Rockabye

Chapter Five

The icy cold fingers grazing her temples is what forces her awake. The blindfold is pulled delicately from her head, that's bobbing forward in defeat. Her dark, greasy hair sways all around her face, hiding the tracks from her tears she cried all night.

"Look at me," the woman strictly commands in the most calm voice Regina has ever heard.

The prisoner obeys and lifts her heavy head. Her temples pound as if she consumed a bottle of tequila the night before. She swears she can feel her brain sloshing around in her skull. She's sleep deprived, was neglected with any type of food and has been denied water. Her tongue feels like sand paper in her mouth. Her throat is screaming for any form of liquid and her stomach is growling like there's a tiny animal locked inside.

"You and Emma were both sent to the same group home," the woman states with confidence.

"When we were five," Regina rasps out through the driest of mouths. She attempts to swallow but no saliva is forming.

"No before that."

Regina closes her eyes and takes a deep breath like maybe she's forgetting something from the lack of food in her system.

"No," Regina shakes her head in case her captor cannot comprehend her broken voice. "Emma was abandoned on the side of the road. My parents left me at someone's front door step." Regina pauses to regain her strength to proceed. "We were both adopted from there but she was sent back because the people ended up having children of their own and didn't love her the same. My parents died in a car accident."

The other woman swallows thickly as if this is all brand new information to her and she cannot seem to accept the reality of the girl's lives. Regina can no longer keep her head up, so she allows it to fall and sway from side to side.

Regina is growing weaker with every second that ticks by with the clock on the wall. She's been in silence for so long that every time the hand clocks another second, the sound echoes throughout the freezing cold basement. Regina's unsure how much longer she can keep her secrets hidden. She's slightly panicking wondering if her mouth with soon move to the accord of her captor's demands.

"After that you corrupted Emma," the woman coldly spits, providing Regina with all the strength she needs to lift her head once more.

The prisoner's face contorts painfully expressing her shock at the accusation against her. She glares at the other woman with pure hate as her upper lip snarls.

"Clearly you don't know us as well as you pretend to," Regina croaks out through her scratchy voice.

The other woman bends down to meet Regina's tired and swollen eyes. She rests her hands upon her knees and glares with nothing but hate burning through her pupils. Regina wants to recoil out of fear, but she holds her own.

"Oh but I do. I know you better than anyone."

"Then you should know that I will die before I ever sell her out."

The other woman takes Regina by surprise when she furrows her brows in confusion. Regina was expecting a fight, not pure shock and disorientation from the free woman in front of her. The other woman searches Regina's eyes for any signs of deception, but for some odd reason she comes up short.

"That's alright Regina, you don't have to say a word. Emma's on her way here right now, to rescue you. Then she will be ours and to be honest, there's nothing you can do about it."

Despite the foolishness of Regina's act, she fights against her restraints, burning her raw flesh in the process. She ignores the pain and jerks her chair against the concrete floors. A new wave of energy courses through her veins at the thought of these scumbags laying a hand on Emma.