Page 1 of Cruel (Brutal Academy)

CHAPTER1

LILA

(10 years ago)

Every part of me trembled. My hands, my feet. My lips. Those most of all

"Please, Daddy…" I looked up at him. His face was like stone, cold and hard. Unyielding.

"I'll be good," I pleaded. "I promise."

He put a hand on my head. "This isn't about being good or bad, Lila. This is about you understanding what we do and why we do it. You're old enough to grasp the impact of the decisions we make. The more you understand, the better you'll be at making the right ones."

I lowered my gaze and eyed the thick, solid door. Made of some kind of metal, it didn’t reflect a drop of light. If anything, it seemed to suck it in and keep it. I was careful not to touch it, in case I was sucked in too.

"I don't want to go in there, Daddy. It's dark in there."

In spite of his reassurance this wasn't about me being bad, I was absolutely sure I'd done something to deserve being put into a pitch black room by myself. Why else would he do it? What had I done? Specifically, what had hecaughtme doing?

My twin, Chloe, and I got up to all sorts of things, but Dad, he always told us to be careful getting caught. He made out that was the biggest crime of all. That and betraying him. Which I would never, ever do.

He laughed, but it was a bitter, humourless sound. "Of course it's dark in there, sweetie. That's the point. You'll go in there for a little while and understand the reason for these rooms down in the basement."

He ruffled my hair. "Nothing can hurt you in there." As if that somehow made everything all right.

Tears welled in the corners of my eyes. I blinked them away. Crying was a sign of weakness. If there was anything my father hated, it was weakness. Especially from one of his daughters. Even at the age of nine, I was well aware of the need to control myself.

Was that what this was about? Had I, at some point, done something that wasn't controlled enough? Had I cried? Laughed too loud? If it wasn't one of those, then what was it? I worked hard at school. Chloe and I competed to be top of the class. We competed at everything. With each other and with other people. I beat her at most things, except making friends. She had loads of them wherever she went. I had a couple who stuck with me through everything. Everyone else thought I was stuck up bitch. I didn't care.

Most of the time.

Not even when Chloe was invited to all the birthday parties and I wasn't. Or I was invited because people thought it was rude to invite her and not her twin. No one wanted me there, including me. I'd be the one hiding in the corner, waiting for the earliest opportunity to leave.

"In you go." Dad waved me inside.

I swallowed and looked down at the floor as I stepped inside.

It wasn't until the door clanged shut behind me that I let the tears slide down my cheeks.

The room was completely black. The only sound, the pounding of my pulse in my ears. I wanted to turn around and hammer my fists against the door, but no one would be able to hear me. That was the point. I was completely and utterly alone.

Instead, I sank down onto the floor and sat with my legs crossed.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," I whispered. Somehow, I'd figure out what I did wrong and I would never,everdo it again.

* * *

Lila

(Present day)

The truck ground to a stop, pressing all of us tight against each other. The woman beside me groaned. That was the only sound she'd made in the last few hours. That and dry retching. Her stomach must have been empty by now.

The smell of vomit was strong, sickening. It clung to the insides of my nostrils.

Thank fuck I didn't get motion sick. I was going to need all my strength to get the fuck out of here.

When I did, I was going to get my revenge on Chloe and whoever was working with her. Dane for sure. Zachary, probably. Someone else… I didn't know.

---