Emma bit back a cry. He liked it when she cried out. He laughed when she did. She refused to give him the satisfaction. Her body jerked as she felt the s***h of the whip again. The pain was excruciating.
She pulled further into herself trying to escape it. If she could just lose consciousness, maybe he would quit. He didn’t like it when she fainted. He wanted her awake. She felt herself being pushed aside as they reached for Betsy. She lay on the cold stone floor trying to catch her breath as her back burned.
Betsy’s high-pitched scream broke through the haze surrounding her as she turned her head. The man had handcuffed the other girl to the bars of their cell and was running the tip of his knife along her shoulder across to her breast. Blood followed the trail.
Emma forced herself up
