"Hey, beautiful."

Scylla hummed lazily, slowly waking up to find Raelle beside her. They were both lying on a bed, facing each other. Raelle had an elbow propped up as she looked down on her. A smile automatically formed on Scylla's lips.

"Hey, yourself."

Raelle laughed, soft and lovely. She reached to tuck a stray lock of hair behind Scylla's ear which she immediately grabbed on to place a kiss on Raelle's palm.

Scylla inhaled and frowned, "Raelle, your hand smells delicious."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah, like a hamburger."

Scylla closed her eyes and planted her nose further into Raelle's palm to soak in the appetising smell. She could feel herself salivating.

"Scylla," Raelle called.

Scylla snapped out of her trance, looking up sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't know what came over me."

Raelle didn't let Scylla go far, cradling her face close to her own. "Hey, it's okay. You don't need to apologize for anything."

"I feel like I should."

"No, Scyl, you shouldn't. Okay?"

"...Okay."

"Promise me?"

Scylla closed her eyes, letting Raelle's warmth take over her body. "Promise you what?"

"That you won't leave."

"Of course, where would I go?"

There was no answer and when Scylla opened her eyes again, Raelle was nowhere to be found. Blinding white lights filled Scylla's vision and she was poised to call her girlfriend when suddenly a hulking figure came out instead.

Her words died in her throat, senses awakening one by one. The cold, the hunger, the thirst—Goddess the thirst, it overpowered everything else that was going on with her body. Her throat was dry and sore; every lungful of oxygen felt like glass going through. And the pounding headache was threatening to make her pass out again.

A loud slurp cleared her focus to the man now in front. He had a big cup in one hand and a burger in another. Involuntarily, her limbs moved forward ready to snatch both from his grasp but she only managed a tumble and swayed back to her shackled spot.

The man continued slurping from his straw and gave an exaggerated contented sigh after. And then he took a big bite of his burger, chewing loud and obnoxious.

Scylla could feel her stomach clenching from the inside. She swallowed down bile through a glass-covered throat to soothe it. Lazily, she looked up to find his gaze. "Any good?" She croaked.

He shrugged, taking another bite. "Meat's a bit dry," He said with his mouth full. "Don't think I can finish this. Want some?"

Her breath stopped. "Sure."

The burger hovered in front of her face, the mouth-watering smell immediately assaulting her nose, and she wasted no time taking the largest bite she could before he can take it away. He didn't. And Scylla went for another bite before the first bit even went down her throat.

"How was it?" He asked.

"Meat's a bit dry," She repeated around a mouthful earning a chuckle from him. He took the burger away but before she could cry about the loss, he switched his cup in its place.

Scylla latched on the straw and sucked greedily, chains clanking noisily. Cold soda washed down her throat, sharp and burning but she took it all, anything to quench her gnawing thirst.

It ended far too quickly to her liking and then there was nothing but empty air in front of her face again.

She looked up with a heaving chest, eyes wide, silently pleading for more.

The man curled his lips, a look of pure revulsion on his face as he looked down at her. "Disgusting," He spat and left without another word.

It felt like a slap and Scylla gripped her chains until her nails hurt, blinking back tears, ash in her mouth.

*

The next time her tormentor paid her a visit, she didn't even bother to raise her head. Comfortable with the position that she found herself in after much trial and error. Her body had slumped forward at an angle that took the stress off immensely of her feet, only on her tiptoes now, where the remaining weight was supported by her shoulders and wrists. It was painful at first for her shoulders, but now it left her with a numb pain that she could cope with. Maybe the cold had helped along the way.

Shiny black combat boots finally entered her line of vision.

Scylla didn't know how long it had been since the last time he came, but her thirst had come back with a vengeance a long time ago. She kept finding herself jerking awake not even knowing when she had passed out.

Something cold and sharp suddenly lifted her head up by the chin, forcing her to face him.

"I think it's time to be serious, don't you think?" He asked.

Scylla just stared ahead, not really seeing.

The sharp blade dug deep below her clavicle making her pull back, leaving her comfortable position. But the scythe followed until she couldn't move away any longer. Blood trickled down her chest as she groaned in pain, the steel slicing skin until it found flesh.

"There you are," He raked down her expressive face with joy, landing square on her glistening eyes.

"Miss me already?" She greeted hoarsely.

"I need you to focus, okay? I'm gonna start asking questions soon."

"Eat a dick."

He walked away, and Scylla exhaled as the sharp pain lifted. But then another one sliced across her stomach, quick and burning. Her body convulsed soon after, a scream came out a second too late. She bit her lip until she could taste blood, chains clanking deafeningly around the stage as she struggled against the fire eating her front.

"I will not tolerate your mediocre insults anymore. The first time was cute but it's getting tiring, no?"

Scylla swallowed down bile. " 'Course you're homophobic too."

That earned her another cut on her left thigh.

As the seconds and then the minutes piled up, so did her cut but no one was counting. Little by little her flame of hope simmered down.

