She clamped her eyes shut as she felt another body hover over hers. Sweat and smoke wafting from the filthy man. Much like the others before him.
She lost count after the the 11th.
"Who's counting? As if that matters," she thought bitterly as she slipped into unconsciousness.
It was better that way, at least she didn't have to hear the man grunt in pleasure as he emptied inside her nor feel the combined grime from their actions.
Or that's what she told herself.
She wasn't certain when exactly she fell into that kind of mindset. She wasn't certain when she gave up the fight. She wasn't certain when she raised the white flag.
Surrender was never in her nature. Until now.
Pain and struggle wore her out. Not that her tears - no matter how hard she tried to hold them - helped her circumstance. Exhaustion is taking its toll and she welcomed it.
She'd desperately cling unto any semblance of a break or escape from this hell.
When she woke up again she was alone much to her relief. Her eyes surveyed the room just like she did when she was first brought there.
Her mind was clouded as she woke up to find herself suspended, hands held up by shackles chained from the ceiling and feet dangling half a foot from the ground in the middle of the unknown room.
The first thing she thought of was how long she could have possibly be in that position given the soreness in her arms down to her shoulders and how she was slowly beginning to lose sensation in them.
She knew struggling was only going to make matters worse and she knew she had to conserve whatever strength she had left.
Finding any clues as to where she was or who took her in the first place was the priority. But the dark room gave nothing away.
There was a door on the right side of the room. But that was just about it.
It smelled musty and it was cold. The stone walls appeared to be moist and rightfully dirty. Typical for the Underground.
But still, it was different from the immaculately clean place she called home. Thanks to him.
She thought of him as her eyes instinctively scanned the room again. He was always there, in every turn. Steadily looking after her.
She had a habit of always looking around or over her shoulder just to catch his gaze. It made her feel safe. Something he always found ridiculous but let her do anyway.
Calling out would probably be a bad idea. She might as well take advantage of being in solitary but how? Where could she possibly start?
Besides, if she was in this situation, he was nowhere close. He'd never let harm come to her.
"But where is he?" She thought worriedly. The fact she was indeed here making her slightly panic.
Her mind raced with different scenarios. Could he possibly be hurt? Impossible. He was the strongest man she'd ever known.
Her arms were starting to go numb but she was feeling the weight of her body pull on her wrists which were enclasped in the shackles. The gravity combined with the metal made her want to yelp in pain.
Just then a man entered the room with a dark face and roaming eyes appraising her. She refused to show any kind of emotion.
Predators smell fear. Right now, she was prey.
However, she was sure if he gets close enough he'd probably hear her heart beating wildly in her chest.
She can vaguely remember that he was one of probably a dozen men that brought her here. Where were the others?
Upon their arrival it took five men to rip her clothes off from all the push and pull that was happening thanks to her resistance. Her strength surprised them as she battled the inevitable.
She had punched and kicked with skill. Her hands and feet landing on targeted body parts to inflict pain and incapacitate.
He had taught her well. But she was no match after the previous fight when they took her and the one she was putting up.
The man approached her, regarding her as if she was food to be devoured. He was tall, still managing to tower over her despite her being hung from the ceiling.
He was the one that initiated undressing her down to the thin nightdress she was left with before chaining her.
He had lifted a finger to hook unto the buckle of the belt she wore with her trousers and her panic began to increase. He looked too menacing as he towered over her.
She had tried to pull against the other men holding her. It only resulted to tighter grips on her wrists.
"Get your hands of me." She had spoken lowly. Venom in her words perfectly masking the fear that raced in her heart.
"Pipe down, girly. Yah got no place else to go." His voice a little nasally, tone teasing, and sneer harsh as he flashed her a sinister smile, showcasing two metal front teeth.
He tugged at the belt, beginning to unbuckle it and she thrashed her feet around. Using the hands holding her, she hoisted herself up with all her might to give a good hard kick.
