Chapter 24

A day passed already and nothing from Clare.  The cameras were up and rolling and I was just a happy sitting duck, waiting for my punishment.  We didn't want to take a big risk with a lot of cameras.  So we were okay with only placing two up - one that covered the entire living room and one up in my bedroom.  I was happy with that because I figured those were the most likely places she would attack me.  I was anxious with anticipation, often glancing to the cameras if I was present and wondering if they were hidden well enough.  I figured they were though.  I mean, the one in the living room being placed high up in the edge of the window, hidden by the curtains, it was the best spot.  You couldn't even see it unless looking hard for it and it wasn't as if Clare bothered with the blinds or anything near the window.  The one in my room was sitting up on my dresser in the back corner, covered by a stack of clean clothes set there from laundry.   So everything was ready for action I guess you could say.

The next day after the phone call, I figured she would strike.  I was filled to the top with anticipation yet, she acted as if nothing happened when she got home from work. Nothing.  In that time she could have done something but she didn't.  It put me even more closer to a nervous breakdown.  I wanted this over with! I could tell by the time Luke arrived home from work a few hours later, he was clearly on edge too.  The second he walked through the door, his eyes wouldn't stop searching me silently, as if in desperate search for a sign of abuse.  But with only a slight shake of my head, he understood nothing strangely happened and we went back to acting normal around Clare again. 

I didn't know what she was up to.  All I knew was the fact that she was up to something.  It made me nervous but I figured her route of doing this would be to 'punish' me at a time that wasn't a few hours before Luke got home.  I was guessing she would do it on the weekend because Luke had to work a day on Saturday.  It would give her that whole day... so I wasn't concerned any longer about it happening on a school day like today.

That's why I was freely, happily relaxed with no weight of nervousness.  I was laying on the couch, exhausted after getting up extra early this morning (thanks to the little pup's constant crying to be pampered with my fingers over his fur; he was a little cry baby was what he was).  And after that came school so I wasn't exactly fully awake.   The moment I walked through the door, let Jack out, got comfortable... you can bet my ass had a date with Mr. Couch. 

Jack pounced against me through after jumping up on the couch.  Laying on my back, I glanced down towards where he was rubbing against me where he jumped against my side.  Smirking down at the little guy, I noticed he had dragged up one of his friends with him - a green soft squeaky toy.  Freezing, as if knowing my eyes caught him, his tail was all that moved back and forth and slowly, he slyly looked up to me with the toy in his mouth.  

The next moment, he moved swiftly, making me laugh when he jumped right up on me with his toy.  Smiling, I sifted my fingers through his hair along his back as he slowly started to inch his way up higher against me, climbing up to my chest where he finally settled, his nose nearly touching mine.  Laughing slightly, I could feel his toy against my neck and I knew what he wanted with that wagging tail.

"You're funny Jack," I smiled.  "But now..." I said in a slightly lighter voice.  "I'm going to get your toy!" I squealed in a higher tone and grabbed it instantly before he could react. And when he did... oh he was more than determined to get his toy back I was teasing him with. I turned over on my side as he scrambled to my outstretching hand and I knew he wouldn't give up now until he had the satisfaction of winning his green fuzzy friend back.

So much for relaxing I guess you could say.  Jack was a special exception though.  I could never tire of playing with him.  My time with him ended quickly though.

I was surprised to hear the front door open then as I was playing with Jack.  It wasn't like I was expecting anybody to be home yet but it put me on edge as a heaviness came over me.  Looking up from where I was on the couch, my eyes met Clare's as she stepped in the house.  And her eyes... they met mine and they didn't show the shadows of ignorance today as they had yesterday.  No, it was clear she wasn't going to pretend as if nothing happened like before.  I felt a sickening feeling come over me when the fact that she was home early backed that theory up.

I heard Jack jump down from the couch when he looked up and away from his toy and to Clare.  You can bet he was no longer in the playful mood at seeing her now in the room.  He made his quick escape up to my room and I could only wish I was Jack, to be able to run up and away from her now.  Of course, for him it was instinct now since she treated him so badly. 

