Ashlyn Ross is a normal teenage girl -to the outside world that is. she has a secret identity and only her parents and trusted trainer knows.
she's a gang boss that even her gang members don't know who she is. she goes by Rose and that's that. her...
I turned to Brandon and glared at him. he stared back, knowing just what I was capable of. as I stepped closer, the guards holding him backed off and I swung my foot, knocking him to his knees. I leaned down and put my lips close to his ear.
"you will kneel." I whispered dangerously.
Luke's POV
I watched as Ashlyn -sorry Rose- whispered into Brandon's ear. her lips moved quickly and I couldn't hear what she said, but mimicking Noah's behavior when I had been the one on my knees, I stood by and watched not twitching, not moving. just watching. daring anyone to get close enough to her. she stood straight with her shoulders back and head high. she definitely was a queen. she was fearless.
I watched her proudly as she stepped around Brandon, looking down at him. she stopped next to him and grabbed a fistful of his hair. she yanked his head up to look him in the eyes.
"now, you will know true pain." she hissed. his eyes widened and she slammed his face into her rising knee. he collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain and she yanked him up by the collar of his shirt.
"I said, you will kneel." she growled. I almost didn't hear her. that must have been what she whispered not long ago. she walked away and to the side of the room. she grabbed a man from the stand I had been with Brandon and she dragged him to kneel in front of Brandon.
"you're gay, are you not?" she asked the man. wide-eyed, he nodded quickly. "and Brandon is your boyfriend?" I gasped slightly.
well that's a plot twist, I thought. I waited for the man's answer. he hesitated and I barely saw fear for him flash through Brandon's eyes.
Rose gripped the man's hair tightly making him squeal.
"yes." he croaked. "we've been dating for almost a year."
holy fuck! Brandon was gay!
Rose nodded and let go of his hair. she looked at Brandon. his mouth stood open, gaping at his boyfriend and Rose.
"this. this is true pain." she said with no emotion whatsoever in her voice, or expression. she pulled a knife that the blade was long -I think it's a dagger- from her hip and sliced it across Brandons' boyfriend's arm. she did it, avoiding the arteries and thick veins. the man cried out softly and tears ran down his face.
"no! stop! stop it! leave him alone!" Brandon struggled in the guard's grip, but couldn't get free.
I watched as Rose did this several more times, exaggerating the strokes, making them slower than they had to be. she's doing it on purpose. to both torture Brandon more, and to hurt the man less. I realized.
she lifted the knife away from the man's arm and looked at Brandon. she stepped over to him and whispered so only us could hear.
"you shouldn't have kidnapped me, threatened Flora, hurt Flora, hurt me, and hurt Lily." she whispered. she backed up and looked into his eyes. her eyes were so cold, they were almost dead.
she turned back to the man and swiped the blade over the man's arm again. there wasn't enough blood for it to be deep. she had sympathy on this man for even knowing Brandon!
Brandon cried and begged for her to stop but she continued to make shallow cuts into the man's arms. the crows was silent as they witnessed the Rose, inflict pain on an enemy. if her reputation didn't scare them, this, her living up to that legacy terrified them.
new rumors would soon flow through the city like blood from a wound. they would all share with their friends, talking about this torture session. they would all whisper to each other. the rumors would make their way to the school and for the next couple weeks or so, there would be constant whispering and rambling about how Rose, the faceless queen tortured two gay men in front of an entire audience. how she had definitely lived up to her reputation and legacy. how she was as dangerous as they all claimed, how she was brutal, fearless, merciless, and over all, terrifying.
she stepped away from the man who had tears streaming down his face and soaking into the collar of his button up dress shirt. she looked at the pathetic man and turned to Brandon. she leaned forward and looked into his eyes. tears stood in them, and a few had fallen as he watched the one person he actually cared about be cut up and sliced. watching a loved one be hurt and not being able to stop it. that was true pain. that was true torture.
the knife scorching your own skin, the memory of that fades quickly. but watching someone you love be given that punishment, just to mess with your head. their cries ring in your ears, you feel helpless. your heart breaks and there's nothing you can do to save this one person you loved more than your own life. watching them burn is like your burning from the inside, out as they burned from the outside, in. watching them take slices through their skin and flesh is like feeling the knives pierce your heart and slice it to shreds.
pain isn't what your body feels. it's what you feel. torture isn't someone cutting you over and over again, or using a whip. it's bullies, hurtful words, painful comments, watching someone you love take the beating as you stand helpless, hopeless, numb.
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there's nothing you can do to stop pain. you will feel pain in every negative situation. being bullied, being abused, being called awful names.
you can't stop the emotional pain and torment. it's how you take it that matters.
will you be strong and fight through? or will you break and fall apart?
everything passes. remember that bullies are fake. this passes. you will get through it. be kind to yourself and don't fall apart. find your emotional escape and use it. painting, horseback riding, punching a bag, writing, anything.
you're worth it.
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hey y'all! hope you're enjoying the book so far!! I'm going through a tough time right now. I think that's why I ended the chapter like that. I have a picture here that I relate to. I hope none of you feel the way I do right now. alone. be kind to yourselves.
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