Take My Hand

One

Published: January 11, 2017

"Strength of character isn't always about how much you can handle before you break, it's also about how much you can handle after you've broken." -Unknown

The cell they keep me in, smells of mold, algae, sweat and blood. The clothes they give me consists of a T-shirt and a pair of underwear. It gets really cold down here but they couldn't care less. They have a set schedule for my 'punishment' for things I had no idea I did to earn them.

Normally when I wake up, a man is there ready to take me to the chamber where they chain my arms to the wall and make me kneel. For a long period of time they whip, hit and beat me till I can barely stand. Someone carries me back to my cell where I lay for a while on my stomach so I don't get dirt and mold in my wounds. After a long time when it starts to get dark outside they take me back to the room and do the same routine. Every three days they do this, just long enough to let the wounds start to scar but not long enough to let them heal. Every two weeks they let me wash up and have a new shirt and pair of underwear.

This has been happening for the past 18 years. The only thing keeping me from lashing out at them to force them to kill me is the heart around my neck. They let me keep this one thing because of the picture inside. I don't know who the man is or why there is a picture of a puppy in it, but they must mean something to me.

Tomorrow is the day where they take me to the chamber again. My back already burns and feels like I'm being held over a flame.

Tomorrow is also the one day they let someone clean my wounds. They only allow that once a month. To ensure the wounds don't get infected. It's not very effective.

After bit more of laying here on the floor, I push up and crawl to the wall. I use the wall to help me stand up and I lean against it for balance.

My once brown hair is now an ugly mangled mess of black with a tint of red and my once brown-green eyes are now an ugly brown-grey. The little bit of mirror, across the hall from my cell, allows me to see what I look like. It's not a pretty sight.

A man should be bringing me a small portion of food soon and I need to be awake or he will just walk away with it and I won't get another chance till tomorrow. They only let me eat once a day, so I'm an ungodly skinny twig.

Soon enough the man arrives with the food and he opens the cell door. He throws the bread at me and locks the cell back up before leaving. Once I know he is gone, I slowly eat half the small loaf of bread a save the rest for tomorrow so I can eat it to take my mind off the burning from the whip and beating.

They are heartless beings that feed off of others pain and screams. But they don't get much from me ever since I learned how to keep my body from reacting to their tortures. They get bored of just hitting me so they let me go back. It works every time but they still get a lot of new wounds in.

~~~~~

When I finish half the loaf of bread I slowly sit down and lay back down on my stomach. It's already dark out so I know I need to sleep for energy of what's yet to come. I listen closely and finally I'm able to hear what they're saying after concentrating for a while.

"Alphonso is going crazy. I can't believe he is still looking for her." One says.

"I know. You'd think he'd have given up by now." Another chuckles.

"Do you think he'll ever give up?" Another asks laughing and slurring.

"No. which makes it even more fun." The second one says.

Three large shots reverberate through the building. Then three thuds sound above me and I jump. Boots thump on the ceiling letting me know lots of people are here.

"Search everything. Leave nothing unturned. They have taken enough documents from us. Kill anyone." A deep gruff voice says. Although it is deep, it's a young voice and sounds powerful. I mentally pray that they don't find me. But at the same time I wish they do.

"Anyone? What if they have prisoners?" A new softer voice asks.

"Call me." The deep young voice says before its drowned out by boots. I hear door after door open and close followed by multiple gun shots and when the door to the cells opens, I flinch and whimper from moving to fast.

"Hello?" A man asks walking towards me. I slowly get up and stand in a corner before he makes it to my cell. When he steps in front of the bars he shines something at me and I am forced to squint. I see his eyes narrow in on my neck and I instantly clutch the necklace.

"Boss. We've got a problem." He says to his wrist and he waits.

"I'm in the basement. I think you should take a look." He says and waits. More and more pairs of boots clap down the wooden stairs and over to the cell.

"What." Someone asks.

"I think we just found Alphonso's daughter." He whispers and the guys eyes bug out.

"Everyone back up." The young deep voice grumbles and everyone backs away. He shoots the chain making me jump and let out a dehydrated scream.

"Go back upstairs." He tells everyone and slowly they all leave the basement.

"Chloe?" He says cautiously as he steps into the cell. I look at him when he says my name.

"Can I see your necklace?" He asks. He's gonna take it from me?

I shake my head with that thought and he nods.

"Ok. Let's get you home." He says softly and holds his hand out. I flinch and shy away from his hand.

"We won't hurt you." He says softly and steps forward again. He reaches his hand into his pocket and pulls out a pointy thing with a clear bottle and stick of some sort. While I have my vision fixated on the weird thing he jumps at me and pulls me from the corner and holds me against him. I thrash and punch him but it doesn't seem to faze him. I feel something prick the back of my neck before he throws the weird thing on the floor and holds me against him with both arms now. After a few more minutes of struggling, I start to feel exhausted and woozy.

"What?" I ask softly. My voice sounds scratchy and sickly.

"Go to sleep." He whispers closing my half closed eyes with his hand. I can't seem to find the strength to open them back up as I'm forced to sleep.

Because I love you all I'm updating. But from now on updates will be on mondays.