The Rosey Thorn

Chapter3

“Enough,” someone said. A man walked up, he was clean, well cleaner than the others. The leader. “Get her cleaned and dressed up,” the leader said. “Her owner wants her branded and ready.”

Branded? What the hell does that mean? One of them made a move to grab me, and I instantly punched his nose. “Don’t touch me,” I growled as he bends over, holding his nose.

“Is this the fighter you took?” The leader asks with a slimy grin.

“That’s her,” the one I didn’t punch says.

“What’s your name?” The leader asks. I didn’t answer. He backhanded me. Blood met my tongue as I spit it out. “Answer me,” he growled. Still, I refused and again he hit me. “I like your strength, but we will break you.”

My head connected with his with a snap. He fell on his ass. My head hurt a little, but not as much. Someone grabbed me from behind and slammed me into the ground. “Beat her!” A powerful foot connected with my stomach followed by multiple kicks. I don’t know how many surrounded me.

Blow after blow I endured. I tried to fight back. I tried to kick, but I was beaten everywhere. I couldn’t defend myself. Then it stopped. Hands grabbed my arms, dragging me away. I don’t know where until we went into a room that was very hot.

“Her owner won’t be happy about this. He wants her broken, not beaten,” a voice says with a slight tremor.

“Then the b***h should have thought of that before she put up a fight.”

“Flip her over.”

I grunted in pain as I lay on my belly. The room illuminated with a bright orange light. That’s when I hear the roaring of fire and metal moving. What’s happening? “Hold her.” Hands held me to the floor, bracing me. Oh, no. I know what they’re going to do. Frantically, I try to get up. Fighting to get them off me, but they’re too strong.

“After we brand her, we break her,” the leader said. “She will soon know her place. She will know that women are meant for one thing and one thing only.”

Without any warning, the scorching branding iron connected to my skin. Tears flowed as I cried out in agony. My screams were so loud, but the laughter was louder. Finally, it was done, and I was dragged back to my cage. I touched the back of my left shoulder and immediately withdrew. The pain lingered and even with movement it still hurts. All I could do was close my eyes wishing for the pain to go away.

I don’t know how long I was out. A small whimpering woke me up, and I saw a petite brunette in a cage beside me. I slowly made my way over to her. The pain had subsided a little, but it was still there.

I made it over to her. She was crouched into a little ball, her body shaking. “What’s your name?” I hoarsed.

The small brunette looked at me with tears in her blue eyes. She looked young, about eighteen years old. “Cielo,” she says in a small voice.

“Hi Cielo, my name is Rose. Where are you from?”

“Madrid.” Ah, I hear the accent now.

“How did you get here?”

“I was sold by my parents,” she says, tears leaking down. “I didn’t know what was happening until after. My mom was crying, and my papa wouldn’t look at me. He was too busy counting his money.”

I reached through the bars of our cages and held her hand. “It’s going to be okay,” I said. “My fiancé is in the military. He will find us.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he doesn’t give up.”

“Ha, ha, keep dreaming,” someone chuckled.

I turned to see a dark-haired girl with her back to us lying in the corner of the cage. “You’re not getting out of here,” she almost whispered. “This is our fate. No one cares for us. No one is coming.”

She quieted down, and I looked over at Cielo, who had tears running down her face.

“Hey,” I say. “Don’t listen to her, ok?” Ceilo just nods.

Oh, Jake. Please hurry.