Page 49 of Ruin

I’ve started a tally of the days I’ve been here. I cut my finger to use my blood as my pen.

During the night, I heard people shouting at me. ‘Pretty boy is not going to be so pretty by the end of the day.’

Watch my back, follow my gut. Watch my back. Follow my gut. How many times did I repeat that to myself last night? I have no idea. But it was the only thing keeping me from driving myself crazy and over thinking everything.

I stand up as the metal doors open. Time for the fun to fucking begin. I could cower and stay in my cell, but it will show everyone I’m scared of them.

Get out and stand my ground, show everyone I’m here to take over.

Cain didn’t tell me who the big man is in this place anymore, the person who wants to take over. Now I know it won’t happen. Cain won’t let it, but there is always someone who wants to control the place.

Taking a deep breath, I take my first step out into hell. And within seconds, I feel not only one set of eyes on me, but every single person in this place has their eyes locked on me.

They’re all looking for one thing, an easy exit out of here with my blood spilled.

Come on Declan, you are a Crawford, Crawfords don’t whimper to anyone.

Finally getting all of the way out of the cell, the roar echoes around the dirty brick walls, and the words are thrown at me.

“Come on, pretty boy.”

“Ah, someone missing Mommy’s milk.”

“He’s our easy way out.”

I make my way down the stairs, one step at a time, looking around at the stains of the old blood, the fresh blood. I don’t know who Cain got to look over me, so I’m not sure who I can and can not talk to.

I feel a hard slam against my back, which makes me fall down a few of the steps. Fuck, that hurts. The chances of getting any medical help in here is going to be slim.

“Focus boy. Show us what you got. Stand up.” I quickly get up and take a step closer to him.

Now, I’m big, but next to this guy, I look like a fucking mouse. I need to know what he does in this place to make himself look this big and strong.

“You got a problem?” I ask him,

“What’s a pretty boy like you down here for?”

“For fucking your mom,” I snap back at him, and he laughs.

“Was she good at least?” he asks,

“I’ve had better.” I nudge past him, but he grabs my arm and pulls me closer to him.

“Advice, you need to be a big boy here. I’d watch my back if I were you. You have a big target on you.” He waves his finger around The Pit, and I look as everyone is watching us. “Watch your back.” He walks away from me. Is that the guy who is watching my back?

Doesn’t look like the fucking man who helps anyone. I continue walking around, and then someone pushes me hard, my back hitting the rough brick wall behind me.

“I want to fight.” So, this is how it is here. You say you want a fight, and you get one.

“Fuck you.” Do not show weakness. “You want out of this place? You got to fight the big boss. Do I look like the fucking big boss to you?”

“No, no one can beat the big boss. I’m pretty happy to send you back in a bag to mommy.” He grabs my neck and tightens his grip around it. Fucking hell, this is not what I want my first day in hell to be like, but he finally lets me go.

“How about I send you back in a bag to your mom, and then I’ll fuck her while your body’s next to her? You get a front row seat.” My words must have hit a nerve, because he punches me, and fuck is it hard, it feels like an iron fist just knocked me out. He punches me again, and I punch him in the rib, which has done nothing to him.

I gasp, taking a deep breath in. Keep breathing. The sharp pain hits me, making it hard for me to focus on anything else around me. The bastard fucking stabbed me. You are not dying! I shout to myself.

The whole Pit goes quiet, and then they start chanting. Numbers. They’re chanting numbers. I know those numbers. Cain.

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