Chapter four
A sharp scream jolts me awake. I hadn't slept in days-34 nights, to be exact.
I finally could pretend, just for a little while, that nothing had happened. But pretending doesn't last long.Eventually, my mind turns against me, dragging me back to the torment I can't escape.
I turn my head, trying to steady my breath, and see Savannah huddled in the corner. The light from the door— that door, the one that almost never opens-cuts through the room like a blade.
No. No, no, no, nо.
Panic shoots through me, sharp and heavy, as dread wraps around my chest like a chain. The same man who took Alissa steps inside. His hands are on Savannah now, pulling her away.Before I can think, before I can even breathe, l'm moving. My hands grab his arm, and I bite down, hard enough to feel his flesh give under my teeth. His scream is raw and jagged, and for one second, i feel satisfaction .Then pain explodes through my head.His hand is in my hair, yanking so hard it feels like my scalp will tear. The slap comes next-sharp and fast-making my vision blur and the room tilt.
Savannah's still screaming, but now she's calling my name, frantic and desperate. I claw at his arm as he drags me by my hair, each pull sending sharp, tearing pain through my skull. My legs kick out, trying to move with him, trying to make it hurt less.
I see another guard-one I haven't seen before-grab Savannah. She's screaming, clawing at him, kicking and biting, doing everything she can to wrestle free. For a moment, it looks like she might actually break away.
But then he lifts her.
I scream, the realization of what's about to happen hitting me like ice, but it's all so fast. Too fast. Before I can do anything, I watch as Savannah is slammed to the ground.
She's not moving.
Her screams are gone, replaced by a horrible silence that makes my chest cave in. Now it's me who's frantic, sobbing and begging, my voice tearing through the air. Screaming, screaming, screaming.
I'm yanked roughly out of the room. The light is blinding, sharp and white, and I haven't seen anything this bright in so long that it feels like it's burning my eyes. I squint, trying to adjust, but it only makes it worse. The guard's grip on my hair finally loosens, and for a moment, the relief is sweet-a brief, fleeting feeling that almost makes me forget the pain. But that lasts no longer than a heartbeat.
Without warning, a sharp, brutal kick lands directly in my stomach. It's so fast, so unexpected, I don't even have time to brace for it. The air rushes out of me, leaving my lungs empty. My body goes cold, my vision narrowing as the edges darken, like everything around me is pulling away. I try to breathe, but my chest refuses to rise, the pain locking me in place.
I double over, curling into myself, my hands pressing against my stomach as if I can will the pain to stop. The strangest, strangled noises escape from my mouth-sounds I barely recognize as my own. I can't make them stop. Each breath feels like it's being ripped from me, and the world spins wildly, disorienting, dizzying. It's like I'm drowning in the air, and I can't get enough.
And then, just when I think I can't take anymore, a sharp slap across my face snaps my head to the side, the sting bringing a rush of air back into my lungs. It's not enough to make the pain go away, but at least I can breathe again. Every inhale, though, is a struggle, each one pulling sharp tendrils of agony through my body, making my stomach churn.
My vision flickers, black spots dancing across my sight, and then everything fades. The world, the pain, everything— just disappears into darkness.