Out of Water

Chapter VII: The Truth.

Authors notes: This chapter contains some violence, and dark thoughts. If that is triggering to you, please be cautious.
I would like to preface this chapter by expressing a little bit of what the character Sophie won't admit.
She is in a lot of pain, I feel I did not give enough recognition to her pain in earlier chapters. Her moral compass is blocked by intense emotions... which of course, she won't admit to herself, or others.

After Whitey left I fell half asleep in a weird dream-like state. So I couldn't tell if I was dreaming the sounds of loud bells or if I actually heard them.

I dreamt I was back in La Belle and I had kept my job there. I dreamt Whitey was mine, and he would come and see me every day.
When I awoke I grew fonder of my memories of Whitey talking to himself in the mirror and our first kiss at that secret place by the pond.

I wondered what Cora would think if I told her the mess I had gotten myself into. If I told her, how when I kissed Louis it was passionate sure, and it was a lot of fun. But, with Whitey, it was also intimate and private. No matter where we were it felt like we floating in heaven. How every time I saw him from across the room it was like I couldn't breathe until I touched him, talked to him, embraced him. That even though he's kind of dumb and really silly, I still have so much respect for him and I care so much for him it hurts.

There was a clock on the wall. It was 3:45 am. I guessed only twelve hours left so I had until the same time in the PM till I guess they would kill me.

I fell asleep.

Ice cold water. My hair, dress, shoes, it was all soaked. I was so startled I gasped for air in surprise.
A man had dumped a bucket of ice cold water over my head.

My hands were raw from the rope and my body was shaking from the cold.

"Wakey wakey!" A man with a top hat and a golden and wood walking stick said as he sat down at the bar.

I continued to gasp for air.

"Want some more?" Renaldo asked sitting down on a bar chair holding whiskey.

I did not reply.

"I don't like silence." He said and he waved at the man who poured the water. He reached for another bucket that was steaming.

The water from that bucket was so hot I seriously thought my skin was burning. It felt like my skin and hair and nails were melting... full disclosure, they weren't.

"You wanna talk now?" He asked slyly.

I said nothing.

"Okay. Let's try something else. Gerald, get her up."

They put me on a wooden chair and tied me down to the handles with different rope.

I was honestly so scared I felt like I was gonna vomit constantly. My anxiety levels were through the roof. My head was dizzy.

The man who put me on the chair, Gerald? He got a cane and took it in both hands.

"I'm gonna ask you a question and if you answer I won't tell Gerry here to hurt you, okay?"

I said nothing.

"Okay then." He said and he nodded at Gerald.

Gerald swung the large wooden cane down onto my hand.

I screamed. He had hit it so hard I was certain the bones were broken. I could see the indent on my hand. My hearing began to fade. I blacked out from pain and fear.

When I woke up the time was 4:56 and Renaldo was sitting in front of me now and the man with the cane had left.

"You didn't like that caning much did you?" He asked with a thick Virginia accent.