Chapter 53

WARNING!!!! MENTIONS OF BLOOD, WEAPON USE AND OTHER ADULT CONTENT IF UNCOMFORTABLE DO NOT READ! YOUR MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS!!

The rain outside was a hypnotic rhythm against the barred window. Four weeks, maybe five, since they took me. Each day scratched onto the wall felt like a lifetime. Ricardo wasn't so bad; he made sure I ate, slept, even showered. But Daniel… Daniel was different.

His eyes. They haunted me. Cold, grey, and recently, bloodshot. He'd just stand there, watching, a silent predator. It was a different kind of terror than Christian's teasing, playful darkness. Christian's was a spark, a thrill; Daniel's was a slow burn, a promise of something ugly.

The rain was calming, washing away the grit of fear for a few precious moments. I let it lull me, my mind drifting away from the stone walls and the gnawing anxiety. Sleep pulled me under, a temporary escape.

I woke to a nightmare.

Daniel was there, grinning, a glint of steel in his hand. My breath hitched. "D-Daniel?" I stammered, shrinking back against the cold wall.

His grin widened, revealing teeth stained crimson. "Princess, good morning~"

"W-what are you doing?" My voice trembled.

"Nothing, my dear," he chirped, eyes gleaming with hunger. "But if you don't want to die, I suggest you hold still. It's easier this way." He grabbed my wrist, his grip like a vise. Before I could react, he sank his teeth into my skin. A searing pain shot up my arm.

I screamed, a primal sound of pure terror, and kicked out. He cursed, the knife flashing as he used it to rake across my legs. Each movement sent fresh waves of agony through me. His bite tightened, and he moved to my arm, then to my neck, tearing at the skin. His teeth were too sharp, too eager.

I sobbed, screamed, but the sound was swallowed by the room. There was no one to hear, no one coming to save me. He laughed, a high, deranged sound, clearly enjoying my pain. And then I saw it. His eyes. They flickered red, a demonic shimmer in the dim light. He was high.

This was so much worse than anything I'd imagined.

He pulled away, smacking his lips. "Awww, so pretty with those marks, my dear," he purred, tracing the bloody gashes on my legs with a dirty finger. "That's all, thanks for the meal, doll." He laughed again, a sound that would forever be etched into my nightmares, and left me there, bleeding and broken.