Shadow Life

Chapter 4

Author's Note: There is a descriptive flashback in this chapter of abuse and torture you have been warned. There will also be a reference to a NBC show.

TVHollwoodDiva

Ana's POV

Where am I? I am looking around a room that is not the hell I've been in the last six years the last thing I remember is getting out of that hell hole. I look around and see Christian and Grace this must be a dream this can't be real I have hoped so many times to be found but every time I do my dreams have been dashed by Jack and Jose grip on me.

I consider the eyes of the man that's been my tether to reality theses last six years. How did he find me? Where are we? I am so scared I can speak I have learned that if I speak the abuse is worse. What if this is a trick by them it wouldn't be the first time I thought they were going to let me go and it was all a setup by them.

I push myself against the headboard and climb into the fetal position the next thing I know I hear screaming and realize it's me I am so overwhelmed.

"No, please no stay away I'll be good I promise".

I close my eyes and sob. I feel a hand try and reach for me and I just scream louder.

Christian's POV

I watch as Ana goes further into herself and I feel a vast void between us. I try and reach out to her to comfort her but all she does is scream louder. My heart breaks for what she's going through I'm sure she's scared but I just want to protect her.

I turn to my mother for guidance. "What should we do? I don't want her to hurt herself."

"Christian I don't want to but we may need to sedate her then call the police so that they can track down these monsters that took her. Right now, she's scared she has no clue that we won't hurt her she doesn't know she's safe in her mind it's a trick she thinks she still trapped in the nightmare she's been in all these years."

I decide to try and reach out to her "Ana baby it's Christian your safe whoever took you won't get you again I promise" Wherever you are in your mind please come back to me I'm here and I'm not a dream or a conjuring of your imagination I promise."

I watch as she uncurls herself and looks at me with wide eyes I just smile and let her take the lead on where we go from here. She is very tentative in her movement she keeps looking at me as if I'm not here like I'm about to disappear and I don't know how to reassure her that I'm not going anywhere.

Ana's POV

I'm fighting my mind now, I want to believe that the person sitting in front of me is real and that I am truly safe but my brain is in protection mode. There were so many days that I wished Christian would save me. I think back to one of the worse days.

I don't know how long I've been here now the days blend into one another but I'm dirty I haven't had a shower in a while there is dried blood and welts on my wrists and ankles Jack had been particularly brutal today he tied me to a wood board and whipped me with a belt for hours until my back was torn open and raw and then he left me tied there for what felt like days with me withering in pain I tried to undo the ties but they were too tight and would just dig into my skin if I struggled. I finally tired myself out and succumb to a dreamless sleep.

Jack loves to torture me it feels as if I had just fallen asleep he comes banging into the room the bright light hurts my eyes and I am blinded temporarily all I feel is Jack's boot connecting with my stomach and ribs as I hear a sickening snap and blinding pain. He climbs on me undoes the restrains and kicks me again and yell at me.

"Get up bitch"

I can't move because of the pain in my lungs and ribs but he doesn't care he rips me up from the floor by my hair and I scream in agony but it does no good he drags me over to the chains in the corner of the room and beings to chain me up my writs are chained and my legs are spread and then Jack beings his assault on me for the thousands time.

I go to the one place that is my haven from all this torture and that is Christian he wraps his arms around me and keeps me safe his words sooth my battered soul. I just wish it was real and that I really was safe from this hell.

I come out of my memory and whimper, I see Christian looking at me and even though I still question if this is my reality now sitting in front of me. I move over to his lap and he opens his arms and lets me go into my haven. I start shaking more as I curl up on his lap hoping that this is real. I peak out from under his chin and look at the woman that is with him and whisper, "Am I safe? Is this real?"

"Yes, Ana, you're safe and in Christian's arms. May I look at you and make sure that you aren't bleeding anywhere?" Grace asks just as softly; matching my tone. I can't find my voice to respond so I just nod. "Ok Ana I'm going to explain everything I'm doing to before I do it and I promise you are in control of everything that happens I will stop at any point you just need to tell me ok?" I nod "Can Christian stay?" "I'm not going anywhere, baby"

I slowly uncurl from Christian's lap and sit cross legged on the bed Christian sits beside me not speaking but offering his support. Grace smiles "Ana remember you're in control here. Are you ready?" I nod. Then my brain reminds me what she will find I will be ruined in their eyes. "No Grace no you can't stop I'm hideous ". "Ana please I promise you'll be ok I won't hurt you sweet girl I need to make sure nothing is infected or open."

Christian POV

I could see how worked up Ana was becoming and if she when back into herself we wouldn't get any further today. So, I turn to my mother "Can you give us a moment please I think Ana just needs time." "Christian we need to make she's ok. We will you go into the kitchen and have Taylor contact Detective Benson for me? I know she probably won't speak to them but they need to be informed. "Christian her parents?" I will contact them personally after I talk to Ana." I head back to my bedroom and back to the love of my life.

When I enter the room, Ana is on the bed sobbing and looks so broken I just want to gather her in my arms and never let the world touch her again. I sit down on the bed and Ana moves back into my embrace "Ana, baby I know your scared but my mother should really look you over please for me baby I know you don't want to reveal and relive what you have been though but we need to be able to punish these monsters that hurt you, baby." Ana just looks at me so brokenly but my mother's right she needs medical attention quickly if we are to get the evidence we need. "Baby I promise you I'll be here the whole time and if we need to stop at any point we will."

Ana's POV

Christian doesn't understand that my trust in any man at the moment is gone. I need him to leave but I don't want to voice this thought because I fear this may be a dream and I will wake back up in my everyday hell. I feel as if I'm in a black sea and I can't reach the surface and that something is pulling me deeper and deeper the harder I fight to get to the surface.

If he sees what they did to me he won't ever love me and send me away and then I truly will be broken and my ties to reality will be gone forever and I will no longer exist. Even though Jack kept saying that he had taken me because of Christian I could never get a true explanation from him or Jose, he just kept saying Christian knew why. From what I knew Christian past he would have no clue who Jack is and if I tell him it might break him and he deserves me to protect him from my living hell of the last six years. So, if I can help it he will never know the full details of everything I went through.