Joseph hurls me against the side of the barn. My ragged breathing tears through my chest, painfully ripping through my throat. "Move!" he barks, violently shoving me forward.
I stagger through the long grass. It beats against my legs and scratches my calves. The stalks slice across my ankles and burrow into the soles of my feet.
Sweat beads around my forehead and clings to the back of my neck. Loose strands of my hair stick to my jaw and fall across my face.
"Please," I sob. My hysteric cries turn wild and desperate.
"Shut up!" Joseph snaps, "On your knees." He forces me down against the ground. Jagged rocks cut through my exposed knees.
I stare up at the cross standing in front of me. It stands tall above the earth, terrifying and magnificent.
His hand clamps down on my shoulder. Adam and my captor hover around me. The man wades through the long grass, sliding his hand underneath my jaw. He tilts my head up, forcing me to stare at him.
"Where'd he go?" his voice is sharp and poisonous.
"How the hell am I supposed to know?" my voice wavers slightly, betraying the strength I'd tried to muster. He slaps me across the face, sending a shock of pain racing through my cheek.
"Now you will tell me where he's gone," my captor demands.
"I-I don't know," I choke. He curls a auburn ringlet around his fingers.
"Where were you both intending to go?" He stares at my dark hair running over his thumb.
"I-I don't...I don't know."
"Blindfold her," the man orders. Joseph takes a strip of cloth out from beneath his jacket. He hooks it over my face, covering my eyes.
Darkness closes in around me. He ties it around the back of my head. Strands of my hair tangle amongst the course material. A low whimper rolls over my lips.
Rough hands slide underneath my arms. They lift me up off of the ground and drag me across the field.
My body is slammed against a heavy wooden post. It stabs into my back, digging between my shoulder blades. I thrash frantically, twisting underneath the weight of his grip.
"Please!" I cry, "Please...I-I don't know where he's gone." My arms are spread out against the bold cross. I'm pinned against the splintery wood.
A cold, sharp point is pressed against the palms of my hands. The metal object pierces my skin. It jabs through my hand, grinding against my bones.
Screaming I kick violently. They drive through my hand and into the wood. Blood trickles over my palm, dripping down my wrist. "Stop!" I plead, "Oh God please!"
"Shh," my captor soothes, stroking the side of my face. His hand trails down my neck, lingering over my collar bone. Squealing, I beat my ankles against the cross.
His hand slips away. I can hear them trudging through the long grass. They abandon me on the cross.
Silence ebbs around me and the heat overwhelms my body. Eventually I slip out of consciousness, sinking into an eerie, dark world.
***
The storm crashes down around me. Wind whips around us, spraying salty water over me. The waves crash over the sand, carving out the crescent beach.
"Ella!" Janie trills, leaping off of the damp rocks.
"W-where am I?"
"Beach," she says simply. She skips across the sand, moving swiftly.
"W-where's Nate?" I choke.
"Dunno," Janie shrugs. She rolls the sand over her feet, cocking her head to the side.
Silver, jagged strips of lightning disappear below the horizon. Thunder rolls across the beach. It consumes me, sending a shudder through my body.
Janie's eyes flicker across the ocean like frightened birds. "I-I need to know if he's OK," I sob catches in the back of my throat. She stares at me with a emotionless curiosity.
I sink onto the soft sand. I wrap my arms around my legs, pressing them against my chest. I bury my face in my knees, whimpering quietly.
"Oh God why do my hands hurt so much?" I cry.
"Because they put nails through them," Janie breathes. Her voice is relaxed and held inside a monotone.
I tilt away from my legs, folding my hands out against my thighs. I glance down at my hands, turning them over slowly. My fingers trembles slightly.
The storm churns around me, turning vicious. Foam sprays over the sand and the ocean churns. Thunder explodes around us and lightning brightens the gray sky.
"W-what?" I stammer, "I-I don't...where am I?" Janie cautiously walks towards me. She smoothes her hands over her crumpled clothes. My eyes catch on the round, fleshy holes dug through the back of her hands.
"You're on the cross," Janie murmurs.
***
My head lolls against the heavy wooden cross. Slowly I pull myself out of the delirium. The thick weight of unconsciousness looms over my mind.
The rough material seals my eyes shut, blinding me. Beads of sweat drip down my face, sliding down my neck. They slice across my skin, slipping over my stomach.
Dehydration drains my body. My energy slowly seeps away, stolen by the heat.
Pain aches inside the palms of my hands. Agony rushes over my arms and down my spine, rolling over my shoulder blades.
My legs dangle against the cross. My grazed feet brush the splintery sides of the cross.
"God damn you!" I scream. My voice echoes across the field, unanswered. The sound is lonely, a hollow memory of my death.
YOU ARE READING
Salvation
Teen FictionShe's his prize, his beautiful, flawless prize. She's his trophy, a girl he stole from the world. He holds her captive in the harsh shadows of the basement and tortures her. He loves her, charishes her every breath and lives off her every scream. He...
