Broken Wings (SAMPLE)

Chapter Eleven

I was put on bed rest after that, once again confined within the walls of the bedroom I had been cooped up in for far too long. I wasn't sure why they bothered to lock me up again. If there was any incentive to stay put, do as I was told and not try to escape, then it was definitely witnessing what Shadow did to that poor man, Rolan. It was ingrained into my mind, never to be forgotten. Shadow wasn't bothered by what he'd done - I guessed it wasn't the first time - but I most definitely was bothered by it. 

As the days all blurred into one, Leah told me that Rolan had been killed. It made me sick to my stomach knowing that the man responsible was just downstairs but I couldn't do anything about it. It would be me being tortured next if I told. What if Rolan had family though? What if he had a wife and kids who were wondering where he was? They'd never see him again and that was the hardest thing of all to know. 

When Saturday came around, a whole three days passing since Rolan's death, Shadow was still trying to figure out who had Rolan following me. Although Leah told Shadow he should have kept him alive to get more answers, Shadow dismissed that by saying he wouldn't tell anything else and that he was sure he wouldn't have. He had served his purpose and was no longer needed, those were his exact words. I tried to resist the urge to scream at him that it was a human life he'd just ended but I knew he wouldn't care. He'd only be angry at me for opening my mouth and speaking against him. 

So although Shadow was trying to figure out what was going on and I did appreciate that he was looking for whoever set Rolan to follow me, I wished that he didn't have to keep me locked up. I hadn't many any attempts to escape since that day and I had no desire to even try. I was running on fear alone, too afraid to even take the few steps to the bathroom in case Shadow decided to kill me too. 

Whether it was at Shadow's request or her own, Leah had been giving me company. It was getting extremely boring to be stuck inside the same room all the time, especially when they had turned the WiFi off to make sure I couldn't get in touch with anyone but Rose. Although I had my laptop and my books and drawing pads, I was more bored than I ever recall being in my entire life. I was scared, I was bored, I was on edge. I couldn't concentrate on reading or drawing now I knew a man had been killed because of me. Indirectly but still, because of me. 

"What are you doing?" Leah suddenly asked me, interrupting my thoughts.

I sat up on the bed and sighed. "Just thinking." 

"That's dangerous, you know." She commented, sitting up straighter from where she sat by the door, guarding it. 

"Oh well," I replied, running a hand through my hair. "I just can't stop thinking about that man. He could have had family!" 

"Believe me, I gave Shadow hell because of that. He promised he'd stopped doing that."

"Killing people?" 

"Torturing people. Killing innocents."

"He tortures people a lot then?" I asked, partly curious and partly terrified. I knew it was wrong to be so curious but I couldn't help it; up until  couple of weeks ago, I didn't know vampires existed. I thought they were a work of fiction and that was that.

"Only if he needs to get answers," She said, glancing at me. "He won't torture you, if that's what you're worried about. I think he realised he can't do that to you after we heard about your dad."

"Why does he care about what I went through?" I frowned.

Leah sighed, shaking her head. "Isn't it obvious? You were abused by your dad. Isn't that enough of a reason for him to change his mind? I know Shadow appears to be a complete psychopath and maybe he is but that doesn't mean he's a horrible person. Not all the time."