Page 25 of When Sinners Fear
“I don’t think it was a dream. That would require something positive or happy about what I was thinking.”
“Well, there’s not much of that in the waking world right now.” His sarcasm is bitter, understandably.
“Do you know how long we’ve been here?” It could have been a matter of hours, or days. I do know that the thirst in the back of my throat is getting painful. My throat is dry and uncomfortable.
“Maybe twenty-four hours. Give or take.”
I nod, but internally I bite back at the thought of what my family might be thinking. If they’ve called the police, have they sent anyone looking? But then how or where?
“Do you think they’ll starve us?” My voice cracks as I ask, and I mentally run through what will happen as we waste away inside the cage.
Knox doesn’t reply this time, and I wonder if he’s already reached his limit for conversation. “How are you feeling?” I follow up.
He mumbles something I can’t make out.
“Say again?”
“You don’t want to fucking know how I feel, Peyton!” he yells, raging at the cage bars again. And just like every time before, they don’t budge.
As if they could hear the sound of the cage, the door to freedom opens. Three shadows trail through the dark until I can see them. One of them I recognise as Reed. He’s the one who used the hot poker over Knox. He’s the one that’s put us in this position. The two men I’ve also seen before and the one to his left grins at me. He licks his lips, and I’m reminded of his tongue swiping up the side of my cheek as he held the blade to my throat.
In an odd way, the knife at my throat and watching what they were doing to Knox kept me focused on what was going on in the moment rather than letting my mind run away with what-ifs. There are plenty of those, too, but they come when there’s nobody else in the room. Seeing the guy look at me with that eagerness in his eye brings back the vulnerability that I have nothing or no way of defending myself. If it can happen to Knox, it can happen to me.
The multiple forms of sexual assault start to seep into my thoughts, and it turns my empty stomach, making me feel sick.
Not all men are rapists. What pain would I be able to suffer through more easily?
I look towards Knox, who’s slumped on the floor against the bars. His head is tilted back so he can see who’s in front of him – he can watch the door to his cage. Except they don’t go to his cage. They head towards mine.
I instantly scrabble backwards, retreating as far as I can until I’m clinging to the bars at the end. The thought to try and show no fear is too big a concept when I’m looking right at three real reasons to be frightened. They know what they’re doing, and I don’t have the mental or physical strength to pretend that I’m not afraid.
My eyes flash over to Knox to see if he’s noticed, but he looks the same as he did before, his head’s in the same exact position.
There’s no real reason for him to try and protect me. We barely know each other after all, but the desire to cry at him and plead for help, even though he is surely in a world of pain himself, is right on the tip of my tongue. He couldn’t help from inside a locked cage, but the urge remains. It’s telling me to scream for help and to run.
“Fight or flight,” I mumble to myself. It’s a natural instinct, and good that it’s still working.
“Look at her, Knox. All skittish and nervous.” Reed taunts us both. “What shall I have my man do? He’s quite keen to play with her.”
There’s no word from Knox, but my legs feel tense like my body’s shot them with a hit of adrenalin, but now there’s nothing to run at or fight against.
Reed, seeing no reaction from Knox, shrugs and turns his attention to me.
“Very well. Looks like we’re going to have some fun.” He nods, and the man with a creepy smile steps forward to unlock the cage. My hands wrap around the bars as if they might afford me some element of safety.
The guy stalks inside the cage and stands by the entrance. He lifts his arm and beckons me with his finger. Is he insane? I stay where I am. If they want me out of here, they’re going to have to force me. I’m not going to make it easy on them – I won’t. It’s a silent vow to myself and one I hope I’m strong enough to keep.
He shakes his head as if in disappointment.
“Stop fucking playing, Mike, and get the dumb bitch.”
He strides forward and grabs my arm.
“No!” I wrestle it back and out of his grip, but his arms clamp around my waist, and he starts to haul me out. “No, stop. Don’t!” I cry as I thrash my legs and squirm in his arms. My heel connects with his shin, and he buckles, dropping me forward onto the ground, but as I start to scramble forward, Reed stands in my way.
He fists my hair and drags me up.
“Ow, ow, ow!” I grit my teeth and grab his hand with both of mine, trying to lessen the pulling.