The Pain that Made Her Beautiful

PMHB ch22

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Nayeli lay on sleeping mat, eyes closed. The world behind her eyes was something that Nayeli would never escape from. The memories that Nayeli had been watching for the second time had only begun to haunt as soon as she had been forced to embark on the Germans crusade home. Every time that they replayed themselves, Nayeli awoke, unsure of whether or not that was reality and what she was seeing and feeling now was the dream; however, after a few moments, Nayeli usually got her bearings.

“WHAT exactly did you hope to accomplish?” Thanos was in a worse rage than Nayeli had ever seen him in.

She stood side-by-side Jamal. He was frozen in stone. So white was his face that he looked to have seen a ghost. His hands were cold as ice, sweating from his uneasiness. Thanos looked at his as though he would kill Jamal right then and there.

Thanos had come for Nayeli that night when Jamal had fetched her. Thanos wanted to, as he said it, “smell his sweet Rose”. When she had returned to her sleeping pad, Nayeli had sensed that something was dreadfully amiss. Even though there was apprehension in her very breath, Nayeli slept. Upon awaking, Nayeli didn’t see any of the other girls that she normally shared a tent with, just neatly folded blankets and rolled up sleeping pads in the opposite corner.

Nayeli bolted upright and turned swiftly to see Thanos’ face, only a finger’s breadth away. His eyes were large with rage and suspicious jealousy.

Thanos shot up and turned slightly, and put his arms out to the sides of him to intensify his intimidating behavior, saying, “I came here to smell my Rose, and, lo and behold, the Rose I sought was nowhere to be found. This morning, I went and sought out Jamal. He told me everything. I know the intimate details of the actions that you partook in last night, Rose.”

Nayeli knew then that Thanos had to be planning a horrible and painful ‘punishment’ for, not just her this time, but Jamal too.

“Did he tell you that I had approached him yesterday and had to convince him to do this?” Nayeli asked in folly. She knew that their actions the previous evening could result in Jamal losing his life. Nayeli, however, would not. She was able to preserve hers only because of the fact that Thanos could “smell” her.

“Did you now?” Thanos said calculative, “I had hoped that you were not the instigating party, but, as I see that you are now, Rose, your punishment will increase in severity.” Nayeli let her muscles relax in relief, however, the feeling was premature.

“However,” the word was a pang in Nayeli’s consciousness, “As his punishment is now too severe, I will lessen that which I was going to enact. But, as he was convinced and acted with you in this misdeed, I will still, unfortunately, have to punish him as well.”

Nayeli’s heart sank instantly as Thanos stepped aside. She saw Jamal sitting in an armed chair. His hands were tied to the arms of the chair, his feet to the chair’s legs. His eyes were wide with apprehension as he tried and failed to speak through a gag.

“I had originally planned to remove your manhood, Jamal, but, because of Rose’s timely confession, you shall keep it,” Thanos said in forced and overly exaggerated sympathy, “But, you know, I still do have to punish those actions that you did commit. You will either do everything that I direct you to do in the next hours, or you will watch.”

Jamal’s eyes went wide with fear. He looked at Nayeli then immediately returned at Thanos’ wicked eyes. He tried to do say something, but it only came out as a muffled yell.