Tessa's Home

Nine

Tessa

"This-" Viper says, bringing the whip down on me once more, "is what happens when you try to leave me."

I cry out, covering my head with my hands. Viper grabs my hair and pulls me up, exposing my naked chest. He gently caresses my left cheek before sliding his hand down to my neck and gripping hard.

I grab onto his wrist, gurgling for air.

I want to die, to leave this hell, but I'm scared. I'm too scared to leave my family behind.

What if I can go back to them one day? I don't want to die if that's going to happen.

But what if it never does? I've tried and I've tried and I've tried, but Viper always gets me back.

No matter how long I'm gone or how far I've run, he always manages to get me back.

It's useless. Maybe it'd just be better if I died.

But I'm scared. I'm so scared. I'm terrified, and it hurts worse than the whip.

Viper practically picks me up off the ground by my throat and throws me against the hard cement wall of my cell.

I cry out once more when he kicks me in the stomach, and then he tucks my hair behind me ear.

He's so weird. One second he's beating me to a pulp, and the next his touch is so gentle I could mistake it for kindness.

He's always said he's in love with me. But what kind of person hurts the person they love?

He sighs. "I'm sorry, baby, I'm sorry I had to hurt you. But I did have to. Or else you'll never learn."

My breath is so shallow you could mistake me as dead, and my eyes are shut closed from all the blood in them.

How could he love me? How could he ever be sorry? This sicko has almost killed me multiple times.

He thinks he's teaching me a lesson. He's thinks each of his beatings are actually going to stop me from trying to leave.

But fuck that. And fuck him, too.

I'm getting out of here one day. And for good.

One day, he won't be able to touch me ever again.

I stare at my hands. They're wrinkled and pale and the skin is pealing around my nails.

The bath water is cold now. I've been sitting in it for a while, shivering and staring blankly at my hands.

I can't think straight. Every time I try to focus, my eyes blur, and my mind blanks.

What's wrong with me?

I was so angry and tired when we got home, I completely ignored dad and rushed into my room, locking the door right after closing it and drawing a boiling hot bath.

The heat calmed me down a bit, but I'm still in shock.

Why did I ever think that Viper wouldn't find me?

Was it because I'm back with my family? Did I think I was invincible and invisible just because I'd come back home?

If anything, I've just put my family in danger. All because I'm selfish. All because I wanted everything to go back to how it was before.

I've been too careless. I let Viper follow me. I practically led him to the one thing I truly care about.

What if someone gets hurt because of my stupidity? What if someone...what if Viper kills one of my brothers?