Erik's POV

For nearly a week after Javert took advantage of me, I couldn't sit, stand or walk. And if things couldn't get any worse, the worst winter storm I had ever seen whipped through our camp and left me too ill to sit up. Javert took care of that, for he once again tied my neck and hands to the bars of my cage. An illness racked my body with a terrible fever and a cough. I heard one of the gypsies tell Javert that I would die without proper care, but he didn't listen. Once night fell, I was cut down and when I plopped onto the wet floor of my cage, I shut my eyes. At least I had my potato sack to keep my face warm. I went in and out of consciousness all through the night, though, when I heard footsteps, I opened my eyes to see a small figure tiptoeing through the camp. It was dark, too dark to see a thing, but from what I could see, it looked like a small boy. I ignored him and pressed my eyes closed once more, only opening them when I heard some more rustling.

I gasped for air and coughed, gaining the attention of the figure. It had been picking through the bread cart of the camp, but as soon as it heard me cough, it began making its way towards me. At first, I wanted to yell and scream, but when the figure was right outside of my cage, it just stood there looking at me. Perhaps it was a vagrant who had come into the camp to steal? I wasn't sure, but everyone was always the same… They only wanted to harm me and laugh. Suddenly, a small hand reached into the cage and placed itself over my shoulder. I would have flinched if I was well, but I didn't have the strength to do so. When the hand felt my flesh, it gasped… I wanted to tell it to touch me all it wanted…Get its fill for that's what Javert always told the paying crowds. All I ever did was frighten people.

What happened next sent me scurrying to the other side of the cage, for as soon as the figure removed its hand, it reached back inside the bars and placed a piece of fresh bread at my side. Food! Fresh food…It had been years since I had last tasted fresh food… But why? Why was this figure being kind to me? Slowly, I reached out for the bread like a frightened animal, picking it up and placing it beneath the potato sack that was covering my head. The figure was still standing there, but the moment the lights to Javert's caravan came on, it lit up the camp. This was indeed a child, for the light illuminated the figure's features. I didn't see much, but those eyes…Oh, I would never forget them for as long as I lived. Green! They were green, green and filled with curiosity. The child fled as soon as the lights came on, and it went running into the woods.

That had been the first time anyone had ever given me something…But why? Why had this child given me food? Why did he care? It had to be a boy, for I could see no hair, for it was covered by a large hat. Perhaps my wish for an angel really had come true. My illness did not fade away, for the following morning, I woke and was still extremely ill. Javert would have tied me to the bars again, but reconsidered when he heard how shallow my breathing had become. No, instead he wheeled my cart to the other end of the camp and placed a blanket over it. I still froze, but at least I could rest. The man even removed my shackle so that I could relax…Oh, if I was well, I would have escaped, but I knew if I attempted to do so now, he would never leave me alone again. He would tie me to the bars and force me to perform no matter how ill I was. I closed my eyes that day, knowing in my heart that I was most likely going to die from this illness. It would get the best of me, and in the end, it would murder me.

"Hey…"

When I heard a small voice, I opened my eyes to see the figure again. Had I really slept this late? It was pitch black now and the figure was standing before my cage with a lantern in hand. The blanket was still draped over my cage, and yet, this small child was standing before me. The moment I heard its voice, I gasped and scurried to the back of the cage.

"Hey," it whispered. "I won't hurt you..."

I didn't believe this child, nor did I want to. Though, next thing I knew, a blanket was being passed through the bars.

"Here," it said. "You look cold."

The moment I touched the blanket, the child smiled. It was soft and as I pressed it against my body, I wrapped it around my back. Oh, warmth! Warmth at last… I was so busy cuddling with my new blanket that I didn't even realize that this child was playing with the lock of my cage. The moment I heard the noise, I gasped and hurried to the cage door, pushing the boy away from it.

"What? I'm trying to get you out of here…"

"No…" I whimpered. "Don't…"

I placed my hand over the lock and tried to cover it from the boy who was attempting to unlock it. If Javert came by and seen all this, he would never leave me in peace.

"Oh, my little corpse…"

When I heard my master approaching, I shooed the child away and hurried to the back of the cage.

"You are certainly in for a treat tonight, my little corpse… Tonight, Javert has brought you some bread. Only three days old. Let's see if this will cure you of that horrible cough of yours."