She slid her coat off, her boots off in the doorway after she shut the door... but what sent chills up my body was that her eyes... they never left mine.  They buried themselves deep into my eyes, my soul, and planted itself there where it infected me.  It hurt me, to the point where I was close to fleeing.  Because I knew then, despite the fact that the cameras were up, that she was going to hurt me.  Badly. 

I will take it... I must take it.  The cameras are there, it will be one huge step closer to locking her up... I need to do this, I will take it.

By the time she was done taking off her winter wear, she just stood there and stared at me.  Creepily.  I could only sit there, frozen on the couch.  The silence between us was powerful, thick in the air, and seemed even more threatening to this already terrible situation that I knew was about to occur.

"What did you think gave you the fucking right...?" she said, almost softly under her breath.  Staring me down, my eyes widened and at that second, I considered her crazy.  It was like yesterday didn't exist with how she acted so normal, like nothing happened.  Now today she was acting as if this was just hitting her.  My guess was that she was just ready to express everything that has been building up in her.  Which can't be good for me.

"Look you secretive bitch, I just wanted some damn answers," I hissed back at her, with narrow eyes and thinned lips.  Because no matter if I was slowly filling with fear, I wouldn't show it.  That would only work in her favor.  "You know, answers you refused to give me...."

"For my own choice not to give you the satisfaction over those facts!  Over what was meant to stay hidden!" she said, her voice changing and making a complete turn for the worse.  She was tense, her body almost shaking and I saw her take a few steps closer until she was standing on the other side of the coffee table, looking down at me.

I sighed dramatically.  Might as well get this over with.  Standing up, facing her from across the coffee table, I scowled.  "Alright look, you over dramatic monster.  Lets get this over with," I said, gesturing for her to come a me.  I could care less at this point about a punch or a kick to the gut.  Old news to me.  However, I didn't realize just how large of a line I crossed with her.  Because my assumptions... quickly became an understatement of what she would do to me.

She swiftly moved, reaching out and towards me over the table and before I knew it, she gripped the collar of my shirt with both her hands.  I expected a punch, not this.  Eyes widening at this unexpected movement from her, I felt her instantly pull me towards her.  And in that event, that meant dragging me over the coffee table and to her.  Gasping, my knees hit the sides of the coffee table, making me wince but more importantly, it was a position I couldn't fight her in.  It was quick as she dragged me over the slick glass table and to her, so fast I could barely comprehend how it all happened. 

Surprised by her sudden strength, I tried resisting her but with no power from my legs that were over the table. I could do nothing at that second.  It wasn't until she backed up with me and let my feet flop to the floor was I able to try to fight her back.  But at that point, she already had advantage over me.  The moment I was dragged across the table and now against her, I felt her fingers on my shirt grip harder and I could feel that with all her strength, she spun around with me and threw me back hard until I hit the side of the wall with a grunt.

Putting force behind that push and throw, she made sure I was going face first.  Chest hitting the wall, the side of my face came in contact with that flat hard surface, instantly stopping my flailing body.  It was so fast... the confusion hit me of how she could have done that.  More so, the affect of what she did hit me too. The pain of the impact shot up my cheek and it was the start of a terrible fire under my skin.  I could feel my jaw was already sore, the lightning spurts of shock throbbing within my mouth.  At the same time, another type of shock and pain filled me - from the impact and from the realization... that this really struck a nerve with her.  Obviously to the point where she somehow had the strength to drag me and throw me against a wall. 

"Ahh..." I groaned and when my feet managed to stay steady, when I won over falling down, I backed up a little.  My sight spun in front of me when I turned and tried to face her and it took a lot just to stay upwards and on my feet. 

