I'm glad you guys are liking the added internal dialogue!

I've done 1-20 so far ^^

I'll get back to fluffy stuff soon, but I hope you guys liked my plot twist!

I also hope I'm getting the emotion through because I've been crying like crazy writing these chapters XD

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Chapter 45

Sofia

I huddled in the corner, staring at the door for what felt like hours.

"Hi, Sofia," Mrs. White called from the door.

I didn't look up.

Maybe if I ignore her, she'll go the fuck away.

James has to be close by now.

"Sofia," she warned, "Tyler and I are doing what's best for you. Don't tune me out,"

What's best for me?

Who the hell is she trying to kid?

I sighed and put my chin back on my knees.

Go away.

"SOFIA BENTON!" she yelled, hitting the door, "Come here, now!"

"My last name is Talbert, and why don't you come inside instead?" I chuckled, keeping my eyes glued to the door.

Don't take that tone with me, Sarah.

Who the fuck do you think you are?

I wasn't sure if the side effects from the sedative were completely worn off yet, but I would do my best to subdue her before Tyler got back with the damn button.

"Please work with us," she sighed, "I promise we'll make you happy,"

I WAS ALREADY HAPPY!

How many times do I have to fucking say it?!

They're no different than the others.

They ignore my feelings and selfishly use me for their amusement.

I'm not a toy.

"Why are you helping him?"

"He's my brother, you of all people should understand that,"

Don't you dare say that!

"Don't you dare compare my relationship with Seth to whatever the fuck is going on with you and Tyler," I spat, "I would never have helped him stalk and kidnap a kid,"

"Nah, you just got me, Ryder, and Natalie brutally murdered," Seth smirked, "I think getting someone kidnapped against their will would have been too easy for you,"

The real Seth would never have hurt anyone!

"I guess we'll never know now, will we?" he rolled his eyes.

"Oh, so you're a kid now?" she laughed, "I thought you were a married adult, my mistake,"

"Screw you," I barked at both of them.

"We have a lot in common with you, Sofia," Sarah sighed, "We grew up in an unloving home. My dad married Tyler's mom when I was four, and he was eleven. We were left alone a lot; he raised me, just like Seth raised you. Tyler has always been there for me, and when I heard your story, I knew I could help you. We're the same, Sofia."

"We are not the same! And I'd care more about this story if I wasn't in a fucking cell!" I glared at her.

"You wouldn't be in here if you'd have just listened to me," she snapped back, "Tyler wants to marry you, and if you had backed away from James like I said, we would have been a happy family,"

"You're just as deranged as he is!" I pulled at my hair, "Were you even listening when I talked to you?! I love James, and that's never going to change!"

"Give it time, you'll come around," she shrugged, "We have dedicated too much time to you just to accept defeat,"

That's really not my fucking problem, you sick sociopath.

"How long have you known about this?" I demanded, getting up and walking towards the door.

"Since the beginning. Tyler called me once he found out about you, and we both kept an eye on the news," she smiled, "I was already in college to be a psychiatrist, and we decided that I could be your personal therapist once we got you, but you came to me!"

"How were you able to start working at the college so quickly?"

"That's the thing! I was already working there!" she laughed, "Have you ever heard of serendipity?"

"No," I sighed, not interested in her damn informative quote shit.

"Serendipity is the coincidence of being in the right place at the right time. I worked in Troy with my dad for about three years; I was getting experience working with younger adults to be ready for you. But when you showed up on my client list, I knew this was fate,"

"Fate is arbitrary; I'm not destined to be here. Nothing is so cut and dry as that. Was I destined to be abused my entire life? Was it destiny that made you and Tyler obsess over me because of that abuse? Or for my brother to die? No. It was nothing more than random happenstance. A bunch of people made stupid, awful choices, and they left me in the wake of all their bullshit!" I growled, banging on the door.

If destiny or fate did exist, it brought me James.

"You're such a cynic. Think of this as a positive! You will have Tyler, who's really a great guy, you get to have me as your therapist again, and we're letting you kill your abusers without any consequences!"

No consequences?

