Page 30 of Straightjacket

Water begins to pour into my lungs, filling them up until I can feel my body jerking around. I scream but no sound comes out, just thousands of bubbles until I’m yanked out of the freezing water, my lungs begging for air.

Heavy breaths fire out of my nose and mouth as I try to catch whatever oxygen I can get a hold of, my eyes burning from the strain. I begin to feel dizzy and my mind becomes hazy from how many times I’ve been dunked into the tub of water.

“No... no more.” I plead between strained breaths. The guards behind me keep their tight grip on my arms, the hazy cloud in front of my eyes clearing as I watch Thorne enter the room with a cloth held to his nose, blood blooming across the crisp white fabric.

“I see you got that smack you deserve, just a shame it wasn’t from me.” I say with a smirk on my face. He wipes his nose then shoves the cloth into his jacket pocket before striding over to me, a burning fury present in his eyes.

“It would seem your little bitch doesn’t know how to behave.” He spits back and I grin wider, my smile reaching from ear to ear.

That’s my fucking girl.

Pride blooms in my chest hearing that my little demon caused damage to Thorne, I just wish I could have been there to see it. Fuck, I’d rail her right there and then on the floor, regardless of who was fucking watching. In fact, I’d staple their eyes open just so they could see who she belongs to.

“I told you that she had a vicious bite and fuck do I love to see it.” I taunt whilst dropping my gaze to meet his. “You never did listen though, did you? You might have caged me, caught me in your sickening trap, but Iris is a vicious creature. She’s faced things far worse than a puny old cunt like you. She’s a dangerous woman and you’ll do well to remember that.”

Should we really be poking the bear right now?

“You should know by now that I love to poke things, my little demon especially.” I silently reply to the voice whilst staring back at Thorne. I can see just from the look on his face how eager he is to climb inside my mind, to pick at the pieces inside of there to see what makes me tick.

It’s a shame for him though, my mind is already at full capacity. The voice that lives inside my brain made sure of that years ago.

Well, it’s nice to know that you’re not eager to kick me out.

“You know I could never do that to you, I’m quite fond of you actually, just don’t let it get to your head.”

That would be your head, Silas.

As much as I don’t want to snigger, it slips out anyway until it becomes uncontrollable.

“What are you laughing at?” Thorne snaps out but I’m too far gone to listen to him. It must be all that water dunking that has me feeling like I literally couldn’t give a shit what’s happening right now, I just want to laugh.

Thorne grips the collar of my jumpsuit and yanks me towards him, pulling my body over the water tank. “Tell me what you’re laughing at, boy!”

I roll my eyes, forcing the laugh back down. “Oh, bore off you dusty cunt. It’s just an inside joke that’s all, don’t get all jealous because you’re feeling left out.”

“An inside joke?”

“Yep.” I cock my head to the side. “It’s a fucking party up in here, but you’re not invited. Sorry.”

A biting sting spreads across my cheek as Thorne smacks my face, causing my head to whip to the side. Black strands of hair fall heavily over my eyes as I stare down at the floor.

“Am I getting under your skin, Doctor?” I murmur, a darkness spreading like poison through my voice. “I am, aren’t I? You're so desperate to control me, to leash me like a fucking dog but there’s only one person who has a hold of that leash...” I lift my head slowly until I meet his frightened eyes. He chews on the inside of his lip, a nervous trait that I’ve picked up on.

I stare at him head on, my gaze burning holes through his skull. “And it’ll never be you. No matter what you do to me, no matter how long you keep me here, I’ll never belong to you.”

Fury turns his cheeks red, the whites of his eyes glowing brighter as he widens his eyes. I can practically see the smoke coming out of his ears like a boiling kettle.

He shoves me backwards, forcing the guards to catch me then he turns away, running his hand through his sparse hair in frustration.

“Get him out of my sight.”

“To... the cell?” The guard at the left of me stutters.

“Yes, to the fucking cell!”

Shrugging my shoulders, I look between both guards. “Guess that’s me grounded.”

“Shut the fuck up!” One of them spits out and I clamp my mouth shut, shoving another spout of laughter down whilst they man handle me out of the room and down the hallway again, until we reach the cell I was in before. I wait for the door to open and pause, jiggling my hands behind my back.