Page 6 of Wreck and Ruin
Muted grunts and labored breaths bounce off the stone, filling the candlelit darkness surrounding us. He thrusts one last time before finally spilling inside me, and I'm flooded with relief when he lets go of my hair. I ignore the urge to rub my head as he steps away, and I stay bent, knowing he’ll want to observe me like this. I open my eyes, widen my legs, and watch his shadow move and crouch behind me in the dim amber light reflecting off the stone. He runs two fingers over my sensitive flesh, diving them in and out of my burning cunt. I wish I could tell him to stop, but I know he won't.
“Youwillkeep my seed inside of you, Whore,” he says, his tone now laced with indifference, though I recognize the threat within his words.
I nod in response, and then he turns away. I use this moment to straighten slowly. My body thrums with the aftermath of his assault, and I’m thankful he was in a good mood tonight because it wasn’t so bad this time. I turn around to face him as he sits back on his weathered, wooden chair, running his fingers along the worn edges of his brown leather Bible resting in his hands as he waits for me. His dark, intense eyes bore into mine, contempt and hunger swirling within them, sending ice-cold chills down my spine.
Instinct takes over, and I reach for the washcloth draped over the back of his chair, pushing through the sharp sting on my side from his nails. I dip it into the bucket on the floor by his feet, wringing out the soapy water, and then I kneel before him, bathing his skin clean of me as he reads to me, asking Christ for forgiveness.
God will forgive me because he loves me, or so I am told.
But not enough to save me.
Chapter5
AIRLIE
There are a lot more insects than usual. The candles don’t always burn for as long as they did last night, but Father’s good mood kept him reading late into the evening, and he lost track of time. I stare down at their tiny, lifeless bodies. Mosquitos, sandflies, and little white moths lay unmoving, all drawn in by the warm glow of the flames, only to meet their death. I wonder if they knew it was coming.
Their end.
Or if it was a beautiful surprise.
I contemplate whether or not they would have been afraid but quickly dismiss the thought. They probably weren’t. When you spend so long playing with fire, you no longer fear the burn. I get it. Maybe in another life, I was a moth too. Caught between danger and freedom, with wings that could carry me far away from here, no longer tethered to one place.
To this place.
I sweep the insects into a small pile before me, then scoop them up in my palm. I carry them to the far side of the cave, closest to the window where my spiders sleep. They'd be starving. I place the insects in two separate piles beside their web, then lightly tap my finger on the stone nearest their bodies to rouse them from sleep. Flipper, the larger, more fluffier one, is the first to wake, quickly racing to his dinner before Sea realizes they’re there and eats them all. They always fight over food, so I’ve learned that separating them at meal times is a must. I give Flipper a scratch, then pause to listen for signs of footsteps in the caves, petrified that Father will find me out. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been on the other side, and I feel the weight of that closing in on me. I need to escape, even if it is only for a few minutes.
I tiptoe to the rock pool once I’m satisfied that the coast is clear, and stare down into the water. The neon blue is a stark contrast to the dark roughness of the walls, and I waste no time removing my dress, wincing as the rough fabric scratches against the wounds on my side, opening them back up and causing them to bleed all over again.
I clench my jaw tight and bite down on my tongue to distract myself from the pain, inwardly berating myself for forgetting they were there. Not wanting to get blood on the ground, I dip my toes in the water, giving myself a long minute to adjust to the temperature. I slide in, carefully muffling my gasp. It always takes me a little while to get used to it, even if this is my favorite thing to do.
After a beat, the chill is like heaven, and I let it soak through to my bones, past my bleeding skin, still on fire from last night. I wish I could stay like this all day. I lean my head back on the rocky edge, and extend my arms on either side of my body, resting them on the stone for support. I’m wasting precious minutes, so I force myself to sit up, take a deep breath, and dive under, slicing through the water and swimming toward the bottom. When I reach it, I swim to the right and slip through the tunnel’s blackness before finally emerging on the other side.
* * *
Sand clings to my hands, calves, and thighs, sticky from the saltwater splashing against them as I trudge through the open-mouthed part of the cave. When I step out, I'm immediately whipped in the face with my hair as the strong, angry wind tries to take me away. It howls around me, and I bunch up my hair as best as I can, wetting it in places to keep it somewhat still. The damp, red strands cling to my face and neck as I lose the battle completely.
Nuisance.
I look at the ocean that stretches out in front of me. The sky looks terrifying, bruising, and darkening to an almost black color.
Another bad storm is coming. We get alot of those here. Which means I haven’t got long before being out here becomes dangerous. The waves crash violently against the rocks, each surge deafening, and I take a step closer to the edge of the drop-off, my uncovered feet barely gripping the wet stones as the wind tugs me along. Is today the day the waves will finally sweep me away? There isn't much of a beach on this island that could save me from falling into the ocean.
There are sparse patches of sand in places, but the ground is mainly made up of sharp-edged stones and broken pieces of cliff rock, sometimes slippery with algae. I sit, deciding it’s probably my safest option, and stare at the storm.
I look over my shoulder at the towering cathedral, or perhaps it’s a castle, carved into the rock formation. Its tall, dark spires touch the sky, and I wonder if the wind will blow them away one day.
Can Father see me from all the way up there? I’ve always wondered where he goes when he's not in the caves with me, but I assume it’s somewhere in the cathedral. He will never tell me, and I don’t ever plan on asking him about it. I’m not sure how Father would react or what he might do to me if he ever caught me on one of my adventures.
I try to be careful at all times.
I’m slow when I climb over the rocks to prevent any injuries, and I check myself over before returning to the cave.
I turn back to face the water, nervously biting my lower lip, contemplating Father’s wrath.Maybe I should move further down, just in case.Slowly, I grip the stones behind me, my fingers clinging to the cold, uneven surface. I lower my legs one at a time, avoiding the serrated edges of the stone as best as I can, but the sharp parts still threaten to break through my skin. I try not to slip and fall, as water splashes my face and hair, but at least my hair is damp enough that it’s too heavy to fly around like it did earlier. I glance around, searching to see if I can move to the lower rocks when I see…something.
It’s a flicker, barely there, a dark shadow tangled within the water and stone. The sky is much darker now, and the waves make it so much harder to see. Still, I know something is hiding down there. A slight movement from the creatureor person,I realize now that I’m closer,and my breath catches in my throat. My chest tightens, and my heart starts to race, thumping and pounding hard against my ribs. I fight the urge to run away.
The cliff is playing tricks on me.
