To Torture a Duckling- Continuation

Chapter 5

Finn and Benoit chatted and roamed the property for hours. She hadn't realized how much time had passed until glanced down at her watch. She bid Benoit goodbye and made her way into the house. If Ransom had seen her, Finn figured he would have gotten to her by now. Finn languidly made her way up the stairs and into her room. She flipped the light on and let out a loud startled gasp. Ransom was there, sitting on her bed, waiting for her. Finn immediately went to back out of the room, but Ransom was quicker than her. He roughly grasped her arm and yanked her backwards, causing her to fall. Ransom roughly shut the door. Finn heard the lock click shut and she knew she was in real danger. Ransom turned to her with murder in his eyes.

"I saw you talking to him again, you little bitch!" He yelled, spittle flying out of his mouth.

He stalked over to her and roughly grasped her by the hair.

"What did I tell you? Huh? I told you not to talk to him! How stupid are you!" He roared in her face.

Finn already had tears running down her face. This caused Ransom to become even more angry.

"You're crying? You're pathetic. I'll give you something to cry about." He said fiercely.

His hand grasped her throat and squeezed tight. Finn gasped and clawed at his hands trying to get him to let go. She could feel her consciousness slipping as black began to invade her vision. Right before she could slip into the black, Ransom released her. Finn began hacking and coughing trying to bring air back into her lungs. Ransom then began kicking her. Finn's ribs were already damaged, causing her extreme pain. She stretched out her arm, attempting to crawl away and Ransom brought down his foot on her thin arm. Finn screamed loudly at that. Ransom was quick to muffle her scream with his hand. Finn's vision had gone white at the pain. When she finally came back, her arm was throbbing with white hot pain. It was surely broken.

Ransom stopped his assault for a moment, seemingly distracted by something. His hand came down, causing Finn to flinch, and grasped her locket. Finn immediately trying to scramble away, but a hand with a vice like grip landed on her shoulder, keeping her in place.

"What's this?" He asked.

Ransom flipped open the locket, seeing the pictures of Harlan and Finn's mother.

"Who gave this to you?" He pressed angrily.

"Harlan gave it to me. Please, Ransom. It's all I have left of him." Finn wheezed out.

Ransom gave a wicked chuckle and ripped the locket off her neck.

"Ransom, no!" Finn cried.

He crushed the locket in his grip, letting the pieces fall to the floor. Finn could only watch in horror as her most treasured item was destroyed. Ransom roughly pushed her back and got in her face.

"This is your last warning. Don't talk to him. Okay, sweetheart?" Ransom said unnervingly calm.

Finn didn't acknowledge his state. She didn't notice when he left the room. She was busy staring at the broken pieces of her locket, lying on the ground. She gathered them up with her good hand and cradled them to her chest. She sobbed in earnest. It felt like her mother and Harlan were dying all over again. Finn faintly registered the sound of Ransom's car driving away. Finn's sobs soon turned into gasps. She was unable to bring the air into her lungs. She needed to get out, out of this house, out of this family. She needed out right now.

Finn shakily stumbled down the stairs, nearly falling a couple times. She threw the front door open and began walking. The further she got away from the house, the easier her breathing. When she finally came back to herself, she had absolutely no idea where she was. She was somewhere in town, but couldn't exactly place it. A few paces down the street was a bench and a payphone. She slumped down onto the bench and dug around in her pockets. She had a few quarters, a button, and a piece of paper. She pulled out the quarters and the paper. It was Detective Blanc's card. Finn inserted the quarters and punched in Benoit's number. It rung for a few moments before a tired southern voice answered.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Benoit?" Finn's hoarse and shaky voice asked.

"Finn? Are you alright?" Benoit asked, concerned.

Finn was quiet for a moment.

"Can you come get me?" She asked quietly.

"Yes, yes. Are you at the house?" He asked.

"No, I, uh, I don't know where I am!" Finn said and began to cry.

"Hey, now. Hey, don't cry. Do you see any street signs?" He asked.

Finn told him yes and read off the signs.

"I'll be there soon, okay? Don't move." He said.

Finn hung up the phone and collapsed back into the bench. She let her eyes slip shut and succumbed to the intense tiredness she felt. She still had a tight clutch on the pieces of her broken locket.

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"-inn. Finn. Can you hear me?" A voice asked above her.

Finn blearily opened her eyes to see Benoit above her. He gave a sigh of relief. 

"Hey there. C'mon let's get you up." Benoit said.

He reached out to grab her bad arm, but she yelped and moved away. He apologized and moved to the other side. He gently grasped her other arm and helped her up onto her shaky legs. They moved quickly to his car and he placed her inside and shut the door. Finn leaned against the window, the coolness calming her. Benoit started up the car and they began moving.

"Where're we goin?" Finn asked.

"We're going to go to the hospital, get you fixed up." Benoit responded.

"No. No hospital. I don't want to go." Finn pleaded with him, tears coming to her eyes.

Benoit attempted to get her to see reason, but she was too upset and tired to understand him. He finally conceded and said he wouldn't take her to the hospital. Finn finally let the darkness take her in. Her eyes slipped shut and the tension went out of her frame. Some part of her hoped that this would be the last time her eyes opened, but she knew that she wasn't lucky enough for that.