Captive

twenty eight » r i v e r

"A moment of pain is worth a lifetime of glory." — Unbroken.

»»»

Jeremy

        "Hey kid, how was the sleepover?" I ask, smiling as Zuri walks to me, a frown on her lips as she walks to me from the porch of her friend's house.

       "Boring." She deadpans. I chuckle and open the backseat door of my car for her. She climbs inside and I close the door after her. Walking back to the driver's seat, I get inside and start my car before driving. I glance at Zuri from the rearview mirror, only to see her quieter than usual.

       "Why did you call? You know it's two in the morning. You're lucky I picked up the phone." I say, raising a brow at her.

       "I couldn't sleep," Zuri shuffles uncomfortably. "And Amy snores too."

       Chuckling, I shake my head at her and continue to drive through the almost empty streets.

       "Where's Octavia?" Zuri asks all of a sudden and she turns her head to look at me. "I know you told me that she's on vacation, but she would've called if she was. But she hasn't, why?"

I clench my jaw, looking at her and between the road. "Probably lost connection or something." I say, clearing my throat as I flick on the windshield wipers since it starts to rain lightly.

       "You're lying to me." She says, her eyes narrow and full of anger. "Don't think just because I'm eight doesn't mean that I have no idea what's going on. Mom and Dad are fighting, Drake won't talk to me, Mom hasn't been eating and Dad is always at work. And where have you been? I want my brother home." Zuri tells me, and I watch as tears fill up her brown eyes.

       Stopping at a red light, I swallow roughly before turning to look at her.

       "I've been busy with college, it's my senior year kid. It's very important to study on my exams." I explain to her, looking back to the road just when the lights turn green. I step on it, turn down the street and continue to drive.

       "And your family isn't important too?" Zuri asks me, her bottom lip quivering slightly as she looks at me through her tears.

        "Of course you guys are important." I tell her, and I grip onto the steering wheel harder.

       "Doesn't seem like we are, you're never home, Jeremy." Zuri shakes her head at me, and turns back to the window. I sigh deeply, deciding not to say anything else. She is right, I've been drowning myself in my college studies instead of being home, because if I'm home, I'm just reminded of the fact that Octavia isn't here.

       "Life sucks."

»»»

Octavia

        Demi throws her already bruised and bleeding fist at me, smashing my face in. I groan as I hit the floor, shaking with all the pain that I've been feeling.

       She hasn't stopped.

       Not once.

       Only to switch weapons.

       She's been beating me the whole night.

       She has sliced my skin open, whipped me, thrown repeated punches and kicks, beaten me with a baseball bat and I faintly remember I heard a crack, then decided that it would be fun to burn my skin with the butt of her cigar. I couldn't even fight back since I am chained up, but now I can't even more when I'm a bloody mess of maybe broken bones, bruised skin and sore limbs.