Luke stood tall, staring down Gunther, who was standing off to the side. His bright green eyes bored through him, but he refused to look away. Gunther’s jaw was tight, and he could see the muscle twitching along his snarled upper lip.
A girl’s scream broke the icy river that was forming between the two of them. They both looked down the line. Roger had a young, tall blonde girl pressed up against the wall. His hips were pressed into hers. She fought him, trying to turn her head as he held her face.
“I’m going to enjoy this one, Gunther. Well done. You shall be rewarded.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir,” Gunther replied in a monotone voice. The sight of a girl about to be abused set Luke off. He instantly remembered a man beating his mother.
“Back off, you fucking psycho prick!” Luke yelled, venomously.
Roger looked at him. “I thought we had an understanding, Luke. You’re to keep your mouth shut, or you will earn a day tied in a chair, getting your arse beat.”
“If that’s what it takes to keep you away from her, you sick son of a bitch!” The girl looked at Luke like he was mental. “Leave her be!”
Roger chuckled. “You trying to play the hero here, lad?” Roger stepped into Luke, but he stood strong and tall against the disgusting man. “You feel you failed when your mum was in the same position, so now you need to step up? Such a bleeder.”
“You don’t know shit!”
“I don’t, do I? You have no idea how much I know, and I would suggest you keep your filthy mouth shut, just like your mother should have!”
Luke hauled off and punched him. He clipped him pretty good, causing his lip to split open wide. Gunther grabbed him and threw him against the wall.
“Get him out of here. Now! Take him to the room and tie him up. We will have a chat a little later!”
“Yes, sir.”
Gunther dragged a wild, flailing Luke off into a dimly lit room. He saw there was a large window-sized mirror on the wall across from a metal chair. He wondered if it was a two-way mirror. Why else would there be a mirror like that in a room?
Gunther tied him to a chair good and tight. His wrists were bound together behind him with plastic zip ties, and his ankles were bound to the chair legs. They were biting into his skin, causing him to bleed.
Luke continued to stare into the mirror. He wasn’t going to give up. If there was any chance that Roger was behind that mirror, he was going to stare at him until he could no longer.
Next, a bandana was tied around his mouth, gagging him. Luke bit down on the gag. Gunther stood in front of him and smirked. “I suggest you keep your mouth shut from now on. I’m sure this is going to teach you a hearty lesson.” He wrapped a bandana around Luke’s eyes, tying it so tight that he saw stars in the darkness.
Luke sat there, seething, but unafraid.
“Take care, Cock-up.” Gunther patted him on the shoulder, then left the room.
About an hour later, Roger came in and beat him semi-unconscious. When he was finally done, he ordered Gunther to take him to his dorm room.
Gunther cut his ties and dragged him to his room. He tossed him through the door and slammed it shut. Luke lay on the floor, unable to move. Then he heard bare feet pad up to him.
“You alright, mate?” Luke groaned. He felt large, warm hands untying his blindfold and gag. Once he could move his mouth, he began coughing up all the blood that had collected in the back of his throat.
His eyes were still unfocused, leaving his vision useless.
“Christ, mate. They beat you good.”
“Yeah,” Luke choked out.
“Let me help you to the loo so you can get cleaned up. My name is Gabriel, by the way. We’re roommates.”
“Luke.”
“I gathered that from earlier.”
Luke groaned as Gabriel helped him to his feet. “I’m going to be sick.” Gabriel quickly ushered Luke to the stark, white bathroom so he could throw up.
After several violent vomiting cycles, Luke passed out on the cold, white tile floor.
-November 2014-
Elaina moaned in her sleep, and it brought Henry back to reality. He rolled over and curled up behind the love of his life.
“I love you so much,” he whispered in her ear. She moaned again, and snuggled into him. He would do anything to keep her safe and unharmed, no matter what pain it caused him. He wished he could have done the same for his mother. He nestled his face into her long black hair, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 25
I
woke up at dawn and felt a cool body wrapped around me. I opened my eyes and saw Henry’s bandaged arm wrapped around my waist. I smiled. He was so relaxed and seemed to be resting peacefully, which was unusual for him. I had no idea how he survived on such little sleep. As I laid there watching him rest, I couldn’t think of anything else except that I had my Henry back.