Little Queen

37

TRIGGER WARNING: Graphic depictions of violence and sexual assault. If this triggers you please skip ahead to the non italicized portion of the chapter.

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My wrists burn with a familiar pain and warm sticky blood trickles down my fingertips, each drop splattering against the freezing ground one after another. My entire body aches and I scream in desperation and agony, writhing across the dirty cement floor.

"NOO" I scream over and over.

The metal around my wrists digs in deeper as I yank against the chains holding my arms overhead.

"Mama! Mama no!"

Sobs explode from my chest and my voice -once high pitched- grates against my vocal cords. The big man on the other side of my cage points his gun at me and shoots just next to my raised hand. A scared shriek escapes my lips as I jerk away.

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Don't hurt my baby, please." Mama begs.

The mean man laughs slamming his hips against her again making her entire body wince in pain.

"MAMA!" I sob yanking my hands against their restraints, ripping into the already raw flesh there.

"Close your eyes baby, go to your happy place si?"

"No mamma non posso non posso" I sob watching as the horrible man covered in scars hurts her over and over. (No mama I can't I can't)

"sì, puoi baby, chiudi gli occhi proprio come ti ho mostrato. Siamo nei giardini bambina, solo tu ed io. Forse papà se è bravo. Stiamo guardando le stelle, sono così belle non è vero?"

(yes you can baby, close your eyes just like I showed you. We're in the gardens baby girl, just you and me. Maybe papa if he's good. We're looking up at the stars, they're so beautiful aren't they?)

I squeeze my eyes closed so tight shapes float behind my eyes.

"sì mamma è bellissimo" (Yes mama it's beautiful)

Mama's quiet for a moment and I can only hear the awful grunts the man is making.

"Ti amo con tutto il cuore piccola regina." (I love you with all of my heart little queen)

I swallow deeply ignoring the pain in my throat. An ear-splitting bang echos through the room and my eyes rip open to see the man pointing the barrel of his gun where Mama's head used to be with his head thrown back.

I wake up panicked and gasping for air, already sitting before my eyes even open. I do my best to calm myself with each breath I take but it's not doing much and soon my chest is aching from the lack of oxygen.

I hop out of bed and pace across the room with my hands linked above my head.

You're walking. You can leave the room at any time. Nothing is keeping you here. You are safe.

I walk around my room, even venturing into the bathroom to try to calm myself until finally a knock at the door startles me.

"Idalia everything okay in there? I thought I heard something."

I panic more at the idea of having to see Sunny right now and pinch the inside of my elbow to keep from breaking down.

"Everything's fine...I just- I stubbed my toe!" I stutter praying that he just leaves it alone.