Lilly
Repeat after me: "We are survivors. We are survivors. We are—"
I stared into the darkness of the upper storeroom of the cabin. I was forced inside and kept as a prisoner. The noises from below were terrifyingly loud, and the entire foundation of the cabin shook as the beast that saved me took the beating of my life.
I held back my crying as soon as I heard his dad enter the home, but the emotion shook my body. He was just trying to protect me. He was doing something good for me and his brother.
At the very least, it confirmed my thoughts. I still didn't know what they were, but they weren't evil. At least, not in the traditional devil versus God sense. If they were at one point human, there was still some of that morality left inside their hearts.
I knew it wasn't something I could rely on. There was no way of knowing how these men operated. If one thing set them off, I could be turned into a bartering chip. Instead, I held out hope for my father's return.
In the past, our way of life was a source of pride for me. We were the only ones built to last. We were the only ones who could continue the thread of life. The apocalypse was coming. That was what Dad told me.
As I sat thinking about those incredible beasts caged in the basement, I couldn't help but wonder what else my father was doing here in the same woods. There had to be a reason, and I thought it had to do with my mother.
In a major way, I felt betrayed. Why would he lie to me? Was I so fragile that I couldn't handle the truth? No. I was a survivor. I had always been a fighter. And that was why I wasn't going to keep crying.
Holding onto faith, I held still and waited for the sounds to stop below. I heard the man's boots thump against the rickety stairs. There was an aura of derangement here, the hint of terrible things. I was sure many before me had been taken in by these people. The unbearable need to run shook me, but I remained vigilant and strong.
Through the slit underneath the door, I watched as the man paused and turned. I clenched my stomach and held my breath as panic swept over me. A deep cough, full of phlegm from what sounded to be a terrible medical condition, came from his throat. A shallow wheeze followed, and my eyes widened.
The man spat on the floor and walked away, leaving me to my panicked thoughts and deliberate silence.
Time passed, but I didn't dare sleep. I felt the heat from the sun bake my body. There was no water offered, nor was there any food. Not that I expected any. I was a prisoner of the worst kind, but that soon changed.
When night came to grace us again, I heard the man leave. Within seconds, I heard the sounds of whispering coming from below. I lay on the cold wood floor and placed my ear to listen carefully.
"…he will rape her… kill… she does not know the truth…"
The words came out in fragments. I tried to focus more, but the room was too small to lay flat all of the way. As soon as I tried, my leg hit against the door, and the sound ricocheted throughout the cabin.
"She's awake," the other one cried and huffed. The light taps of fingers against the ceiling caused me to jump on my feet, only to hit my head against an old and unused light socket.
"Fuck," I groaned and rubbed the already growing welt.
"Critter…"
My heart pounded, and I felt the familiar tears betray my false sense of courage. I wanted to be strong. I wanted to make my father proud, but the weakness immediately took over. I was a caught little critter, and I was being kept for the stew.
; "Let me go," I stammered. "Let me out of this place, or my father will set fire to your home and kill you all."
Harsh laughter livened the house. I could hear them both stirring in their cages. "I yearn for death as if it were a lover," my defender said.
I forced my weight against the door and drove my shoulder forward to free myself. It was like hitting a cinderblock. I cupped my shoulder in pain and sighed.
"You have been bolted in," the younger brother said.
I hardly listened to what he told me. I spun my body and kicked at the door, but it wouldn't move an inch. He was right. I was stuck here.
"You… you are both ungodly and impure," I said.
"Our breath is no more than a puff of smoke," the more noble of the beasts said. "In time, no one will remember our names. That goes for all of us, critter."
"Stop calling me by that name," I cried.
"Lucian has been waiting to catch you for a long time," the younger one said. "But Father has beaten him for his attempts at escaping. He calms his temperament with cruelty."