For the first time since she was captured, she accepted the fact that she might never be able to escape this place after all.

She might never see Raelle ever again.

And that hurt more than any open wound littering her body.

*

It was a miracle that she was still alive at this point. She had so many shallow cuts all over that she couldn't believe she still hadn't been defeated by blood loss.

Scylla had to give it to her torturer; he was clever and knew exactly where to slice without it being fatal. Clearly, he didn't want her dead just yet. At least not until he was satisfied.

This knowledge only brought forth the rage that seemed to kindle within again. She was surprised that a spark was still there despite everything she had gone through but Scylla was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. So, she clung to that hot burning anger tightly and let it burn and burn. The uncomfortable bruises that add to her discomfort more than agony only fuelled her murderous thought. If she had to go then it will be on her own terms, not his.

So, when her tormentor returned for their obligatory session, she was brimming with anticipation. Her gaze discreetly followed his every move as he admired his work on her body.

Scylla waited for the right moment when he grew lack and turned his back on her and then, with the last bit of energy she had, she pounced.

One of her feet slide under his arm and another around his neck before she pulled.

He let out a squeak, tumbling backwards at the sudden force. Scylla squeezed her thighs with a growl, ankles crossed, trapping him in a triangle choke.

He flailed around, panting, even resorting to a pathetic punch to her hip. When that didn't work, he tried pulling himself away resulting in Scylla's shoulders stretching with burning pain that match her scream but she only brought her hips forward, her legs remained connected like glue around his neck and under his arm.

She could feel his fight dwindling down as the pressure of her thighs and hips didn't let up at whatever he did to escape. Victory was almost within her reach and when Scylla was ready to twist her hip to break his neck, her hold was broken.

She was tossed away violently. Her dangling chains swayed her around at the force as she fought to stand up again.

A blow to her ribs sent her skidding backwards again, feet slipping on the cold floorboard.

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!"

Scylla's eyes watered, her head pounding in time with the pulsating buzz in her ears. Blinking back tears, she found two additional men looking over her torturer. His face was pale and blue, chest still heaving as he rubbed at the sore spot on his neck.

She jutted her chin haughtily before smiling sweetly at him. "Fuck you."

A sudden hush fell upon the auditorium to give way to thick tension.

Slowly, like he had all the time in the world, her torturer walked away, disappearing into the darkness and emerged in the light with a hammer in his hand.

Scylla froze.

"Grab her legs."

The other two approached her with menacing steps.

She backed away, breath quickening. Her grip on the chains tightened as she had nowhere to go.

*

"Necro!"

"What do you want, Abigail?" Scylla narrowed her eyes at the High Atlantic. The girl looked far too enthusiastic to her liking.

Abigail grinned. "You ready yet?"

"I guess."

"Good," Abigail bent down. There was a dog at her side and she moved to untie its leash from its collar. "Now run."

"Wha—"

The dog immediately launched itself to give chase.

"Run Necro!"

Heart in her throat, Scylla turned away to do just that but she realized she was limping. "Abigail, I can't!" She shouted over her shoulder but the girl was nowhere to be found only her dog was there, snarling and barking as it closed in and only grew larger by the second.

Scylla's chest burned with the effort to drag herself away a bit faster than the canine but it was hard with one of her legs dragging. So, she stopped and turned back, waiting for it to come to her instead. She opened her arms as the dog leapt and they crashed to the ground.

Her breath was in short spurts as the weight on her chest increased.

"How does it feel, Scylla?"

Her vision suddenly swam with red hair. She tilted her head to see better and found Tally hugging her close to her chest instead of the dog just now.

"Tally, I c-can't breathe."

"The innocent civilians you murdered couldn't breathe too...like ever again. So, it's only fair, right?"

"Yeah, you're right."

Tally's arms squeezed harder around Scylla's body until she could feel her bones start to break by the force. She couldn't move and she realized she didn't want to, either. She deserved this punishment.

"Does that absolve your sin, you think?"

Tally's hold vanished, making Scylla breathe in the much-needed air to fill her lungs again. She found Raelle in front instead, holding a blue balloon floating above her.

"Raelle."

"I love a terrorist. A monster. Why'd you make me fall in love with you, Scyl?"

"No, I never—Raelle, I'm sorry! I made a mistake. I was young a-and stupid back then. I believe I was doing the right thing. I love you."

"You gave me this," Raelle pointed to the balloon. "So, I'm gonna kill myself with it."

"NO!"

Raelle turned around and start walking away. Scylla gave chase but the distance never closed and her legs were becoming useless again, it felt like she was walking in quicksand and soon it trapped her until she couldn't move. But, she could still see Raelle's back in a distance, the blue balloon Scylla used in the mall attack hovering ominously over the blonde's head.

"Rae, please..."

Tears streamed down Scylla's face, hopeless as she could do nothing but watch her heart walk away to doom herself.

What had she done? She had no one to blame but herself.

Everything that ever happened to her was her own doing. Her fault. She deserved the pain, the punishment.

She deserved them all.