Those of Us Alone

Chapter 32: Intense Torture

WARNING: Definitely some intense language and situations. Read at your own risk. If you don't want to read, the third section of story will tell you all you need to know, and then some, but DO NOT feel obligated to read something you are uncomfortable with.

Midori's POV

Splash!

I jerked awake as a bucket of water was poured over my head. I was stiff, though I guess I could credit the rope around my midsection and around my wrists and ankles that was effectively keeping me tied to the chair I was sitting in.

"Well, well, well, it seems as if the whore is awake," I snapped my gaze up to meet face-to-face with my living nightmare, Yan Kumuji.

My gaze turned to a glare as I feigned as much courage as possible, "It's not nice to see you again, Kumuji. Though I see you're still up to your usual tricks."

His big, burly hand grabbed me by the jaw and squeezed enough to bruise as he spoke, "It seems what little freedom you had only managed to grow the flame of defiance in you, but that will only make it so much sweeter  to break you."

I scoffed, trying to hide my intimidation, "Please, try as you might, I won't be here long."

A nasty smirk adorned the human trafficking dealer's face, "We'll see about that."

~~~~~~

I still sat in this stupid chair, only now I was covered in bruises from where Kumuji's goons thought they could quite literally beat the information about my whereabouts and anything they could get from me about the pirates. Of course, as this wasn't my first encounter with Kumuji's pain-increasing torture methods, it was going to take more than a couple hits to get me to share anything, "Why don't you take a break, your goons seem to be more tortured than I am."

I am not sure if this has been addressed yet, but I constantly say very stupid things to cope with fear. This was one of the many times that I opened my big mouth and ended up angering everyone in the room more.

"Ya hear that, boys?" Kumuji's smirk had returned full force, and with my lack of cooperation, he seemed to be coming at me with a vengeance, "I think our guest believes that's the best you can do." 

Many glares were thrown my way, but I slightly stiffened when the door opened, "And here I thought you were lying, father." Dante. A hand was lightly placed upon the left side of my face, and I turned my gaze to Kumuji's bastard son's and sent as much of a glare as I could muster, "Now, now, what have I ever done to you?"

I scoffed taking my head as far from is hand as possible - leaning to my right, "I don't really think I have to account that for you."

Seeing how uncomfortable I was with his son, Kumuji placed a hand on Dante's left shoulder and spoke, "I think you can take over for now, let's see what you can do."

A smirk was the only thing that Dante replied with, but that was apparently all Kumuji wished for because he and his goons left quickly, "Alone at last."

"What do you want?" I growled, watching as he made his way in front of me, right hand still hovering in front of my face.

He took his right hand and messed with a stray piece of my hair, "Such a pity," he then took ahold of that piece and yanked my head down (I also sadly let out a yell), "that someone as beautiful as you has to have such a wild, rebellious personality."

Wincing in pain I struggle to speak, "Ya' know, most people find that endearing."

He releases my hair just so he could take ahold of my face and pull me forward, trying to intimidate me, "Well, as you have guessed, I'm not like most people." He then lets go of my face and drops his hand to the sash of my dress - essentially the thing that holds it all together, "In fact, I'd even say I'm worst than most." He takes out a knife with his other hand, and in one swift motion, my dress is now very loose and barely on.

I have tried my hardest to school my features into a façade of carelessness, but it was beginning to become a little harder to do so.

"Aw, is the little whore not proud of her body? Oh, the irony!" A maniacal laughter leaves his lips as he pressed the blunt side of the blade to my abdomen, "Tell you what, if you tell me all you can recall about the pirates, you won't have to deal with the things I have planned."

I shakily met his gaze as I spit, "Go to Hell!"

A smirk showed as he quickly turned the sharp part of the blade into the clear skin - I was never harmed on the front as to preserve sell-ability, but it seemed that the Kumuji's weren't looking to sell me anymore, "So be it."

~~~~~~

Hours upon hours I was tortured. I'll spare you the details, all you have to know was that it was gruesome.

So much so that I was now bound at the wrists and ankles, my dress hanging limply on my back, matted with the blood that leaked from my many wounds throughout the period of torture, many of which were only patched up slightly so I wouldn't die, but just enough to know that everything would scar - from the physical pain where words along the same obscenity of whore were carved into and around my waistline to the physical and mental scaring which was what that bastard called a 'tribute to my whore namesake'.

I couldn't fight it.

There was nothing I could do in that situation. I could either give away my information upon the pirates, or I could give away my sanity.

As you could have guessed, I chose the latter.

I felt empty - like a shell. I held on so long, but I was utterly helpless.

. . . Why did I have to come to Awa? . . .

. . . . . . How . . . . did I get myself into this situation?

And . . . I can't escape it . . .

Tears filled my eyes as I weeped to myself in this small, dark room. I was back to my childhood self, back to my fear and back to my mistakes.

~~~~~~

My eyes opened to a dreamlike plane. I glanced around the area - there were clouds surrounding me, they . . . they were comforting.

Then, a shining light appeared and out of it, a blue dragon arose. It looked at me sadly - or at least, I think it did. 

I tilted my head at it, and as I went to speak, it spoke to me instead, "I am sad to see you suffer, Midori, but you cannot give up here."

I looked down, I wore a silky white dress, and spoke slowly, "Will it . . . be . . . worth it . . . in the end?"

A smile - of sorts - came to the face of the divine beast, "Isn't it always?"

________________________________________________________________________________

Okay!

Breathe! Everything is . . . stable . . .

I'm sorry that there were many things in this chapter that were hinted at. Many of you I assume will pick up on what went down. I will eventually tell you - through Midori, when she shares herself (which I plan on being WAY later).

So, sorry, but it had to be done. This is a MAJOR part of what will prompt many of Midori's decisions in the future regarding herself and her relationships. I'm sorry if you don't like it.

I'm also sorry if you do not like who I am choosing to make an influential part of Midori's character (many of you have already guessed who this is by my not-so-suttle flashback in chapter 29), but he is influential, and will make things interesting (at least I think so).

So, I laid a bunch of heavy stuff on you in this chapter, so I think I will probably write more of the gang in the next chapter - not completely, but I need to breathe, and I think y'all will probably need a breather as well. I'm such a mean author to my character! :(

Anyway . . . . . . . . Hope you . . . . well, I don't want to say enjoy the chapter, this is a really dark chapter (literally and figuratively) . . . so . . . Hope you don't have to go through anything I'm putting my character through. . .

~Ashley :3