Chapter 3

• Esmeralda
• "No! Please," I cried, clinging to his leg as he dragged me into the correction room with a firm grip on my hair. I kept my gaze locked on his face, hoping he would see how remorseful I was and reverse his judgement but his eyes were solely fixed on the door of the room with a sinister look plastered on his face.
• I was done, I knew it.
• Hiding quickly in my spot to delay my punishment, I glanced around the familiar room with teary eyes to see Garry walking toward a shelf. The shelf contained a lot of instruments of torture, to break people that broke the rules.
• People like me.
• I watched Garry patiently like a hawk watching its prey as he selected some instruments that he would use in torturing me. But he suddenly stopped, moving away from the shelf with transparent glass to the whips displayed on the wall. I watched as his hands carefully selected the horsewhip.
• The horsewhip!
• The whip I dreaded most!
• "No! Please, don't use that on me," I screamed immediately, mentally scolding myself for giving my hide-out away.
• "This will do, this will restore you to your default settings and make you stop attempting to escape because you can't," He chuckled loudly, with his eyes solely fixed on the whip as he caressed it gently.
• "Please, I promise to be good," I pleaded but it fell on Garry's deaf ears as all his mind was centred on beating the hell out of me.
• His heavy footsteps sent me hiding beneath the huge wooden table, curling up into a ball to avoid being fetched out by him but he caught me before I could hide further, yanking my so hair hard that I could feel some strands pulling off as he flung me to the table, making my cracked lips kiss its cold, hard surface.
• Tears escaped my eyes as he worked the chains into my small hands, leaving me hugging both sides of the table, helplessly.
• "Count with me,"
• I swallowed the lump in my throat, preparing for the worst. I knew the worst was coming.
• I looked away from his hardened face, resisting the temptation to look around. There was nothing new to look at except instruments of torture and tools for corporal punishment, making me close my eyes, anticipating the whip.
• Crack!
• The whip sounded, travelling through the air till its sharp edges came crashing on my back. I screamed in pain, shutting my eyes almost immediately as I tried to yank my hands off the chain with force to caress my bare back but I couldn't as I was trapped to the table that restrained my movement.
• "One," My cracked voice sounded almost like a whisper as I struggled to prepare myself for the subsequent lashes, but he didn't let me recover from the pain of the first one before he greeted me with the second, third and fourth lashes, making me hate my life.
• Surrendering to the torture and pain that travelled throughout my back, I laid still, like I have been thrown into a pool of ice-cold water, waiting for him to be done with me. I was sure my back would be in a deep shade of red by the time he was done lashing me.
• "Thirteen," I sniffed, biting my trembling lips, praying silently for him to be through with me as I was on the verge of passing out.
• "Your crocodile tears mean nothing to me, you ungrateful weakling. After sheltering you and giving you a life, you want to escape so that you can end up like your psychopath sister who kills people for fun?" He barked without sparing any seconds before he lashed me hard.
• I could swear by the moon goddess that he was surprised when I didn't react to the whip. I was too weak to even move a muscle.
• "Fifteen," My voice came as a whisper that could only be heard by paying maximum attention.
• My joy knew no bounds when he leaned closer to me, unlocking the chains that held me bound and lifting me to my feet.
• "Get out!" He growled, watching my every move as his eyes didn't leave my body.
• "This would be the last time you try to escape, else, It will be my pleasure to welcome you into the world of pain," He said as an evil smile played on his lips, making me stagger in fear.
• I couldn't feel my back for some seconds as I walked down the path leading me to my cell once again.
• The cold dark cell that I tried to run away from.
• Each time I tried to run away from it, I found myself back to it again.
• Back to my unending nightmares.
• I felt defeated.
• Maybe I should give up since I couldn't help myself.
• Maybe I should accept my fate since I couldn't run away from it.
• Maybe I should start seeing the cell as home since I would be spending my forever there.
• Maybe I deserve the punishment as I was not satisfied and I tried to escape.
• I let my tears pour freely from my eyes as I watched the guard shackle me to the wall, limiting my movement, leaving me broken that the presence of the thick darkness that surrounded me didn't have any effect on me.
• It reminded me of my first encounter in the punishment room when I was caught trying to escape during the Moonball ceremony.
• My best friend and I had been dealt with mercilessly before being thrown into our cells. The incident made the guards shackle me to the wall.
• I didn't struggle with the chains or jerk them angrily like I always did. Instead, I let the darkness engulf me, allowing myself to drown in the sea of my emotions while I sought solace in my sleep, except I couldn't find peace in my sleep either as my demons came in hundreds.
• The sound of footsteps and rattling chains jolted me from my deep slumber.
• My eyes greeted the almost broken bed and I realized that I had slept on the floor, with my head on my knees.
• It was still early and my body aches.
• Slowly observing everyone's excitement made me more confused as I wondered what was happening today.
• The more I tried to think of any event, the more I couldn't figure out the reason they were up and running.
• I hugged my knees closer to my chest as a guard broke into my cell. It was rare for a guard to enter my cell except my attention was needed.
• My heart thumped loudly in my chest as I thought of what I did wrong. Maybe it was because I attempted to escape last night.
• But I had been punished, wasn't that enough?!
• "Esmeralda, your attention is needed. Make sure you collect the cleaning equipment on your way out as you will be doing a lot of cleaning today," He said, as his gaze was locked on the chains, trying to relieve me of it.
• My attention was needed? Why?
• "What is going on?" I asked, looking around as curiosity got the best of me, but he didn't reply. I was about to ask him again when I couldn't hold it anymore but the loud crashing sound of broken plates got my attention.
• "If you end up breaking all the plates we will use to serve guests coming to the Moonball ceremony tonight, what will we use?" He yelled at a pup.
• I almost jumped in excitement at the person's words.
• A glimmer of hope sprang through me, fuelling me.
• The Moonball ceremony was tonight!
• My freedom was tonight!