The colors of the room blurred as did everything in the room.  Blinking rapidly, holding myself as still as I could, I tried my best to clear my vision to the point where I could make something out.  Ignoring the spreading pain over me, I was desperate to see because I knew Clare was not done with me.  Looking around the spinning room, by the time my vision came back... I knew more was coming my way.  

I could make out the couch, the stairs... and a very livid Clare as she strode towards me, gripped me again with a hard hand on my shoulder, and punched me with a tight fist, making contact with my already throbbing jaw. 

"Oh," I groaned, my head bucking up and with the power released from her fist and into me... it sent me flying back.  Only this time, when she punched me and sent me back towards the wall, I decided that was the end of taking it.  It was time for me to give it.  I was over the shock of what she was now doing to me.  I accepted this was happening and though I knew it needed to happen, I would fight back. 

That's why the next time she punch me, I grabbed a hold of her and dragged her back with me towards where I figured I would hit the wall again.  Except, my back didn't come into contact with the solid wall.  My hands wrapped in the fabric of her shirt, making her stumble forward with me going back, I felt my heart jump at the sensation of something else that wasn't the wall.  Because when she punched me and sent me flying back, it was in a different direction than before.  Just a few feet over... to where the window was instead of a solid wall. 

I gasped when she punched me but my heart dropped at the feeling of my back coming into contact with the glass of the window.  And with how fast and powerful I flew back, the impact I made along with her weight as I dragged her with me was all it could take.  That's why the second I slammed against the window with her too was the second I heard the sound of a million different crashes, a million chimes in sync.  The window shattered to pieces and it seemed like the loudest crash in the world with me right there, going through it.

At this point, I knew another line was crossed, even if unintentional.  And all I could do... was let it all unfold with no control.

It lasted but a second.  I was through the window and in the next moment, as I watched my ceiling of the living room turn into the dull winter sky, my back came into contact with one of the bushes just outside of the window.  It instantly paused that spinning sight before me and stilled.  An when I did, I managed to fight the soreness and look down at myself after the shock hit me.  Eyes searching around me, I saw I was covered in snow.  I felt the wetness upon my back as well as the sparks of pain from some of the shards of glass, digging in through my clothes.  The rush of cold air hit me and came over my already hurting body and it didn't help.  At least I could take the satisfaction in knowing I wasn't the only one in the snow now. 

When I dragged Clare through the window with me, I let her go upon the sudden sensation of falling.  After a few seconds of letting it sink in what just happened, that things escalated this fast, I found a groaning Clare a few feet besides me.  Glancing to her after taking in my own state, I noticed a difference.  She went face first in the snow and didn't have the luck I had of falling on a bush.  Her face wasn't visable but rather the back of her head, the brown curls all I could see along with the rest of her body imprinted in the snow.  She hit the ground hard but of course, with how much snow layered it, she wasn't hurt exactly.  Was her face stinging with how cold she was?  Yes.  Unfortunately she didn't get the affect of the glass hitting her like I did.  After all, she was the one that sent me flying back into the window.  I only pulled her with me.

"Oh shit," I groaned, trying to get up after a moment of taking us both in.  The pain seemed to come from everything.  Through the shards in my back, to the throbbing of my jaw, and the heaviness and spinning sensation occurring in my head.  It could be worse though, I knew. 

Rolling over all off the bush, I managed to stumble my way to my feet.  And the simplest way to put it... it stung.  After rolling off the bush, my hands and every other point of exposed skin hurt when coming into contact with the snow when I tried getting to my feet.  I was hurting from what just happened but add the fact that I was wet with snow, with nothing but jeans and a sweater on... fuck, I knew things got way out of hand.  I knew Clare was realizing that now too.  Only at this point, I was almost positive this pissed her off even more. 

I wasn't sure where we were now in this little game.  Whether that did it and she was done with me or if she was even more pissed off and willing to take that out on me some more.  Either way, as I stood there in the snow and looking down at her whimpering form in the snow trying to get up, I knew that whatever was about to happen better go down inside.  Because you can bet your ass, I was done out here.  It wouldn't benefit me at all to stay out here.

