Trying to remember that I’m not a captive anymore.
That I’m not powerless anymore.
That I’m not that girl anymore.
The knife in the guard’s hand shifts.
And I’m frozen in the past.
A fatal mistake.
The guard lunges at me.
By the time my body responds, he’s already on me.
His hand slams into my wrist.
The knife flies from my grip.
Panic spikes through me.
The guard twists behind me.
An arm snakes around my throat.
My back collides with his chest.
The constriction hits immediately and my airway thins.
I dig my fingers into his forearm, fighting for leverage.
Nothing.
His hold only compresses further.
Stars burst across my vision.
My pulse thunders in my ears.
The warehouse spins.
I try to drive an elbow backward.
I miss and I try again and miss.
The guard sneers something at me I can’t make out.
All I can hear is the blood rushing in my head.
The terrifying realization that I let myself drift.
That I looked away and gave him an opening.
The pressure around my throat increases.
My lungs burn.
“REAP!”
