BAPTISM OF FIRE

THIRD PERSON'S POINT OF VIEW

Astreia slowly opened her eyes, and a blinding light coming from the bulb overwhelmed her vision. Her head is throbbing painfully.

She tried to stand up from the wooden bed, but a she soon realized that both of her hands and feet were tied by a rope. Her blood run cold. She tried to remove the knots, but it was too tight.

The door suddenly opens, revealing the person that caused her suffering. Her heart beats erratically.

"A-Amber," she uttered, failing to hide the fear on her voice.

The woman sneered and walked towards her. She looks down at her piteous state. "It's been a long time. How are you?"

"Where I am?" She ignored her question and roam her eyes around warily. "W-Where did you bring me?"

"You don't remember it anymore?"

Her forehead furrowed. She took a train down on what exactly happened just an hour ago. Her heart shattered when she remembered everything. Asher puts something on the scarf that made her feel dizzy and nauseous.

Asher sold her to them. He betrayed her.

"You don't have any idea how happy I am when you and your mother disappeared from our lives. I feel like a thorn had been pulled out from me. Finally, the plague was out."

Blair didn't have the time to react when Amber suddenly pulled her hair.

"But you came back and destroyed our family again! I thought I already get rid of you! But it seems like I was wrong. Why didn't you just die?" she said those words with so much animosity.

Blair shakes her head. "I don't know what you're saying Amber!"

The latter was about to slap her when someone enters the spacious room.

"Amber, hold your horses. We have a long night to torture that bitch." It was Airen.

Astreia felt every hair on her neck standing on its end when she saw that it's not just her, almost all of her previous classmates are there. They are holding canned beers on their hands, their eyes are oddly red. She bit her lips as fear crept up her chest.

She swallowed a lump when Ashley walk towards her direction.

"You will enjoy this night, Astreia," she whispered right on her ears, sending shivers down her spine.

"P-Please, s-stop this."

But no one listened. They surrounded her. A sinister smile is plastered between their lips. They look like monsters craving for her flesh.

She didn't expect this. The night that she thought will be normal turns out to be the most horrifying night for her.

"Guys, take a good care of this bitch for me. Make sure that she will feel heaven in your hands."

The corner of Sloane's lips rose. "You can always count on us, Amber."

Ethan and Pierce untied Astreia. They pushed her on the wooden bed. The woman stared at them, and her heart beats erratically with the familiar men surrounding her.

She flinched when she felt someone touching the skin of her abdomen, it was Sloane, a strange and disquieting leer is glinting on his eyes.

"No..." she said underneath her breath and tried to fend off his hands, but she miserably failed.

"You don't know how much I'm craving for you, Blair." She shudder in fear when she felt another rough hands on her legs. Evan was grinning from ear to ear while he stares at Astreia with lust. She bites her lips to stifle her cries.

"I-I'm begging you, don't d-do this p-please." Her voice cracks. But they did not listen. They continue touching her.

"Argh!" she shrieked in pain. Ethan punches her when she tried to pushed him away when he tried to unbuttoned her dress. But she did not stop, she gathered all the strengths that she could muster and tried break free from their grips. But of course, her tiny body is nothing compared to theirs.

Evan's expression darkened. Without any preamble, he slaps Astreia, her face was slummed to the ground. He kicks her already weakened body continuously, without any hesitations. The others just watch the two of them.

He chokes her neck while staring right at her. "Stop resisting because you'll just get badly hurt, hmmm? It will hurt at first, but you will enjoy it soon," he whispered dangerously and licks her ears. She cringed in disgust.

She tightly closes her eyes when Evan, Ethan and Sloane start touching her body again. Lincoln, Pierce and Grayson just sat on the corner, unbothered that someone was getting molested in front of their eyes.

Astreia felt disgusted of herself as different hands roamed around her body. The thing she had promised to keep for the person she truly loves was gone. The monsters that exploits her weakness took away her virginity.

The bastards had already left the room, but she was still there, crying on the corner of the room, naked and trembling in fear.

She was horrified. She felt so weak and vulnerable. She felt so helpless.

The door suddenly opens, revealing Amber along with her cronies. She stared at Astreia blankly. "Your pathetic state is such a sight to behold," Amber said. Her rage turns her into a complete and ruthless monster who doesn't feel any remorse. Airen suddenly pulled Astreia and forced her to seat on a chair.

