The Intentions

Chapter 22: Flashbacks Part 1

Damien: Unknown Date

     "Christmas." Jarek relayed with a grin.

I stared at him incredulously, masking my horror. "What?" I was hoping I had heard wrong.

Jarek's smile inverted into a scowl. "Why do I always have to repeat myself with you?" he spat. "I said round 2 will be on Christmas."

This guy was sick. "Why?" I asked.

Jarek huffed and turned his attention back to the TV news channel. "Why not? Do you have anything better to do?"

I knew I had to lie. I had to come up with something so I didn't look suspicious. "Yeah, actually. I have a family out there, man."

Jarek only laughed, throwing me off slightly. "If you really cared about your family, we wouldn't be doing any of this right now."

I felt my growing anger and decided leaving the room was the smartest option.

Just as I was about to disappear down the hall, I heard Jarek call out to me.

"Don't go soft on me, Damien. There's no point protecting those girls. No matter what happens, the rest of their lives won't be great. I can guarantee you that."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mona: Flashback September 5, 2014

I rested against the wall of the basement, spitefully ignoring the other girls, as I have been doing since they made the rape comments.

I wasn't only mad at them, but incredibly nauseous as well. Staring at the ugly scars and the bleeding burns that were left on Beth's body had shaken me. I was able to shut it out earlier. Act numb to it all. 

It was all catching up to me now. I wanted to look away from the burns that were scarred into her flesh but I couldn't do it.

I didn't belong here. I wanted my family back. I don't know how many times I had thought this since I got here, but I didn't care. I couldn't handle anything that was happening to me and I had only been here five days.  I felt nauseated. The feeling you get when you know you're going to get in trouble had settled into my stomach making it hard to think about anything other than what was happening around me. I could feel my conscious mentality breaking down slowly.

What was it my brother had always said for me to think about if I needed comfort?

Just think of his songs. He used to write them and he left them for me to read over.  I could only remember a spare few lyrics of a song he wrote in his junior year of high school. 

Pull me down, rip me up, we fight to fall apart

Pull me down, rip me up, this isn't that smart

We concentrate on breaking the other down

Then focus on picking up the pieces

Say goodbye to the frown-I'm buffing out the creases

I'm a skyscraper of shredded hearts and tragedy

You're a room full of spite that's pulling me down like gravity

I couldn't remember the rest of the song. I used to love it. I'm surprised I could even recall my brother's face at this point.

Five days.

Kaila: Flashback July 1, 2014

Beth was the only other human I had contact with down here. The man that had taken me a month ago hadn't shed any light on why he had kidnapped us in the first place, though I knew it wasn't going to be good for Beth and I.