"Do you have any idea what kind of guilt I live with from being the reason so many people have died?! I haven't ever killed anyone firsthand, but I have caused so much death...I'm not looking for revenge; I want them to stand trial for their crimes!" I screamed, "I'm not a murderer, and you can say Tyler is a great guy all you want, but he's a fucking sociopathic pedophile, just like the rest of the men you brought here!"

"You may not be a murderer yet," Sarah whispered, "But I promise the moment you see them and get that gun in your hand, you will be. And Tyler's not a pedophile. He's going to wait to touch you until your eighteen,"

"How can you say he's not a pedophile?! You don't have to touch a minor to be a pedophile! You've both been stalking me since I was NINE; what the hell would you call it?!" I screamed in frustration.

He's not going to touch me.

I'll cut his fucking dick off.

"Shoot yourself with it," Seth instructed, "As soon as you get the gun, save yourself any more senseless pain. Just come home,"

James is on his way, Seth.

I'll be fine.

I am going home.

"We were concerned about your welfare," Sarah shrugged, "We want to help you,"

"By isolating me for two years, causing me to become suicidal, and trying to force me to kill people?" I scoffed, "How the fuck did you get a medical license?"

"Are you ready to play?" Tyler asked, interrupting us, and the smell of his cigarettes invaded the room.

He smoked Marlboro Reds.

Just like Sam.

It was fucked up that I found the scent calming.

"Do I get to choose what happens to the two of you? If so, sure, let's play," I growled.

"You're just going to piss them off," Seth warned.

I really hope so.

I need more time.

"She'll come around," Sarah cooed, running her hand along Tyler's shoulders.

She most certainly will not come around.

She will kill you both the first chance she gets.

"For someone so against murder, you keep threatening them," Seth laughed.

They deserve it.

"We need to get this over with. That idiot knows it's us now," Tyler sighed, "It's just a matter of time before the cops show up,"

I hate how he talks about James.

I can't stand anyone talking shit about my husband.

James was more of a man than any of them.

"You shouldn't have given her the phone," Sarah rolled her eyes, "I told you to wait for me,"

"I wanted to trust her," he frowned, looking at me sadly.

Oh, I'm sowwy, did I hurt your wittle fewings?

Just kidding.

I know you don't have any.

"You can't yet," Sarah huffed, unlocking the door, "Come on,"

"What took you so long getting back?" Tyler grumbled, "It's already eleven-thirty,"

"You're the one who wanted me to get the last playmate," Sarah shrugged, "He was harder to get," She grabbed my arm and pulled me from the room.

Playmate?

"Whatever, you're going to have to keep watch while we do this," he sighed.

"Fine. Who first?" Sarah asked, looking at me.

"You?" I asked innocently, and she backhanded me.

"SARAH! Don't hit her!" Tyler growled, roughly grabbing her wrist.

"You put a shock collar on me, and you're worried about me getting hit?" I laughed, wiping the blood from my lip, "I'm used to getting hit, and I'd have to rate that a four out of ten,"

Wow.

Hit me again, Sarah.

Waste all the time on me.

I can take it.

"Who first, Sofia?" she glared at me.

"Why don't you choose?" I glared right back, "This is your little social experiment, right?"

I need to stall for time.

Hurry, James!

"Why don't we put her in a room with all of them?" Tyler offered, "I'll give her one of my big guns,"

Memories of the zombie horde dream flooded my head.

Please don't fucking do that.

"I had hoped to drag this on longer," Sarah sighed, "Sam and Miranda together, and then the rest of them?"

"Sounds good," he nodded, unlocking the cell across from mine.

It's like they're trying to decide where to have lunch.

Why do so many people have such disregard for human lives?

I eyed the door at the end of the hall.

Is it unlocked?

Do I dare try to make a run for it?

"Wakey, wakey, mom," Tyler sang as we entered the room, "Go get Sam," he nodded towards Sarah.

Oh God, Miranda.

Are you satisfied yet?

Have you finally caused me enough pain?

Was it worth it?

She was lying on the ground with duct tape over her mouth, and her hands were zip-tied behind her.

The room smelled awful, and I knew why.

