Devil With a Shotgun

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

<Victoria Grayson>

14 damn days and I'm still trapped down here.

Two weeks, on the nose; that's how long I've been trapped in Talon's hell-hole. Talon has tortured me, beaten me, and let the vermin do all sorts of things to me. Thankfully, he stops them before things go too far. He usually just lets them bite me and slam me into the wall a few times before he moves them away and begins his own personal reign of torture on me. The rest of the day, I'm left alone in the dirty basement with only my pessimistic thoughts for company. I've tried to stay positive but after a couple weeks of torture, I only have so much will left to keep my chin held-high.

The basement is cold, bitingly cold and dark even when the sun is shining brightly outside the barred window. My whole body is covered in dirt and bruises from the two weeks of torture and I smell like a dead animal. My hair is matted and greasy and my cheeks are hollow from the lack of food. My eyes are surrounded by dark circles since I haven't been able to sleep very well. Ironically, the only times I felt even partially rested was when Talon drugged me and even then it wasn't so much sleeping as passing out.

My back is lacerated with deep cuts Talon has inflicted to remind me of how many days have gone by without me being rescued. It's a painful realization that as much as I want someone to come rescue me, they may never. Talon, however messed up he may be, knows how to kill and I highly doubt he'd use mercy on people who want to take me away from him. For all I know, Gavin has already tried to rescue me and Talon has already killed him. I can't afford to think that way though; I have to keep up my faith whether I want to or not.

The loneliness of the basement is driving me to the brink of insanity. I have no one to talk to, no access to the outside world and the only contact I have with other humans is when my mother comes down to glare at me and give me bread and water. I've actually resorted to drawing on the dirt floor to keep my mind off of my impending insanity and singing the same old lullaby to calm my nerves. I'm pretty sure if someone saw me in this state, they'd conclude that I've already lost my mind. However, I still have part of it left, the part that won't succumb to Talon, the part that can keep up the faith even when I feel like giving up.

Ironically, staying sane is the only thing that keeps me going. If I'd flown off the handle a week ago, my will to live probably would've left me just like my mind. I keep telling myself that if I remember who I am and I stay strong, than there's nothing Talon can do that I can't survive. However, that's a complete lie; there's plenty Talon can do to me that I can't survive, which includes but is not limited to starving me, beating me up and throwing knives at my overly exposed body parts.

I haven't seen Carter since the night he brought me a tray of real food. The cynic in me believes that he got punished for helping me out but somehow I know he's more careful than that. Somehow I believe that wherever he is, he's okay. I mean as much as I hate him, which is a lot, I don't really want to him to be seriously injured because he's the only ally I have in this hell-hole.

I move around restlessly and stare at the pale light from the window that's now dancing across the dirty floor. I shiver and continue to drag my finger through the thick dirt on the ground, my stomach grumbling all the while. With one final swooping motion, I look down with pride upon the flower I've completed drawing. An insane half-grin spreads across my face and then I rock back and forth, the words of the lullaby escaping my lips.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly all your life..." I sing softly, my eyes closing slowly. "You were only waiting for this moment to arise."

Dear God,

I'm trying my hardest to survive...to keep up my faith but it's been weeks and I keep thinking that things can only get worse. I know that you are with me but I really don't know what to do anymore. I need strength, I need some sense of security. Please give me the will to carry on; don't let me sink into insanity.