I watched as her arms began to work, moving up at grazing the snow around her.  With that though, I saw her put muscle in her arms and prop herself up, away from the snow.  Snow flakes covering her face, I saw through it to her eyes... that was enraged with power and anger.  She aimed it at me when she saw me. 

"You... psychotic piece of shit!" she growled and I saw some snow fall out of her mouth at going face first in the snow.  "I'll fucking cut your ass open!" she managed through her icy and quivering lips, her frozen face that would melt from the hot anger radiating.  There was no doubt in her mind... I was going to pay for this.

Head still spinning, I completely regretted going to Regina for answers if I knew things would get this bad.  Going through the window was Clare's fault.  But it made it worse.  Not to mention, what would be awaiting both of us in the house... would only make this situation that much worse. 

I was in slight shock, standing there like an idiot and staring down at her struggling.  And just as my senses came back to me, I saw she was getting to her feet.  Nose bleeding, face red and pale all at once, her eyes were death.  Absolute death and I knew... she was about to show me just how much she hated me.

I managed to swiftly make my way through the thick snow.  It was a hard trek it felt like with how deep the snow was with it being up to my knee caps.  It took longer than it should have but it was because I was hurting.  My mouth, head, back... throbbing and the snow and wetness that covered my now damp body didn't help.  Looking back as I made my way towards the porch, I saw Clare was getting up and following me as fast as she could.  Catching the blood trail left in the snow from me, my only concern was getting in the house and away from her.

Nearly tripping with how fast I moved, I bound up the steps when I reached the porch and through the door open, moving in the house and letting the hot air hit me with relief.  Feet nearly sliding out from under me as I scrambled inside, I turned around and saw Clare nearly through the door too.  Unfortunately, before I could shut the door in time on her, I watched as she swiftly threw herself through the doorway and against me.

I knew I was stronger than her.  I've proved it a few times before but often, she would always seem to get the upper hand.  Like right now, I was in more pain than her and it slowed me down greatly in comparison.  Now, it wasn't something I was exactly pondered over at the moment.  All I could think then was that I just couldn't let her beat me now. 

She threw herself against me once I was in the entrance of the house and her weight over me put us both on the ground.  And as I fell back, seeing she was over me and going down with me, my head came into contact with the hardwood floors.  My flying vision stopped and nothing but the weight of my crazy mother and the sight of the ceiling existed.  However, when my head smacked against the floor, that might have been the cause of everything leaving my mind. It felt as if it was cracking with the rush and spreading of slow pain, like crackles of intense fire shooting over my skull, sending the aftershocks through my tired body. 

That was no concern of hers though. She was over, pinning me down and I felt trapped.  I knew I was trapped.  Only this time, somehow, through my scrambling brain, something happened.  Something came up, a memory of sorts as I stared up at Clare over me. 

She was over me and I saw with those menacing eyes in mine, her freezing hands come and wrap around my neck, tightening in a way that almost promised that she would end me then.  Her touch reflecting the ice in her gaze, the actual fear of her alone filled me.

I knew she wouldn't kill me.  But I knew this wouldn't exactly be a usual beating as before.  She was tired and done with me.  And she wanted to show me her power over me, right here and now.  But it was in that position she was in... that a memory came back to me.  One with Luke.

On this same floor, Luke was over me as Clare was now, with his hands around my neck in a threatening position.  He showed me what to do before if I came to face a situation like this.  Only now, with my head scrambling for answers of what to do, I felt almost lost.  As if I remembered but couldn't fight through it at the same time.  I just wanted to stop, be done, and let her do what she was going to do. 

Her over me and both of us still, I tried to get my mind working, to get through the pain and come up with the answer.  To remember what it was I needed to do.... something with trapping her leg, her hand....

