Chapter 30: Can’t break what’s already broken!

Zoe's Pov...

With shaky hands I managed to press the play button.

There sat the same petite girl who had panic attack on the first day on dinner table.

The video was captured in phone, and it seemed like phone was kept hidden behind cushion as little part of screen was blocked with some fabric.

The girl was weeping mess. Her eyes red, nose and cheeks too. She looked as if she was going to pass out any moment. She tried to compose her before speaking, but failed miserably.

"What happened? Tell me. You can trust me; you know that right? " Emily cooed holding her tightly in her arms.

"He... He... " She tried to speak but choked on her tears. I felt really sad for her.

"You are a brave girl. Brave girl. Tell us from starting"

Emily hand her a glass of water, she hesitantly grabbed the glass and chugged it down in one go.

It took her few minutes to compose herself. "I was returning ho.. Home from work" She managed with hiccups.

"You worked? " Asked Emily.

The girl smiled a little, "yes. In the diner. It was around 8. I stayed there late after my shift, because my friends decided to hang out there." She spoke timidly.

"I had many friends. Anna, John, Jacky, Shawn and my crush too. We were all enjoying. Then... " Tears started falling again as she spoke. "Then I was walking down street, I had earphones on, I don't know how but I was pulled back and they hit me on head. I slowly lost my consciousness." She managed to speak between sobs.

"I am so so sorry. " Emily whispered.

"I woke up in an empty room, it was dark and smelled very bad. There... everything was so suffocating. My head spined and hurt badly. Even if I tried to focus, I could not. Soon I threw up and laid limp there. I don't know how many hours later I gained my consciousness back, but I was drenched in my own vomit and smelled like shit. It was a small cell with no windows and very thick iron door. I bang on the door, started screaming for help but no one came." She spoke with so much pain. I didn't know I was crying until I felt wetness on my cheeks. The girl was reliving everything as she shared her story.

"No one came, I cleaned the cell with my scarf. There was a bottle of water and a small bucket for discarding my waste. I had a bad feeling. Really bad feeling. It was nearly impossible to guess the time. I don't know how many days I remained there, but it was the most horrible experience. All alone in dark and cold cell, even prisoners are not treated like this."

"I laid numb in the corner when I heard a door open. I quickly jumped up, desperate for help I started screaming, but soon I found out that I was not the only one screaming. They opened my door, he was huge, very huge, 7 feet huge, he yanked me out with disgust contoured on his face and threw me on concrete floor. They...."

"Th-they removed our clothes forcefully. We were many girls; I don't remember how many but I heard sobs and screams and pleas. They splashed cold water on us. "

"I will come next week. Behave properly if you want to get out from here" He said harshly.

"This angered me so I screamed at him asking what have we done to deserve this. He grabbed my hair harshly and threw me in my cell, we were given a bottle of water , 2 sandwiches and a dress.. "

"We again starved for a week. I will never forget those cold floors and disgusting smell. Next week when he came again I decided to give him the taste of his own medicine. I was angry and starving and sick of that place. I grabbed the bucket of my waste and positioned myself so that as soon as the door opened I could throw my waste on him. And I did it successfully. He started roaring like a mad man. I ran out of the cell, I hit the other guy on his head with the bucket. The place was lit with dim flickering bulbs, I pushed myself towards the strong source of light. Their angry roars echoed through the corridors, along with the screams of poor girls. I didn't even make it far when I was yanked back by my hair and thrown in the cellar again. "

All three of us crying, Emily me and poor girl. She experienced hell and got out with god’s grace. I can't imagine the pain she went through.

Maybe we take our privilege for granted while others struggled to stay alive in search of hope.

"He hit me hard on my back and sides, few kicks and punches. I was exhausted and starved, and now wounded. I don't know how long he hit me but I lost my consciousness after 3rd kick. When I got up I felt like something was crawling on my almost numb skin. As I gained strength, I sat up, my head was still spinning, my eye lids heavy and sharp pain on my left side. As the events of my bravery rushed back, I started to panic. I quickly checked if my ribs were broken but instead I felt many things moving on me"

She visibly cringed as she re-lived the memory. I grew anxious and week just by imagining her state. Fuck that. I can't even imagine.

"I think bugs and cockroaches, insects crawled on me. I screamed. I banged on the door. Pleaded.  Begged. I struggled to get out, anyhow, by any means, struggled to survive. Till I passed out" At this point she was struggling to breath. Panic attack. Rocking back and forth she struggled to breath. With that video ended.

One more email from Emily with attached video.

I struggled to wrap my head around the recent events. Placing my head between the pillow I screamed, just by imagining her situations, the trauma, the helplessness. I struggled to breath as I decided to watch the other video too.

