t. Not when Taylor needed her.

Carrie reached out again, wrapping her arms around Taylor gently, despite the pain in her own body. Taylor’s arms hesitated for a moment, but then she collapsed into Carrie’s embrace, sobbing softly into her chest.

"I’m scared," Taylor whimpered, her voice muffled. "I don’t want this... I don’t want to stay here."

Carrie stroked her hair, trying to calm her. "I know, sweetie. I know. But you’re not alone. You’re not alone, okay? I’m right here with you. And we’ll get through this. We’ll figure something out. Just... just breathe with me."

Carrie could feel Taylor’s body slowly relaxing against her, though she could still feel the tremors in her limbs. The weight of the situation threatened to crush her spirit, but she couldn’t let Taylor see that. Not yet.

The sound of footsteps approached again, distant but unmistakable. The guards.

Carrie stiffened, her heart pounding in her chest. She pulled back slightly, her hands gently cupping Taylor’s face. "Stay quiet," she whispered urgently. "Don’t make a sound. If they come in here—"

"I’m scared," Taylor’s voice cracked again. "What are they going to do to us?"

Carrie’s jaw tightened. She didn’t know. She had no answers. Only one thing was certain: she would keep trying. For Taylor. For herself.

The door creaked open. The guard’s boots echoed through the room as they entered. Carrie held her breath, forcing herself to remain still. Taylor’s body was stiff in her arms, but she did her best to keep her calm.

The guard entered, standing tall in the doorway. His eyes scanned the room, and Carrie could see the moment his gaze landed on them. His lips curled into a sinister grin.

“Well, well,” he murmured, stepping closer. “What have we here? Still trying to hide, are we?”

Carrie’s heart skipped a beat, and she felt Taylor’s grip on her tighten. Her instinct screamed at her to act, to do anything to protect Taylor, but she was still chained, still weak. They had no chance against the guards.

The man stepped forward, kneeling down so that he was eye-level with them. His cold eyes flicked between them both. "You think you can escape? You think you can keep fighting back? It’s only going to make things worse for you."

Carrie’s teeth clenched. She didn’t know how long she could keep this up. The fear was suffocating, and every nerve in her body was screaming. But she couldn’t let Taylor see that. She had to remain calm.

The guard’s gaze shifted to Taylor, his smile widening as he saw the girl’s fear. "Such a pretty thing, you are. But you won’t be so pretty after we’re through with you." He reached out, grabbing Taylor by the arm and yanking her to her feet with brutal force.

Carrie’s heart pounded in her chest. Her muscles screamed for her to move, but her chains were too tight. She tried to jerk forward, but it was useless. "Leave her alone!" she cried, her voice shaking. "Please, don’t hurt her."

The guard’s eyes flicked back to Carrie, and his grin deepened. "You should have kept your mouth shut," he sneered.

Before Carrie could react, he backhanded her across the face with a force that sent her reeling. The sharp sting of the blow snapped through her head, and for a moment, everything swam in front of her eyes.

"Carrie!" Taylor screamed, her voice high with panic.

Carrie’s heart pounded, the taste of blood in her mouth, but she didn’t let herself fall. She had to be strong. For Taylor.

The guard turned back to Taylor, his hand wrapping tighter around her arm. "Maybe we’ll start with you," he said, his voice like venom.

Carrie felt a deep, guttural anger surge within her. She couldn’t allow this to happen. She couldn’t let them hurt Taylor anymore. She couldn’t let them win.

And yet, in that moment, she felt the crushing weight of her own helplessness.