Sealed and Silenced (Watty Awards 2012)

Sealed and Silenced: Chapter 11

Sunlight pores into the room. There is no sight of either Viktor or Rick and for the moment, I am safe.

Over the past four days, they have taken turns raping me. They have bent me over night and day, each enjoying me with such a sick pleasure. I have easily grown to hate the room Billy lead me into many nights ago, the hideous painting across from the bed, the rough wood walls, and most especially the bed.

There were only two things in the room that kept me sane. They seemed ridiculous, but I had nothing else. The rough blue cotton blanket on the bed, to keep me warm and protected after I was violated, and the open window. It never fully shut and its princess pink curtains always rippled from the gentle breeze of the ocean nearby. It nearly reminded me of home before I cursed myself for thinking of such good times. It would do no good here.

Swinging my legs over the bed, I stand up. I notice I still have my work boots on. The high heeled black death traps. I unzip them and throw them onto the bed beside me.

Naked, I walk over to the curtain window. My skin itches and the gentle wind feels wonderful. Every morning, I wake up and feel dirty. I feel overly used and I pray that I will get out of here, even if it’s just to the damn basement. The basement is a safe haven, not to mention, it includes Carter. I smile at the open window. Carter makes me feel like there’s some good in the world. I don’t really know why and it nearly doesn’t seem possible in a place like this.

Outside the window, the sun was just rising. The brilliant yellows and orange colors brighten the retreating navy. I love watching the sun set and the sun rise. It was a supernatural beauty to it. Another thing in this room I enjoy.

I spend quite awhile leaning against the wall, watching the sun rise, before I pull away. Even though my body feels down with darkness and grim, it feels weightless from lack of food.

The meals we get here are minimal. Billy doesn’t feed us that well, but the whores get more than the bar maids. I don’t really know where I fit in, but I get enough to get by. Billy hasn’t actually flat out deemed me a whore, yet he excludes me from most of my evening duties as soon as Rick arrives. He pays well every night, according to Billy.

Either way, I grab my clothes from the floor and ignore the horrid boots on the bed. If I put those damn things on one more time, I think my feet will fall off.

I pull on my skirt and shirt and turn the knob on the door. A girl stumbles forward into the room. It’s the same girl who gave me clothes the day that Viktor first had his way with me. Mia was her name, I think.

“Sorry,” she says.

I wave my hand in response, trying to signal it’s okay. I’m used to strange things happening. I try to walk past, but Mia starts talking.

“It’s just that this is usually my room, but Billy took it away from me. And I need some clothes.” After each sentence she took a breathless pause, giving the impression that she was short of it.

“I was hoping you had already gone downstairs.” She pauses again, seeing the slight look of hurt on my face. You’d think I’d be used to insults by now. “Only so I didn’t trouble you. I know what waking up after sex feels like. If you can even call it that.” A sly smile appears on the girls face. The breathlessness after each sentence begins to lessen.