What doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

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I eventually came to but I was no longer sitting outside the tent. By the buzzing solar lamps illuminating inside the tent, I assumed nightfall had come.
I found myself lying inside a fleeced sleeping bag with a damp flannel draped across my forehead. I went to sit up but a soft hand held me down.
'Take it easy, lass. It's just me, you're alright' Archer soothed, running his hand over my forehead in an almost parental manner.
The gesture reminded me of home, whenever I was sick my father would sit with me in bed and run his hand through my hair until I fell asleep. God I missed him.
'What happened?' I ask wearily.
'You had a bad panic attack and that mixed with the fatigue your body is feeling, you couldn't handle it so you shut down,' He explained calmly, stroking my hair with one hand and stirring the soup on his mini stove with the other.
'Thank you for tending to me,' I smile tiredly.
'No problem lass, I've got some soup on the go it should be ready in ten minutes or so. You okay with tomato?'
I nod lightly, my focus more concentrated on the delicious aroma of the food than anything else.

After handing me a cup of the soup, Archer speaks again.
'I'm not usually one to pry lovey but before you passed out, I heard you call me 'Master'....does that have any relation to why I found you all tied up?'
An embarrassed rush of heat fled to my cheeks, illuminating my humiliation. It had been so long of me seeing other people that I had become all too accustomed to being bound and gagged. Other people didn't see that as normal, as they shouldn't.

With a sharp intake of breath I reply.
'Yes, it has everything to do with why you found me like that'.
Archer doesn't pry, he sips at his soup but I feel after all of the kindness he had showed me, the least I could do was explain why he found me the way he did.
'I was kidnapped almost two years ago,' I begin, not ignoring the tremors starting to run through my body as the reverie of me being taken, flooded back.
'By the handcuffs I figured that you had either been held against your will or were on the run from the cops'.
Truthfully, I would have assumed the same.

'How did you get away?' He asks, though his expression gave away that he was mortified to have asked such a thing. I didn't mind. The escape was by far the best part about the entire ordeal.
'Sorry lass, don't feel you have to answer that. I get senile brain farts sometimes,'
I chuckled at that but didn't mind sharing it with him.
'He left me tied up in the back of the car whilst they went to the service station. They were taking me to Sicily for us to wed,' The thought still planted a bulb of nausea deep in my gut. However, the thought of how pissed Jordan must have been to have found me gone did sadistically satisfy me.

Our conversation spiralled and I ended up spilling everything I had endured out to Archer. To say he was speechless would be a dramatic understatement. He was horrified and to be completely honest, I was too. To hear it aloud how much abuse Jordan had put me through had me smack unceremoniously into the trauma it had all left in its wake.

'You've got balls the size of melons lovey, to put up with all that you have and still be here to tell the tale is just incredible,' Archer complimented, handing me a slice of ginger cake.
'It's one of those things I suppose' I reply nonchalantly, taking a large bite out of the cake. I couldn't suppress my moan of pure pleasure as the rich taste of the cake danced across my taste buds. I hadn't tasted something so sweet nor so mouth watering for almost as long as I could remember.
'It's not though, you must be able to see how spectacular you are, lass'.
'What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger is what my mother used to say' I reply, not really knowing what else to say.

Truth is, it all had nearly killed me. There had many times where I had wished for death to just take me and had I been forced to marry Jordan, that would have finalised my decision.
'Well, I think it's best that we get some shut eye. Then perhaps tomorrow we could head in the direction of Phoenix,'.
My ears pricked up at that and I couldn't contain my joy.
'Really? Are you sure, Archer?'
'Of course, lass. We can't leave the poor lad there and I sure ain't letting you travel alone with that psycho out and about' He replied almost firmly, making sure there was no room to dispute.
'I'm so grateful to you, thank you so much Archer'.

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After both of us falling asleep, I woke to an aggressive tugging sound. I shot up from my sleeping bag and looked around. Archer was sound asleep and nothing seemed aside from the ordinary.
With my anxiety at ease, I stepped out of the tent and walked over to a nearby tree, the urge to pee was far too potent to ignore.
As I checked around me that the coast was clear, I had foolishly not looked behind me. A gloved hand emerged from the darkness, clamped itself over my mouth and hauled me backwards into the darkness.
'You made the chase all too easy, you pathetic little whore' Jordan hissed, nipping his teeth down on my ear. I tried to scream for Archer to help me, I tried to fight Jordan off but within a second he had me flat on my back with his face smiling wickedly above me.
'You're going to love this baby girl,'
He tore the shirt Archer had given me from my body and tossed it aside. I tried to buck my hips and punch my fists but Jase had come from somewhere I hadn't seen and had a painfully tight grip on my wrists.
I bit into Jordan's hand and screamed Archer's name as loud as my lungs allowed me to! I couldn't be taken again, I couldn't bare it!
He backhands me across the face and I cry out from the pain. This can't be happening, not again. No.
Jordan shook my body vigorously, growling at me to shut up. All I could do was screech helplessly into his hand that he had replaced painfully.
No, please God don't let this be real.

Oh nooo! Jordan's back and so soon!
And what about Archer? Is he okay?!
Word Count - 1140

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