CHAINS TO FREEDOM.✔

Chapter Twelve

"Now you're feeling much better, the Master would like you to have a proper bath." Alice studied Jessica's face. She put her hand out towards the young woman to help her out of bed. "I need you to come into the kitchen. We have a tub there. It's much closer to the fire. Come, now."

Jessica didn't take her hand but rose from the bed herself. She felt weak when she stood but didn't want anyone helping her.

His face was contorted by the spasms of pain searing through his body. He writhed and clutched at the sheets as it peaked. The coughing never ceased. With each spasm, he grew weaker. Jessica held his hand until it was over. He lay exhausted and smiled weakly at her. Her father turned his head to face his son.

"You must look after Jessica when I'm gone. She's your responsibility now."

The fit started again. Jessica sponged his forehead with a damp cloth and looked in anguish at her cousin

He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. He didn't like coming to see this man who had tried to be la father to him. He felt no sadness and no shame for the lack of it. Just bitterness and a sense of loss for the vision of a father he would have liked to have had.

Jessica tried to help her father sit up in the bed. He angrily brushed her aside. His long thin fingers flicked rapidly at her. He didn't want anyone helping him.

Alice pointed towards the tub. "Take off your clothes and hop in. I'll wash your hair, if you'd like."

Jessica eased the nightshirt over her head. She held it in front of her feeling uncertain and insecure about being naked in front of these strangers. She looked at the water, inviting vapors of steam wafted up. It had been so long since she'd had a proper bath. So long since she had done many things. She dropped the shirt and slid gingerly into the tub. The hot water soothed her skin.

Jessica watched dreamily as rings of water grew and expanded across the surface and then tapped at the metal tub, absorbed, gone. She tried to remember what had happened; why she was here.

Pead laughed as Captain Grayson's hands ripped and groped at her clothes. He clawed at her breasts then plunged his hand between her thighs.

An overwhelming feeling of nausea rose from the pit of her stomach.

The pungent, sour smell of body odour suffocated her. Jessica felt as though she were drowning. She whirled in the darkness of the moment and lashed blindly out. Kicking, biting and tearing at the thing that was attacking her.

Still the laughter continued.

Then it stopped.

The darkness.

A small shaft of light pierced her conscious. He had fallen. The vile creature. He scrambled to his feet. Jessica lashed out once more. She kicked and kicked.

Yet it wasn't her.

She was looking on from a distance at an image of herself. She pounced and sank her teeth into the fleshy lobe. Jessica heard his scream and tore her mouth away. The blood was warm. It trickled down her chin. She spat at the man, expelling the lobe from her mouth and then vomited.

The scent of his body odour was still in her nostrils. It was the smell of a man who hadn't bathed for a long time. She was lucky. The beating was a blessing compared to the thought of being prisoner to that man. He had told Pead he didn't want her. Said he was a "gentleman" and wanted someone more suited to his personality.