Page 7 of Severance

My blood whooshes through my ears as my heart kicks into overdrive and the adrenaline flows through my veins.

My fight or flight instinct kicks in and I know what I have to do.

I have to fight.

Instantly, my left eye swells shut and I blink rapidly, clearing the fuzziness from my right eye. I can feel Stan’s weight on top of me and his hands on my skin as they roughly tug my shorts and underwear down my thighs. The fog lifts from my mind as he pulls back, undoing his pants. I swallow hard as the bile creeps up from my stomach, burning my throat.

I can’t let this happen.

Running off the adrenaline pumping through my veins, I push off the bed and sit up in a rush. Stan glances up at me with a cruel grin and his cock in his hand. In one swift movement, I throw my arms forward and drive my fingertips into his eyes. My black and silver stiletto nails pierce his eyeballs like the blade of a knife. They cut into the dark pools before he even has the chance to think about moving.

“FUCKING CUNT!!” he screams as he pulls away, covering his eyes. Stan trips over his own feet and falls backward, landing on the wood floor with a loud thud. “You’re going to fucking pay for this, you little bitch,” he barks.

His words ring throughout the room, but he is rendered defenseless and his threat is empty.

Glancing around the room, I look for anything I can use against him, but I don’t have the time. My eyes drop to my bare feet. They’re useless. Kicking him could hurt me more than it would hurt him.

It’s a risk that I’m not willing to take.

Groaning and clutching his face, Stan manages to climb to his feet. Resting against the wall, he shakes his head, mumbling under his breath. I quickly survey the room once more and sigh in defeat. I only have one option.

Run.

Stan pinches the bridge of his nose and rubs his eyes viciously. With his sight compromised, I take my last chance and tiptoe past him, reaching for the door. His head jerks toward me as I pull the door open in a rush and dart out into the hallway.

“Go ahead and run,princess.” Stan laughs loudly from the room. “You know there’s only one way out of here.”

Leaving him behind, I sprint down the hall to the stairway. Without breaking stride, I thunder down the stairs and Stan’s laughter chases after me as I run across the first floor of the house. Rushing through the front door, I let my feet carry me to the only place I can go, the only place where I might be safe.

I take off through the yard and head deep into the dark forest.

Kai

Just outside of the city limits, the moon hangs in the dark sky and replaces the fluorescent streetlamps as it casts its light across the dirt roads.

Turning off the main road, I drive deeper into the woods and the darkness surrounds me. The thick canopy of the trees blocks out the moonlight, creating an even more profound sense of isolation. This road leads to one place and one place only.

Straight into the blazing fire within the depths of hell.

This road leads me to where he took Dahlia.

Back to the farm, where it all began.

Back to the farm for him to finish what he started… to tie up that last loose end.

???

It’s been years since I’ve been to this dreadful place, but I know the drive here by heart. I know every twist and turn on this road like the back of my hand. I swore I’d never come back and I never had a reason to before now.

I’d travel through the depths of hell as many times as I’d have to, just to get Dahlia back.

I have to get there before she’s completely consumed by the flames.

Stepping on the gas, my tires spin on the gravel road, kicking dust and stones as I take off down the path that leads me to her. Following the curves of the road, I quickly come up to the last turn, knowing what lies on the other side.

Lightly tapping on the brakes, I slow down and creep past the massive iron gate on the side of the road. Just beyond that gate is the hell… the fortress that they had once made our fucked up home, the place that has molded us into the people that we are today.

Pulling my car off the road, I park far enough away from the gates as to not draw any suspicion. The road is virtually abandoned, with no traffic, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any other visitors to the farm.