Sealed and Silenced (Watty Awards 2012)

Sealed and Silenced: Chapter 18

Their angry footfalls shake me from my slumber against the old wood wall. They thunder up the stairs, how many I cannot say. With each crashing step, I shudder, quickly standing against the wall, hoping that they won’t see me in this dimly lit room.

A door bangs open.

“Not that one you idiot, Boss said the next room. Can’t ya count?” The door was for the room next to mine.  The man grumbles.

Again a door bangs open. This time, it’s the one to my room. I cling to the wall like some sort of insect, afraid of being squished.

I see four men blink stupidly in the dark, trying to adjust quickly. Chorus of “Where is she?” ring through the room.

“In the corner, there.” One of them points a gloved finger at me. “Grab her lads.” The three men come blindly at me, still trying to regain their vision.

“Carson! Reed! Get in here, you chicken shits.” Another two men, skinny in size compared to the others, stumble into the room. Now there are five of them blunder towards my corner. I’m frozen. I can’t bring myself to move across the bed to avoid these men. Any courage or rage I had felt when refusing Derek has fled, as courage often does.

The men, their eyes now adjusted to the darkness, reach for me. Unconsciously, I start to frail, resorting back to my instincts.

“Hold still, will ya?” I open my mouth to let out a blood curdling scream, but find it stuffed with a handkerchief.

The men named Carson and Reed grab my legs and two more grab my arms, lifting me over their heads, and spreading themselves out so they stretch me out. The last blundering guard leads the troop out of the room and back down the stairs. I try and squirminstinctively, but my limbs are too tightly held by the men.

We reach level ground and stop.

“Drop her,” a voice snarls. The men let go and I land on the floor with a thump and a cloud of dust rises around me. My breath leaves me as I landed.

The men that held be disperse and stand guarding the exits.

“Sit.” It’s a command as a chair is thrust towards me. I pull myself off the floor, feeling the drop right down to my bones. I stand the chair upright and take a seat, frightened of why Billy is being socourteous.

Billy paces with silent fury in front of me. I shake in my chair. I turn my attention to the swinging chandelier on the ceiling which emits a dull light.

I focus all my surging emotions towards the dull light, praying that by doing so, they will just go away. I thrust my fear, I repel my anger, and I lift up my love.  Everything that is invisible to the eye, I direct towards this light piece.

“You little bitch.” He breaks the silence. “What the fuck were you thinking? What could have been going through your idiot mind when you told our most high paying client no?” Billy snarls the last word like poison. My face presents defiance. Not looking at my bully fills with me some sort of strength.

“Look at me!” Billy’s voice raises an octave. I slide my glance from the ceiling to his face. I can see it is taking all of his will power to keep calm enough to talk to me.

I raise my right hand and my middle finger follows. This throws Billy off the edge. Still standing, he rips a chair out of his way. One, two, three more steps until his nose is pressed against mine.

“You are going to tell me what I want to know, or so help me God I will come close to killing you.” I don’t move, let alone speak.

“Why, Carter?” His question takes me so off guard, I lose my mask. Multiple questions fly through my head. But that man must have told Billy what I said. What I said about Carter. Hysteria leaks into my college of emotions.