Chapter 11 – IVY
Chapter
Eleven
IVY
Venom and I have not spoken about that night I entered his room. The next morning, he was back to his usual annoying self as if nothing had ever happened. If he wasn't going to bring it up, I sure wasn’t either.
I’ve spent most of my time with Evelyn. Being drawn to her tender nature and warmth, growing closer to her over these weeks.
Continuing to learn sign language and how to make some of her favorite dishes.
I think she’s the only reason I’ve kept my sanity in this place. Although, the greenhouse is different.
Besides being around Evelyn, the greenhouse has become a place I feel most calm, where my wild thoughts are a little less loud, where I can breathe easier.
I expect to find Venom there, but he’s not around. I’m not sure if I’m relieved or disappointed. He’s kept his distance lately, only having brief interactions when he sees me, still enough to annoy me and leave me flipping him off as he walks away.
The table he works at, which is usually tidier, currently looks as if he left mid-science project.
Vials of liquid, powdery substances, syringes, and dart-like objects are scattered about.
There’s also a bowl of juicy-looking dark berries close to the edge of the table.
Seems he left his snack too. Must have been in a hurry.
Wanting to irritate him when he returns and finds his snack gone, I pop a berry into my mouth.
It’s decent, not overly sweet. I continue eating and looking around.
I stand in front of one of the large glass cases and put a finger to it, stirring Black Betty’s attention.
She’s cute but not like I want to pet her kind of cute.
I finish most of the berries and set the bowl down and get back to looking over all the different containers, saying hello to all Venom’s pets.
“Hi there, I’m Ivy,” I say, bending to meet a beautiful dark blue snake with light blue stripes and a red head. “You’re a redhead too, huh? Are you also a prisoner?” I smile as it sticks out its tongue, probably trying to get a smell of me… or taste.
When I stand, I suddenly become disoriented, my vision blurring and my heart beginning to race.
Woah, did I stand up too fast?
My mouth feels dry and the light is suddenly too bright.
How did—
Where’s—
I place a hand on the glass cases to steady myself.
Nothing feels right.
And then I’m falling.
Something crashes along with me as I hit the floor.
The room disappears.
“Ivy? Christ, Ivy!”
In the distance, I can hear my name being called.
Shit, everything hurts.
I try to take a breath in, but it’s not deep enough. I need more. Why can’t I breathe?
“Ivy! What happened?!” It’s a man’s voice.
Deep and smooth with a southern accent.
Familiar. So familiar.
Venom.
No, but that can’t be right. He’s never used my name before. I’m always beast or beastie or whatever else he uses to insult me.
“Hey, hey, look at me, Ivy. What happened? What did you touch? You need to tell me what you touched.”
“B-ber-ry.”
VENOM
I look over at my workstation where I left a bowl of belladonna berries. Empty.
Fuck.
“Oh beast, what have you done?”
“Am… am I g—gonna die?”
“Most definitely, darlin’,” I say with a smile.
“A-ass—”
Inspecting more of the area, I notice the shattered glass home belongs to Black Betty, who’s now missing.
Ivy groans loudly in pain as I lift her into my arms, glass shards falling away from her. Passing Evelyn and letting her know to grab my black leather bag, I carry Ivy to my room.
She’s unconscious by the time we make it.
I gently place her on my bed and get to work removing her clothes and inspecting her body. When I check her back, I’m stunned for a moment. Various linear raised scars scatter her back. Some thin and smooth and others crisscrossing in rougher patches.
This is not something I would have wished to have in common with her.
Who the fuck did this to her?
Before I let my anger consume me at the thought of Ivy being whipped and in pain, I flip my focus back to the urgent matter at hand.
More cuts from the glass reveal down her body, but then I find two puncture wounds on the side of her hip, swollen and red.
Oh, Black Betty.
Double fuck.