A victims POV

A chain dangled from my neck, choking me, suffocating me. A distasteful odor engulfed me. Blood was draining from my throat, I was throbbing all over. The most severe, excruciating, agonizing affliction swallowed me whole. I winced as a whip took its landing on my back. Number 23. Only 13 more strikes to go. The grey clouds gathered above my head. They cried out in vain, shaking the surface of the earth. Number 24. Only 12 more lashes to go. My demons cheered, crowed, and laughed their devilish laughs. They crowded my mind, they trampled and stole the last bit of hope that I had held onto. I had held it my palm, curling my fingers around it protectively. I couldn’t loose that last ray of sun. But we’ve all met those demons. We’ve all had our very own cordial exchange. We know them by name. For they’ve confronted us all. Those scornful, petty, and lying little rouges have us all in chains. They are characters from a nightmare. They are always on a manhunt, and they never miss a shot. They captured me, and made me clean up their mess.

They assaulted me and took what wasn’t theirs. You can’t keep them out, they’ll just pick the lock. They’ve taken me prisoner, and there is no one to bail me out. Number 25. Only 11 more strikes to go. My eyes cloud over. My head is to weary to hold on much longer. The pain of that moment is more than most feel in a lifetime. I’m clothed in blood, from head to toe, my screams have been drowned out. My ribs are cracked, broken, split. My eyes have been gouged, wounded, and taken for money. The skin on my back is shredded to pieces. My hair has been pulled, ripped, and stolen. My mind is naked, dull, and numb. My thoughts have turned to stone. Strike number 26. Only 10 more to go. 9 more. 8 more. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1....My blood stops coursing through my veins. My head falls forward. My pupils retreat to the back of my head. My breath stops short. I feel the hands of death wrap around my raw, bloody, back. He carries me away without a trace, and I leave my demons behind with failure in my eyes. For, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t win. I couldn’t overtake them. Instead they trampled me and carved signs of defeat in my skin. They would never fear my name. Beware.