Burn ▹ Ashton Irwin

fifty one

AN: this is not the last chapter. i am still going to post an epilogue, as well as a final author's note so stay tuned for those -ellena

-

Skylar's POV

Within an hour upon my last, I thought that I was dead.

Genuinely. I genuinely thought that I had finally reached my death after clinging onto my last bit of life for so long. I passed out after Derek threw me into the back of his SUV. The only things I could remember were seeing his face, getting thrashed around like a rag doll in his grasp, screaming out for help, and then never receiving it.

Other than those few things, my mind was absolutely blank. Numb, even. When I finally gained consciousness all I could see was black. I couldn't even open my eyes, no matter how hard I tried.

I was breathing heavily. Very, very, heavily as I gasped for air and jolted myself awake. I could feel myself situated in an awkward position yet I had no idea where I was or what has happened to me in the past few hours. I don't know how long I could've been out; maybe I've been asleep for days. Weeks, even. Maybe I was actually dead, I just didn't realize it.

When I finally blinked my eyes open and looked around, all that I could see was black, and black only. I could hear myself trying to breath and my lungs stinging from their lack of oxygen. And whatever air I did breathe in, it was no help. The air around me was cool, damp, and musty. It felt as if I was choking on sand.

I coughed and haunched forward, shutting my eyes once again. Blood was still swishing around in my mouth so I gagged it all up and let it fall to the floor....whatever floor I was sitting on. I didn't know where I was.

"Hello?" I called out, though my voice could barely make it above a whisper. I coughed again and sniffled. "Hello?!"

My voice echoed, but I received no response in return. I sat back and started to sob. "Somebody, please," I cried, shaking my head. "Please! I'm-"

I stopped when a light flicked on above me. Just like the first time, along with all of my nightmares (that were now coming true), I was surrounded by darkness, minus one single lightbulb hanging above my head. I sniffled and looked up at it. "Hello?"

Still, I got no answer. Quietly crying to myself, I gazed around to see that everything else around me was dark. The floor beneath me was dirty, dusty cement. And, of course, I was tied down to a chair with ropes around my wrists and my ankles. I couldn't move, no matter how hard I wriggled around. I realized what physical state Derek had put me in, and my blood began to boil.

"Are you fucking kidding me!" I yelled in frustration. The rope rubbed against my wrists and it stung the thousands of cuts and bruises that have formed along my skin. Hot tears trailed down my cheeks and filled the gashes on my face, reopening the wounds by replenishing all of the dried blood. My face would crack whenever I opened my mouth because the amount of dried blood I knew was covering my face was unreal.

Derek was around here somewhere. I wasn't sure how long he's left me tied into this chair or if he's swung by while I was unconscious, but the fact that more lightbulbs were starting to flick on, all scattered around at different points along the ceiling, told me that I wasn't alone.

I shrunk back in fear and closed my eyes, shaking my head as I continued to quietly to cry to myself.  I was so angry with myself. I was so fucking angry with myself. I let Derek get away with taking me once again and I knew that I didn't stand a chance against whatever he was going to bring to me.