If there was any food in my stomach, I would have lost it all.

Miranda opened her eyes and started screaming when she saw me.

"What was that, mom?" Tyler chuckled, ripping the tape off.

"LET HER GO!" Miranda yelled, "LEAVE US ALONE!"

Sarah threw Sam down next to Miranda, and they both laughed as they left the room.

The bottom slat opened, and they slid a black gun, a small knife, and a rope inside.

Oh goody.

Options.

This is insane!

"Fifi," Sam pleaded, "Please don't do this,"

Yes, let's start with begging for your lives.

How has that worked for you so far?

"Shut up, Sam," Miranda snapped, "This is all your fucking fault,"

"My fault? You're the one who gave her away!" Sam spit at her.

"SHUT UP!" I screamed, "I'm not killing anyone, but you two need to stop talking, now,"

It doesn't matter who's fault it is.

We're here.

"You've got to do something, Sofia," Tyler demanded from the top slat, holding up the button, "I'm going to push this every twenty seconds,"

"HOLD ON, ASSHOLE!" I shouted.

Drag your feet, Sofia.

Think!

I looked at the knife on the floor.

I need to get Tyler in here.

"Shoot yourself, sis. Tyler is going to kill everyone here regardless of what you do," Seth stood over the weapons.

I know he is.

Sam and Miranda aren't going to get out of here alive.

All I wanted was to speak at their trial.

I just wanted them to go to prison.

No one deserves to die like this.

"I'm so sorry, Sofia," Miranda cried, "I never meant for this to happen,"

This?

What this, exactly?

You getting kidnapped?

The serial killer making me torture you?

I'm sure you didn't.

"Shut up, Miranda," I glared at her, "You don't get to talk this time,"

I walked over and grabbed the gun.

However, I want them to know what it's like to be scared before they die.

If Tyler demanded me to get revenge, fear was the best form I can get on them.

"You both screwed me up," I growled, "So fucking badly. You," I pointed at Sam, "Made me be a prostitute, murdered my friends in front of me, forced me to be a drug addict, tried to shoot me, and pulled me away from the only family I've ever had,"

I cocked the gun and aimed it at him.

"I know, and I'm sorry!" he cried, ducking his head to his chest.

Apologies made in times of fear aren't real.

I don't need their hollow words.

Neither of them thought they did anything wrong.

I'm done being an object.

Miranda used me for my check.

Sam used me for my body.

Tyler used me for his filthy fantasies.

Sarah made me believe she was helping me when she was trying to prep me for her brother.

Everyone is sick, and I'm over it.

"No, you're not," I snarled, "You don't have the compassion or the conscience to be sorry for anything,"

I turned my aim to the wall and shot.

That's one.

He and Miranda screamed, and I cocked the gun again.

"You," I pointed to Miranda, "Let Sam do whatever he wanted to me because you can't be alone. You got high and stood by while your DAUGHTER was used as a sex object, drowned me out while I screamed for the men to stop RAPING me, you blamed me for Patrick and Seth's deaths after you found out what PATRICK DID TO ME. You made me believe it was MY FAULT, you locked me in the closet, shaved my head, and made me hate who I was! You never cared about anything I did, and you GAVE ME AWAY to a fucking child predator!"

I shot the wall beside her.

That's two.

"You may have been a shitty mother, but you left me alone when I needed you the most!" I cried, "I'll never accept your apologies because even if Tyler hadn't shown up, I know you still would have ended up leaving! I HATE YOU FOR HATING ME!"

This was the closure I needed.

I needed them to be forced to listen to how I feel.

Fuck if they cared or not.

They were soulless monsters.

I tossed the gun down and grabbed the knife, listening to their disgusting whimpers.

"You both made me hate myself to the point I tried to commit suicide," I held the knife up as I showed them the faded scars on my arms, "I cut for almost two years, and no one was there to tell me not to do it. Not until I met James, anyway,"

"DON'T SAY HIS FUCKING NAME!" Tyler barked, sending a shock to my neck.

I fell to my knees, dropped the knife, and stood back up.

"You didn't try to stop me either, you fucking pedophile!" I yelled, grabbing the gun and shooting at the door.

