Page 32 of Chained

But I'm not her, and I never will be. The small box in the back of my mind is already full of thoughts that I keep hidden. I don't know if the memory will stay in there, too.

I crash into the back of the guy, his shirt sticky with sweat as I stumble. I've been so lost in my thoughts I don't notice him stop. He turns quickly, gripping my arms to steady me, but I recoil fast.

"Please don't hurt me," I shoot out, my eyes squinting as I wait for impact.

"I told you, I have no plans to hurt you."

I don't believe it. Every single person in these walls wants to hurt me and the girls they've stolen. It's what they do, what they love. Fuck, everything hurts. My heart, my soul.

"Why not? Everyone else wants to," I say honestly.

"Yeah, well…not me."

I search his eyes, looking for the lie, but it isn't there. For once, I believe him, and it's not because I have no choice.

"Who are you?" We continue to walk, letting the question fall with a sudden ease even though inside, everything is falling apart.

"I'm Ace."

"Who calls their kid Ace…" I mutter as he opens the door we briefly stop at. He tuts in response, holding the door open for me to step inside. The smell is strong here, a mixture of earthy wood and a tang of bleach, the walls are a mahogany brown and the carpets softer than my bedsheets. I spot the tanks that line the walls, all illuminated.

"Nice office, Ace," I say, forcing myself forward, fingers trailing the glass of the tanks that have snakes hidden behind. My eyes linger on the small black one, its tongue flickering in response to every tap.

"It's not mine."

I wouldn't care if it was.

"I know how you feel, little one." I pause, letting out a breath. I'm trapped, too.

Ace clears his throat behind me, but I don't turn. I keep my eyes on the tanks.

"I'm, uh—" He pauses, and I hear him shifting on his feet. "I'm sorry about your friend."

My eyes drop, heart heavy.

"I didn't know her for very long. She was just a girl; one you all took away from her family." Turning to face him, I try to keep my head held high in an attempt to feign strength. Anger replaces the grief, and so it should, however, I direct it at the wrong person.

"Did you enjoy the show?" I snap.

Was this bravery? Or stupidity? I don't know, but whatever it was…it was liberating.

"I know you're mad about the girl, but I didn't...I couldn't..." He looks away first. Good. Look away.

"Hailee," I cut in.

His eyes widen as he frowns, his face blank.

"Her name was Hailee," I push. Say her name. Say her fucking name.

"Look, if you learned anything from today, it's to stay quiet and do as you're told, okay?"

I scoff, shaking my head. Yes, be the good little girl they want you to be to stop yourself getting a dagger in the back. This isn't real, they are not real.

"Is that all you do here? Take women? Kill them? Is that how you all get your kicks?" I ignore everything he says, venom coursing through my body, every inch of me alive with rage and grief. I don't care that my voice is higher, that I'm shouting.

"It isn't like that—" He stumbles over his words, his cool, collected composure shattering before me. I take a step closer, and as I do, he takes a step back.

"No? Then what? There's more?"