15. The Den

Anastasia...

" She's waking up," I heard someone say.

My eyes felt like metal as they were hard to open. A blinding light caused me to groan and seal my eyes shut once more. I twisted my arm only to feel things attached to it, making it heavy. I was lying on my stomach for some reason, and somehow, I felt naked.

" Open your eyes, please," the person said again.

A blinding light caused a groan to slip out of my throat, making me regret my decision. I tried to tilt and sit on my butt but I couldn't, because I was connected to the bed in a way that I could only lie on my stomach.

" W... water," I mouthed. I didn't feel like talking, nor did my throat allow.

" She wants water," I heard another say. The voice was familiar though. I don't know how I knew it, but it was familiar. A blurry figure came into sight. Whomever stood in front of me was covered in black clothing.

" We are going to disconnect you from the wires and help you turn. You are bare, so it goes with your comfort if you want us to help you turn," the person said once more, and then I felt things being dragged out of my skin, with no remorse. I whined at the pain, almost tearing my arm off when I felt someone restrain me.

" We can head out now so you can turn around," the person said, and I then saw about five men walk out the room, causing my hair at the back of my neck to stand.

I was naked and in a room of men. I frowned at the thought of what could have happened to me. I pulled myself up, and for some reason, a sting of pain erupted from my back, but it was bearable.

I slowly turned my whole body to sit upright and when I was done, I pulled up the white sheet to cover my body. I looked around, only to find myself in a white room filled with a lot of hospital stuff including machines, beds etc. A band aid on my wrist and there were bottles of vials on a silver trolley.

A man with dirty blonde hair that was slicked back with gel and was wearing a black suit entered the room. I froze as he took slow struts towards the bed.

" I won't hurt you." He spoke.

His words came out with a rich Italian accent but they were smooth.

" I'm Danté but I'm well known as Dr Danté. You were under my care during your turmoil and luckily you have healed. Your slashes on your back will soon fully heal but most of them are closed up now. They won't get any infections or anything. Your knees are healing. I wanted to stitch them up but I thought that your tissue would do more justice than stitches."

" Where am I?" I asked, not caring about anything he said at the last second.

" You are back at the Den," he said, lifting the sheet up from my feet and riding it up to my thighs. White cloths wrapped around my knees and he started plucking the cloths off.

" What do you mean back at the Den? What is the Den?" I asked, lost.

" What do you remember?" he asked and I frowned at him.

I tried searching my brain but I could remember nothing only until I felt his hands fiddle with my back and begin to remember everything.

The kicks in the stomach.

The punches.

The begging and pleading.

Me hanging and being whipped multiple times.

Most of all, my grandmother. Lying in a pool of her own blood, a bullet found a home in her chest.

A sob rippled out of my throat.

" What's happening?" A very familiar voice said, entering the room and behind him were two others. They were all in black suits and they wore masks. I remember them.

Ghost, Zeus and King.

" I think she remembers everything," Dr Danté answered, and the men nodded.

My eyes became blurry and I could hardly see anything. I pulled my knees up to my chest, ignoring the pain seeping through them. I buried my face on my thighs and all I could do was sob.

" Do you think we should leave?"

" Si, come later in the day, maybe she will be, okay?" Dr Danté said uncertainly, and then soon I heard the doors open and people marching out the room.

" I'll come back later to remove more of your bandages and your band aids on your face. Someone will be sent up with toiletries and food later on, so you can rest for now."

" How's my back? Will I be able to lie on it?" I asked, my voice barely my own and it was very heavy.

" Your back has healed, but not fully. Only a few scabs and scars here and there. No open wounds and they are not bad. You will be fine in a month or so," he said and I nodded. " You have been in a self-induced coma for a whole month now."

" What?" I asked with furrowed eyebrows and he confirmed it with a nod.

" Your body was in a lot of shock and also, your brain wasn't functioning well. You suffered from a lot of physical and psychological trauma causing your body to give in," he said, looking at me with pity. " You should rest."

" I've rested for a whole month now," I said, and he chuckled.

" You need more rest then or you won't heal," he said, and I nodded.

He strutted out of the room, leaving me alone in my own thoughts. I glared up at the wall across from me and went deep in thought. My vision became blurry and I could hardly see the white wall anymore. Warm liquid trickled down my cheeks and my sniffs became more frequent. A loud sob rippled from my throat and I buried my head further down my knees and cried.

I cried for my grandmother. I cried that I couldn't bury her. I cried because I was kidnapped. I cried because I was badly beaten. I cried because I was in a self-induced coma. I cried because I was clueless of the reasons why this was happening to me.

But most of all, I cried for my brother. I hadn't seen him in a whole month and he doesn't know where I am. He has been dealing with everything alone and not with me.

A knock erupted from my door, but I ignored it. The door opened and someone silently strolled in.

" Good evening. I was sent here by King," the very familiar voice said, and I lifted my head and I frowned.

So did the lady. That was the lady that took care of Tania. The lady that works for Tania's dad.

" Dorcas?" I asked, wiping off more of my tears to see her better and it truly was her. " What are you doing here?"

" Oh my gosh!" she said, rushing up to me and engulfing me in a hug. " I knew you were missing but I didn't know you were in this room the whole time. Tania has been looking for you. Everyone is worried about you. "

" Wait? What do you mean? You work for Tania's dad, so does that mean Tania's dad is..."

" King," a manly voice erupted and we both turned in the direction of the voice, to find three men standing under the wide doorway.

One by one, they took off their masks and I noticed two familiar men. Tania's father and the man who was with him back at the diner. They all strolled around the room as Dorcas placed a toiletry bag on the side table next to me. Her head bowed as she acknowledged the three men.

" Dorcas, you should leave," Tania's father said.

" Yes King," she said before giving me a look of sorrow and scurrying away, leaving me with the men that landed me in this room and the men that took me from my home.

When the door closed, my body started shaking due to fear. Turns out Tania's father had beaten me up almost to death and the one that was with him at the diner, was the one that kicked me in the gut. They all surrounded the bed, causing me to shake more and to bury my head on my lap.

" King, we are scaring her," the unfamiliar man said.

From his voice, I can recognize he was the one that helped me down the chains and ordered King to stop...beating me up. The thought caused another sob to slip out of my throat and I flinched when I saw King try to reach out to me.

He quickly pulled his hand back while I pulled the sheets further and held them tightly as I slowly pushed myself back, making me sit on the pillows. My heart was beating rapidly as I turned to face Tania's dad and I felt my body shake more. The machines started beeping loudly, causing my body to react in a frightful manner. Dr Danté rushed in and a frown was embedded on his face.

" I need you guys to leave now!" He ordered, rushing over to a cupboard not far from the bed.

" What's happening to her?" The one that kicked me in the gut asked, causing my stomach to clench and more tears to escape my eyelids.

" She is in a state of shock," he exclaimed, banging the cupboard and rushing up to me.

The beeps became louder and I started seeing black dots. I started hyperventilating and I suddenly couldn't breathe. I heard people yelling but I couldn't understand what they were saying. Every time I felt someone or something touch me, my body would become rigid and my heart would beat harder and faster with the goal of jumping out of my chest. Suddenly, I felt a prick in my wrist and my body froze and became numb before I felt my eyelids droop and then lights out.