Page 149 of Dance of Madness

The present.

The hand around my throat.

And I know it was YOU.

I flinch as I relive the feel of the needle jabbing into my neck, my hand jerking up to the spot. I recall the darkness closing in, the cold, venomous green of his eyes slicing into me as I sank into nothingness.

My pulse skips.

Oh God—It’sNerowho imprisoned me.

“Are you ready for tonight?”

“Yes Papa, I’m ready.”

The world has morphed into some horrible, fucked-up version of reality on repeat, and I’m a captive viewer who can’t stop it.

“You’ll make sure Nero is at the spot you agreed on?”

“Of course, Papa.”

The voices on the TV are ours, and yet, they’re not. Like it’s a deepfake, created from reality.

“Excellent. If that changes, let me know immediately.”

“Yes, Papa.”

The TV is mounted to a stone wall, a few feet outside the perimeter of the cage. But just the same, I groan, pushing myself onto unsteady bare feet, my lips curled into a snarl as I rush at the TV, as if I might smash through the bars to get to it.

What the fuck.

Before I evenreachthe side of the cage, I’m jerked back by the ankle. The ground slips out from under me as counter-momentum rips me off my feet and sends me slamming to the cold, hard cement.

“I’m proud of you,malyshka. Doing what the family needs you to do.”

“Of course, Papa. This is what we Kalishniks do. Besides, he means nothing to me. It’s all a means to an end.”

A wrecked sob chokes from my throat as I grab my knee, wincing. I groan, turning to glare over my shoulder, and my heart drops.

I’m not just caged.

I’m fuckingchained.

There’s a manacle around my ankle, linked to a chain running across the floor to the far side of the cage, where it’s padlocked to two of the bars. Next to that, inside the cage, is a cot, a jug of water, and…oh God…abucketwith a roll of toilet paper beside it.

My entire soul deflates and my body goes limp as my haggard eyes take in the horror scene around me.

“Are you ready for tonight?”

A sob wrenches from my chest as I whirl, my eyes going blurry as I watch the scene unfold yet again on the TV.

“Yes Papa, I’m ready.”

“You’ll make sure Nero is at the spot you agreed on?”

“Of course, Papa.”

“Are you enjoying the show?”

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