7. Scarlet
7
SCARLET
M y back aches, my skin is burning like a wildfire, but nothing hurts as much as my heart. It hurts for Ren and all the other kids that had to endure this kind of nightmare every day.
I’m in the cell, with nothing but an old, dirty mattress, and the smelly bucket in the corner to do my business in. All I can hope now is that my father will find me soon. Though the chances are fairly slim without the tracker inside of me.
Pulling my knees up to my chest, I wrap my arms around my legs and let the tears run down my face. No one can see me here, can see how weak I am right now, when I should be strong. My father taught me better than this. I should be trying to find a way out of here, but I just don’t have the strength.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I pretend I’m somewhere else. I pretend I’m back in my room at my father’s compound, where I’m surrounded by security and nothing can touch me.
Bang. Bang.
My eyes fly open at the sounds of gunshots ringing out. I get up to my feet quickly and run toward the door. I press my ear against the metal, hoping to hear more gunshots signaling my father has found me.
Bang. Bang. Bang .
Three more shots are fired in the distance before it suddenly goes silent for a while.
I keep my ear pressed against the door, not willing to give up hope just yet. I can hear shouting followed by a few more scattered gun shots but then it goes quiet for good. I stay in place for a while longer, but there is nothing but a few shouts here and there. My heart sinks. That’s not a good sign. My father would’ve brought an army and shooting wouldn’t stop until they found me.
Defeated, I walk back into the corner and sink down on my mattress, wondering how many people have been held captive in this cell. How many kids have been tortured, whipped until they bled, and then thrown into a cell like they don’t matter?
I perk up once more when footsteps approach from outside my cell. I’m equally excited and scared, not knowing if this is a rescue or if I’m getting another whipping. Honestly, I don’t know if I can take more.
The lock disengages, and I quickly get back on my feet. The door opens further, and three men appear in the doorway, my heart slams against my ribs as I take in the man in the middle, the man who they throw into the cell with me, before the door shuts again, locking us inside our prison.
“Ren!” I yell, running toward where he is sprawled on the floor. Blood drips from his swollen knuckles as I place my hand over his and help him to roll on his back.
His face is swollen too, blood smeared over his forehead, more blood emerging from a cut right below his eye.
“Ren,” I whisper, hoping with everything inside me that he is going to be okay. “Can you hear me?”
His eyes remain closed, but I sigh in relief when his lips start moving. “I hear you, Angel. I’m just resting my eyes for a second.”
“Please tell me you’re okay. You look like everything is hurting.”
“You should see the other guys,” he jokes, but I don’t feel like laughing. “I’m fine, Angel. Just give me a minute, and I’ll be good as new.” His eyes blink open slowly, and his gaze finds mine immediately. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
“Not as bad as you are hurt.”
His face falls, regret and anger filling his steel-blue eyes. Without saying a word, I know what he is thinking. He wants to make them pay for hurting me; he regrets not being here sooner, and he would give anything to take my pain away.
“How did you know I was here?” I ask after the silence becomes too much.
“I didn’t. I came here to kill Rebecca, but then I saw you from outside the fence, and I changed my plan. I figured if they are busy with me, they’ll leave you alone.”
“Oh, Ren… I’m so sorry I left.” At my words, his face scrunches up as if the mere reminder hurts him. “I swear I can explain. It’s not what you think. I love you, but I had to get away to figure things out, to figure out what’s wrong with you.”
“What do you mean, what’s wrong with me? I’m not the one who fucking cheated.”
“Wait what?”
“River told me,” he spits, anger and disgust lacing his voice. “He told me he fucked you in the shower.”
“Oh, Ren, you still don’t understand. I don’t know how to make you.”
“How about the fucking truth?” he spits.
“Ren, River doesn’t exist. He isn’t real.” I don’t know how else to tell him. I must sound crazy to him, but he needs to know.
“What the fuck? Of course he is.”
“He is real to you, Ren, I get that, but he isn’t really alive. River died when you were a boy?—”
“You are crazy. Of course, River is real. He is my brother. I can’t believe you would even say something like this.” With each sentence, the fury behind his words is brewing, and I can tell he is close to losing control. I need to make him understand. He needs to believe me.
