"Hey, Peyton."

Peyton lay absolutely quit and still. She didn't want to talk, especially not to her of all people.

"Go away", she stated.

"You're not gonna talk to me?"

Peyton turned her head.

"Why are you here?"

She was always there, she always seemed to be there during the worst of times. But that was the dark shadow she had cast. After all, she was Peyton's alter ego. She was the dreaded Angel of Death.

"I'm here to help you", she said simply, kneeling down in her black costume.

Peyton didn't know whether to laugh or throw up.

"Help me? You're here to help me? I don't need you. I mean, why now? Where were you when I needed you, when I needed help? Huh? Where were you when…when…"

She couldn't even get the words out. It was all too painful and horrible to even try to relive.

"Where I always am…right with you."

"Yeah right…"

"You have to be strong, Peyton. You can't give up now."

"Leave me alone."

"If you give up now, if you give in, we'll never get out of here."

"We? Look around, bitch. How are 'we' supposed to get out of here?"

The Angel looked right at her.

"It's simple. You just have to believe."

Peyton rolled her eyes, too angry, too hurt, too scared to even dare start crying again.

"Believe in what?"

"Believe that he'll save you", she said as she faded away.

He? It could only be Lucas and Peyton wanted to scream. If anybody could save her, he would but where was he? Where was Lucas?

…

Peyton's eyes opened slowly. She had to open them slow considering how bad they hurt. The pain could have been from the excessive crying, though more likely from the cruel battering of her captor's unrelenting fists. When she finally saw, there was nothing to see. No Lucas. No Angel. Once again, it had all been a dream, a mere figment of her imagination. There was nothing but the grime and the darkness only broken by the creepy candlelight. There were the four walls that seemed to keep closing in on her. And there was Derek.

Rolling over, she let out a little moan. Her entire body ached in ways she never thought possible. Her head pounded. Her face was sore. It was nearly impossible to turn her neck. Her arms felt like lead and her legs were like jelly. But there was another pain as well, one that made her numb from the outside in. Peyton couldn't bear to think about it. She had gone out of her body the entire time, pretending she was someone else, anywhere else. And when he was done, it was as if he had taken a little piece of her soul with him.

She was supposed to be in California. She was supposed to be fetching coffee and sending faxes. Sitting in on meeting and learning the ropes from the best in the industry. Her days were supposed to be spent working hard and her nights partying even harder. It was supposed to be the opportunity of a lifetime, the time of her young life. Instead it was an unspeakable, never ending nightmare, a dark and dreary tunnel with no sign of light or hope at the end. Despite the horror and the fear, she had tried to remain optimistic and had managed to do so the first few days but as each hour passed her hope, her faith and her spirit began to diminish slowly but surely.

"Peyton, hey, you're awake."

She didn't move. There he was again. That sickening smile. Fucking weirdo, she thought, cringing as he approached her. He actually looked happy to see her like they were a couple or something. Perhaps that was the twisted scenario inside his dangerous mind.

"You've been sleeping a lot lately. I was staring to get worried about you."

Really, asshole, she wanted to scream? Maybe her long hours of slumber had something to do with the concussion he had given her when he beat the holy hell out of her.

"I missed you. Did you miss me?"

Hell no! She wished he would die!

"I had to go out for a while…"

Never come back. I'd rather die than be here another second with you.

"Are you hungry? Look, baby, I brought you some food."

Choke on it!

"It's really good, roasted turkey."

Fuck off!

Derek threw up his hands in sheer frustration.

"Peyton, why are you doing this? Huh? Why are you acting like this? You're being a spoiled brat again. Look, you have to eat."

Why? To stay alive? For what? To be held captive? To be tortured?

"Well, I'm gonna leave it right here for you and maybe later on when you're in a better mood, you'll feel better and eat it."

Whatever…

He gently stroked her hair.

"You look so beautiful…"

Yeah? Must be that no shower look you dig so much.

He stroked her face and she flinched. Tears sprang to his eyes. The ugliness of purple, black and blue marks hindered her otherwise flawless and magnificent beauty.

"It hurts, doesn't it?"

No shit, Sherlock. How would you feel being someone's punching bag?

"I'll help you, I can put some ice on it."

Don't bother, just go away! Go far, far away!

"Come on, baby. Sit up for me. Sit up for Derek."

Peyton didn't respond. Her eyes were blank, barely blinking and her whole body was limp like a rag doll as he reached over and physically pulled her to a sitting position slumped against the wall.

"Look at you. You're my little lamb", he cooed.

And you're a sick fuck!

"Whoo! Peyton, girl, I love you and everything but uh, you smell a little ripe. Somebody needs a bath."