All in one swift motion, the blanket was pulled from off of my cage, and chaos ensued, for the moment he noticed the blanket that was wrapped around me, he pulled open my cage door and dragged me out into the open.

"What is this! A blanket! Where did you get this from, you evil little corpse! Oh, how dare you defy Javert, your master! You are in for it now! All you ever do is get greedy! I give you an inch, and you take a mile! Not anymore…"

The man pulled me deep into the forest once again, tossing me into the snow and pulled out his whip. No…Oh, anything but this. I was sick enough without having to feel agony against my already destroyed flesh.

"You know the punishment for defying me, little corpse…Oh, and this will be a punishment you shall never forget!"

The whip was raised high into the air, and then, when it came down over my back, I cried!

"Stop! Please, no…"

"Talking again, are you? You don't like to talk any other time, but when I am beating you, you prefer to speak. Oh, for that I shall simply have to beat you!"

Over and over again the whip came crashing down against my back, blood emerging from every new wound. I knew I was going to die now… Javert was going to beat me until there was no breath left to let out. Though, when his whipping came to an end, I believed it to be over. I coughed and tried to take in a breath of fresh air, only looking over my shoulder to find the man removing his trousers. I pressed my eyes closed and shook my head. Not this…Not this horrible torture again! I wouldn't be able to move for weeks…

XXXXX

"All right, corpse, time for me to show you love again."

His monstrous hands gripped my side as he plunged deep into my bottom. I screamed and fisted the ground, the same searing agony returning to me once again.

"You will learn to appreciate this, monster… I will teach you to like it in time. And then, when you are old enough, Javert will teach you how to love him. He will teach you how to make him feel good. You are my slave!"

"Stop…" I cried. "Please…No more…No more…"

"More?" he growled. "You asked for more?"

Javert thrust himself deeper into me, causing the once searing agony to become even more unbearable. I gripped the bark of a nearby tree and squeezed my fist around it, the bark giving my flesh splinters. I couldn't hold on much longer, for I was already at the brink of passing out. It was taking him longer than usual to finish with me, which was why I was wishing for death.

"You will learn to obey your master… I want to hear you say it!"

Javert grabbed a hold of the sack and pulled my head back so that I was in even more pain.

"I want to hear you call me master! I want you to say my name in that whiny voice of yours… Do it now, or I will be sure that you feel nothing but pain for the rest of your days. Tell me that you love this! Tell me that I am the only one for you…"

I didn't want to give in to my master, but I knew I would only suffer if I didn't.

"Yes, master…" I cried. "Yes, master!"

"Oh, a wonderful little voice you have… It soothes me very much, corpse… Tell me again how much you love me. Tell me! Tell me that I am bringing you pleasure."

"No!"

When I screamed out that very word, Javert pushed himself even harder into me. I gagged and grunted from the pain, my backend feeling as though it were gushing blood.

"I'm going to ask you again, demon…Does this bring you pleasure?"

I fisted the cold snow and grunted from the pain. I would never tell him that I was enjoying this! I would rather die than to tell him that this thing called "love" was pleasurable.

"All right, corpse, be ready to be extremely sore for a month… Javert is going to show you how much he loves you."

I pressed my eyes closed and was ready to feel even more pain, but instead, I heard a strange noise, and then, felt the weight of Javert fall off of me. It became silent now, so silent that I wasn't even sure what was going on. I sighed and rolled over onto my back, taking notice that Javert was lying at my side passed out. But how? How was it that he had passed out? I sniffled and pulled my trousers up over my bloody hips.

"Here…"

When I heard that voice again, I gasped and turned to the side, that same child standing before me with a heavy branch in hand. He must have knocked Javert out with it…But why? Why had this child just saved me from my torture? In truth, if not for him, I wouldn't have even been tortured this way tonight.

"Here…" the child held out the same blanket he had given me and wrapped it around my cold shoulders.

"W…What is your name?" he asked.

I backed up against the tree and turned away from the child.

"Why do you have a sack over your head?"

The child couldn't have been any older than seven or eight by his height, but I couldn't trust him. I trusted no one!

"Come with me…"

I shook my head and cowered by that tree.

"You're bleeding…Come with me…"

I was about to refuse again, when all of a sudden, I heard Javert waking! If I was still here when he awoke, he would beat me until there was no tomorrow. No, I couldn't stay here, and so, I took the child's hand and hurried into the forest.

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