A smile spread over his lips and when they parted, giving me such a satisfied grin, I saw the blood that was dripping from her nose to her lips now come to stain her grinning white teeth, tinting them red.  She didn't seem to care but all it did was send shivers of terror through me.  Because that bloody smile... promised me something.  That she would always win.  She won right now and was happy she would have the chance to properly execute her beating now.  Which I had a terrible feeling would be much worse than intended. 

My mind was still scrambling... what do I do?  What was it Luke showed me?  What were the damn steps...?

They didn't come to me in time.  Because at that point, something happened that I dreaded for days now.  And I didn't mean her beating me within an inch of my life.  No, this was something that I knew would only make this worse.

The moment she put me through the window, I wasn't thinking about evidence.  I wasn't thinking about the cameras.  I was just trying to deal with the situation at hand - her 'punishing' me and just getting through that.  I wasn't thinking about the camera in the window until it now dawned on me....

With her over me, she had the upper hand.  And that meant she had time... to look around at the damage done.  At the damage done and the mess around us.  Glancing off to the side and towards where the floor was scattered in glass, I glanced over there too with a terrible fear.  Seeing the wind flush through the house and kill off the warm air through the broken window, I saw the blinds were draped half in, half out of the house.  The floor was covered.  With the shuddered glass.  With the curtains... and with the camera that was up in the window as well before.

I felt a gust of air leave me.  The pain was nonexistent at that point when all I could feel... was the impossible reality come to life before my eyes.  Of my heart dropping out from under me, my chest rattling within my stomach, and my eyes widening to take in the truth of what just happened.  And knowing what was about to happen would be no better.

Her eyes found the camera that was laying on the ground.  She knew now.  She knew what that camera was, that I put it there, and for the purpose to try to bush her ass.  Glancing up to her face in a panic, seeing it cross her face of what that was, at why it was there... I knew that would be my only chance of catching her off guard.  And I took it without hesitation. 

Her hands loosened and her smile was gone as she took in the sight.  I let that be my time to fight back.  Because honestly, through I knew a new form of anger was being defended within Clare, I was done taking her shit.  I didn't care how upset she was now.  It was my turn. 

I didn't remember what Luke taught me - it was too much scrambling in my head.  So I did what I could and that was to take advantage of her position.  Not looking at me, I clenched my fist and was able to sit up enough from where she was under me and deck her right under her chin.

"Oh!" I heard leave her throat when her focus instantly came back to me and I didn't wait any longer for her response.  She fell back slightly and that was enough for me to push her all the way off me, using my other hand to grab hold of her damp hair and drag her off me to the side.  Ignoring the new pain entering my knuckles, I moved out and away from where I pushed her and got to my feet as best as I could.  Only this time, I didn't run. 

I was standing and she was recovering on the ground beneath me.  There was no way I was running now.  Not when so much anger, so much hate came over me....  Stepping closer to where she was on her side, whimpering in pain and clutching her jaw in agony, I scowled down at her. 

Taking a swift step closer, I used that as leverage and kicked her hard in the gut, seeing her grunt as her eyes closed in pain. Howling up to me, I didn't register her words (that is if she even said anything.  She might have just been screaming in pain).  I only continued to kick her... once, twice, three times as a haze came over me.  Of pain, of hate, and the memories took me over of all the times she would do this to me.  When she would cut me and laugh, chop off my hair, make me suffer in the cold, burn me, make me her slave.  When she would bury me in hate without regret.... I wanted her dead!  I want her fucking gone! 

"Albany--" I finally was able to manage to take in when she choked it out when I kicked her once more.  And I wanted it out.  I wanted her to beg only for me to shut her down! 

"Shut the fuck up!" I screamed down at her, moving down towards her to scream it in her ear.  She winced but it was at that moment where she found her way... she found her way to get the upper hand.  Like she always seemed to.

I didn't realize it until it happened.  But this whole time... she had that knife on her.  She must have been carrying it all day with her until she got home.  So the moment she came through the door after she got home, she could instantly come at me.  Of course, since things got out of hand, she didn't find a chance to use it.  Until now for her sake.

