Marked: Chapter 4

“Where’s Mom?” My sister’s soft voice cracks through the darkness.

“They took her a while ago,” I answer, scooting as close to her as the thick metal chains bound to my ankles will allow.

The floor we sit on is dirty, and covered with a thick grime. It stinks of oil and gasoline in here, but there isn’t enough light for me to make out more than a few feet around us.

And so far, all I’ve seen is the cement wall we’re chained to, and the cement flooring.

“Are you all right?” I ask. My fingertips brush across hers.

Her chains clink against the floor as she shifts, trying to get closer to me.

“My side hurts, but yeah. I’m okay. Why are we here?”

“I don’t know.”

“I’m tired.”

“I know.” I get just close enough to squeeze her fingers. “I can’t tell how long we’ve been here or what time it is. But maybe you should get some sleep.” Maybe we both should.

Who knows what the monster has in store for us next? When I work my jaw, it’s still sore. Getting backhanded across the face hurts a hell of a lot more than it looks like in the movies.

“Why are they doing this to us?” Her voice is soft, like she’s almost asleep. “Char–“

The door creaks open, drowning out her faint voice. Metal screeches as it moves, and light pours in from the opening. A figure stands in the light, making their features hard to make out.

“Good. You’re both up.” His voice crawls over me, thick like the grime covering the floor beneath us.

He drags his feet as he makes his way toward us. The heel of his shoe scrapes the floor with each step.

“Where’s our mom?” I ask, fighting the tremor in my voice.

“Don’t worry about her. She’s safe enough.” The closer he gets, the more my eyes are able to focus. “At least for now.”

“What do you want with us?” my sister asks, scooting back against the wall and pulling her knees up to her chin. I can’t reach her now, she’s too far away.

The man squats between us, running his tongue over his top teeth. The stench of cigarette smoke rolls off him in thick waves. It’s stifling how bad he smells.

“I haven’t had a pair of sisters in a long time.” He smacks his lips together, like he’s been starved, and a full feast has been put in front of him. “It’s going to be fun, the three of us playing together.”

“Please. What do you want?” I draw his attention when his eyes linger on my sister for too long. She’s already so tired and hurting from the last time he took her from the room. She won’t tell me what he did, only that she’s hurting. But before he slammed the door last time, the light caught her legs, and I noticed the blood on her thigh.

She can’t go with him again.

“Fun. We’re just having fun.” He leans toward me. “I know you’re sisters and all, but your tits aren’t as big. It’s like she got all the pretty and you got the scraps of what was left.” He reaches his hand out to me, trying to cup my chin, but I slap his hand away.

Idiot move.

Stars burst in my vision, as sharp pain radiates from my jaw up to my ear. Another smack comes from the other direction. Loud ringing bursts in my ears.

“Mom…you’d be….or your sister…” I can’t make out what he’s yelling at me. The noise is too loud.

“I’m sorry!” I yell when he moves to the chains at my sister’s ankles. “No! Take me! Take me!” My knees scrape against the rough concrete as I scramble toward him, pulling on his leg, hoping to get him away from her.

He shakes me off like I’m some annoying dog.

“Leave her alone!” I scream until my throat stretches around the words, but he’s already got her unchained and yanked up to her feet. “Don’t hurt her!” My voice cracks mid yell.

“Please,” she whimpers.

“C’mon sweetheart, it’s fine.” He pulls her by her elbow. Her bare feet pad across the floor as he half drags her off toward the door. “We’re just gonna have some fun. I ain’t gonna hurt you, unless you make me.”

“Stop!” The chains cut into my ankles as I lunge forward. “Please. Take me!”

He stops at the door, turns back to me.

“You’re next, don’t worry.” And then he hurls my sister into the hallway and slams the door again, thrusting me back into darkness.

Only this time, I’m all alone.

Just me and the monsters.