That illusion was shattered. Exactly where her eyes were staring but not seeing, a fierce light burst into the room accompanied by a crash and shouting. Multiple flames slithered in, illuminating most of the room and revealing the Ones Who Caused Her Harm. They lined up, six of them, and one more pushed through that carried no source of light.

The Girl remained utterly still, not even blinking despite the harshness of the flickering fire on her eyes.

‘That’s my one, my favourite,’ the one without the flame said in words she did not understand, pointing at her. ‘You can have the others, but none touches her, ya hear?’

She knew who it was without even seeing his face, without even knowing what the words were that he said. She knew because she recognised his voice, because that voice had been particularly cruel to her.

He came over and unlocked her cage, tossed the key to one of the other guards who began unlocking the cages holding the other ones that were like her. He grabbed her by the arm, fingers digging into her, bruising her, dragging her out without needing to. She had accepted her fate long ago.

Struggling to her feet, him pulling her towards the door, not affording her a chance to stand up on legs that were stunted and weak, she wanted to cry out but lacked the willpower, lacked the strength in her chest to make any sounds. She wouldn’t even if she could, not if she wanted to be harmed more.

He strode through the door and out into a brightly lit room, up the same flight of stairs she had been dragged up so many times before. The skin on her feet tore against the sharp steps, leaving slithers of blood on them.

Into another room and this time he threw her into a table, winding her, and she couldn’t help but cry out. It was a guttural cry formed of no words because she knew no words.

‘Shut up, you pathetic little creature,’ the guard said, ‘You ain’t gunna make any noises. We ain’t supposed to be having you but he can go stick himself for all I care, if Janine can’t take me, I’ll just have to have you.’

A fist collided with her side, the air bursting out once again. This time the Girl kept her mouth shut. She had expected this to happen, had experienced it so many times before and she recognised the words he was saying. He’d talk whilst he was doing it, make sounds that were strange, grunts and exertions. The Girl could do nothing but let him have his way because somehow she knew that if she did not she would know harm much worse than she had ever felt before.

She didn’t know where she was, nor did she care. All she could think about was the knife on the table right in front of her. She reached out for it.