Chapter 4 Painful as Hell

She opened her eyes only to see she was in a different environment, entirely different from the wood. This time, at least she was closer to people, and she thought she was safe, but all was her wishful thinking. It looks like a tavern, with different ancient men and women treading in and out of the pub. Her heartache included her body as one of the men dragged her towards the counter and mumbled inaudibly to an old man who, merely looking at him, looked like he owned the tavern. The two nodded with a mischievous smile and in the next moment, she was handed to a new master.

She was taken to an empty room, an elderly lady attends to her. But that wasn't the kind of care her body needed. She requires proper treatment, her throat is dry, her stomach aches, her face swollen, bruises all over her body, and her mouth sore from pain. She stood and watched things change in her eyes, and she couldn't do anything about it.

Is this also part of life experience? How did she arrive here, was this a plot; who could be behind all this suffering, was all this fate? She winced and clenched her fists with tears dripping all her face. A measly amount of food was displayed on her front, but she wasn't feeling herself. She thought within her, if eating is also worth it, yes she was famished, but this didn't look like something edible, and she wondered about the people living there.

She was still debating on what to do, tired as she was; she abruptly crawled to the displayed food, picking up a spoon with her hands trembling.

Furthermore, she squints around to see where she is, but there is no clue, and she can't fathom exactly where she is.

Shabby clothes that looked like they were specially designed for slaves were laying by her side, and she wondered if they were actually for her. She touched her jeans and trousers and realized she already lost her phone. Shaking her head and heavy a deep sigh as taking a long look at what is displayed in her front as food. It disgusts her the more and makes her feel nauseous.

Even if inside the room she was kept, something seems off, her instincts keep telling her that there is more than just meets the eyes. She dropped the spoon she was holding, grabbed the small jar, and poured it inside the cup.

Realizing it was water, her face lighted up a bit, and she gulped down the water even though she had difficulty swallowing it due to the pain she suffered which already affect her throat.

A dried and cranky throat needs water. She needed to stay hydrated, so she managed to force it down her throat.

At least water is better than suffocating herself with whatever poison that was dropped on the plate for her for food. She was drinking the water when a voice jolted her out of her small world.

"Bring her out" the voice suddenly thundered, and she quivers, dropping the jar and trying to take a hide, but before she could drag herself up, a total stranger already badge inside the hut and dragged her out.

"Hope you eat to your full because this will be your last meal for the next two weeks" He roared and his comrades laughed.

She hated all this, her heart was already emotional to handle all this, she wondered who she offered that refused to forgive her.

She held her breath as the horrible man started walking up to her, with the intensity of his bloodshot gaze, those dangerous eyes of his never leaving her face as he kept walking towards her. He stopped knee to her level and pulled her in the hair.

"This miss here is a spy" his voice roars and the small crowd gathered awe in and shock.

"She trespassed the forbidden land, and should be punished by death as a punishment for offenders and criminals". He said, dropping her head, standing up, and pacing her a bit.

Her heart began to beat wildly upon hearing all these accusations. She clenched her fists tight, raising her face to face the man. Her eyes are already red and swollen from constant crying and torture, and now she is labeled a "SPY".

"I'm innocent.... I don't know... know what you are talking about".

She managed to stuttered breathlessly.

"Quiet"

He roars, walking closer to her with such a suffocating glare, piercing through her soul as if he wants to trap her spirit.

She subconsciously kept stepping back as the man kept approaching her.

"You can't keep torturing an innocent person.... I don't know what you are talking about, I am not a spy and I will never be one... I miss my way; where is your humanity".

She kept spouting words upon words as the man kept approaching her.

But before the man could reach her, the elderly woman who had helped her earlier in the tavern, suddenly stood between them.

"Garkie, please stop" the woman screamed, her face filled with tears. "Don't you think you are being too extra"

The man let out a peal of menacing laughter.

"Too much...too much; what is much in me punishing a trespasser"

He raved hysterically, and the woman faced down in fear.

"If any of you want to face my wrath, try to interfere again.

He commanded, turning his glare back.

"Young miss, hope your sender will learn after this" he coldly and heartlessly said with an evil smirk.

' I don't know what you are talking about..... I miss my road, that's all I can remember"

She argued in trembling, her lips quivered, and she started to cry.

Her cry was just like pouring water on a duck as the man wasn't even moved by her tears, it was as if his heart was nothing but rock.

"Tie her up" he ordered his comrades and without much lingering, she was already tied up and dragged towards a small what seemed like, "What how come; a car from a horse to a car to where" her subconscious mind jibed in, and she shut her eyes allowing the tears to have its ways.

She had tried to comfort herself because crying in this situation will only make things worst, she only got herself now, and she is ready to face whatever comes her way.

She was put inside the black car, all windshield tightly closed, and before you could say jack, the car accelerated and drove off to heaven knows where.

Immediately after the car drove off, the earlier group that was riding north arrived as if they were keeping track of what was happening.

Jumping down from the horse, one of the men approached the tavern. After much query and questions, they were able to get a clue of where the car was heading, and immediately they followed up, the horse galloping as fast as possible.

The ride in the car wasn't fun at all, she was paranoid as she looked at each man.

"Face front." The command and she trembled, quickly averting her gaze from him. She was scared, since her years of existence no one had made her feel this scared.

"You were sent to spy on us right" one of the men in the passenger seat query with a menacing laughter.

"Don't they know we feed on human flesh, torturing trespassers is what we live for" he roared, and the other joined them.

"I'm not all this all of you accused me of" she paused, trying to gather her strength. "I lost my way....she didn't finish her sentence and was shut up by one of the men.

"Quiet"

She flinched at the resentment in his voice, his eyes shooting out danger, and it freezes her.

"Today we are going to feed you to the beast of the earth" he whispered a mockery in her ear and her heart bleed at the sound of his voice.

"Killing me won't make any difference, it is so inhuman of you all to think of me as a traitor when I'm not one." She began forcing herself to respond. "You don't just kill me just to satisfy your blood taste and quench your insecurities. If I die, my blood will seek revenge and....

"Shut up"

A resounding slap landed on her face before she could finish her sentence. Slowly, she lifted her face as blood dropped from her lips.

"Is that all you got in there; you animal" she vents at him, spitting the blood on his face. Her lips curved into a daring smile.

"You are nothing but an asshole, killing is what makes you live, imagine how miserable your life must be." She scoffed audibly.

The men stared at her for a moment, each wondering how she managed to act with such a dare. She knows this is a crazy action, but she didn't know how she summoned such courage. It clears that if the men react it will be disastrous, and she keeps struggling to free herself from their bondage.

The men stared at her in disbelief, their eyes piercing through her like a sharp saw, and she winced.

Before she could understand what was going on, she was already mouth taped, and she struggled to free herself. But all her struggles were futile.

"It seems we need to teach you a small lesson" one of the men echoed, and the others joined him in his menacing laughter.

The car pulls over and stops on a track surrounded by thick grass. The car door was opened, and she was dragged along all through the track.

Her hands were mercilessly tied together, her mouth taped, and they dragged her like a butcher going to slay their goat.