Warning///some torture will be present in this chapter. Lots of blood and screaming and stuff so if you don't want to read that, I suggest you skip this.

Nora's pulse quickened as Emma's mom picked up a dagger and inspected it. The weird light of this room didn't seem to be coming from any lightbulbs or torches. It was just...there, and it was weird. It reflected off of the blade, showing Nora how sharp it was. Emma's mom smiled slightly at the knife and turned to Nora.

"This is going to hurt," she said, that slight smile still on her face.

"Mom no!" Michael shouted, but to no avail. Nora felt a sharp sting in her arm as the knife was slashed across her skin and cried out. She shrieked as the knife was drawn across her skin again, deeping this time. She felt tears gathering in her eyes. She was going to die down here in the most painful way she thought possible. She was scared out of her mind, but a new emotion started brewing deep inside her. She was mad. She let the anger fester inside of her, and when the next cut came, she didn't scream. This gave Emma's mom some pause.

"You are much braver than I gave you credit for," she said. "But that will soon change." This time she stabbed the knife through Nora's hand, and this time, Nora did scream. She screamed and screamed. She was still mad, and she was still afraid, but the pain blocked it all out. Tears stained her cheeks. Emma's mom removed the knife from Nora's hand and went back to her precise cuts on Nora's arm. At one point Nora struggled, but Emma's mom brought the tip of the knife within centimeters of her eye and she became as still as a statue. The cuts got deeper and deeper as the slowly led Emma's mom to Nora's neck. Nora braced herself for death, but the knife instead touched down on her other shoulder. These cuts were precise. They meant something. Nora just wished she knew what. Nora lost track of time, and by the time the cutting stopped she was barely conscious. The cuts covered her arms, legs and there was a deep gash on each of her cheeks. 

Nora's eyes fluttered open when the cutting stopped. Emma's mom was over by the weapon rack. She put the knife down near Michael. Nora's eyes instantly went to the knife, and so did Michael's. She hoped against all hope that his mother would forget about it and leave it there. When his mom turned to Nora, her face was a mask of calm, but underneath Nora could tell that she was angry.

"How are you doing it?" She said. Nora didn't know what she was talking about, so she didn't respond. Her throat was sore from screaming anyway. "You stupid girl. You are going to answer me right now or I will cut your eyes from your head," she said, snatching up the knife.

"I'm not doing anything," Nora said quickly.

"You're lying," Emma's mom hissed.

"I'm not. I don't know what you're talking about!"

"You should be dead by now. How are you still alive?" That caught Nora off guard. She knew she would die, but she didn't think she was anywhere near that right now. 

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about. Tell me how you're doing it!"

"I don't know!" Nora shouted as the knife was brought down into her uninjured hand. She shrieked in pain. Emma's mom was frustrated, and that frustration could get Nora killed, so Nora instead played along. "Okay! I'll show you! But I can't do it until after I've slept. I need to rest, and then I will show you. I promise," she said, pretending to be defeated.

"Just tell me," Emma's mom replied. 

"I can't. I have to show you and in order to do that, I need rest," Nora replied, adding some fake fear into her voice.

"Very well," Emma's mom said, composing herself. "I will return and you will tell me, or you will die." Emma's mom turned away, leaving the knife in Nora's hand as she did. As soon as she had left, she turned her head to Michael.

"I'm so sorry Nora," he said quietly.

"Shut up. Is this room soundproof?" Nora replied, her voice hardening.

"I think so. Why does that matter?"

"Because this is going to involve a lot of screaming." She started moving her hand toward the hilt of the knife while it was still in her hand. She was right. She screamed at the top of her lungs, but she didn't stop. This was her only chance at escaping. When the top of her hand reached the hilt of the knife, she gave a hard tug, and the knife came free of the table. She laid there panting for what felt like an hour before she managed to move again. She slowly lifted her arm as far from the table as the chains would allow, and did the same with her head. She grasped the hilt of the knife between her teeth. The angle was bad so when she pulled the knife from her hand it sliced a new deep cut into it. Nora screamed, but she didn't let go of the knife.

"What are you doing?" Michael asked, clearly alarmed.

"Getting us out of here," Nora responded with the knife grasped firmly in her mouth.

Well that was some intense shit right there. 

I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. (Yes I'm weird. The torture scenes are my favorite).

As always, comment comment comment!

xoxo

-Sierra <3