The man stumbled a bit, her kick impacting him enough. Before she could stop herself, she panicked and called out his name as the man stalked towards her again.
The man had stopped in his tracks and looked towards his companion.
"This bitch thinks that thug would come swoopin' in to save 'er!" But she could detect a hint of fear by the mere mention of his name.
The other men jeered uneasily as her head whipped harshly to the side as the first one delivered a slap on her cheek.
She was stunned as she slowly turned her head to face the man again. He grabbed her hair making her yelp.
"Gotta give it to yah, you're a strong lil' one. Do it again and I'll touch up that pretty face for yah."
Her blood boiled and she spat at him. Earning a stunned look from him, she grinned.
"Glad to return the favor." She haughtily replied.
"Yah fuckin' bitch! You'd put that mouth to better use soon enough. But now be a good girl and shut your trap!"
Another man slapped a hand over her mouth to prevent her from speaking. But she let out a feral growl of frustration as she bit into the hand. Earning a curse from the man that tried to silence her.
The first man grabbed her by the collar of the shirt she wore and produced a knife. Eyes boring into hers with a final warning. Plucking the buttons of her shirt using the knife one by one with skill, laughing as he went.
"But he's nothing compared to him," she thought smugly.
Then again he wasn't here. But she could imagine how he'd make these men pay. She wouldn't want to be in their place.
He then delivered a punch to her stomach making her double over in pain, momentarily halting her protests and resistance. Another set of hands found her hair again and pulled to straighten her.
Her shirt was pushed open revealing the light dress she wore underneath. Multiple hands explored her chest, grabbing at her supple mounds through the material before pinching their sensitive peaks eliciting a vicious scream from her.
"Get the fuck off me! Stop it!"
When the cold metal of the knife touched the skin between her breasts, she had stilled but heaving nonetheless. Another silent warning from the man.
"I'd love to take yah here and now, but boss would like the first pick at yah. Doesn't mean we can't have our fun, ain't that right boys?"
A shiver ran down her spine as her fate was confirmed. The others eagerly agreed. Their dirty words driving her closer to desperation.
He has to come find her now.
The knife shifted to her shoulders beneath the thick but worn material of her shirt and twisted upwards to penetrate it. Dragged down to rip the shoulder of her top apart.
Soon enough it came off, exposing more of her beautiful skin to hungry eyes. She suddenly felt colder, way too bare for her liking.
He proceeded to try to unbuckle her belt once more but she was soon thrashing again. Another blow was felt in her gut and she could only cough.
The material of her trousers were roughly pulled down to her ankles and hands explored the new skin up for display. Her screams filled the room as their laughter rivaled her.
When she had been stripped to the light nightdress she wore under her daily clothes, she was dragged to the middle to be restrained.
The men crowded her as their hands ventured for their chance to feel her. Some were grabbing. Some squeezing. Some were even sniffing and licking skin they could get their hands on.
The seconds felt longer as she struggled and screamed. Pointlessly attempting to distance herself from every touch. When they had their fun, a hard blow was delivered to the back of her head, knocking her out as she was hoisted up and locked up to the chain.
"Awake now are we? Not long enough now." The man spoke as he reached up to release her. His voice pulling her to the present, the sight of him made vile rise in her throat.
She was dragged outside the room as soon as she slumped to the floor with a sickening thud. Every part of her was protesting feeling way too tender as she tried to stay alert despite her weak state.
She had tried to survey her surroundings once more, but the outside was just as empty as the room. Just how far and deep was she in the Underground?
Lead to a door to the left, the man shoved her in.
"Take a piss then we'll go."
The order confused her but she wobbled tentatively. Suddenly being aware that she needed to actually piss.
She grimaced in disgust as the limited lighting allowed her to see just how filthy the bathroom was. A single loo to the right corner and an unkempt sink to the other side.
Both had stains she didn't even want to think about. The smell was something she didn't even want to get started on.