I felt that knife come into contact with my leg.  Sliding it swiftly along my calf, that was enough to distract me.  I instantly hissed in surprise, trying to back away as I saw she only just used the tip to cut into me and slid against my skin.  But now that she did, she had her chance.  And she took it. 

Gripping my leg with her other hand, I knew I was in trouble now.  I couldn't break from her hand, shake her grip away, and with my already spinning head, it didn't take more than a few moments until she managed to pull me down on the ground with her. And that folks, is when shit started to get real and fast too.

The moment she made me lose my balance and fall on the ground next to her, it was too late as I tried to scramble to my feet.  Because with that fall came one more hit to the head and more.  My breath was coming hard now and there wasn't much time for me to react before she took that chance over me.  Trying to come to terms of what happened and what I needed to do, escape was nearly impossible as I felt her roll over and on top of me again.  Only this time, instead of her hands on my neck, she pressed that all too well known knife against my knife, forcing me to stop any sort of movement of escape. 

Her weight over me now, where I laid on the floor, I was over more glass as we were right next to the window.  The shards dug in deeper, making me cringe at all the pain now.  It built up and up until it was too much.  There was nothing I could do now with that knife there.  Because though I was almost positive she wouldn't kill, she would absolutely find a way to make it come close to that.  With experience like that behind me, I wasn't anxious to let that happen to me. I was smart this time and knew it was over for me and I needed to stay still now.

My vision took a bit to focus again and I knew this would take a toll on me. I felt almost ready to go under in oblivion and though that became very appealing to someone in so much pain, it was the last thing I wanted.  I didn't need to be out cold with her over me.  That would put her in even more control. 

Eyes finally clearing, I stared up at her with dazed eyes and waited for something.  Anything.  I didn't know what to expect from her now, considering I never saw such fire, such hatred before.  It scared the shit out of me for the fact that I know her hatred, personally.  And it never was as dark as it was now. 

Her eyes moving off to the side no more than a few feet beside me, I watched her over me lean to my right and grab something from the ground as she continued to hold that knife against me.  And with the beat of my heart doubling at realizing what it was, I knew this would be bad.  Because when she leaned back up and over me, I saw what was now in her other hand.  The camera that had fallen to the floor when the window smashed. 

Looking it over before her, her eyes slowly came back down to find me.  With those eyes... I couldn't help but struggle under her because I knew then that this would be incredibly brutal.  This would be torture.  Only my struggle was pointless, which wasn't a surprise as I felt the knife against my neck shake along with the rest of her body.  She was literally shaking with overwhelming anger and I knew she wanted me dead, right then. 

She took deep breath.  For the longest moment, she did nothing but stare down at me as if trying to get control of herself. Finally though, she leaned back with the camera in hand and then forward, whipping the hard camera across my face as hard as she could.  Surprisingly, that was what hurt the most so far when I felt the intense sting more over me, as if it dug into my skin and refused to leave. 

With that being whipped across my face, I cried out when my cheek came to rest against the hard cold floors of the living room.  Eyes closed, I could only breath hard and shaky breaths, waiting for that pain to fade from my face.  I realized the camera was still in her hand, ready to be used once more when I felt her hit the camera against my face against and the only thing I felt I could do was raise my hands and cover my face.  What else could I do?  I was in intense pain, there was a knife at my neck, and with every time she whipped that now seemingly deadly camera across my face, I felt closer and closer to unconsciousness. 

I felt her move up my body more and with one knee, I felt her pin my arm back to the floor and she did the same with her other leg to where I was completely vulnerable to her.  When I felt no more pain being inflicted, I took that time to just breath.  That was all I could do at that point.  Just breath. 

I felt hopeless as I was trapped under her.  I knew this was my own fault really.  But at the same time too, I felt Luke would have killed her - actually killed her - if he saw her doing what she was doing now.  I could only be happy he was gone.  As I laid there, I kept telling myself that this would be worth it in the end.  I believed it from the time we started collecting evidence on her.  But would it really?  Would all this pain she put me through for my whole life... would it pay off with her locked up?  No.  She would never get what she deserves.  Even through death.  To actually be satisfied, I'd have to torture her for years.  And that wouldn't happen.

