Read Online A Grave Exchange by Jane White Pillatzke - Free Book Online Page A

fixed my panties . What was wrong with me ? W hy was I hear ing voices? Had I finally crossed the line from sanity to lunacy ? C onsidering all I was going through , I wouldn’t be surprised . There was only so much a person could take before their mind check ed out , once and for all .
    Suddenly , the scar on my wrist few fiery hot. I looked down at it and gasped . T he blood red teardrop was enflamed and looked ready to burst . Desperately , I blew on the mark, try ing to cool it down . I g lanc ed around solemnly . I was alone — completely , utterly alone . The situation reminded of the horrors I’d faced as a teen , and yet again , I was alone to face my worst nightmare. Driven by a wave of hysteria, I ran to the door and started hammering on it with my fists , screaming for someone — anyone — to hear me and let me out . I could not bear this . I could not bear being alone, facing my fears once again . Lucius promised I would never be alone again, but he’d lied . I hitting the door over and over again, screaming until my voice went hoarse, and still no one came. Finally, exhausted, I collaps ed to the ground once again.
    My dragged air in and out of my lungs. M y mind barely holding on to a thread of sanity, I raged inside . This was not going to happen . I would get out of this . I had to, and Lucius was somewhere waiting on me . The k ing must have me hidden away somewhere, but I knew Lucius would try to find me . Meanwhile, I wouldn’t just sit here ; I had to figure out a way to get out of t here . I n that moment, something happened to me. No t only did I c o me to the realization that I would have to pick up the pieces of my shattered , tormented heart and heal it, but it also dawned on me that I would have to help myself escape . Lucius was right ; I had the power in me to get through this . I and I alone could heal myself ; no one else could . J ust as I had this epiphany , my scar stopped throbbing . I looked down to see it had sunk en into my wrist, a pale pink drop no longer blood red . P erhaps Maria ’s gift had served two purposes—not only warning me of grave danger, but also helping me realize I had the strength inside me to carry on. I stood straight, took a few deep breaths , and waited . N o matter how long it took , I would wait it out , and I would find a way to get out of th ere alive.
    I paced the concrete floor , rubbing my shoulders from the cold . H ours passed, and I pulled out my phone , mulling over the fact I could not use it . P issed and despondent , I threw it across the room; it clattered to the ground and broke into pieces . Immediately, I regreted my actions. As I stooped to pick up the shattered remains, I heard footsteps quickly approaching . I screamed and hollered, banging my fists on the door . The steps kept coming, and I backed away, up against the far wall , and waited . I cower ed like a caged animal , but I was ready to take flight . If given half a chance to escape, I had to take it, even if I died taking the risk . I had to get out, I had to find Lucius . The door lock clunked and swung open, and one of the guards walked in and looked at me, smiling like a Cheshire cat . H e threw a tray of food down beside me, and when he turned to walk out , I charged . W ith everything I had , I jumped on him, but it was like hitting the concrete wall beside me . H e laughed cruelly and grabbed my pummeling fists, squeezing them so hard I had tears in my eyes . I could hear bones crunch , and I screamed . I kicked him and kicked him, tried to scrape his face, but he grabbed my wrists and flung me up and straight over his head . I landed on the cold , hard ground . The guard stepped over me , then kicked me in the ribs . I curled up into a ball . T he pain was horrendous , but I’d managed to block his aim with my arm, avoiding any lasting damage to my ribcage . Maybe I couldn’t do this on my own , I thought, as I lay there with my hands over my face . W here was Lucius