"I again woke up, but I was wrapped in blanket. It took me few minutes to concentrate, when I managed, I saw nothing but a bigger cell with other girls too. But they were chained. My eyes set on the small sandwich placed near the thighs of an unconscious girl. I couldn't move with the pain. But I managed to sit up, I had one too, without thinking I ate it. I don't remember when I fell asleep but was woken up by loud bang. "

"The same huge guy, came in. He started talking about how we can all get out from here and will be provided with lavish life but in return we will have to give something to him too. He wanted us to serve someone’s needs."

"Desperately most of the girls agreed, one opposed and other two, me and other girl didn't respond. He grew furious when he saw me. He.. He raped the girl in front of us, and almost choked her to death. No one dared to argue him. We were asked to remove our clothes, we obeyed. "

"We were asked to keep our eyes on floor and hands on our lap as they brought us in a huge room, we were kneeling down waiting for someone. The huge guy paced around anxiously, making sure we were following the rules, continuously warning us that if we miss behave we will be thrown to the cell again, will be starved to death."

"Everything seemed to pause when the door unlocked. He came in. No one dared to move. Even my body froze, unable to blink, unable to move, unable to breath. The aura, his aura was dark. He walked around, the clicking of his shoes were the only sound audible. I didn't even dare to look up. He asked few questions to the huge guy who replied nervously." She had somewhat composure now, her face was pale, as pale as paper and she seemed to be in trance as if mumbling to herself but loud enough for us to listen.

"He talked but my mind didn't comprehend what he said to huge guy. Huge guy came to me, yanked me up, he did the same with the girl who didn't respond to him earlier and also to the who denied. "

"My eyes were still casted down, but I saw him approach the girl who denied, without a word he shot her. That earned few gasps and whimpers of some girl, I could even smell piss. I can't even describe it, the thick tension and torturous silence. He then approaches the other girl, from my peripheral vision I saw him, he made the girl look at him. He asked her if she had any objections, she said no. Then he approaches me. "

"My breathing grew shallow in anticipation, the first thing I noticed were his shoes. For a full minute he did nothing, just stood in front of me, too close for my liking. The deafening silent, I could hear my own heart beats in my ears. That's when the huge guy spoke up, he explained what I did to him, and how I tried to run. Followed by another minute of silence, he didn't reply to him, nor did he move. I gathered my courage and dared to look up. That's where I messed up. "

The video ended with this. I sat there, imagining what she went through. How, how cruel the world is. How innocent she is.

After sometime I managed to get up, quickly logged out of my I'd and placed the laptop from where I took it.

I immediately ran to the bathroom and cleaned my face.

Jack hasn't returned yet, might have some really important calls to attend.

I took my seat on the couch and the images of the girl confessing ran in my mind. Her pale face, her trembling figure, her hitched breathing, the pain in her eyes and the her past.

No one deserve to go through this. No one in this world deserve to be treated like this. No one deserve to be starved and the insects...

Someone shook me hard, after managing to get out of my trance I saw jack standing in front of me with concerned face.

"What happened? " I asked.

"You tell me. What we're you thinking about? " He asked.

"Nothing" I replied

"How can someone think about nothing and cry? " He asked as he kneel in front of me.

I just looked in his eyes. The mesmerizing black eyes.

"Really nothing just nothing... " I replied and hugged him.

"Did I hit really hard? " He asked.

Here is my escape card.

"A little" I replied.

He pulled me in tighter.

"Where were you? " I asked

"I told you I had some calls to attend" He replied getting up and taking seat near me.

"Oh"

"Got a call from Riley" He said.

"Mom" I corrected

He raised his eyebrow then continue, "yeah MOM. Tomorrow is dinner. So, she wants you there"

" I forgot about that" I gasp

"Yeah, some guy pookie or something is getting married or something so everyone is going to stay here for two weeks"

My eyes widened, "pookie is getting married? " I shot up in excitement. Yes pookie my favorite cousin, he is from mom side. And had a boyfriend, family didn't agree but now I think they did.

"Yes" He replied with smile.

"Oh my God. I am so happy for him!!" I exclaimed as I threw my hands in air.

"I can see that. Would you be this happy if we were getting married? " He asked.

I narrowed my eyes on him, "well, that depends. I really don't want to get married now. Give me some time. "

"How much time? " He asked

"A year or so" I replied

He exhaled loudly, "why? "

"Can we just please not talk about it right now?" I plead. My emotions were all over the place right now. I don't know what I felt, it was complicated.

He abruptly got up and stomped to the bedroom.

Can he be any more dramatic?

"Where are you going? " I asked.

"Shower" He replied.

"Mind if I join? "