Page 54 of Drowning

But then his expression hardens as he puts his hand over the wound and grabs for the bat, ready to strike. Without hesitation, I lunge forward with the knife, catching him off guard and stabbing him in the chest, blood spurting everywhere.

He lets out a roar of pain and stumbles back, clutching his chest as blood pours from both wounds. With him on his back, I straddled him, wielding the knife with a crazed look in my eyes.

"Fuck you, Damon!" Tears streaming down my face, I begin stabbing him all over, slicing every part of his body that I can. Blood soaks into the bedsheet, turning the white a dark crimson from the multiple gashes on his body.

But I keep going, losing myself with each thrust of the blade. He doesn't move, but he's still breathing, his eyes wide in shock as they follow my every move, every slice—every stab. Putting the knife down, I climb off of him and pick up his bat, making sure to hold it tightly so it can't slip from my blood-soaked hands. And then I swing, connecting with the bones in his body, the crunch echoing in my ears.

He groans in agony, and his body begins to shake, bringing a smile to my face.

But what finally brings me the peace and closure I've been searching for, is when I pick up the knife and put it to his throat. I can feel a genuine smile spread across my lips as I swipe the blade, digging it into his flesh, and making a deep gash from ear to ear, finally ending the torment.

The room is filled with an eerie silence as I stare down at his lifeless body, finally feeling a sense of relief as I realize that I’mfinally free from his captivity. The sight of his bloodied corpse sends a chill down my spine, but at the same time, it fills me with a sense of triumph and liberation.

Right now, in this blood-soaked room, I feel like I’ve finally reclaimed my life.

Now I just need to figure out how the fuck I find my way out of here.

thirty-one

Ironic Epiphany

E m e r s o n

Iwanted so badly to be out of this dungeon, but I haven't been able to bring myself to leave. Even with Damon's lifeless corpse in the other room growing stiff and his tainted, velvety blood coating my skin, I can't seem to take a few steps to the front door. Instead, I pluck a cigarette out of his pack and light it, feeling the rush from the invasion of cancerous smoke filter through my entire body.

The throbbing pain in my bones hasn't stopped, but I've learned to ignore it. The horrific memories of his vile torment still linger in the depths of my mind, but I refuse to let them define me. With each second that I stand here, staring at thedinghy front door, I can feel his blood start to dry on my skin, making me extremely itchy.

I need to shower.

Finding the bathroom in his little one-bedroom apartment isn't hard. Walking past the bedroom where he lies dead on the floor is.

But I force myself to do it. The apartment feels so small and suffocating as I walk down the small hallway, forcing myself not to look in the bedroom.

I reach the bathroom and flip on the flickering light, stripping off my bloodstained clothes and stepping into the hot, steaming water. The warmth soothes my itching skin, and I scrub furiously, trying to rid myself of any remaining traces of him. It doesn't even phase me that I'm scrubbing my skin raw.

As I stand under the water, I think about what I'm going to tell my brother and the rest of the guys. Why do they need to know about what happened here? About what I did in retaliation. I don't want their pity. Looking down as the scalding water cascades over me, I get lost in the swirl of the bloody water as the drain sucks it down, a never-ending whirlpool of red.

I stand here until the water turns cold and clear, knowing for certain that every spec of Damon's blood is washed away from my body, but I still don't feel clean.

Stepping out of the shower, I dress in the extra set of clean clothes I packed, shoving the bloody ones into a bag to burn before I head home.

I gather my belongings and make my way to the front door, taking one last look at the room where I endured so much horror. Flashbacks of my time bound to the bed attack my mind, threatening to send me into a spiral, but I force them down as far as they'll go, refusing to let Damon and his evil corrupt me any longer.

I'll move past this shit, just like anything else I've had to overcome. I know it won't be easy. I know it won't be overnight. But I'm determined to fight for my peace of mind, no matter how fucking hard it is. No matter how long it takes.

On my way out, I grab a bottle of vodka sitting on the small kitchen counter and pocket what's left of the cigarettes I'd been smoking, needing something to fill the void inside of me.

With a deep breath, I turn the doorknob and step out into the fresh air, leaving the darkness of the dungeon behind me.

Finally, I am free.

I notice my bike parked beside his building, and relief floods through me. The itch to ride is overwhelming; I just want to feel the wind in my hair. I walk over, dropping my bloody clothes in a cheaply made burn pit, and dousing them in the vodka I grabbed before striking a match. As my clothes erupt into flames, I lean against my bike and watch the fire, the crackling echoing in my ears. I stay until there's nothing left but ash, feeling like a piece of my soul was sucked out of my body and burned along with it.

Finally, it's time to leave this place behind and forget about what went on here. I take a deep breath and swing my leg over my bike, revving the engine and feeling the familiar rush of freedom and safety wash over me.

As I speed away from Damon's mysterious apartment, I can feel the weight of his torment and manipulation slowly slipping away. The wind whips through my hair like I've been craving, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I feel the anxiety I've been carrying for so long dissipate from my body.

I ride freely as the storm clouds roll across the velvety sky, the open, winding road stretching out before me. As the clouds turn dark and angry, I realize that I'm finally ready to face the truth of what happened and seek the help I need to move forward.