Trembling With the Strings
Read The Bold Print
The only thing on my mind was Run! as I forced my legs to carry me wherever they may. As long as they took me far away from Darius, I didn’t mind where I ended up. But my legs were getting weaker by the second and I had no clue as to where I was. I came upon a door with a sign hanging on it:
“Keep door locked at all times.”
There are exceptions to every rule, aren’t there? The door was open just a crack and I heard something from inside. I couldn’t tell what it was, but curiosity got the best of me as I pushed it open a little more.
“What do you think you are doing?”
A hand clamped down on my shoulder and I screamed, grabbing a hold of the doorknob in an effort to not be dragged away by Darius. He gripped tighter, yanking me back. As he tugged on me, I pulled the door shut and it clicked as it locked. Even still, I held tight to my last hope. “Can you not read, girl?” Darius screamed at me, his grip only tightening as seconds passed.
“I can read,” I mumbled softly, trying to make my body relax and stop trembling. “I may not have a very good education, but I can read.”
“Obviously you can’t! An order is an order and it’s even stronger when written in ink! Do you not understand that?” Darius let go of my shoulder, but suddenly grabbed my forearm and jerked me away from the door and turned me to face him. He looked royally pissed.
“I’m sorry!” I cried as he pulled me down the hall.
“Sorry doesn’t make everything better, Gracie. Sometimes a punishment is called for.” Darius shoved me carelessly into his room and I heard the lock click. I stumbled to the bed and sat there as I groaned to myself and squeezed my eyes shut to keep away the tears. “Don’t cry: it’ll only make this more fun for me.”
“I didn’t—I’m sorry! But what’s behind the door?” My fear subsided as it was dominated by my overactive imagination. Did a rampaging monster reside there? Or maybe their insane half-brother lived there, just waiting for someone to come alone so he could devour their flesh!
“You don’t need to know anything other than that you are never to go near that door again unless otherwise stated by me. Learn respect or you’ll find your death here. I have little—if any—patience for you right now. Understand? I’d stay on my good side if I were you because the last guy that crossed me, well, I was burying him in a ditch somewhere outside Lansing within a half hour.” A sadistic grin found his face and I shook visibly as he stepped closer to me. I backed away from him as I retreated to the other end of his bed.
“Please,” I whispered, standing up on the other side of the room. “It won’t happen again, I promise! I’ll stay away from it!”
“Come here,” he demanded, acting as though I had never spoken. I shook my head feverishly. “Come. Here.” He only got the same reply as I backed even further away. “Get your ass over here!” He took a few strides and I started bawling as my back hit the wall: I had nowhere else to run. He was before me in one second. “You listen to me good. You will do as I say, no questions asked, got it? You are mine to do with whatever I will. You do not call the shots; I do. And I will not have to repeat myself ever again. Got it?”
“Yes,” I whispered, voice cracking as he stepped so close that his body was pressing against mine. I bit my lip, looking down. He lifted a hand and put it under my chin, tilting it up. I stared at him through wide, terrified eyes.
“Oh, you look so much more attractive when you’re scared,” he whispered on my neck, kissing it softly. I gulped, aware that he could kill me at any moment. “By all means keep it up: you’re turning me on.” I’m sure my face went blood red just then and he laughed against my skin. “And this is for running away.”
Before I could do anything, he bit down and I screamed as loud as I could. My own ears hurt from my yelp. He didn’t seem to mind as he just took more and more of my blood. My vision started getting blurry and when he finally let go I collapsed on the floor.
“I’m sure you won’t be a problem anymore.”
I passed out before I’d even taken a single breath more.
“Keep door locked at all times.”
There are exceptions to every rule, aren’t there? The door was open just a crack and I heard something from inside. I couldn’t tell what it was, but curiosity got the best of me as I pushed it open a little more.
“What do you think you are doing?”
A hand clamped down on my shoulder and I screamed, grabbing a hold of the doorknob in an effort to not be dragged away by Darius. He gripped tighter, yanking me back. As he tugged on me, I pulled the door shut and it clicked as it locked. Even still, I held tight to my last hope. “Can you not read, girl?” Darius screamed at me, his grip only tightening as seconds passed.
“I can read,” I mumbled softly, trying to make my body relax and stop trembling. “I may not have a very good education, but I can read.”
“Obviously you can’t! An order is an order and it’s even stronger when written in ink! Do you not understand that?” Darius let go of my shoulder, but suddenly grabbed my forearm and jerked me away from the door and turned me to face him. He looked royally pissed.
“I’m sorry!” I cried as he pulled me down the hall.
“Sorry doesn’t make everything better, Gracie. Sometimes a punishment is called for.” Darius shoved me carelessly into his room and I heard the lock click. I stumbled to the bed and sat there as I groaned to myself and squeezed my eyes shut to keep away the tears. “Don’t cry: it’ll only make this more fun for me.”
“I didn’t—I’m sorry! But what’s behind the door?” My fear subsided as it was dominated by my overactive imagination. Did a rampaging monster reside there? Or maybe their insane half-brother lived there, just waiting for someone to come alone so he could devour their flesh!
“You don’t need to know anything other than that you are never to go near that door again unless otherwise stated by me. Learn respect or you’ll find your death here. I have little—if any—patience for you right now. Understand? I’d stay on my good side if I were you because the last guy that crossed me, well, I was burying him in a ditch somewhere outside Lansing within a half hour.” A sadistic grin found his face and I shook visibly as he stepped closer to me. I backed away from him as I retreated to the other end of his bed.
“Please,” I whispered, standing up on the other side of the room. “It won’t happen again, I promise! I’ll stay away from it!”
“Come here,” he demanded, acting as though I had never spoken. I shook my head feverishly. “Come. Here.” He only got the same reply as I backed even further away. “Get your ass over here!” He took a few strides and I started bawling as my back hit the wall: I had nowhere else to run. He was before me in one second. “You listen to me good. You will do as I say, no questions asked, got it? You are mine to do with whatever I will. You do not call the shots; I do. And I will not have to repeat myself ever again. Got it?”
“Yes,” I whispered, voice cracking as he stepped so close that his body was pressing against mine. I bit my lip, looking down. He lifted a hand and put it under my chin, tilting it up. I stared at him through wide, terrified eyes.
“Oh, you look so much more attractive when you’re scared,” he whispered on my neck, kissing it softly. I gulped, aware that he could kill me at any moment. “By all means keep it up: you’re turning me on.” I’m sure my face went blood red just then and he laughed against my skin. “And this is for running away.”
Before I could do anything, he bit down and I screamed as loud as I could. My own ears hurt from my yelp. He didn’t seem to mind as he just took more and more of my blood. My vision started getting blurry and when he finally let go I collapsed on the floor.
“I’m sure you won’t be a problem anymore.”
I passed out before I’d even taken a single breath more.