Chapter 3
Kimberly had just brought me back to the villa when Rafe walked in.
Her face lit up with a smile as she ran into his arms.
"Rafe, you're back!" she exclaimed. "Let me tell you, I pulled off something huge today!"
Kimberly was telling her story in an animated, dramatic way, while Rafe watched her with a doting smile.
"You're incredible!" Rafe said, full of pride.
"Oh, by the way, Rafe, Tiana did pretty good today," Kimberly said with a grin.
As Kimberly said that, I was spacing out in the corner, but for a split second, my eyes sparkled.
"Why not let her parents be buried?" Kimberly suggested, almost casually.
"Alright. It's all up to you," Rafe replied.
Hearing Rafe say that, I finally felt a wave of relief wash over me.
All the humiliation I went through today was totally worth it.
The next day, I waited all day, from sunrise to sunset, until Rafe finally showed up, holding Kimberly close as they came to the kennel where I was kept.
"Let's go. We're taking you to the hospital to claim the bodies," Rafe said.
I nodded eagerly, reaching up to take off the collar around my neck, but a sudden, burning sting shot through the back of my hand.
"Did I say you could take it off?" Kimberly barked.
She was holding a whip and struck it across my hand.
"How many times do I have to tell you? If you're a dog, act like one," she sneered.
Normally, whenever Kimberly said things like that, I never resisted.
But this time, I was about to go collect my family's bodies.
How could I possibly do that in such a disgraceful way?
"Mrs. Clifton, I'm begging you, just this once, let me keep a shred of dignity," I pleaded. "Please."
I begged repeatedly, bowing my head while on all fours.
Mud, tangled grass, and blood stained a wide patch across my forehead.
But instead of showing any mercy, my desperate begging only made her even angrier.
"Dignity?" Kimberly scoffed. "Did you ever give a damn about my dignity when you were getting it on with Rafe? You bitch."
Kimberly whipped me mercilessly, her strikes landing over and over on my body and face.
In just a moment, my face was smeared with blood, so disfigured I was barely recognizable as a person.
"Bring me saltwater," Kimberly barked.
The maid rushed off to the villa and came back with a huge bucket of saltwater.
Kimberly gave her a nod, and the maid drenched me with the whole thing.
The instant the saltwater hit my wounds, it was like countless blazing-hot needles stabbing into my skin at once. The pain crawled under my flesh, like a million ants gnawing and tearing at me from the inside.
The fiery sting raced up my nerves, shooting straight through my spine. I was a twisted mess of burning agony and raw, bitter ache.
Every cell soaked in saltwater screamed out, nearly dragging my mind down into a bottomless pit of torment.
My shrill scream echoed across the yard, but it didn't bring even a shred of relief.
The pain was so overwhelming, it knocked me out cold.
Rafe watched me pass out from the pain, and for a brief moment, a trace of compassion flickered in his eyes.
He stepped forward, pulling Kimberly close by her slender waist.
"Kimberly, don't waste your time on this bitch," he said. "I'll take you to..."
Before Rafe could finish, Kimberly cut him off. "Rafe, Tiana's so pitiful. Let's help her bring her family home."
Though a flicker of confusion crossed Rafe's eyes, he still agreed.
*****
When I finally opened my eyes again, the damp chill and endless darkness pressed in on me from all sides.
Suddenly, a harsh white light beamed straight at me, cutting through the gloom.
Kimberly's voice echoed in the darkness. "Tiana, welcome to my kingdom!"
Kimberly was decked out in a hazmat suit and goggles, her eyes locked onto me with a fierce intensity.
"Tiana, come see who I brought for you," she announced.
The bodies of my parents, my sister Wendy, and my nephew were lined up on the cold stone slabs off to the side.
Seeing their bodies, a bad feeling crept over me, sending chills down my spine.
"What... what are you going to do?" I stammered.
The moment I finished speaking, a barrage of knives shot straight at me, targeting every inch of my body.
As the blinding white light flashed in front of me, I squirmed, trying to get away, but my body wouldn't move at all.
Was I going to die?
Just when I thought all hope was lost, Kimberly let out a light, teasing laugh that echoed through the darkness.
"Wimp! I was just playing around. Why are you so freaked out?" she teased.
Her laughter rang out, sharp and gleeful.
Hearing Kimberly's voice, I slowly opened my eyes and looked over at her.
"Look at you, you're already a mess. How are you going to handle what's coming next?" Kimberly sneered.