That's three.

"James and his parents have cared about me more than any of you ever have! The four of you have ruined my life, and none of you actually care,"

"Of course I care," Miranda sobbed, "I tried to get you to come back,"

"After I was already happily married. Don't lie to me; the only reason you wanted me back was so you could hand me over to Tyler," I seethed, "You wanted to save yourself, not me,"

"That's not true!" she insisted, "I wanted to keep you safe because I love you, Sofia,"

"NO, YOU DON'T!" I cocked the gun and shot next to her leg, barely missing, "STOP SAYING THAT! You don't have the capacity for love!"

That's four.

I've got two left.

I put the gun down and picked the knife back up.

"If you were in my spot, you would have already put a bullet in my head," I growled, "You don't know what love is, but I'll show you what kind of pain you both put me through,"

Cutting them wouldn't kill them.

But it would make me feel better.

I like having power over them.

Maybe killing them wouldn't be the worst thing...

"You're better than this, Sofia," James's soothing voice echoed in my head, "Don't do this,"

I don't want to!

I want to go home!

Where are you?

"I'm on my way, princess. I swear. Wait for me,"

"CUT THEM!" Seth laughed, "If you're not going to shoot yourself, at least give me a show,"

Tyler sent me to my knees again, and I screamed.

NO!

THIS NEEDS TO END, NOW!

"Let me out!" I ran to the door, "I've got my revenge, let me go back to my cell,"

"They're still alive," Tyler pointed at them, holding his phone.

He was recording this shit.

Fucking sadist.

"They didn't kill me; why should I kill them?" I huffed, "I scared them, that's enough,"

Come on, you impulsive predictable sad excuse for a man.

I dare you to fucking trust me again.

"I expected more from you," he sighed, opening the door and shooting them both in the chest, "I'm starting to regret this whole thing,"

That's right, motherfucker.

"GOOD!" I yelled, stabbing him in the back and pushing him to the ground.

He shot them.

They're dead.

I pulled the button out of his hand, grabbed the gun, and bolted out of the room.

Don't think about that right now.

You can cry in James's arms once he finds you.

I ran to the door at the end of the hall, listening for Sarah.

How many people have I seen killed in front of me now?

Ten?

STOP IT!

GET OUT!

Where the fuck is Sarah?

Please let the door be unlocked.

I opened the door a crack, holding the gun to my chest, and saw her standing a few yards away.

I took a deep breath and squeezed through the crack.

"SARAH!" Tyler screamed, and she turned around, trying to grab me as I ran across the field.

I can run an eight-minute mile, but where the hell should I go?

I looked back and found her barreling towards me with Tyler close behind.

I had hoped stabbing him would have slowed him down more.

There's nowhere to hide.

It's a fucking open field.

What do I do?!

"You're holding a gun! You kept two bullets! Shoot them!" Seth yelled, running next to me.

I refuse to kill them, damnit!

I'm not a murderer!

"You may not be, but they are," Seth growled, "It's you or them, Sofia!"

I wasn't going to die like this.

I was going to die an old woman next to my James.

"Not if you don't fight!" Seth pointed behind us, "You're going to get tired eventually, and Tyler is goddamn Marine!"

I screamed and increased my speed.

I looked around and saw a gate.

I need to get to the road.

"You're never going to make it!" Seth groaned.

Yes, I will!

I got to the fence and vaulted myself over it, but, to my horror, there was nothing but more field.

It's the wrong gate.

I went the wrong way.

I looked back again and Saw Tyler closing the gap between us.

Do I change course and go back the other way?

I'd never make it back to the barn.

Mrs. White is probably waiting there anyway.

The gun felt heavy in my hand.

Was this truly the only way?

"He just shot Sam and Miranda in cold blood, he's been stalking you for nine years, and he wants to take you away from James!" Seth yelled, "Shoot the son of a bitch!"

I took as deep of a breath as I could.

My lungs felt deflated.

My muscles were on fire.

A sporadic humming noise replaced my heartbeat.

And all I could think about was survival.

