It was dark.
'Crystal', I whispered gently. No response. I tried again.
What if I had actually lost her this time? All of this, all these years of chaos, only to lose her again? Tears began to fall down my face as I began to lose even more hope. I thought back to that girl who had built herself up so much, she walked down that school hallway with so much confidence. God, what had happened to me? I let him get to me. Feeling a sudden urge of anger I started punching the ground in anger.
'Fuck. Fuck!' The only words that spewed out of me along with some screams of self hatred.
'Shut the hell up! My head is pounding over here' I heard a voice. I snapped my head towards the voice.
'You're alive!' I couldn't help but beam in joy.
'Unfortunately.'
Ignoring her reply, 'I was crazy worried! We have to get out of here right now! I'm going to kill this bastard.'
She slowly began to sit up, clutching her rib cage with one hand whilst pushing herself up with the other.
'You're not going to do anything. Just like you didn't back then.' I was shocked at her words. How could she think I hadn't done anything?
'What? Are you crazy?'
With a sinister smile, Crystal spoke again 'you were supposed to protect me. Sister mum they all used to say! So how did you let this happen? How?!'
She was on the verge of tears and her voice rising a few octaves.
I was in shock. I couldn't form any words but many were clouding my mind. What the hell was she saying? Surely he had brain washed her. This couldn't be my Crystal. She was blaming me for everything that had happened, rather than him?
Just as I was about to retaliate, faint laughter passed by one side of the chamber. That must be where the door is. I crawled over, pain shooting through each one of my limbs. I used my hands to pat down the wall and feel for any crevices. There must be a key home or something where I could see out. Nothing.
Frustration hit me again, I couldn't believe I was stuck in this situation where my own sister was cursing me.
I sat on my bum, back touching the wall where I hoped the door was.
'Crystal, listen to me carefully. Ever since that night, all I've done is think about you and how I'm going to get revenge. That's it. I have my whole life for this. I'm sorry I couldn't be there to protect you in the moment but since then, it's been the only thing on my mind. You wouldn't be able to imagine what I've been through.'
She cut me off before I could continue, 'what you've been through? Are you fucking kidding me? Are you actually joking? He's had me in here or somewhere dark for so long that I don't even know what day it is. I can't remember the face of my parents. I can't remember what the fucking sky looks like, Carter! My body, it's not even mine anymore. It never was after that night. I can't even feel it when he touches me now. Can't imagine what you've been through? I don't give a shit what you've been through. Why are you here anyway? If it wasn't for you, I'd either be dead or be killed by now. Something I've been praying for each night!'
Her breath as heavy as the silence that now surrounded us. I didn't say anything, I couldn't, I didn't know what to.
Weeks passed and we continued to rot.
My thoughts were overloaded in my mind. I could close my eyes and hope that I wouldn't hear them anymore but they were loud. Open my eyes and I could see Crystal withering away. We didn't speak.
One of his boys had come in a few days ago or perhaps it was yesterday. I couldn't quite figure it out. He left us food and some water. Not enough for one person but we ate every morsel even from the monster's hands.
The key turned and the chamber door swung open again. The dull light from outside hurt my eyes. Crystal and I both winced and looked away, first at each other and then down at ourselves. I didn't even know there was blood running down my legs- some dry and some fresh.
'Ladies, ladies, ladies. Don't you worry my darlings, I'm not feeling you tonight. I have someone else to satisfy my needs for today. I've come to collect your tray'
We stayed still and quiet.
'See you loved the food then? So did the dogs.'
As he lifted the tray, he tripped and dropped it. It made a loud clang- I jumped in fright.
'Fuck!' he quickly picked up the tray and left.
I closed my eyes, praying for a miracle. Anything.
'Carter'
'Carter'
'Hey! Carter!'
Crystal hissed at me. I slowly pried my eyes open, the pain and lack of energy made even keeping them open a struggle.
'Look at what he dropped. Must have not heard it fall when the tray fell'
She held a small silver key, too small to fit the lock for the chamber but big enough to be useful. We looked at each and for the first time, we finally spoke; with our eyes.
Days and nights passed. How many, we couldn't be sure.
I used the back of my hand to rub deeply into my eyes as i heard the rattle of the chamber door. A large boot slowly stepped into the room and onto Crystal's hand. She hissed in pain and tried to yank it back.
'stupid bitch' he sneered as he went to put down our second tray of food since we had found the key.
As he bent down, I grabbed his arm as fast as I could and took the pointed end of the key and rammed it as hard as I could sharply into his left eye.
A loud screeching sound escaped his mouth.
