Abuse

I sit on the cold floor, the room lit with nothing but a half-burned candle. The silence is deafening. Chains wrap around my arms and legs, locked with a rusted padlock, keeping me from reaching what is almost within arm's reach. I try again, straining against the chains. They dig into my skin, leaving angry red marks behind. Come on, just a little more! I just need to reach it and I'll be free! But no matter how much I yearn for it, I'm unable to do any better than graze the side of the wooden stick. I groan in frustration. The pencil points towards me, seemingly pointing blame at me. "This is your fault," it seems to say. "You got yourself in this mess". It's not wrong. If only I'd been strong enough to complete the spell. My spellbook lies open beside the pencil, reminding me of my failure. The words on the page stare back at me. Unfinished.

Curse these monsters faking care.

They're not parents, though they swear.

No longer shall they torture me.

End their reign and set me ...

I hear footsteps outside, faint at first, slowly growing louder. I huddle in the shadows, trying my hardest to disappear into the shadows of the dark room. "Hello Mizra!" the monster spits out, false kindness giving way to show her hidden intentions, "I've got a surprise for you!" I pray for help, but deep down I know I'm doomed. She steps closer as she draws a whip from behind her back and raises it high. I clamp my eyes shut and brace myself for the unescapable pain.

SNAP!