A whimper hides behind my lips, but there’s no getting out of this now. He always makes good on his threats. Swallowing down the sour tang coating my tongue, I extend trembling arms, palms laid bare before him.
“What did you do wrong this time, my little half-breed?” he croons with false pity.
A tear falls and moistens my dry, cracked lips. “I…I moved. Moved w-without permission.”
The cane that he doesn’t even need for walking sways back and forth in his gloved hands for a long, drawn-out second before my lashes fall shut. “Yes, you did. I wonder how many strikes you deserve?”
I already know he doesn’t want my answer. No, he just wants to add to the torment. My heavy heartbeat drowns out the silence as I search for that dark place in my mind. Not even the flowers can help me now.
Escape.
Please, just let me escape there before it’s too late.
But it already is.
Pain blooms across my palms, crawling up my arms and into my shoulders. Instinct screams at me to tuck my hands into my armpits to protect myself, but I know that will only make it worse.
“I know you can count to at least three.” Another smack from his cane. “Shall I teach you to count higher?”
The insult to my intelligence hurts almost as bad as the punishment to my hands. Blow after blow he gives, and soon the fiery pain fades into a dull nothingness even as my skin splits and blood paints my wrists.
“Thank me for your correction.”
I choke on the words as I repeat them to him.
Just submit. Even the devil himself can’t go on forever.
When pressure from his cane lowers my arms, I know that at least this part of my punishment has ended. Blood drips onto the floor as my throbbing hands come to rest against my thighs.
Then his boots resume their circling.
He’s the hunter, and I’m the dying prey.
Tap.
Tap.
Silence.
Tap.
Tap.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Where is he?
One quick and secret sweep through my wet lashes doesn’t reveal him in front of me, so that means?—
A gloved hand rests on my shoulders, beckoning for my quiet cry to break free, but I swallow it back down.
Behind me.
He’s behind me.