Crystal immediately lunged onto his back, tackling him down to the floor where we pinned him down and continued to stab him with the key as hard as we could. No area of exposed flesh was left untouched, leaving him, eventually, unconsciousness and bloody on the floor. It was a joyful surprise that no-one had followed him from the sound of his screams. I suppose they assumed that we would be harmless since we hadn't made any moves yet.
'We did it.' Crystal said with a tone of shock in her voice. We had behaved like savages but it's what he had made us become. We had reached a point of no return.
'We did.' I responded curtly.
After admiring our work for a mere second, I stepped over his body and grabbed Crystal's hand before quickly leaving the chamber. There was no-one nearby, he must have been our sole guard. Scanning the corridor, I noticed that it was deserted, almost as if something chaotic had just happened. Papers, cutlery, knives and furniture was scattered all around. Crystal hurriedly limped over to the knives and started collecting as many as she could in her hands.
'don't' she began to protest 'I've got a better idea'. She didn't listen and put a knife in her back pocket.
A few years ago, if I had been asked what my plan of revenge was, I probably would have said something like: make him fall in love with me and dump him. But now is not a few years ago and now I've experienced things from him that restrict me from sleeping at night.
Slowly, I made my way through the house ensuring that no other person was around each new bend. Crystal followed cautiously behind.
'We're going to get caught. Let's make a run for it, we're so close' she pleaded. I had other plans.
'You can go.'
She didn't.
I found what I was looking for: a can of petrol. Quickly, I rummaged through draws full of tools and old scraps to look for matches or a lighter.
'Crystal! Help me look!' I shouted.
'I don't think this is a good idea, Car'
Car? Now we were back to being sisters? The shock of escaping had probably changed her attitude towards me.
'I told you, you can leave. If you're staying, you're helping. Think about all they have put us through'
She stood still on one spot and continued to stare at what I was doing.
'Aarrghh' I let out a long grunt of annoyance. They had all the crap in the world except some matches.
I kicked the cupboard hard causing it to rattle.
'This is fucking bullshit. We're so close!' I could feel anger building up in me anger, the type of anger that caused your throat to close up and eyes to well up.
My back against the cupboard, I slid down and rested my head upon my knees. We didn't have time for this. They would be back and either we'd be dead or ...dead.
'They're here' her voice monotone and her hand held out. I looked up and she was holding the matches that I had been looking for.
'you had them? this whole time?' I stood up and walked towards her. 'are you deranged?!' I screamed in her face as I snatched them off her.
She had wasted so much of our time.
'I don't think this is a good idea.'
'Well, I do.'
Engines roared in the near distance
I felt myself snidely smile. It was time.
Crystal and I found ourselves running back to the area near the chamber. I ensured that I spilled the petrol everywhere I possibly could. There was a table surrounded by some old plastic chairs clearly used by him and his men where I poured petrol.
'Mate, I need a beer before I check on those whores again'
'It's my turn tonight, an official visit for them.' Logan laughed like the bitch he was.
They all stepped into the corridor outside the chamber not having noticed us yet.
'Hello boys' I smiled.
For a moment, I thought I saw shock on Logan's face but he quickly masked it with his usual smug look. I waited for a second thinking Crystal would say something but she remained mum.
'what-' before he could even move or finish his sentence, I dropped the match inches away from him.
Turning towards the exit, I sprinted as fast as I could hearing the screams that would no doubt haunt me in my sleep. The entire lower section of the house lit up in flames. The burns on my arm would constantly remind me of this moment. Coughing and wheezing I found myself far away from the house. I wanted to feel happy, I had done it. I had achieved my payback, that motherfucker would never treat anyone the way he did anymore. He got what he deserved for all he had put my sister and I through. Those poor, other innocent girls and all the lives that he ruined. I didn't feel happy though, like my body had forgotten how to feel a good emotion. All it knew was pain, anger and hurt. I looked up at the clouded sky, taking a deep breath of the polluted air in hopes that it would ease the burden. I closed my eyes and savoured the moment.
Panic set in, where was Crystal?
I quickly sprinted closer to the house, my eyes scanned each window in hopes that I wouldn't see her in there.
Logan was suffocating, I could see it. His hand clutching his throat whilst the other scanned the surfaces for anything to save him. His eyes, they showed pain- even from so far away I could tell they were crying. It was an easy way to die for him but I couldn't take it anymore- seeing his face, hearing his voice. I know it would still be there, in my mind. Even the way he touched me affectionately would remain engrained in my memory but I had to get rid of his physical self. I just had to. I know Crystal would eventually understand me.
Last window, there she was. Her back lit up with fire but she stared directly out, at me. No emotion, just a blank look, almost as if she was saying 'this isn't a good idea, Carter'.