The Fire That Burns Within

The Tortures of a Sick Man

Noel woke me by tapping me on the arm. "You need to get up, it's almost time."

I felt so helpless not being able to see a damn thing. Noel helped me out of the car and guided me inside, where I was greeted with the same suffocating scent. I willed myself to stand strong and upright, to show them that I would not be broken. We walked towards the sound and when we came into the room Ramos was already there.

"Ah you did a fine job on the girl Noel, she looks even better than last time." His voice sounded nauseating in my ears and I wanted to scream and shout but I just stood there. I wished I could move but fear is a stupid thing and it had glued me to the ground. He took of my blindfold and I stared directly into his cold eyes. The feeling slowly returned to my feet and I turned around to run. Noel chased me but he wasn't giving it his best effort because he quickly fell behind.

Another beefy guy was faster than me and nailed me to the ground. "You fat greasy baboon, let me go" I screamed and kicked but it did not help. He lifted me up and brought me back to Ramos. "What's this? Are you trying to get away from me? You should know better." Ramos shook his head. "Get on your knees and beg I'll forgive you." I didn't do what he asked.

"Have you so little misery that you insist on creating more?" He looked at me with dark eyes. "Very well then. Get the cat." Those words didn't scare me at all but I saw some of the men smiling in such a vicious way that it made me doubt my own instinct. The beefy guy that had tackled me came back with a sort of whip, but instead of a rope it held 9 strings of barbed wire.

My bravado came back "if you think you can break me than you're mistaking."

"My girl, don't you have any idea who you're talking to? I am Ramos Fortuna, I am your master and you shall obey me!"

"I would rather die" I said keeping my head up.

He grabbed my shirt by the neck and ripped it of. The men made noises that disgusted me but I kept my head up. "Give it to me" he held out his hand to the beefy guy who gave him the whip.

"Kneel" he shouted in my ear

"Never" I said. I was not going to give in to him.

Before I knew what was happening Ramos had grabbed his walking stick and hit it in the hollow of my knees. They buckled and I feel on the ground, kneeling and giving him exactly what he needed. He lifted his hand and brought the whip down, the barbed wire dug deep into my skin. I cried out in horror as I felt blood gushing down my back. He lifted it wiped the blood away and brought it down once more. I heard someone scream in the distance and realized it must be me.

"Are you ready to beg" whispered his voice in my ear.

I couldn't give up, but the words fought their way out.

"Please" I whispered while shaking from the pain. The men around me howled with laughter as they enjoyed my pain.

"That's not an apology and you know it " said Ramos enjoying all the attention.

I held my mouth shut I couldn't give him more. It went against every fiber of my inner being.

He was angry and I was the cause of that. He started kicking beating me up while I rolled myself into a ball to protect my vital organs. The men around me cheered him on and slowly the room turned black.

My nightmares had become real life and I woke up screaming. I was back in the dark room again and I was alone. My back was bandaged and someone had put clean clothes on me. The chain was back on my wrist and there was no where to go. He did it, he broke me, I looked around for any sharp object but then thought of how stupid that was. They were not going to put anything weapon worthy in a hostage's reach.

After a while Noel came into the room with a plate of food. "I'm not hungry" I said.

"You have to eat if you want to stay alive" his words sounded as emotionless as ever. "Well, than that's even more reason not to touch it." I crossed my arms. "After all the fighting you've done, you are just going to die? Tell me that you won't give up that easily Roselyn! I won't let you" the words echoed in the room. "You mean Ramos won't let me" I screamed at him as tears blurred my vision. "You know very well what I mean, I do care about what happens to you."

"Well funny way you have showing that you care, just letting that...that monster have it's way with me" I cried.

"I don't have a choice Rose, and if you do remember I didn't participate in his tortures."

"No your just the delivery man, ding-dong here's your girl, do with her what you want." The minute I said those words my food forced it's way out.

He held back my hair as I threw up until there was nothing left. He got a glass of water and helped me drink it, my hands shook so bad that I couldn't hold it myself. Tears streamed down my face and I just wanted to stop existing.

That choice wasn't up to me though, it was up to the man who owned me.