Making a deal with devils - William James Moriarty x OC

Interlude Part #2 - Ensnared Shadows

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"Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim." - Nora Ephron
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Soft whimpers, if you could call it that, were the only thing present in the dilapidated, dimly lit room with minimal amenities. The air damp, and the stench of decay permeates the space. Her only source of light comes from a small, barred window, offering a glimpse of the outside world that feels painfully out of reach.

She knew. Of course she knew. There was no way she was getting out of this unharmed. Whether she be mentally harmed or physically harmed, she somehow knew it was inevitable. And that a grand scandal would become of this should the press find out. The prized daughter of the Ashbourne family, Lady Victoria Marie Ashbourne abducted and held captive by a criminal gang for a prolonged period of time.

Her captors would always visit periodically. Each time they visited, each encounter fraught with danger and dripping with uncertainty. They were ruthless individuals, constantly demonstrating a callous disregard for her well-being. Constantly subjecting her to physical abuse, using intimidation and violence to remind her of her vulnerability and their control over her.

Each visit often included her captors occasionally introducing life-threatening challenges as a means of exerting dominance or testing her will to survive. These challenges would normally include forcing her to navigate treacherous obstacles, endure extreme temperatures, or face dangerous creatures they kept around the manor. Each task being designed to push her to the brink, both physically and mentally.

Her resilience was constantly tested. Left in the dark, all she could do was come up with ways to maintain her strength, using what little intelligence and resourcefulness she had to outsmart her captors and increase her chances of survival. And more importantly, escape.

She knew all she had to do was stay strong. To put up with whatever her captors decided she would have to do until she could come up with the perfect plan.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into a seemingly endless abyss of captivity. Her spirit always remained unbroken, though her resilience was repeatedly tested by her captors' sadistic games and mind games they constantly played with her.

As her eyes once again adjusted to the dim light that filtered through a small, grated window, her mind soon began to decipher the patterns and nuances of her captors. She would analyse their whispered conversations when pretending to be fast asleep, and attempt to get an understanding of their actions.

Surviving this scenario required her to stay vigilant, strategising her plan forward carefully, and seizing any opportunity that presents itself. She had always been someone to persevere no matter the situation.

Her time alone, locked away, gave her plenty of time to reflect. Almost like she knew death could have been a possible outcome for her. She would somehow always recall the argument she had with her father. An argument that somehow seemed to be ingrained in her own memory and most likely that of her own family.

She recalled once that she had asked her father to let her be educated. And not just like how noblewomen would be educated. She meant that same education as what men would receive. She insisted on having her own personal tutor to teach her the sciences, math and anything a nobleman would learn at school.

She also recalled the scornful expression upon her father's face when she said that. How he spoke with disdain at her asking to be taught things no noblewoman would learn. That she did not want to learn to be a housewife. She wanted to be smart for her age. She was observant anyway, so why did it matter that she was taught anything?