I wish I could vomit on you right now.

"But I still love you."

And I still hate you.

"Stay right here, baby. I'll be right back."

Where else am I going? From one corner to the next?

She sat there absolutely lifeless as he fumbled about out of sight. Peyton heard an awful noise as if he were dragging something heavy. But she was too tired, too out of it to even care. Minutes later, he returned with what looked like a dirty, rusted old bathtub.

"It's not as nice as I imagined our first bath to be but it'll do for now."

It was filled with water.

I wish one of us would drown.

She closed her eyes when she heard him unzip his pants. He removed his wife beater tee shirt and jeans along with his socks, underwear and shoes. He stood before her naked and Peyton wanted to absolutely die.

"Come on. Get in with me."

No! Hell no! Never of her own free will. He'd have to drag her…literally. She wouldn't kick and scream, though. He might actually get some perverted pleasure out of that

"Someone's really being difficult today", he shook his head. "I swear, Peyton. I hate it when you're like this, when you're not nice. You need a bath and that's final and I'm gonna take one with you. I guess you need help getting in."

That was the last thing she needed but it didn't stop him. Her soul cried out, her flesh crawled when he touched her. No! How dare he? His hands, his hands all over her body. He raped her over and over again with his eyes and it made her sick. He was sick. Why God? Why her?

"You are so fucking beautiful", he said in a low, throaty voice, his eyes brimming with lust. "I can't believe you're all mine."

Most girls would take pride in a taut body and feel good when the cute boys took notice. But not Peyton. At that moment she longed to be fat or better yet, horribly disfigured, anything to make her look as unattractive as she felt. Anything to make him stop looking at her like that.

Don't! Please! No!

He guided her in the tub and then joined in, using an old rag to wash her body and hair.

"It was crazy at Tric last night. A fight broke out even. Oh and I saw your old friend, Brooke, slutting around as usual…"

Brooke…

"I made some good tips, though. Pretty soon we'll have enough money saved to ditch this joint. What do you think about that, babe?"

Nothing. I think, I feel absolutely nothing.

"I, um, I found you some more clothes. They're not new or anything but they'll do until we can get out here."

She said nothing at all. She never reacted as he talked to her or touched her. It was as if she had left her body and in a way she had. It was Peyton's only way of survival.

"There you go", he toweled her off. "Feel better now? You're nice and clean and looking and smelling all pretty."

He lifted her body with tenderness and care so opposite of the brutality he had shown just hours before.

"Peyton! Peyton, come on. Talk to me, baby."

What could I possibly say to you right now? What do you say to someone you wish a horrible, instant death on?

His face turned red and there were actual tears in his eyes.

"Why are you treating me like this? Huh? Peyton, how could you do this to me?"

How could you do this to me?

"If you really loved me…"

No, if you really loved me…

"You're still mad about that stupid fight we had, aren't you?"

Fight? What fight? The one where you beat the living shit out of me and I cowered on the floor in pain? You mean, that "fight"?

"You know I hate that, Peyton. I really didn't want it to come to that. You know I don't like doing that to you but you made me so goddamned angry…"

It's my fault. Maybe it is. My fault you beat me, my fault you loved me.

"But I didn't mean it, okay? If you would just cooperate, I swear it won't ever happen again."

Promise?

"Peyton, just talk to me. Smile at me. Look at me and say something, anything! Please!"

He was desperate but so was she. No response.

"You fucking cunt, I know you're in there! Don't disrespect me! You better say something when I speak to you!"

Derek threw her hard against the wall, drawing back his mighty fist. She looked right at him. Her mouth said nothing but her eyes, so frightened seemed to say it all.

Please. No more. Please. I…I can't. I just can't. I'm begging you, Derek. Please! Please…

Biting his lip and gaining some element of self control, he pulled back.

"I'm gonna go out for a few minutes", he huffed. "You need anything?"

You know what I need.

"I'll be back and when I do, Jesus, Peyton be in a better mood…and eat that damned food", he kicked the bag at her. "It cost money."

And with that, he was gone. Only then could Peyton release. She came back to her body. She moved of her own accord. Tears fell. She sobbed. Looking around, she prayed to see anyone, even that damned Angel. But there was no one. But in the darkness, in that bad place where her thoughts and fears were there only to drive her stir crazy, she heard it. Peyton could still hear that voice inside.

"Be strong. Have faith. He'll come for you."

Her lips trembled so hard, she collapsed on the floor. Only then could she let out all the emotion. He was gone but only for the moment and when he returned, the rest of the nightmare would as well. Where was he? Where was the other he? Where was the only man that could save her?