Purple Violet Flowers: Book One

Chapter 18

"Well? What are you going to do now?" Lottie had a grin on her face. It beat Jesse, she had nothing to do.
"Let her go!" Aqua banged on the door. The room reeked of rusted metal. The room they were in was dark.
"Why? She seems to like it better in here. Don't you, Sunshine?" Lottie nuzzles her cheek.
Sunflower was tired. Her eyes were lifeless and cold.
She opened her eyes a bit, recognizing the figures slightly. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. 
"Why not look at how much she enjoys it in here?" Lottie faced the camera towards Sunflower.
Sunflower avoided looking at the camera. She just stared at nothing.
Two visible cuts were on her cheeks, her hair and her clothes were damp.
"Stop it! You're hurting her! Let her out!" Jesse banged on the door, trying her hardest.
"Whatever you do to that door, nothing will happen, can't believe you're stupid enough to even do that. Don't you think so too?" Lottie looked at Sunflower. 
"What do you even want with us? We did nothing to you!" Kate spat, her fist clenching in fury.
"Oh, I know that. Except, you're bothering me and Sunshine. Do you think I'll forgive you for such a deed?"
"Help me bust this door open!" Jesse rocked the door with her shoulder.
"Stop hurting yourself! We aren't doing nothing to that door!" Gabby walked towards Jesse.
"Your hands have blood stains. You shouldn't work yourself like this. This door isn't going to bust open like you want it to." Gabby had a pained look on her face as she looked at Jesse.
"You're holding Sunflower prisoner, and now us? You're sick!" Erlen spat angrily.
"Well then. How about we make a deal?" Lottie smiled. "What kind?" Kate raised her eyebrow.
"Well.. How about. If you leave right now, none of your friends get hurt, I'll spare Sunflower and bring her back to Pigeon Ocean."
"And?" Jesse glared at her.
"Or.. You don't leave and you all get hurt, especially Sunflower. I'll hold her captive until you find your way here." Lottie grinned.
"Excuse me? I think you've hurt her enough. That deal isn't fair if your just gonna take her away on each choice." Elisa glared at her.
"If that's what you all agree on, then that's fine." Lottie whipped out a long knife.
"Stop it! Get away from her!" Jesse yelled as she banged on the wall.
"Stop Jesse! That isn't going to do anything." Aqua pulled her by the arm.
"So what?! You're just gonna let that psychopath have her way? You're sick if you want Sunflower to get hurt- or even worse. Killed. She has a knife! Think with your head!" Jesse hissed.
"You think with your head! You shouldn't think things like that!" Kate snapped at Jesse.
"Y'know. She isn't wrong, but I could do a lot of things other than killing her. For example, which part should I cut first?" Lottie dragged the edge of the knife alongside Sunflower's right arm.
"Stop! I beg you! Stop!" Jesse yelled, her eyes watering. Gabby hugged Jesse tightly, trying to comfort and calm down the girl.
"How about.. You have two days to come and rescue your precious Sunflower. If you don't she'll die exactly like her father died." Lottie grabbed a bat with nails sticking out.
"He was beaten to death with this exact bat." Lottie dragged her finger across the wood.
"Don't tell them that!" Sunflower squirmed around in the chair. "They weren't supposed to know!" Sunflower thrashed around.
"You seem energetic. How about we go for a second round? This time I'll make you stare at your father's dead face." Lottie put a picture on the tray.
Sunflower looked at the picture, her eyes widened in fear.
"Go through those eight doors. One per door, whoever you end up with is your partner." Lottie grabbed a bucket before grabbing the camera.
"Good luck, have fun with my little game." She stuck out her tongue before turning off the camera.
"That- that bitc-." Erlen's mouth was covered by Gabby's hand.
"We all have to split up. Like she said or she'll kill her." Jesse went towards a door.
"Wait! What if it's a trap? You gotta think before you do things, please Jesse. Don't do this to us." Aqua held onto her hand.
Jesse's eye twitched. She turned her head to Aqua, her face full of hatred.
"Don't touch me! Sunflower's in there with a serial killer and you don't care! She could die- I-I-I don't want t-that! I love her, so I'll do anything to save her life, even if it means killing myself- or even dying! She is getting tortured and I wanna put an end to it! Stay away from me you  piece of shit!" Jesse swatted Aqua's hand away aggressively, she was breathing heavily.
"Jesse.." Lavender whispered sadly.
Jesse glared at them before storming forward to one of the doors. She turned the knob before slamming the door shut.
The room was silent. "I never saw her get so mad before.." Lavender sighed.
Gabby stared at the remaining seven doors. "She's so selfish. Can't think of herself anymore." Kate let out a long sigh.
"I can't believe she just went through that door. She's so stupid!" Erlen had a pissy look on her face.
Gabby walked forward, touching the knob. "Gabby! What are you doing?!" Kate walked forward, a worried and angered expression.
Gabby put her hand on the knob, her face darkening. "I.. Think.." Gabby whispered.
"I.. Wanna be.." Gabby turned her head to Kate and the remaining six girls.
"Selfish too." Gabby smiled before opening the door. "Gabby! Are you crazy? Get back here!" Erlen walked towards her.
