it ends with august

t h i r t y - t h r e e

"Give up!"

Another whip slashed through my back, a muffled scream comes from me. Time went by and the pain was unbearable.

"Estella, I don't want to keep hurting you," Papa let his lone hand run down the marks on my back, he says he doesn't want to but I could hear the enjoyment in the tone of his voice.

"So strong-headed," he walked around me, stopping as we meet eyes. "Just like your mother,"

I grunted in response as he spoke of my mother, my memory of her being slaughtered replays in my head and a boost of energy ran through me.

He cocked a brow, "You don't like me talking about your mother? there's not much to say about her," he sighed, "she was only a good fuck when she was asleep,"

Once he got close to my face, I winded my head back putting enough force into the headbutt. he fell back onto the dirty floor, my head was shaking and I could feel the blood dripping down my face.

"Bitch!" he grunted, I smiled watching him in pain the first real enjoyment I had since I had been here and still that wasn't enough.

I started to laugh, watching him get up walking towards me holding his head but keeping his distance.

"You think this is funny?"

" I find it funny," these were the first words that I said to him once I got here, " "A man who talks about the lord and saver himself, but you are a man full of enough sins that won't even get you to hell, but purgatory,"

I started to laugh again, "You committed enough sins, you could be the devil himself," I gritted a sigh comes from me and I smiled, it was weak.

"But you are a coward, nothing but a man behind a mask that just likes to rape little girls," Once I reached my last words, his hand left a burning mark across my cheek.

He didnt stop hitting me, and with every hit I wanted to hit a nerve, I laughed at everyone even if each one felt each one to my core, pain running throughout my body. I could barely feel the other hit because the pain was still focused on each one.

By the time he was sweaty and panting, a weak laugh escapes from me. Looking up at him, he still walked over to me.

"Why can't you understand?" he touched my cheek and I moved away from his touch, "I'm doing this because I love you,"

"You do not love me," I say with a dry laugh, "You tried to kill me once I start being disobedient,"

I was weak, I wanted to sleep but it took everything in me to keep going. "You let August fill your head!"

"No! he told and showed me everything I needed to know about you," I stepped forward only for the restraints to pull me back, "You will not stop until you get your way,"

He sighed, just like every time before he leaves papa kisses my forehead, a disgusted shudder escaping me.

. . .

The days went on, this time my chains left my arms and moved to my ankle. I looked around the concert room. a small tray of food sat in the corner. From here, I could hear the rain, I missed it.

"Stella?" I heard Spencer's voice, I moved closer to the door as far as the chain could get me.

"Spencer?"I whispered but loud enough for her to hear, "Can you hear me?"

"Yes,"

A wave of relief flowed through me, just the sound of her voice made me relax. I was so tense then again I had every right to be.

I didn't know when I will see August, I didn't know if every time my father walked through this door, I would be alive.

"I miss you," I whispered, I had to picture her smile, not the version of her I saw through the glimpse of the doors every time they opened.

"I miss you too,"

She sounded so weak, trembling with fear and I couldn't comfort her. She didn't have Hayes and I didn't have August once again we only had each other.

"I'm so cold Stella," it was freezing, they stripped us of our clothes leaving us in our underwear every time we slept they only came in and threw water on us.

"I know, don't let him break you," I say, sitting here bruised up I can say he's close to breaking us.

"I know, tell me something good, anything,"

"I love August," I let my head touch the cold wall, my eyes fluttering shut and a sad smile touching my lips thinking of him.

"We got married, and that entire week has been the whole highlight of my life," I admit, I didnt care if the guards outside heard, I just wanted to speak freely.

"I knew it, and you tried to deny it," She laughed, hearing it made me laugh.

I couldn't deny it, it was nothing but the truth.

It was a moment of silence before she spoke again, "Do you think we'll get out of here?"

"We have to, we have to get back to our boys," I whispered, listing to the rain. We always loved the rain, it seems to me, every time I meet August, it was always raining.

"Do you hear that Stella," she was talking about the rain, a tear rolled down my cheek as my lips quivered into a smile.

"The bells are ringing,"

I allowed my eyes to close, listeing to the rain on this Sunday the bells ringed, and more blood spilled.