Chapter Six

This was hilarious to me now. This was so funny. I felt so much pain jolting through me, and I knew that Luiciano wanted me to feel horrible. But it wouldn't work because of this. I felt empty inside. I had cried out all my tears, the only thing causing me to whimper slightly was Luiciano slashing the whip across my chest. I was leaning on my knees, my arms behind me as they were held to the wall by the chains. I could feel the blood dripping down my bare chest, only thing covering me was my bra. My skin was sticky and hot from all the blood, but I ignored it now, for I was used to it.

"You seem so calm! Why not scream?" He growled, putting emphasis on the last words of each sentence as he brought the whip down on my stomach. I flinched gently, letting my head hang and my hair stay in my face. I watched as blood dropped onto the ground.

Drip, drip, drip, drip.

Suddenly, the whipping came to a stop. I weakly lifted my head, feeling a head rush come on and blood dripped onto my lips. I licked them and coughed at the horrible taste. Luiciano was scowling at me, sweat dripping down his face as he hissed.

"I have been doing this for so long! And I haven't gotten a single scream out of you!" He took the whip and began whipping me over and over, chanting in an angry voice, "Scream, dammnit! Scream! Scream you bitch!" I bit my lip, feeling my skin tingling from the horrible pain. I couldn't contain it as I yelled out, imaginary tears streaming down my face. If only I could give in. If only I could just give up. But it was physically impossible. I remembered something; it felt like déjà vu. That dream I had a few days ago. The people whipping me, yet it was only one. And the worst thing was… I couldn't wake up. I couldn't wake up and scream for Antonio. I could just allow it to happen. I only wanted to die now, why wouldn't he just end the pain? He caused enough. Suddenly, the door slammed open and Nikolai was there, staring blankly at us. Luiciano stopped abruptly and snarled, turning and whipping the whip at Nikolai.

"Do not interrupt me!" Nikolai lifted his arm, the whip wrapping around it so he blocked it. He unraveled the rope and tossed it back to Luiciano, who turned back to me, lifting the whip up. I looked back down and stared at my knees, waiting for the searing pain. But there was nothing. I looked up and saw that Nikolai had grabbed the handle of the whip over Luiciano's hand, both of them glaring at each other.

"Do not hurt her anymore. You got her to scream. That's what you wanted. We have more business to attend to." The Russian man murmured, snatching the whip out of the Italian mans hand. Luiciano hissed but turned away from me, walking up and out of the room. I stood there, staring at Nikolai. "I must say, I feel slight pity for you. But I do not care for your happiness. I just want my money once this is finished."

My body acted before my mind and I blurted out, "Please! L-Let me go now a-and I will pay you all the money I have! Every last cent! Just please, let me go-o-o!" I cried, closing my eyes and screaming out. I could just feel dejection radiating from him, but he just followed after and left behind Luiciano.

I relaxed my muscles, just hanging from the chains. My shoulders were sore; I ached to crack them so they didn't hurt so much. I just wanted to get out of here. I began to sing quietly; there was nothing else I really could do, was there?

"What hurts the most was being so close... and having so much to say... watching you walk away. And never knowing what could have been... and not seeing that loving you... is what I was trying... to do..." My voice cracked at the end and I began crying, "A-Antonio..."

Slowly, the door creaked open and I looked up, staring at Luiciano and Nikolai. Luiciano was holding a laptop, a dark smirk on his face. I didn't want to look at him. He was the devil now. And Antonio had been my guardian angel... But... if he was... why isn't he here? Luiciano's hating voice filled my ears as he spoke quietly.

"Oh.. you want to see her? Well, I bet she's very, very anxious to see you~" I lifted my head up to stare at him while he set the laptop on the floor in front of me, not letting me see the screen, only the back. He unplugged the headphones and then turned it to face me. I couldn't believe it... On the screen...

...was Antonio.

He was just sitting there in his hotel room, and I wouldn't care if he was in jail or in his room or on the beach, I missed him so much, just seeing him was enough.

He looked so perfect. He wasn't wearing anything special, he just looked like himself, so he was perfect. He looked shocked before he could realize that I was there. His face turned into a face of pure shock and fright before he screamed my name, "Melissa! Mi tomate! Are you okay?!" He grabbed the screen of his computer, a few of his Olympic teammates looking over his shoulder and staring at me. I began crying, tears actually coming this time.

"Antonio! Please! S-Save me-" I was cut off by Nikolai's pipe slamming into the side of my face, making something feel as if it popped. My mind numbed and I couldn't feel anything, almost hear nothing. Almost since... I could still hear Antonio. He was screaming out to me. Telling me things like 'Hold on' and 'Don't give up'... But how could he say that... I already had.

"Please, Melissa! Don't give up!" Antonio cried as Luiciano picked up the laptop and smiled at the screen, "Oh, you are so stupid... You do know she has given up, right? Well... you took too long to figure out where she was, or figure out that she was even gone... So now... you lose her. Good job on keeping her safe. Click~" He then closed the laptop. I gasped and screamed, "No!"

"Shut up!" The Russian shouted and flogged the pipe into my ribcage. This pain was over taking and I just hung there by the chains until they were unhooked and I crumpled to the ground. Nikolai smirked and pulled me off the floor, "You're being moved. Better fall asleep so it doesn't hurt as much." I probably would have been able to sleep... if he hadn't said that. I couldn't only cry. Well.. at least the last thing I really saw that was burnt into my memory was Antonio... But suddenly the image began fading. I couldn't help but start screaming as he dragged me out to the car. Once Antonio's face had disappeared to a blur in my mind, I gave up everything. All the things people had told me... disappeared. I had no connections to this world. I was floating in a pool of pain, and nothing else mattered.

Nothing but the thought of what certain death would feel like.