I could feel decades of evolution being stripped away, and I was a frightened animal with a gun.

I've always hated guns.

The sound.

The smell of gunpowder.

The unnecessary havoc that they bring.

Sam taught me to shoot before Seth died.

Then he shot a bunch of people in front of me.

And he ended up getting shot.

Was that Karma?

If I shoot Tyler, will I get shot one day?

"If you don't shoot him, he's going to make you his damned child bride," Seth seethed, "Why are you trying to weigh the consequences now?!"

I'm not a killer.

But I am a survivor.

I aimed the gun up and shot one of my remaining bullets.

Come on, universe.

You brought me the love of my life when I needed him the most.

Do me one more favor.

Tyler grabbed my legs, and I fell hard onto the grass.

I tried to crawl back to my feet, but he rolled me over to my back, put his weight on my stomach, and punched me hard in the face.

"Go to sleep," he growled, punching me again and wrapping his hands around my neck.

I held my breath, flailed my legs, and smacked him hard with the butt of the gun.

He screamed out in pain and put his hands to the gash on the side of his face.

I was able to worm away, but he caught my foot again.

I kicked him hard in the nose with the ball of my foot, "GET OFF ME!"

"Stop fighting me," he growled, tightening his grip on my ankle and spraying his blood on me, "WHY DON'T YOU LOVE ME?!"

"You have one bullet left; SHOOT HIM!" Seth screamed.

NO!

I hit him with the barrel of the gun between his eyes and got back up to my feet.

Shit, I think he tore something.

I limped back towards the fence.

Come on, body.

MOVE!

"SOFIA!" James screamed, and I snapped my head to the beautiful sound.

He was running across the first field, accompanied by a group of black-uniformed men.

He's here!

He found me!

"JAMES!" I screamed back as Tyler pulled me down again and put his hand over my mouth.

I bit the spot between his thumb and index finger hard enough I could taste his blood, but he didn't move it from my mouth.

He picked me up, pulled my arms behind my back, and ran full speed towards the fence on the opposite side of the farm.

I tried to scream, but his giant hand was cutting off the oxygen to my nose.

I can't breathe.

I tried looking over Tyler's shoulder, but he pushed my head back down, "You're mine, damnit!"

I bit down harder and felt something dislodge.

"Fuck!" Tyler ripped his hand away.

I headbutted him, sending both of us back down to the ground.

He fell on top of me, and I struggled to get out from underneath his massive form as he bore all his weight on me.

He was crushing me.

"GET OFF OF HER!" James yelled, and I took a deep breath as Tyler was pulled off of me.

The sound of flesh hitting flesh erupted around me, and I dizzily looked up to find James locked in a fistfight with my stalker.

I tried to stand up, but a shock sent me back to the ground.

"STOP!" I screamed, clawing at the collar.

Everything went quiet except for the loud ringing in my ears.

Tyler held the button up and held his arm out.

"NO ONE FUCKING MOVE OR I'LL KILL HER!" Tyler yelled.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!" James roared, running to my side, and another, longer shock forced my face into the dirt.

"GET AWAY FROM HER, NOW!" Tyler roared.

"PUT IT DOWN!" an unfamiliar voice demanded.

"It's okay, baby, everything is going to be fine," James whispered, pulling me up.

The next shock was constant.

I could taste my blood mixed with Tyler's.

"JAMES!" I gurgle screamed, unable to move.

I love you

Please make it stop.

Take me home.

I watched as James tried to tackle Tyler.

James grabbed Tyler's arms and fought with him to get his finger off the button.

I have one bullet left.

I rolled onto my back and shot my last bullet into the sky.

I just want to scare him.

Get away from my husband.

The shock stopped, and the sound of multiple gunshots exploded.

It was over, but the ringing in my ears was deafening.

James ran back, kneeling in front of me.

I saw his mouth moving, but I couldn't hear his voice.

He lifted me from the ground, and I rested my head against his shoulder.

Tyler was lying still on the ground, surrounded by the uniformed men.

Is he dead?

The ringing continued as I stared up at my husband's perfect inaudible moving lips as he carried me back to safety, and I kissed him.

Finally.