They Call me Verona

Chapter 3

"You know how it works," Tyler said in the next chamber. "This will hurt a lot less if you hold still, but it will be a lot more fun if you don't."

I hung my head in grief; they had not even given me the opportunity to protect her. As she screamed and fought and wept next door I wept with her. Her desperate pleas to be left alone cut me to the core. How could they hear what she said and not release her? It seemed even to me that it took a very, very long time for them to be... finished. Their animal grunts, vicious words and cruel laughter came to an end and slowly Rosella's sobs grew softer as they dragged her away from me.

They'd not even questioned her. It seemed that they were tormenting her just for the sake of it. I had not realized that I was capable of feeling so many things at one time. I was heart wrenchingly sad for Rosella. I was horrified at my own weakness and inability to save her. I was disgusted with them and myself. I should not have allowed them to remove me from her side. Damn it, I was stronger than this. I felt as much to blame as they were.

Suddenly, my eyes were dry and all other emotions were blasted away by pure, fiery fury. In fact, I am not certain that fury is a strong enough word. The anger burned through me hotter than even the blood lust. A horrific snarling yell of undistilled rage filled the room. It was several minutes before I realized the marrow-freezing sound was coming from me. I was thrashing against the chair and the bonds at my wrists with all my might. The blasted thing must have been bolted to the floor, for I could not budge it an inch.

"Release me!" I bellowed. "Cowards! Fiends! Come face me like men." I knew that they would ignore me, and yet, I was unable to stop my tirade. "I will kill you all! None of you shall be able to hide from me!"

I continued in that manner until my voice gave out and I found myself crying, again. It had to have been at least an hour since they'd dragged her away. Why had they not returned? Were they up there in our concrete cell hurting her further? I was exhausted from fighting the bonds that stubbornly refused to give. I hung my head and allowed what remained of my hair-it was a lot still, but not what I was used to by half-to fall around my face. I was sobbing and panting. I heard myself whispering her name over and over desperately. I fought to regain control. I needed to hear. I had to know what was happening.

Get a grip on yourself, Verona, I thought. What good are you to her if you are reduced to a blubbering pile of spineless flesh? My attempt to shame myself into calm had little effect. The tears stopped and I was able to stop repeating her name but I could do nothing but shake. I hadn't even the strength to lift my head.

I sat trying to control my breathing and to hear something. I just wanted to hear anything that could tell me that Rosella was alright... well, alive at least, and alone. It seemed like an insane amount of time passed before I heard the door scrape open behind me. I counted four sets of footsteps. The door closed and Karen's sneakers came into view between the dark twin curtains of my hair. I snapped my head up to glare at her. A great deal of hair fell in my face but for once I cared not how wild and inhuman I looked. I needed answers and I was determined that they would supply them for me whether they liked it or not.

"Where is she?" I snarled. I sounded like the animal they had accused me of being. I cared not. A cruel smile spread across her face. She was no longer the slightest bit attractive to me. She was a hideous monster capable of unspeakable cruelty.

"Why do you care?" she asked.

"Tell me where she is," I demanded straining against my restraints again. I wanted nothing more than to get my teeth into her throat.