Page 78 of The Caged Girl

I took a step in and watched the gold chain door shut.

I watched as it went down through wiring and darkness while the temperature dropped rapidly. I knew I was going to where the dark therapy cages were—the cages the nightingales were housed in to make them become the subservient, obedient women who catered to a man’s every need. They’d rather be able to face their monsters instead of fearing them in the darkness down here. The elevator jerked as it hit the floor, causing me to grab through the chains and hold myself up. The door opened, and I slid out and looked around. This entire resort was a maze.

This was a different floor. I could hear water drip through the crevices as I looked up. I was deeper underground. There was a musky odor as I stepped on stone and wet dirt. I was freezing cold and rubbed my arms as I made my way through the terrifying darkness that only held an orange haze from what looked like worn battery-powered lanterns.

The black brick was closing in on me as I continued down and heard the echo of sobs. Rolling my shoulders back, my heels clicked against the floor as I looked to the side and let my fingers brush against the emptied cages. Buckets, broken plates, and random black gowns were strewn throughout the small cage.

I stood in front of one that had a lock and broken dangling chain, and opened the door.

Stepping inside, I cringed at the odor. It wasn’t the rotting feces, maggots, or urine-tinged ripped clothes.

No, it was the scent of death. I closed the door and shut my eyes; I could hear the cries and the pain of some innocent young girl who was flinching at every single sound, thinking that the grim reaper was coming for her.

What must they have told her she did to deserve a place in this hell? A girl goes running in a sports bra and fitted leggings, and is told she is setting herself up to be attacked. A woman meets the man she found on an online dating app, and she’s raped, but told it had to be consensual since she was the one on an app. A college student walks across campus at night to go back to her dorm and is brutally murdered, but it was her fault for partying. It’s always her fault. It’s always our fault. The greatest fault we have as women is simply being alive.

Layla and I were trafficked by our parents, who saw us as financial burdens. A son would have been a blessing. We were sold to the highest bidder, and no one cared—not even the ones who gave us life.

What it must feel like to hold life in the palms of your hands.

I turned and traced my nails in the fingernail markings all over the brick walls. What she would have wanted me to do…

I pushed open the door to the cage and touched the cake pendant-locket with the pill inside.

I could force Declan Rothschild to take it—it would be better than this, of course. But as I walked down the rest of the hall, I began to count out loud.

“One…two…three…four…” My nails screeched against each cage door until I saw him.

Tilting my head, I looked at him. Bradley did a wonderful job. The cage was locked with a shiny, new gold padlock that I held the key to.

But the most beautiful part of La Gabbia was right here in this moment.

“Help,” he cried, his voice gagged. His mouth and eyes were covered with silk ties, while his wrists and ankles were chained.

Declan Rothschild, the violent man who would have played dad to my niece or nephew, who would have continued to abuse his wife and countless other women, was in a cage and no one knew besides Bradley and me. I smiled and clutched the steel bars.

Tilting my head, I cleared my throat. “Hello, my precious little bird. You will make for the very first and perfect caged boy.” Declan began sobbing, but I couldn’t understand what I assumed were his pleas. I heard a puddle grow around him and scrunched my nose.

“Oh, you dirty little bird…you’ve pissed yourself. How embarrassing.” I clicked my tongue and shook my head.

“Who are you?” I could finally make out as I silently watched him.

“I’m your keeper.” I pushed the key into the lock and opened it slowly. Tapping the necklace around my neck, I knew this would be the start of something new. I had never felt so much happiness in my entire life. I had never felt as healed as I did in this moment.

This would heal me. This would be my retaliation.

Opening the Chanel purse I brought along with me, I lifted the knife out of it and twirled it in between my fingers.

Gripping Declan’s arm, he tried to move but Bradley did an impeccable job having him tied up, probably assuming I was going to force a pill down his throat.

But instead, I lifted the knife and began carving her name into his forearm. “S-U-S-I-E” I spelled out as he screamed in agony.

“That’s the girl you chose from the catalogue. The nightingale you paid extra to rape. The girl who cried and begged for her life, but you laughed and hurt her.”

He was pleading through his disgusting saliva and snot draining down his pathetic face.

“All the money in the world, all the power and prestige that has come from the tears of others…and now here we are.” I stepped on his fingers covered in blood with my Louboutin’s and couldn’t stop smiling as he screamed loudly.

“Oh, my precious little bird, we will have so much fun together…” I began choking him hard enough for his breathing to become shallow, but light enough for him to not lose consciousness. I had learned so much from the way Alister had choked me.

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