Chapter 4: The Outside World Forgets

Elodie's POV

I stayed frozen, clutching the blanket to my chest. My heart was pounding so fast I thought I’d pass out.

The man turned his eyes to me then. For a second, I couldn’t tell if he was another monster or if I’d just been saved by one.

He exhaled slowly, rubbing his forehead as if trying to control his temper. “Get her cleaned up,” he said finally, his tone rough but calm now. “We must make the delivery to El Cuervo."

Two other men appeared behind him, both dressed in black. They didn’t say a word as they stepped inside. I didn’t move when they came closer, I didn’t even breathe.

All I knew was that the gold-tooth man was gone… and whoever this new man was, he was far more dangerous.

***

I was escorted to a more decent washroom and given some privacy to wash myself. I glanced around the small bathroom, the tiles on the wall were cleaner with no fungi in sight and no guards to seize me with their hungry eyes.

I took a deep breath and peeled the thin nightgown off my body, and turned on the shower. I shivered when the cold water hit my skin, but it soon went away. My red hair clung to my shoulders, dripping.

I took the bar of soap on the counter and started rubbing it over my body, face and my hair. I closed my eyes and sobbed, as my tears mixed with the rushing water.

How did I get here? What wrong have I done to deserve this as my retribution?

I can't imagine what Mom and Dad would be feeling if they find out I was kidnapped. Or how worried Mira and Abby will be.

What about Colin? Did he go back to the spot he left me? Has he reported my disappearance to the police? Maybe he felt bad for leaving me and went back to get me.

Shit! Get it together E, he left you by yourself. When will you realize he doesn't care about you? I've been having my suspicions, Mom warned me about him but I was too in love and he was my first.

I fell too hard, now he's the cause of my demise.

I washed up gently, careful not to touch the wounds on my body. I turned off the shower and wrap myself in the blue torn towel I was given. I knocked on the door twice and the guard opened it from inside. I glared at him and looked away.

I narrowed my eyes at two others girls that were waiting to use the bathroom.

"Llévala con Madame Velara. Dile que es VIP número uno—extra especial," 'Take her to Madame Velara. Tell her this one is VIP 1—extra special,' the man instructed his guards.

My hands were tied again, and I was ushered away with the towel around my chest. I didn't fight this time around. What was the use?

Not having eaten or drunk anything yet, left my body and mind weak. But I had to keep moving. 

"Move," one of the guard yanked the rope harder, causing me to almost stumble over. I glared at the back of his head, pressing my lips together to hold back the series of curses I had on the tip of my tongue for him.

Fucking cowards.

They took me deeper into the hallway. The hair on my skin standing to its full glory, out of fear. Faint sounds of screaming, wailing, struggling and whimpering could be heard all over the place.

I tried to focus on something else. Any happy memory, to keep my mind from wandering to those piercing sounds. But each happy memory I thought about, led me back to Colin.

He has always been my happy place, and that terrified me even more.

We came to a halt and I pulled my head up, staring at the door before us. I creased my brows. This door was different. It wasn't made of metal like the others.

What could be behind it?

One of the guard hit the door twice and pushed open. He pulled me inside by the rope, the towel almost falling off my chest.

The air smelled weird in here. Bad and eerie. I glanced around, a small surgical bed was placed in the middle. With blue old sheets spread over it.

I also noticed a table, and on it lay different surgical instruments—sharp ones, thin ones, some shaped like hooks, and others like long scissors. 

There were needles, small blades, clear tubes, white gloves, and bits of cloth laid out neatly on a tray. 

I didn’t know what most of them were called, but I knew they didn’t belong in a place meant to keep someone alive, and the way they were arranged made my stomach twist.

"Ahh, Carne fresca," 'Ahh, Fresh meat,' I shuddered at the croaked voice that came from the room. It was a woman. She emerged from another door in the room, wiping her hands with a towel.

"¿Tan rápido, eh?" 'So quick huh?' She grinned, seizing me with her dark eyes.

I maintained eye contact, never cowering away. If they think I was easily scared, then they've got another thing coming.

The woman grinned at me, her decayed teeth in display.

"El Custodio dice que hay que tener cuidado. Este es el VIP número uno—extra especial," 'El Custodio says this to handle with care. This is VIP 1—extra special,' I heard the first guard say.

My Spanish might a little rough, but did he just say something about extra special? And to handle well?

Now I'm regretting skipping Spanish classes, ugh! 

The woman nodded once, and the men untied me, then left, shutting the door behind them. I rubbed my wrist, soothing the throbbing pain. My eyes moved around the room, and I suddenly felt naked and exposed.

I watched as the woman dropped the small towel on the table, and settled into a chair by the surgical bed.

"Psst!" My head whipped to where the sound came from. I frown at the woman who just sat there and looked at me. 

Perhaps, running and crying at her feet could help. I can explain how I was kidnapped, drugged, and taken against my will. So I did it.

"Please!" I whisper-yelled, throwing myself to the floor. My eyes began to sting with fresh tears as I held unto her leg. "You have to help me," I cried. "I can't be here. I was abducted and drugged. You need to help to escape—"

The words caught in my throat when I heard a loud cackle from the woman. She threw her head back and laughed, the cruel sound filling every corners of the room.

Why's she laughing? Is my predicament that funny to her?

She stopped and peered down at me.

"Listen carefully, chica," she started, her words crawling out like venom. "Once you’re in this place… the outside world will forget you ever existed."

Her words echoed in my head. Sharp and poisonous, making me go numb. Was this real? Will the world really forget me?

No, right? Mom and dad will look for me. That's right! They'll go to the police and report me missing!

But how long would it take? Two days? Two weeks? Two... years?

I shut my eyes tight, the tears trailing down till it reached my ears. The lady had me lie on my back, on the crooked hard bed, my towel was already thrown to the ground.

She pushed my legs apart and I winced in pain. She doesn't have to be this rough, I wasn't even putting up a fight.

I watched from the corner of my eyes, as she took a long stick and directed it to my inner thighs. Without warning, she drove the stick deep into me.

Fuck, it hurts! But I didn't make a sound. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing she broke me. That they broke me.

She pushed deeper and I shuddered. My toes curled as she turned it in a circle. Is this woman even human?

I felt the pains vanish when she pulled the stick out. She stared at it like she expected to see crimson stain on it. "Not pure," she said in a whisper, nodding. "Good that way."

I thought it was now over until she picked up what looked like a tattoo gun, and I frowned, dying to rip her head off.