She grunted as she bent, taking extra effort not to let her skin touch the dirty surface of the loo. A sigh of relief escaped her as she went.
The man banged on the door just as she was pulling her underwear up.
"Oi! Better get a move on!"
Soon enough he burst through the door, his boots squeaking on the floor and she was suddenly aware she was bare foot, making her cringe.
She refused to take a look at the flooring.
He then threw her over his shoulder as he ventured further down the hall to yet another room. The position making her lightheaded as he jostled her weak form.
The new room had a tub and was unbelievably clean unlike the previous ones she had been in. Dropping her into the tub, she groaned as her body hit the hard wooden material.
The man called and two middle-aged women entered. The spark of hope she felt at the sight of them vanished as the man ordered them to wash her and they complied with little to no resistance.
She tried to catch their eyes as they pulled her up to undress her completely. She was thankful the man had left. She would have made a run for it right now if her limbs didn't feel like jelly.
"Help me, please. PLEASE!" She begged them but they refused to meet her eyes or acknowledge hearing her.
"Don't let them do this please! You're probably mothers too! Please! What if it was your daughter in my place?"
"That is exactly why we are doing this. To make sure they never end up in your place." They spoke no more as they filled the tub.
Tears welled up in her eyes as her situation slowly sunk in. Somehow, she felt better being clean. So she quietly sat as they ran rags on her skin.
But she wasn't giving up just yet.
Knocking them unconscious won't probably be too hard. But then what? Could she make a run for it? The man would surely be at the door waiting for her.
She noticed her wrists were already purple from the bruises. Different marks marring her skin. Some the shape of fingers and some she concluded were from the shackles.
Pulling her legs from the water both women diligently scrubbed her to perfection down to her toes. It reminded her of how he meticulously scrubbed walls.
Her legs weren't any better than her arms. Bruises littered them as well. She was sure her neck and face were no exception.
Time was something she couldn't figure out right now. How long has she been here anyway? It couldn't have possibly been days?
As good as he is, it wouldn't take him more than a few hours to track her down.
Would it?
The women helped her stand as they replaced the cloudy water to rinse her. She could faintly smell lavender. They even spent a generous amount of time washing her hair.
When they were done, they toweled her dry. The soft material comforting on her tender skin. They had slipped her into a pink silky night dress and matching underwear.
She cringed. She was never fond of the color. Too feminine for her liking.
The garments felt smooth, luxurious even and she pondered on how such things even reached this dirty place.
One of the women knocked three times on the door and another man entered. He was significantly cleaner than the first. She tried to remember if he was one of those she encountered so far.
He dipped down to carry her leading her past the room she was initially chained in. She hadn't missed the way he subtly inhaled her hair as he held her in his arms.
A gasped escaped her as he opened a door to an immaculate room.
Lamps lit every corner and a lone bed was in the middle. It was big. White pillows and fresh white linen on it. The materials were soft, she could tell just by looking.
She knew quality when she sees it. Having had her fair share of them in her past life.
Confusion graced her soft features. Albeit the bruises on her cheeks and the cut in her lips.
"What the hell is this?" She thought utterly dumbfounded. How come such luxury exists in the Underground?
Her eyes scanned the room better, noting the dark stone clean walls and the vast space in the room. It was like this room was specifically arranged just for what awaited her.
But how could lowlives from the Underground even afford these or even know these?
Her breath caught as she felt herself get thrown on the bed. Bouncing on the soft mattress as she went. Before she could gather her thoughts four men entered. Clean like the one who brought her here.
Harsh hands forcibly pulled hers into chains bound to the stone wall, hooking around the metal frame of the bed atop her head for good measure.
She failed to notice that before.
Her feet were brutally forced apart, each skillfully tied to the foot of the bed. Too far apart it was hard to deny what fate awaited her. Too tight to even allow struggle.
Her eyes widened as he walked into the room. She could not believe her eyes.
The dread she felt when she was taken was nothing compared to what she was about to endure now.