Gabby nodded to Erlen before closing the door.
"Gabby!" Erlen banged on the door. "Open it!" Erlen kicked the door.
"I wanna protect her too. You can't stop me." Gabby whispers before walking down the dark hallway.
"Gabby! You can't! You know you can't!" Erlen kicked and punched the door.
"Why can't you have faith in her?" Kate grabbed Erlen's arm. "Why? Why?! It's because she was born with a weak body, that's why. I thought you already knew?" Erlen stared her dead in the eye.
"Wha-." Kate was drawn back in shock.
"I'm going after her- who cares if I get hurt." Erlen declared before opening the door. She ran down the hallway.
"Five more to go. Going through the doors.. It's better than seeing one of your friends get tortured. I'm going in." Elisa declared before opening a door.
"But-." Lavender frowned. Elisa looked at Lavender before going inside and shutting the door.
Aqua shook her head before going to a door, she opened it and went through.
"It's just us three." Kate looked at Louise and Lavender. "I'm too scared- even if it means helping Cherry Pie I'm still terrified- I'm not brave like you girls." Lavender backed away from the doors.
"Come on. After this we'll all get parfaits and enjoy another sunset." Louise put her hand on her shoulder.
"What if only some of us get to see a sunset? That's what I'm afraid of. Death is what I'm afraid of. I'm seventeen. I'm still young, I can't go." Lavender backed away again.
There was silence. Kate picked up a sharp stone from the ground. "Take this as a demonstration." Kate gave her the sharp rock. "W-What do I do with it?" Lavender shakily grabbed the stone.
"Press it against your skin until it stings." Kate instructed. Lavender gulped before pressing it against her skin.
She pressed harder before wincing. "Feel that? It hurts, doesn't it? What you felt just now isn't even close to what a knife feels when it goes through your skin." Kate grabbed the stone.
"This isn't even close enough to a knife. Its 5x the pain than you could ever feel. Sunflower is gonna get hurt if we don't hurry." Kate looked at the doors. Before looking down at the terrified purple haired girl.
"You climbed a mountain. You swam in the coldest river possible. You spent six days in thunderstorm weather, you made it to where you are now. Not many people get to live and see the world grow. Sunflower won't be able to see the world grow if we don't help her." Kate opened the door.
"You're brave. Just remember that." Kate smiled before walking through the door.
"I agree. Lavender you're amazing! You helped me through school like nothing- you can survive this. Even if it doesn't feel like it. Everything will be alright." Louise hugged Lavender.
Louise went to the sixth door, smiling widely. "After this we'll get a big chocolate cake with a 'you did it lavender!' Because we all believe in you. We'll be waiting for you at the end. Forever and ever!" Louise beamed before going through the door.
Lavender was left alone. She walked towards the door shakily. She reluctantly twisted the knob side to side.
"No! I can't!" Lavender hid in the corner. She picked at the cement ground.
"I can't..." Lavender buried her face in her legs. She looked at the TV.
She walked towards it.
She turned on the power button. The TV revealed Lottie and Sunflower.
Lavender froze in place. Was this live? Lottie grabbed a razor blade. "Are you ready? For your next one?"
Sunflower's face was dead, it looked almost lifeless. Her eyes were glazed into a pale yellow, her skin was pale.
Blood was on her clothing and on the ground. "Should I use a knife instead? Why not you pick?" Lottie held a razor blade and a knife.
"I'll... Never pick." Sunflower struggled to speak.
Lottie grinned before aggressively shoving her face on the silver tray.
"How about I use this knife and cut it along your back?" Lottie grabbed the knife.
"N-No..." Sunflower squirmed around weakly. "Sweetie. You lost too much blood and now you're weak, If you try moving it'll only hurt more." Lottie ran the knife along her back softly.
"No-." Sunflower tried to speak, struggling to let the words come out of her mouth.
"After this. I'll run you a nice warm bath, then I'll wash your back since you're clearly too weak to even lift your arm." Lottie pushed down on the knife.
"Agh!" Sunflower screamed out. "It's not even in yet. My love, it'll all be over soon." Lottie cuffed Sunflower's hair with her lips, smiling.
"S-Stop.. I'll.. Except you- AHH!" The knife pierced through her skin.
Lavender watched in horror, her lips quivered as she was frozen in place. Her heart began to beat as she had a disturbed look on her face.
"I-I'm coming Cherry Pie!" Lavender ran towards the door. She opened the door, quickly running down the hallway.
A bell noise was heard. Lottie's gaze brightened. She took the tip of the knife out of Sunflower's back. Sunflower was left sobbing in pain.
The pain burned her. The pain was too much.
"Looks like they all went in the doors. Sweetie, I'll be back soon. Honey has some work to do." Lottie grabbed a sledgehammer beside the door.
"Stop.. Don't.. Hurt them you... Promised.." Sunflower coughed, her head fell back down on the cement ground, alongside the chair.
"Baby, promises can't always be kept. The game has only begun, plus to I won't let anyone lay a hand on you, only me." Lottie opened the door, with the sledgehammer in her hand.
"I'm coming for you." Lottie grinned.