The Cursed Numbers

Breathing A New Life

A dim light shining through the ajar door, making its way on dust particles all the way to the corner of the gloomy room. Trying to settle with ease in a straight line on something solid.

There, in the corner, two droopy arms cleched around thin legs. Pulling them to her chest, as if trying to let them tear open her stomach and bury them inside. A blonde curtain around her spun body was touching the freezing ground. Though it hadn't been washed since days, perhaps weeks, (keeping track of dates got impossible here) it was beautifully glinting due to the dusky light, which still was struggling to ooze through the petite ajar.

Then, as gotten customary, footsteps occured on the stairs. Firm and slow steps which let the wooden stairs underneath it crackle by every little movement on it. She squeezed her eyes while she started to shiver. Hands stiffer than ever. The ferrous cuffs around her ankles connected with chains made rattling sounds as she slowly tried to shuffle back and inhume herself deeper in the corner. As if that would make anything decent of the cruelty that would follow in no time.

Her head was as always faced to the ground. A shiver chased down her spine. She tried to gasp for some air as an amorphous white cloud escaped from between her dried lips. It was as if she couldn't breathe anymore. He was back. Back for her, again. You could hear his heavy steps in the hallway now. Just a couple meters from her door. She could tell by the closeness of the crackling sound that  he was standing in front of the door. Suddenly the rusty hinges of the old door squealed like fingernails on a dusty chalkboard and let the shady light shine all over her tattered body.

She was shaking all over, but this time brave enough to open her eyes full of horror and tilt her face, just a little. Her long hair blocked her view, but not enough to loose sight of his sneering smile on his face. Tears were fighting their way out of her eyes, gliding on her cheekbones, all the way down to her chin. It was so still you could hear her tears dropping on the ground.

He was slowly gaining on her as she parted her lips desperately. The only word which could get out, carried by another shaking cloud, was a weepy "Please..", which even she almost could not hear..