Scars of the spotlight

I woke up to the sound of water droplets hitting the hard ground somewhere in the darkness. My head hung low, and as I slowly tried to lift it, my vision refused to cooperate. Everything around me was blurry, as though the world itself had shattered into broken pieces. The room looked darker than normal. Not just dark... heavy. The air felt trapped, as though nothing alive had breathed inside these walls for years. The building didn't feel abandoned. It felt forgotten. Like time itself had walked away and never looked back. Cracks spread across the stained walls, making the room look even more lifeless. Then the smell hit me. It was unbearable. The stench of a nearby waste bin filled the room, mixing with something even worse that I couldn't identify. My stomach twisted violently. A second later, the sharp smell of urine reached my nose. It wasn't just filthy. It was horrifying. I blinked several times, trying to force my eyes to focus, but everything still looked hazy, almost as if my vision was afraid to reveal where I truly was. Then I saw it. I was tied to a chair. Thick ropes dug into my wrists and chest so tightly they felt less like restraints and more like instruments of torture. Every slight movement sent fresh waves of pain shooting through my body. Then the memories came rushing back. The Redrigos. Of course. They had a hand in my disappearance. They had always been like this — acting as though the whole world belonged to them, treating people like possessions they could use, break, and throw away whenever they pleased. Heartless. That was the only word that still made sense. I swallowed painfully. My throat burned with every breath I took. All of this... just because of a design. A stupid design. If it weren't for that design, I wouldn't have lost you, Mum. We would still be together. We would still be happy. And you would still be alive. The words escaped my lips before I could stop them. They were barely above a whisper. Weak. Broken. Like the voice belonged to someone else. My chest tightened the moment I spoke. It felt as though the pain had been waiting patiently for me to remember before crashing into me all over again. I tugged against the ropes, desperately searching for even the tiniest gap. Nothing. The more I struggled, the more my body reminded me of everything that had happened before I blacked out. The wounds... They were still fresh. The pain from the torture hadn't disappeared. It had simply been waiting beneath my skin. The moment I moved, it returned all at once. A sharp pain shot through my body. I squeezed my eyes shut and hissed through my teeth. I couldn't forget it. What they did to me. The torture. The screams. The endless pain. Then... I fainted. That was the last thing I remembered. And now... I was back here. Like this place had no intention of ever letting me leave. If only I could get one opportunity... Just one chance... To escape. Suddenly, the door clicked open. Every muscle in my body tensed. Heavy footsteps echoed across the concrete floor before the door shut again. Then a phone began to ring. The footsteps stopped. "Hello, boss." Without wasting another second, I let my head fall forward again and pretended to still be unconscious. I listened carefully. "She's unconscious now, boss. What do you want us to do? We've already tortured her like you asked us to. She won't have the courage to disobey again." Miles away, Mrs. Victoria Redrigo sat comfortably in her luxurious living room, a glass of expensive wine resting gracefully in her hand. A slow smile spread across her lips. "Leave her there for another day." "She needs to learn her lesson." "Make sure she eats." "I don't want her dying before tomorrow night." She paused briefly before adding, "She's still very useful to us." She took another sip of her wine before calmly ending the call. I remained completely still. Waiting. Pretending I hadn't heard a single word. Without warning, a bucket of filthy, ice-cold water crashed over me. I gasped. The freezing water soaked through my clothes instantly, sending a violent shiver through my already battered body. "Wake up, bitch." A can of cold spaghetti landed heavily on my lap. "Eat." "So you don't die in here." The cold metal can pressed against my skin. For a few seconds, I simply stared at it. I already felt like an animal. No... Even animals were treated better than this. "How am I supposed to eat like this?" "Can't you see it's cold?" I looked up at him. "And my hands are still tied." I lifted my bound hands slightly, as much as the ropes would allow. "Or have you suddenly forgotten that you're the one who tied me up?" He looked back at me with an irritating smirk, as though he was enjoying every second of my suffering. "I'll feed you, baby." "Don't worry." "I haven't forgotten." "You'll have to eat it this way." Then he laughed. "You should be grateful to Mrs. Victoria." "For this, she doesn't want to see her hostage dying..." "...from hunger." He turned toward the door. "Now stay put." "I'll get you some water." The moment he took a step away, panic tightened around my chest. No. I couldn't let him feed me. I had to think. There had to be a way out of this place. Think, Sara... Think. Then it came to me. An idea. "But I'm so hungry," I said softly. "And it'll take you forever to get the water." "How about you untie me so I can eat before you come back?" "I don't want to stress you over a nobody like me, you know, Lucas." I looked straight into his eyes. He laughed. "I know, baby." "But you're worth my time." He leaned closer until I could smell the alcohol on his breath. "How much do you think I'll get paid for a nobody like you?" His smile turned darker. "You're only here, Miss Sara..." "...because you're worth my time." I swallowed slowly. "But I'm hungry." "Do you want Mrs. Victoria Redrigo getting angry because you didn't feed me on time?" I raised my tied hands slightly. "You know I'm still useful to the Redrigos." "These same hands are what I use to design." "If they stay tied for too long, they'll swell." "And if they get damaged..." "I might never recover properly." I held his gaze. "And what do you think will happen to you then, Lucas?" "You won't get paid." "She'll be furious." "And you know exactly what her anger looks like." He blinked. For just a second... I saw hesitation in his eyes. Then— His hand flew across my face. The slap echoed through the room. My head snapped violently to one side. A sharp pain shot across my cheek. Slowly... I turned back to face him. Then I smiled. Before he could react, I spat directly into his face. His expression darkened instantly. "Faithful Lucas to the Redrigos..." "But your own mother is still lying at home, handicapped and abandoned by those same Redrigos." He grabbed a fistful of my hair. "Shut your mouth." "You know nothing." Blood trickled from my nose, but I couldn't stop myself from laughing. "Your mother used to be friends with mine." "She treated you like her own son." "You should be the last person defending those monsters." Something inside him finally cracked. "Shut the f**k up!" "I'll untie you so you can eat." "But don't you dare try anything stupid." He crouched down and began loosening the ropes around my wrists. The moment they came free, pain rushed through my arms so fiercely that I almost cried out. He stood and turned toward the door. That was when I saw it. A broken piece of wood with rusty nails sticking out of it lay beside the chair. My heartbeat quickened. This was it. My only chance. Lucas took another step. Just before his hand reached the door handle... I grabbed the piece of wood with every bit of strength I had left. And swung it as hard as I could. It struck the back of his head with a sickening thud. His body collapsed to the floor. Blood slowly spread beneath him. For one terrifying second... I froze. Then only one thought remained in my mind. Run.