“Why have I never met River before? Why has he never been in a room with both of us? Why was the screen black when I caught you talking to him?”
“Stop it!” Ren is full on aggravated now. He stands up suddenly, his injuries completely forgotten and ignored. “You are wrong.”
“Ren, I’m sorry. River is all in your head.” I get to my feet, close the distance between us, and take his hands into mine. “You have to believe me. Please think about it. Really think.”
I stare deep into his eyes. A million emotions reflect back at me. Confusion and denial are at the forefront. Then anger takes hold of him once more. “Shut up! Just shut up with your lies. You all lie!”
In a last-ditch effort, I squeeze his hands, begging with all I have. “Please, Ren. I need you to understand. I need you to realize that you are sick and that you need help. You have to?—”
As I look deeply into his eyes, I can see the exact moment the switch is flipped. Ren’s confused eyes turn dark as a night without stars. His lips turn into a snarl a second before his hand wraps around my throat. My Ren is gone.
“You should have listened to Ren and kept your mouth shut, Angel. ”
River.
I know without a doubt it’s him. If it wasn’t for the way his cruel fingers dig into my tender skin, it would be the way he calls me Angel, like he’s patronizing me.
His grip tightens, and I wheeze out a plea, “please stop.” I reach for his arms, wrapping my fingers around his wrist as he squeezes hard enough to cut off my air supply. With the last air in my lungs, I whisper, “I’m pregnant.”
Immediately, his fingers loosen, and shock takes over his features before he throws back his head and laughs. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. That idiot doesn’t know how to use a condom?” He finally lets go of my throat, and I don’t miss the chance of taking a step backward.
“You know, don’t you?”
“You might want to be a little more specific. I know a lot of things.”
“You know that you and Ren are the same person.”
“Oh, that little tidbit, yeah, I’ve always known. Not sure why Ren doesn’t see it. I guess he doesn’t want to believe that he would do the things I have no problem doing. Remorse is something he has, not me.”
“You have to tell him,” I beg. “He didn’t believe me.”
“Why would I do that?” He grins mischievously. “It’s better for me if he doesn’t know.”
“You have to care about Ren. He is part of you.”
“I care about no one and no one cares about me.” My heart breaks a little at his statement.
“That’s not true. I care about you.”
River scoffs. “No, you only care about Ren. You hate me.”
“I did hate you before, yes,” I admit. “But I could never hate you now, knowing that you are part of him.” I take a careful step toward him.
His expression suddenly changes, like he can’t believe I just said that. It must be hard to believe that anyone could like him. He doesn’t move as I close the distance between us until there’s only a few inches from my chest to his. I get up on my toes and tilt my head up to his so my lips brush against his.
He is stunned into silence, unmoving with shock at my sudden action. I catch the confusion in his eyes just before I close mine and press my lips to his with a searing kiss. My whole body lights up, butterflies take flight in my stomach, electricity flows between us like this is our first kiss. I guess, in a way, it is.
His lips move against mine, hesitantly, which only makes me lean in further. Lifting my arms, I wrap them around his neck, pulling him closer. His hands find my hips, his thumbs digging into my skin possessively. I moan into his mouth, and I can feel a smirk form on his lips.
For a moment, I feel a connection between us. The same connection I feel with Ren. It crashes into me suddenly, and just as quickly, it disappears.
His hands disappear from my hips before he shoves me away from him. I stare at him, stunned, as his expression turns cruel and distant.
“I don’t have time for this. Unless you want to fuck, don’t be a tease.”
“Don’t shove me like that,” I threaten.
“Or what?” He catches my bluff. “You gonna shove back? Or you gonna call your big brother to fight me?”
“Maybe I’ll stop liking you again.”
“Oh no, not that,” he mocks sarcastically. “As if I give a shit.”
“I think you do. Because I didn’t miss the hurt in your voice when you thought I hated you.”
He shakes his head. “Whatever makes you sleep better at night, Angel ,” he snaps before turning away from me.
Maybe it is wishful thinking, but maybe, just maybe, I’m right, and River wants me to love him.