Their Thief

Twenty-nine

Damaris Rana

My eyes open to lush green forestry as a sense of calm surrounds me. For a moment everything feels... good?

I don't feel like there's a time bomb ticking, slowly bringing me closer to my inevitable doom. I don't feel the fear that I have become so accustomed to, nor the self-hate, guilt, shame, and disgust the brothers bring out in me. It seems as though time has stopped and everything has fallen into order, that I can actually breathe.

But I know better.

Good things never last.

Everything hits me at once when I feel the weight of a large arm draped over my torso, large legs tangled with my own, and a large, warm body pressed against my back; light tingles dancing over my skin as I lie on my side.

Stupid lying piece of shit!

I try to push the arm off of me, but that only causes the lying owner to tighten his hold and pull me closer, causing something hard to dig into my lower back. My eyes widen and my anger flares up. I was going to try again with double the effort and determination, but instead, I end up gasping in pain.

Instead of grabbing his arm, I grab my stomach and curl into a ball around his arm as an intense pain shoots through my lower belly. I detangle my legs from his with some difficulty and bring them up towards my chest, feeling warm wetness between them as I groan in pain.

My legs, lower back, and breasts ache while the stabbing pain courses through my lower belly. The wetness between my legs only making everything worse. The pain's nothing compared to what I've experienced in the past, but it still hurts.

"What's wrong?" Luca asks suddenly, awake and in a panic. He's instantly kneeling beside me on the bed. Pushing down on my shoulder he moves me from my side and makes me lie on my back as his eyes dart to my stomach where I have my arms wrapped around myself.

I look towards him, confused by the fear I see in his face as his hands hover over me, not know what to do. I scoff and roll my eyes. If only he could have looked at me like that when his brother brutally whipped me in front of him.

I look over his worried tense body and tense. My cheeks flood with heat in embarrassment as my eyes land on a bright red spot on the front of his grey sweats that were pressed up against me moments ago.

Shit.

I got my period.

I shoot up with a groan. From pain, or the fact that the sheets beneath me are probably in the same condition as Luca's pants? I don't know, I'd say both.

"What are you doing?" Luca asks as I gather the sheets around my waist in an attempt to save myself from further embarrassment. What can I say? Patriarchy did a good job of instilling shame in me about something that's perfectly natural.

"Bathroom," I mutter while avoiding his eyes and swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. My face twist in a grimace as I feel the results of mother nature between my legs.

"B-but, you-! What happened? You were just in pain!" He says, grabbing my arm while struggling to put his words together.

"Umm..." I glance down at the red stain on his pants once again, my humiliation making me unable to answer.