Chapter Eternity （Scarlett）
Eternity
Scarlett
The side of my head throbs and my hands are tied behind my back. My mouth aches from the gag that sits between my teeth. I try to call for help, but only muffled sounds escape.
They must’ve drugged me—I don’t remember anything after I was grabbed. The side of my arm hurts. Did they inject me with something?
I look around for anything that looks familiar, nothing does. The grey walls around me make me feel like I’m in a windowless basement with stone cold floors. It reminds me of an old church choir room I used to get ready in before the Christmas Eve nativity pageant.
The air is thick. A light bulb glimmers above me, its dim yellow hue shines just bright enough to recognize my surroundings.
The last thing I remember was being in Sophia’s room. Oh gosh, Sophia! They must have her too. I look around for any signs of life, but I’m the only one here.
“Sophia!” I try and scream through the cloth that silences me.
“Sophia!” I try again. I barely hear my own echo. “Hello! Hello!” I shuffle my feet around, trying to get them up and under me, but it doesn’t work.
Okay, Scarlett. Think. Maybe Elliot’s family found out about what happened, and they want me to pay. Maybe, if I explain what happened, I can get us out of this mess.
I hear footsteps in the distance. My heart picks up—I’m not sure if it’s from fear or relief. I push myself back, trying to get to the wall, like it will protect me.
In the corner of the room, the door opens. A man flicks on a dull light and faces me. He steps into the room and stands there for a minute. He’s no older than his mid-forties. He walks over to me.
“Where am I?” I demand.
“Such a feisty one.” He smiles, exposing the gaps in the front of his mouth where his teeth are missing. A chill runs down my spine.
My ankle scrapes against the floor with my feet tied, as I try to back away from him, masking my fear with a blank stare.
He bends down and grabs a fist full of my hair, pulling at the roots as he brings my face toward his.
“It doesn’t matter anyways because tonight, you’ll be a part of something bigger, something more… eternal.”
His words replay in my head as I try to make sense of them.
“Where am I?” I stare at him, his eyes surrounded by wrinkles.
“Your own personal hell.” His half smile pokes out again. This isn’t someone I would’ve expected to be associated with the Elliot family. His facial hair is overgrown, and his clothes are mismatched, like he just picked them out in the dark.
“Do you know the Elliot’s?”
My question takes him by surprise. He clearly isn’t here for them.
“My friend, the blonde one who I was with, is she okay?” Please say yes.
“She’s off limits. Now shut up, I won’t answer any more of your questions!”
“What do you mean—” His hand slaps my face—the sting makes my eyes water.
“I said shut up.” I think this is bigger than I thought. I fight back tears harder than I ever have before. Although he has control over what happens next, I won’t give him my tears—he will have to fight me damn hard for those.
He grabs my arms behind me and pulls me up. I cry out, the pain from the ropes makes it hard for me to get up while my hands and feet are tied. He drags me until I stand, the best I can.
He pushes me in front of him and down a corridor that leads to a set of stairs. A light shines at the end.
Something is about to get worse. At first, I thought maybe I could get out of this, but now, I think the chances are unlikely. My lip quivers thinking that these might be my final moments.
As we walk down the hall, I think about Dad, and how he’ll be so lost without me, so broken.
I thought I could fight back these tears, but the thought of Dad’s broken heart forces me to let go of what little restraint I have left.
Who will help him if I’m dead? Who will love him and appreciate him.
Elliot wasn’t worth this, he wasn’t worth losing the people I love.
I think about Mom and how she’s been absent for most of my life.
She’s too damn busy for her own family, but that was her choice.
I can’t be mad at her, not if those are my final thoughts of her.
I wonder if she would miss me. How do you miss someone you don’t know?
Mom has become a stranger. I think about all the times we spent together when I was young, all the love we had before she took it all away.
Sophia will be upset, but she’ll be okay. She has so many amazing people in her life to support her.
Finally, I think about Callum, the one who saw me when no one else did. The one who connects with every real part of me and accepts it. No, I can’t think about this. It’s not going to happen. I can tell whoever it is that Elliot tried to rape me. They’ll understand—they have to.
We’re almost at the bottom of the stairs, when he pushes me. My face hits the ground. I look around for a window, or anything I can try to fit through and escape.
He keeps walking as I struggle to get up. Don’t let him win. My forehead rests on the ground—the strength in me is draining. The cold stone is stained with the blood from my nose.
One time at boxing, I didn’t lift my hands up in time and I got punched in the face. I can hear Ricco’s yelling, “Keep going, protect your face Scarlett”. Where is Ricco now that I’m losing the only fight I’ve ever trained for? I can’t give up, not like this.
I push up off the ground with my shoulder, move my legs underneath me, and slowly standing. He doesn’t turn around as he walks in front of me. I taste the blood from my nose as it runs down my face.
Finally, I charge at him. Even though he’s at least twice my size, I use my weight to shove him to the ground, and I do the only thing I know best. I fight.
He falls onto the ground and tries to get up.
I kneel behind him, and with my arms still tied, I place my hands in front of his neck, pulling hard.
I choke him. For a moment, it feels like I’m going to break my own fingers.
The rope burns my arms as I use all my force.
I wrap my knees around his back and attach myself to him.
He gasps for air and tries to pull my hands off. I tug harder and slightly lift my wrists. His flailing arms slow down. Keep going. Ricco’s voice echoes in my head. I keep fighting.
Suddenly, an abrupt pair of hands pulls on the back of my shirt. I fall and stumble to get back up. I look back to see another man, around the same age but very well put together. He yanks he shirt hard, ripping it as I try and pull away from him.
“You’re coming regardless, so stop fighting.” He says calmly as he stands over me.
I look him in the eyes, and I lift my heavy feet. I kick him, shoving him back.
I flip onto my knees and stand, but he pushes me back down, already on top of me.
Blood pours from my nose and enters my mouth.
He’s stronger and much leaner than the first man I encountered.
This guy knows what he’s doing and doesn’t give in as easy.
He fights like he kills for a living. I can’t win this time.
He tugs on my hair, ripping it as he pulls me up the stairs. I try to place my feet under me while my hands pull at his. My scalp burns. At the top of the steps, he throws me on the ground, face up.
I slowly lift my head and spot white pillars in front of me, lining the room like an aisle. It looks like we’re in a church that screams wealth and power. There’s an altar at the front, but there are no chairs or pews. It’s like a temple from a Greek mythology textbook.
A circle of men stands at the altar, their faces blocked by the shadows of their hoods. Tears and blood run down my face as I realize what’s happening. This is what the man meant by eternity. It’s a sacrifice.
I’m going to die.