the truth about monsters (Chaennie)

Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Whatever It Takes

The chill of the damp night filtered in through the windows as Rosie's eyes cracked open, and a ridiculously painful, sharp pain struck her head. She forced her eyes to remain open despite how much her body protested. She felt hard metal beneath her.

She realized that she was bound and captive in the back of one of the vans that Jungkook and the Azures used to transport shipments. She glanced down at her aching wrists, chained in cuffs, actual metal cuffs- Jungkook wasn't taking any chances- and watched them bore into her wrists like her skin was paper.

She felt the all too familiar sensation of a gag in her mouth, likely some dirty cloth Alan had lying around. She tried to sit up, but felt the pain weigh her down. She had a concussion. She'd studied them, treated them, seen them time and time again. She needed to rest. She peered up, eyes finding Alan as the only one in the car, far at the front, driving frantically.

Rosie tried desperately to push at the doors, seemingly welded shut before her.

Escape attempts were futility in its finest form.

Rosie felt her lids close, and she lashed out, desperately trying to speak, to scream, to cry, even.

Darkness enveloped her once more.

She dreamed of Jennie.

When Rosie woke the second time, she was met by the freezing air of the very early morning, sending shivers up and down her spine.

The van doors had opened, revealing more pitch black darkness, the early hours of the morning as frigid and unwelcoming as Alan and Irene's faces.

"You made it in one piece, Alan." Irene sighed, eyeing Rosie with great disdain.

"Hardly." Alan mumbled, watching Rosie's eyes open. "She didn't come easily."

"And what of the other part of Jungkook's plan?" Irene asked nervously, concern tingling her tone.

"Jennie lives." Alan's voice shook with indiscernible terror.

Irene's expression, although dim in the light, was etched with relief. "Good." She breathed quietly.

Rosie growled before she even knew what she was doing.

She tried to ignore the rush of relief that swept over her.

Jennie was alive.

Her Jennie.

She felt a deep pit of turmoil arise within her. If Jennie knew she was missing -and by now, she did- she was going to come looking for Rosie.

Rosie wanted her to move on, to forget. Rosie wanted her to be safe.

Rosie didn't want to be rescued if she knew it would endanger Jennie.

Irene's blonde hair was falling around her shoulders, her piercing eyes flaring when she locked gazes with Rosie. "I was expecting more from Jennie." She murmured, a smirk painting itself on her lips. "Then again, one could make the argument that Jennie was simply using you to get over me."

Rosie shook with anger, rage swelling in her chest. How dare she. How dare she break Jennie's heart. How dare she utter Jennie's name on her lips of deceit.

"Oh, have we never formally met?" Irene asked with a wry smile.

Rosie's heart was hammering. The last time she'd seen Irene, she'd given her a shiner to remember her by, and judging by the bruise that clouded the beauty's forehead, she hadn't forgotten.

"The gag, Alan." Irene ordered, her voice icy, cold. "She can scream, there's no one this far out."

Alan sighed, yanking Rosie forward, wincing as he tore out the gag.