torture

**Savannah**

When she comes back, she comes back with a bucket and a man. I don't know what's worse. I play music in my mind, I know it keeps me alive. I ache without it. I feel without it.

Without a word, no warning, alcohol, whiskey I think, pure unadulterated whiskey.

Hellfire rained on my back.

I caught my breath, my back arched, my head flew back, but I put it back down.

I feel no pain.

I am a tiger, hear me roar.

The burn turns into a sting, numbing, and eventually dies down. But she has something else waiting for me.

"Do it."

I'm forced to stand, my hands cuffed my legs shackled. One would think she feared for her life; she had to secure the dangerous criminal lest she murders her.

Smart woman. Evil as she may be, she's always been smart.

Her claws clutch my chin, forces it up. Her eyes dart anxiously across my features, looking for pain, fear, anything.

There's nothing there.

"Scream!"

The whip lashes across my back, legs, whiskey is poured on them, and all the while I watch her blankly.

She smacks me, it doesn't register.

I want to taunt her, but I won't. It isn't wise.

Not yet.

"Ma'am?"

"Turn it on." She tells him, smirking at me. I feel it boring into my mind trying to bury itself in my brain.

A mist falls, and she forces my eyes to hers.

"You will scream. You will cry. And then, I will kill you."

Letting my head fall, she calls her lackey, evacuating my new quarters. As she leaves, I plant the seed.

"What will you do, when Luciano comes for you?"

She freezes but doesn't stop. Like me, she refuses to give the enemy satisfaction.

But she hesitated and that's enough. For now.

She'll stew, go over her plan. She'll find flaws. No doubt, blame them on me and come back for more.

The only reason I said something was because I know this trick will keep her content.

I cannot avoid passing out when my body runs out of pure oxygen.

This is the only thing that has ever made me cry.

Fog starts enveloping my small cube, reaching all corners, descending upon me like a Halo of Greek fire.

My striped flesh burns from the chemicals. Flames lick at my exposed wounds, encasing them in a furious box, unwilling to let an iota of pain to escape my body.

Slowly but surely I start choking. I don't know what this is, but I know it's something that I can't smell, or see.

I close my eyes to protect them from the fury raining down on me, drops hitting my skin, a downpour.

My throat is the next to be lit, the chemicals crawling down my throat. I choke, and one tear escapes.

Just one. I control my screams, but them in a box of their own and push them away.

Then, I gather all of the pain and store it in a steel container, hurl it as far as possible. Now, there's just empty numb black, but I fill it with Music.

Only there isn't a song playing. Luciano reached out to me with a smile, and I take his hand letting him pull me into unconsciousness.

Luciano reached out to me with a smile, and I take his hand letting him pull me into unconsciousness

The background is pure white, we are like splashes of color on a bare canvas. I scribble my name at the bottom and label it a masterpiece.

"Even in your dreams, you ignore me."

Calm whiskey, the type of come to love, washes over me.

"You're not real."

He snorts, scoffing, conjuring a piece of pizza from thin air. "You're not real,"

I chuckle at him and take in his attire. All black suit, Italian of course. Shoes black and shiny, Italian of course.

And his gun, also made in Italy.

"Italy is best," He answers my thoughts. "Everything that comes from Italy is the best. Hello? Look at me: I'm gorgeous."

He gestures to himself expectedly, his suit not matching his silliness.

I can't help but laugh at him. He cocks his head, smiling softly at me, his palm cups my cheek, his eyes warm.

"There's that smile I love."

He feels so real, I rush into his arms, laying my head on his chest.

He's solid, like he normally is, chiseled from rock.

"Don't worry, Kitty. I will get you out of there. Just hang on and wait for me. Can you do that?"

I shake my head sadly, letting tears fall. I know he won't tell her.

"I know you can. You're my Kitty. You can do anything."

White starts fading, the background being snatched from me. He grabs my hands, intertwining our fingers.

Lifting my hand to his lips, he kisses it, his eyes on the ring he got me.

Soon he starts disappearing, being sucked back into the void.

His hands hold mine tight, and he tries to fight to get back to me. He can't though. He's forced to let go of my right hand. Now he's hanging by a thread, but he can't hold on.

He let's go of my left and gets sucked away.

"Wait for me. Stay strong for me. I love you."

"I love you too."

And he's gone.