RAVEN

"No, please don't hurt her." Avianna wailed, clawing at the ground. Jax was trying to hold her down but couldn't since he was weak himself.

I was going to get myself punished.

once again.

"Shut your mouth before you get it too!" Avianna wallowed back in the corner of the cell, crying silently.

I whimpered silently at my hands that had been tied together. By the look on Matteo's face, I knew this was going to hurt a lot more than before.

An hour before, Alessandro had ordered that all of us attend our training and practice what we had learned to Matteo. It was routine by now. But avianna refused and lashed out at him. Already knowing the punishment that was gonna come with this, I offered myself instead.

I would be whipped and left there for days upon days without food or water, which was already not good enough for me since I had been rapidly losing weight. I had always wondered why he chose us. Did no one care enough to help us to get out of here?

I was then thrown into an empty cell after the cufflinks were taken off of me. Only one window was inside at the top of the cell, barely letting in any air. There were also no beds on the inside, which meant that I had to sleep on the cold ground with no heat whatsoever to keep me warm.

Matter stood there, leaning against the doorframe, smirking cynically, "This will teach you to shut your mouth next time," with that, he leaves me, shivering on the cold hard ground.

By the looks of it, I was sure I was going to get hypothermia.

A few days had passed and I had been there starving all night and day. No one had come to check up on me or bring any food to eat. And worse of all, I felt as though I was going to be unconscious any second now.

I shuddered from the cold air. My lips were probably cracking right now from the dehydration. I could barely raise my arm to swat of a few flies that had landed on my skin since I was so cold, I could barely move.

My eyes started closing involuntarily. I fought hard trying to keep them open, even though I knew there was nothing left here for me. Would they just leave me, a child, to die and they would do nothing about it.

It felt as though the world was punishing me for something I didn't do.

Just as I was about to lose consciousness, I felt my body start to shake harshly. I refused to open my eyes knowing that what was going to happen next would be terrible.

Would I even still be alive?

Or would I wake up and see my mother after six years.

Raven!

Why did that sound so real?

Raven!!

It sounded familiar to me.

"Raven!"

I jumped awake, frightened as I had just been doing something wrong. I look around and saw all my brothers surrounded me on my bed.

I gulped inwardly.

Had they been watching me this whole time?

Did they know what I was dreaming about?

"Are you okay? You were crying in your sleep." Luca asked frantically, patting my forehead for any signs of fever. I gently touched my face and felt a patch of wetness on my cheeks. I rubbed it away trying to avoid the bruise on my cheek.

When I came home yesterday after detention, Dom hadn't said anything about the cut on my cheek.

"It was just a nightmare," I chuckled, fiddling with my hands underneath the sheet.

"That didn't look like a nightmare. We've been trying to wake you up for ten minutes now." Damon announced, sitting on the chair across from my bed. A look of worry situated itself on his face.

"If it's anyone at school, you know you could tell us, right?"

"Trust me, it's not anyone at school. I promise."

"Okay fine, but if you feel sick or anything, you make sure you stay home," Domenico said, standing at the door. He looked to be thinking about something at the same time. He had also avoided looking me in the face.

Maybe he was sleep-deprived?

They all start leaving except for Domenico. He just stands there looking at the ground, the light from behind himself shines on him making him look like a shadow. I hear him let out a groan that almost sounded like a cry.

"Why did you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" I asked confused.

Did he find out about Alessandro?

Hell knows what he'll do to me now

"Why didn't you tell me that Matteo was the one who abused you?" I look at him shocked.

Matteo?

I guess I'll play along.

"I didn't want you to feel bad for me. I've had enough of people showing me their fake sympathy. How did you find out it was Matteo?"

It was true what I had just said. Whenever someone found out that I was being abused at home, they would all start acting as if they cared. They never cared, especially since they were the ones who bullied me at school.

This world is a cruel place.

You can't be free from Anyone's judgment.

It's all they can do.

"Someone sent me a video of you when you were in what looked to be a cell room. You looked cold and frightened. You looked like you were about to die." Then he walks forward and stands next to my bed. I look up and see that there were wet patches of tears on his face.

This had to be a coincidence, right?

Weird.

"This is a coincidence." I look around the room.

"What's a coincidence?"

"My nightmare was about the same thing. I was locked up in that cell for a week, almost like solitary confinement." A lone tear makes its way down my cheeks, dampening it in the process.

All of a sudden, I feel Domenico start hugging me in a warm embrace, "You don't worry about Matteo, I'll make sure to take care of him. Everything is gonna be fine, okay?" He pulls away from me, holding me by my shoulders.

I wipe my tears and nod my head, "You're staying home tomorrow. I think it would be best for you to relax for a bit, okay?" I nod my head in understanding and hug him again.

I felt free because Alessandro was not going to be here for once.

We stay there for a while, just embracing each other until I fall asleep.

For once, I felt safe around my brothers.

I was starting to consider telling him what Alessandro had been doing but then my mind went haywire and started thinking back to his threats.

I also wondered why he hated my father so much to the point that he had to bring me in.

All it would take was time.

Only time would tell.

~~~