Charlotte's Scars

Chapter 33 - Charlotte

Chapter Thirty-Three

Charlotte

I couldn't say if it had been minutes, hours, or days. It felt like Mack had been torturing me for a lifetime. I kept slipping in and out of consciousness, but she refused to allow me the sweet relief of nothingness. Anytime I fell unconscious, she was quick to bring me back.

"Ya'know, I never get bored a' watchin' a person strugglin' for air." Mack said flippantly, pulling the rope tighter around my neck. "It's empowerin' - like I decide if yuh gonna live or die. I decide when and how it's gonna happen." She pulled tighter, a manic look in her eyes.

My only reply was a gurgled, choking sound.

Mack seemed to prefer torturing via asphyxiation. She continuously suffocated or choke me, and when I would begin to lose consciousness, she would submerge my head in water. Sometimes, she would hold my head in there, drowning me. Only when I was on the brink of death would she pull me back up choking, gasping, and vomiting all at once.

"Like, if I keep tightenin' this rope 'round yur neck, I could kill yuh."

My vision narrowed - unconsciousness would quickly follow.

The rope loosened, but when I didn't look up at her, Mack growled. "But not yet, bitch!"

I forced my eyes open just in time to watch Mack plunge a scalpel into my thigh.

A second passed before the pain registered. Then I screamed in agony. Tears swelled in my eyes, and I twisted and wiggled in my restraints, desperate to be free. Desperate to remove the scalpel protruding halfway out of my leg.

Mack broke out into maniacal laughter before dancing off toward Danny. He was standing to the side of the room recording everything on the camcorder. When she reached him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kissing embrace.

"Ahh, I missed this, Babe." I could hear her saying over my choking cries. "It's been too long since we done sumthin' like this. The power! The thrill! The adrenaline! I feel so alive! That last smarty-pants girl didn't last this long though, huh? I'm gettin' better at keepin' them alive longer."

Tuning them out, I fought harder against the restraints. My cries echoed through the room, but I ignored the pain, I ignored my cries and I fought with everything I had. I thought of Karla. I thought of Rayden. And most of all, I thought of Christian. These thoughts gave me strength. I consumed them - pulling and pushing my arms back and forth. It was easy to ignore the pain in my arms - my entire body hurt, I knew nothing else but pain. I tugged my arms with all the strength I had until, finally, I felt the ropes give a little.

My heart skipped a beat. I snuck a glance toward Mack and Danny, but they weren't paying attention to me.

Without a second thought, I pulled my one arm free. Clenching my teeth, I reached down and pulled the scalpel out of my leg. Blood poured out of the wound, but I paid it no mind as I cut the ropes from my other arm, waist, and then legs.

Then, I knew I had to stop the bleeding.

Grabbing the thick rope still draped over my neck, I tightly tied it around my thigh.

"What the fuck?!"

I looked up. Mack was running toward me. I jumped out of the chair but was not fast enough. She grabbed my shirt and pulled. Losing my balance, I toppled backwards into her.

We fell into a tangled mess of limbs. I tried to pull myself free, but her arms wrapped around my neck and squeezed.

I closed my eyes, and images of my parents drunkenly fighting flash through my mind. All my life I was exposed to violence and through it all, I told myself fighting didn't solve anything.

I never fought back when my parents hit me.

I never retaliated when I was bullied.

I always stood firm and took it all.

I claimed physical violence was the way of Neanderthals. I thought there was always a less violent resolution.

But at this moment, as I struggled to free myself from Mack's hold on me, I realized that I was wrong. When it is a matter of life or death, sometimes, you need to fight back. Sometimes, you need to use those primal instincts to save yourself or a loved one.

Using that thought to power me forward, I slammed my elbow into Mack's gut. She cried out and her hold loosened. I swung my head back, crashing it into her face. Ignoring the crunching sound, I rolled away from her. She grabbed my foot when I tried to run. I fell back down to the ground, my face taking the brunt of the fall.

She was on top of me in seconds, grabbing fistfuls of my hair and pounding my face into the floor. I rolled over enough to reach the scalpel I dropped. Swinging backwards, I jabbed it into Mack's arm. She released me, howling in pain.

I jumped to my feet, blood flowing from my nose, mouth, leg, and arms. The world spun, but I pushed myself forward. I couldn't falter.

"Argh! Danny, get her!" Mack screamed.

He looked at me and uncertainty flashed across his face.

This was my moment - I would get no other.

Danny knew this was wrong - I could see it in his eyes. Would he let me go? Would he break free from Mack's hold?

Hopeful, I sprang toward the door.

I was within inches when he stopped me. He flung me to the floor and my head smacked hard against the concrete. Vision tunnelling, I fought to hold on but quickly succumbed to the darkness.

I could feel my body being dragged, but my eyelids were so heavy. I tried to move, but I was so weak - I lost too much blood.

Even as they began wrapping ropes around my arms again, all I could do was whimper. I used up all my strength - there was nothing left in me.

This was it.

BANG!