CHAPTER 3

Is it the worst night of my life?

The answer is no, but even so, that doesn't make it easier every time.

My heart races in an exorbitant way, my hands gripping the sheets in an attempt to mitigate the tremors. Deep in my chest gasps a gasp.

I open my eyes slowly in the direction of the piece of wood that I have for my door. A heartbeat freezes in my chest when I realize that it is still closed and in the same state in which hours before I left it. But that breath of relief doesn't last long.

Yes, my door has not been opened, yes, tonight I am safe. But someone else does not have my luck, someone else will relive their continuous nightmare firsthand. I cannot feel peace just by knowing that that person is not me.

It only takes the first scream to know who it is, Ivana screams in a creepy way, I can clearly imagine her kicking, biting and hitting with all her might to escape. But a sharp blow resounds echoing through the entire wing of the slaves, followed by several more and with the last one there is silence.

I even notice that I am biting my lip until I feel the metallic taste. The folded fabric I use as a pillow is not enough to muffle her disgusting moans, no matter how much I squeeze it around my ears.

I slide out of bed letting myself fall on the cold floor in a ball, I don't know how long I spend like this, maybe minutes, hours.

Pray?

I have long since stopped. Heaven never heeds my pleas, ignores my pleas, so I just do the same. My mind gradually ceases to be aware of the relativity of time, until finally everything stops.

The footprints of the boots echo like a warning, footfall after footprint until they stop in front of my door. A harsh laugh from the excess of nicotine puts me on alert, more than I already am. The shadow of her silhouette peered through the gap between the floor and the door.

I crawl on the ground until I silently take the stick that I always hide behind her, I hold it with all the strength I have as my only lifeline.

__ I know you don't sleep __ he speaks in a whisper as if he could know that I am right there and that I can hear him. That makes it even more fearful, if possible __. Someday little princess I'll show you what it's like to be with a real man like me.

It is followed by an almost deafening silence, only its repair tells me that it is still there, until its footsteps echo away. Unable to contain it anymore, I bolt toward the bathroom, flushing everything my stomach contains into the toilet until the last bow stops.

I rinse my mouth to get rid of the disgusting taste, I reach out and reach for a small towel, its usefulness has been reduced to drying my lips these nights after letting go of all my food.

Five slow and few audible taps give me a start to death. I calm down in a matter of seconds, that is our password, but as they have always ordered me to do, I verify that it is not a hoax. Recognizing Elina's voice, I do not hesitate to put the safety aside, pass the key, and remove the lock.

Ali checks the security status of my door every day before I return from work, only then does she know that I will sleep safely at night. That is the only concession that Leceth authorized, nor does he know that six guards, counting on Ali, are in charge of protecting me on my working hours, otherwise I would have already prohibited it.

He hopes that through fear I will give in in my behavior, I think the only thing he has not suspected in the face of my reluctance in not giving in, is that he knows me well enough to know that I would rather die than ask for mercy.

__ It's wrong __ Elina announces, her voice tinged with concern.

I open the door to capacity and then help them support Ivana's unconscious body. Mal fails to describe his condition.

__ That animal has given you with desire this time. __ Yenla spits fire out of sheer courage. She brushes her reddish mane to one side, taming it into a quick ponytail. I rush to close the door, the last thing I want is for any of them to enter.

Yenla is a beautiful twenty-eight-year-old Frenchwoman, but she looks much younger. She and Elina are the closest to Ivana. We are a total of nine slaves, for years we agreed that when one of them suffered damage, the closest ones would be in charge of bringing them to my bedroom, the only more or less safe place. Only I have a safe at my door, the other girls do not, a slave is not supposed to deserve such a thing.

__ They do not know how much I would give to make the unhappy __ pay. Elina removes the hair that is stuck to her bloody face __. Just look at how they have left you heaven.

Ivana makes a move to move, she regains consciousness and because of her moans the pain is unbearable.

__Quiet, you're safe __. I take her hand leaving her light caresses, a reluctant smile leaves her broken lips from which streaks of blood come out.

I can't help the tears to win over me and the very elusive ones to come out. No one could ever get used to seeing this.

__ I ... I __ tries to say.

__ Don't strain Ivana, it will only hurt more __. But he ignores Elina.

__ I ... I hit, I hit the ... damn __ manages to finish while spitting blood when laughing.

Yenla looks at him with pride printed in every gesture __. That's our girl __ celebrates stroking her bruised face.

__ Ivana, now you have to rest, I'm going to get the medicine cabinet __. I get up from the bed, but his hand stops me, barely managing to exert force in his grip. Every fiber of his body is exhausted by the blows he received, and as if it were not enough, by the fight he gave despite knowing that the end would end up being the same.

They can beat them to faint, they can take her body with brutal lust, they can tear down every ounce of resistance in the face of barbarism and the outrage of her dignity, but they will never break her will, they will never tear her spirit like rotten cloth. That belongs to them, and clings to their soul that wanders dying with the passage of time immutable through the corridors stained with pain and suffering in these cold walls and devoid of human mercy.

__ Thanks __. He tries to form a smile, but he only winces.

__ That's what we are for, to take care of each other __. I smile at him with a new wave of tears falling. There is no point in trying to contain them, not when they flood my chest in agonizing lament.

__ Elina we must go __ the redhead demands __. If we meet here, we'll get Suhaila in trouble.

The brunette nods and heads towards the exit, but not before leaving each one a kiss on Ivana's forehead.

I make sure to keep the door closed securely, after doing so, I search the wall behind the bed for the little brick that sticks out. I extract it and immediately what I am looking for appears.

The makeshift first aid kit. Rather, it was a plastic bag with small cotton balls, hydrogen peroxide, some ointments and pills. I have made this little treasure with help.

Caili, Ali, Brazy, Georgeo, among others, take the medicine cabinets from their work areas and extract what is necessary in small quantities to help us. They have been forced many times to lie to get them. A few months ago I did a self-injury for Kiara to see. She is not stupid and I knew that when she gave me more than I required, saying that it was in case I ever needed it.

I can never thank you enough for that gesture.

I give him some pills for the pain, and then clean his face and go on to heal wound by wound. I try to be careful, but still can't help but cause her more pain than she feels. I have to leave his wounds very clean to avoid infections.

I wash my hands letting the water wash away the traces of blood that are in them, through the swallow the red threads of liquid dance until they get lost in the pipe. I get out of the bathroom and put the medicine cabinet in place, Ivana has fallen asleep, resting will help her heal faster. The bed is small, but, other circumstances, we would have fit both of us. He wouldn't forgive me for hurting her.

I make a makeshift bed on the floor and lie down in silence, I stay there just looking at the ceiling and without realizing it I fall into a dream, one of need, the need to find some way to escape from this hell.

The first rays of sunlight hit my eyelids as they entered through the window. The sun is starting to rise, first of all, I remove the lock and lock the door, I don't want Caili to wake Ivana with her persistent fingering as she cannot open the key.

The poor thing looks even worse, her bumps are swelling and if I don't get her some ice, I doubt she'll be able to open her eyes. The whispering of the girls can be heard in the corridor and before they touch I open them. I take advantage of the fact that everyone is there to leave, Caili is delayed and I can't keep waiting for her.

At this time everyone is asleep, only a few guards roam the corridors after the shift change is made. I know my daily planning by heart, so it's easy to get where I want to go without unwanted stumbling blocks.

As expected, the tall, burly man with the greyish beard and dark hair stands firm with alert eyes. You immediately notice my presence.