not built like Tex was.
“ Stay the hell away from me!” I screamed.
“ Now, now…” Leonard protested. “At least I gave you my best looking man. I could have given you Larry—or me.” He winked, flashing that lone crooked tooth.
I wanted to vomit.
“ Don’t make me give Jenson any orders. You wouldn’t want that now would you?”
My head fell back against the linoleum tile and I just shook it side to side, finding myself on the verge of admitting defeat.
“ Don’t you lay one fucking finger on her!” Tex screamed. “Kid, listen to me! Just forget about me. Don’t let them do this to you.”
I felt tears well up and spill down my temples. I closed my eyes. “I can’t do that,” I choked out. “Please, don’t watch.”
“ I swear to God! I will escape these fucking chains, skin you alive, and toss you out into the sun to burn if you take one more step in her direction.” Tex pulled at his chains.
“ Well, I don’t need to see or listen to this. Jenson, I trust you know what to do if need be. Frank—for the colony!”
“ Yes, sir.” The two men said in unison.
As I heard Frank’s footsteps grow closer to me, I tried my best to drown out Tex’s yelling. I sucked up my tears, refusing to show weakness in front of this oncoming abomination of a man.
I closed my eyes.
“ I’m sure glad Leonard found us a pretty one, eh, Jenson?”
“ Just shut up and get on with it. I’m hungry.” Jenson grumbled.
I felt rough fingertips slide up my face and massage my cheekbone. My entire body went stiff; bile rose in my throat. Frank’s other hand grabbed my thigh, the only skin showing between my shorts and my boots. His fingertips dug into my naked flesh.
I swallowed, trying to keep the puke down. I swallowed again for good measure. I took a deep breath, wishing I could glue my eyes shut, wishing I could turn off my brain. I was about to slam my head into the tile to knock myself out when Frank spoke again.
“Elle, you’re so tense. I like my women at ease.”
“How do you know my name?” I croaked. I never told Leonard and Tex wouldn’t have said anything.
Frank’s eyes widened like he had made some horrible mistake. Jenson cursed. Tex went silent.
CRACK!
The sound of a gunshot came from outside the door, followed by a thud. I froze; so did the rest of the room. The door swung open and a ghost appeared in the doorway.
“Get away from my Elle!” My dad screamed. But he wasn’t a ghost. He was honest-to-God flesh and bone, holding a pistol. He pulled back on the trigger and Frank fell to the ground beside me, gurgling and drowning in a pool of his own blood.
Jenson quickly reached for his own gun, but he was too slow. He dropped to the floor and slumped sideways into Tex. There was a single red hole between his eyebrows, but behind him, the wall was plastered with blood and brain matter. I gagged and my stomach convulsed. My dad ran over to Tex, unchained him, and then did the same for me before wrapping me in his arms.
“Dad!” I cried, throwing my arms around him. “How? Why? I don’t understand!” I was choking on my tears now, having forgotten the world around us. It was only me and my daddy. I wouldn’t let anyone invade this moment.
But thanks to reality and Tex’s fist, my little dream shattered around me. My dad fell to the ground, a bright red welt on his jaw.
“Tex!” I yelled, momentarily forgetting about his family, forgetting about the atrocity my dad had committed.
“Of course you would be a part of this place! It all makes sense. You probably told them to use your daughter! You deserve to die a thousand times over after what you did to my family, and now your own daughter!” Tex was red in the face and his hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists. He was ready to knock him out once my dad stood back up.
I didn’t know what to do. I felt lost. I needed answers.
“ Stay the hell away from me!” I screamed.
“ Now, now…” Leonard protested. “At least I gave you my best looking man. I could have given you Larry—or me.” He winked, flashing that lone crooked tooth.
I wanted to vomit.
“ Don’t make me give Jenson any orders. You wouldn’t want that now would you?”
My head fell back against the linoleum tile and I just shook it side to side, finding myself on the verge of admitting defeat.
“ Don’t you lay one fucking finger on her!” Tex screamed. “Kid, listen to me! Just forget about me. Don’t let them do this to you.”
I felt tears well up and spill down my temples. I closed my eyes. “I can’t do that,” I choked out. “Please, don’t watch.”
“ I swear to God! I will escape these fucking chains, skin you alive, and toss you out into the sun to burn if you take one more step in her direction.” Tex pulled at his chains.
“ Well, I don’t need to see or listen to this. Jenson, I trust you know what to do if need be. Frank—for the colony!”
“ Yes, sir.” The two men said in unison.
As I heard Frank’s footsteps grow closer to me, I tried my best to drown out Tex’s yelling. I sucked up my tears, refusing to show weakness in front of this oncoming abomination of a man.
I closed my eyes.
“ I’m sure glad Leonard found us a pretty one, eh, Jenson?”
“ Just shut up and get on with it. I’m hungry.” Jenson grumbled.
I felt rough fingertips slide up my face and massage my cheekbone. My entire body went stiff; bile rose in my throat. Frank’s other hand grabbed my thigh, the only skin showing between my shorts and my boots. His fingertips dug into my naked flesh.
I swallowed, trying to keep the puke down. I swallowed again for good measure. I took a deep breath, wishing I could glue my eyes shut, wishing I could turn off my brain. I was about to slam my head into the tile to knock myself out when Frank spoke again.
“Elle, you’re so tense. I like my women at ease.”
“How do you know my name?” I croaked. I never told Leonard and Tex wouldn’t have said anything.
Frank’s eyes widened like he had made some horrible mistake. Jenson cursed. Tex went silent.
CRACK!
The sound of a gunshot came from outside the door, followed by a thud. I froze; so did the rest of the room. The door swung open and a ghost appeared in the doorway.
“Get away from my Elle!” My dad screamed. But he wasn’t a ghost. He was honest-to-God flesh and bone, holding a pistol. He pulled back on the trigger and Frank fell to the ground beside me, gurgling and drowning in a pool of his own blood.
Jenson quickly reached for his own gun, but he was too slow. He dropped to the floor and slumped sideways into Tex. There was a single red hole between his eyebrows, but behind him, the wall was plastered with blood and brain matter. I gagged and my stomach convulsed. My dad ran over to Tex, unchained him, and then did the same for me before wrapping me in his arms.
“Dad!” I cried, throwing my arms around him. “How? Why? I don’t understand!” I was choking on my tears now, having forgotten the world around us. It was only me and my daddy. I wouldn’t let anyone invade this moment.
But thanks to reality and Tex’s fist, my little dream shattered around me. My dad fell to the ground, a bright red welt on his jaw.
“Tex!” I yelled, momentarily forgetting about his family, forgetting about the atrocity my dad had committed.
“Of course you would be a part of this place! It all makes sense. You probably told them to use your daughter! You deserve to die a thousand times over after what you did to my family, and now your own daughter!” Tex was red in the face and his hands were clenched into white-knuckled fists. He was ready to knock him out once my dad stood back up.
I didn’t know what to do. I felt lost. I needed answers.
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