"You know what Blair?" Amber is standing in front of her, an ominous aura is surrounding the former. "Your presence ticks me off the most."

She grabbed her chin and forced her to look at her eyes. "It's scary how much I wanted to peel that skin of yours and strangle you till you run out of breath," her voice is laced with hostility. "Why do you need to come on our lives?!"

Astreia can feel the hatred on the way Amber pulled her hair, the painful feeling is piercing her scalp.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Astreia said repeatedly.

Amber's expression darkened. "Shut up! Stop saying your pathetic sorry because it's all worthless now!" She bowed her head for a moment to calm herself. "But it doesn't matter now. Because before this night ends, I will make sure that you will completely disappear from my life. Let's start, shall we?"

Astreia's blood run cold. The disturbing sneer on the woman in front of her is sending her warning bells. And she's not wrong. All of the sudden, she felt a severe pain on her legs. Amber stabbed her using a knife that she did not even notice earlier.

"Scream, Astreia! I want to hear you screaming in pain!" Amber muttered in a low, gravely voice. She was not contented on the pain that she inflicted on the pitiful woman, she dug the knife deeper on her flesh, slowly twisting it, aggravating the pain.

"Ahhhh!" Astreia's painful shouts filled the four corners of the room. The others just watch her sufferings, a twisted smirk can be seen on their faces.

"That's it! More! Scream more! I want to hear more of your pleas!" Amber's expression reminds Astreia of a psychotic woman who's hungry for blood. The former pulled the knife from her right leg and puncture the other one without any hesitation, her continuous stabbing makes Astreia begged her to stop, but she turned a deaf ears. Her mind is clouded with anger right now.

"P-Please, s-stop." The pain coursing through every fiber of Astreia's body is making her weak.

Amber sneered. "Stop? We're just getting started." She stands up and get something from the table. It was a lighted candle. The fire burning on the wick is reflecting Astreia's eyes gleaming with fear.

Ashley and Airen suddenly went behind and pulled her hair firmly, rendering her motionless. Her entire body is still aching from the twinge that she got a while ago, but here it is again, they were about to inflict more pain on her body.

"Noooo!" Her pained voice breaks the tranquil night. Amber dropped a scorching candle wax in her eyes, agonizing her pain. She squirmed on her seat, trying to break out from the gasps of the two woman strangling her. It lasted for almost five minutes, she could barely open her eyes anymore. Their laughter sounds like a howl of demons bruising her ears. It is ear-splitting and cruel.

But her agony doesn't stop there. She felt a sting on her shoulder caused by a knife, it was excruciating enough to make her shrieks louder. Tears are falling from her closed eyes. She pursed her lips, but ends up saying nothing.

Her head hangs low, she felt so enervated and exhausted. She wants to close her eyes, thinking that falling asleep will at least lessen the pain.

"Don't die yet, hmm?" Amber whispered using a soft and gentle voice, teasing her.

Once again, Astreia tried to speak, but the lump blocking her throat forbids her to do so. The pain and fear is muting her voice.

All she can do is let out a muffled cry when she felt the sharp edge of the knife piercing the skin of her face. Amber draw long gashes on her face while laughing. The blood drips down her lips, she can already taste her own blood.

Every fiber of her body is aching in so much pain. She doesn't longer know what to focus on; the pain on her legs, on her shoulders, on her face, or her searing eyes. Everything seemed to take away her sanity.

But the wretched demons around her was not satisfied yet. They want some more.

"Arghhh!" Astreia screeched loudly when Samantha drops a bottle of liquor on her  open wounds that triggers a burning sensation. She seemed to found her voice because of the extreme affliction.

Their wicked laughter filled the room.

She can't stand it anymore. Her eyes are already spinning like mad. The abnormal beating of her heart is making her sweat profusely. The pain is too unbearable. She looks on the ceiling. She wants to see the sky, she wants to see the stars swimming on its darkness. She wants to witness how the implausible moon hues the gloom.

She wanted to see it for the last time. But the roof over her head makes it impossible. She just smiled sadly before closing her eyes.

And all her sufferings ended along with her last soft breath.