So instead, I tried thinking of something that would be worth all this in the end.  My immediate answer: freedom.  Luke's freedom and mine.  Would it make things better?  Maybe not.  How could I possibly recover from years of this?  I already knew having kids were off limits, being with Luke was no more than a fantasy... so what would happen?  I'd have my freedom, Luke would have his and to me, it would be worth it for him to be free.  But me?  What could freedom get me if this will never leave me?

No more thinking.  It only made my head worse.  So I focused on no more than an imagine, one of Luke.  And I didn't think about how I would never be able to be with him.  I just let that image slowly calm me down, remembering his beautiful eyes, his warm smile, big heart.... Just breath. It was all I could do then as I neared what seemed to be a peaceful darkness.

"Look at me," I heard her growl at me, snapping me away from where I started to go under.  Slowly, I managed to blink a few times before I forced my eyes to settle on something besides the spinning sensations of everything in view.  Eyes open, she did the job when she lifted the blade from my neck slightly, pressing the side against my face and leading me to look up at her. 

Lips a tight and disgusted scowl, I took her in more than I had before.  Blood over her nose, her lips, hair a wet mess, clothes slightly torn, I saw her.  Her as the monster she was and at that moment, I saw enough to know... she wasn't done with me yet.

"How many cameras are up? Hmm?  Just how far were you willing to go to start pinning shit on me?! She screamed in my face, the warmth of her breath against my face the only warm thing about her.

Without a thought, I shook my head and wasn't willing to talk about it.  Because for some reason, some strength was still alive and able to resist answering her.  "It was just that one..." I coughed out, feeling a thickness in the back of my throat I didn't like.

"Liar!" she screamed at me, hitting me again with the camera that I was sure was broken against me again.  The sting raised in me again and I knew it was the type of pain that wouldn't fade no matter how many times she whips me with it.  I felt her press the knife more against my neck.  "Fucking tell me now otherwise, you will wish you had!  You have the balls to try to bring me down, you better have the common sense now to know that you are fucking with the wrong woman!"

Her words should have done the job.  I should have spoke up.  I knew there was no beating her right now.  So why still refuse her?  Because it was all I could do left.  And at remembering the other camera upstairs, I could only hope that it captured the sound of everything that happened.  "I swear," I said, looking up at her and forcing my eyes to remain in hers.  "Just the one...."

"No it's not," she said instantly after that and after what seemed like so long, she removed the knife from my neck.  "No, my pathetic daughter, it's not," she mumbled in anger.  She raised her hand and gripped my neck after she dropped the camera to the floor.  At the same time, I felt her leg move off my arm from where she had me pinned. In it's place, she held the knife there, pressing the point against the inside of my hand.  "Tell me.  Now.  Otherwise, this is going through your hand!"

I felt a deep breath leave me and I knew she wasn't bluffing.  Like I said before though, I wouldn't give her what she wanted.  I was scared, terrified out of my mind.  I was ashamed I was unable to stop her this time.  So what else did I have?  The dignity not to tell her. 

"I'm telling the truth!  There was only one!  It would be too risky to try two!" I said, my voice up and down in pitch.  I heard my own pain through my voice and the begging tone and I knew this would be done soon.  And not in a good way. 

I felt her press the knife harder into my palm.  "Are you telling the absolute truth?"

"Yes!"

"Doesn't matter," she said, in almost a humorous tone.  And that's when she did it.  I felt her push the knife through my hand and before I could feel it come out the other side of my hand, I passed out and finally met the darkness. 

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Hey guys, I wrote this chapter a bit differently I think.  Unlike the last, this one needed to be more fast paced for everything that was happening in this chapter happened swiftly.  Anyway, I hope to update again somewhat soon if I'm lucky!