Chapter Text
The sun rose and fell five times. Luz counted them with marks she carved into the balmy stone wall.
Two days, Philip said.
He stayed good on his word to leave her food and water, at least. She had more than enough to last her maybe a month if she rationed everything properly. But that hardly concerned her; as the hours passed, more of the situation weighed on her.
She tried standing on the desk chair to scream for help through the barred window. All she accomplished was breaking the rickety furniture into kindling. She tried more glyphs, every combination that she could think of across every inch of the cellar, which proved to be the same fruitless endeavor as it was the first night.
Even playing along with Philip hadn’t worked. And she did everything right the last time she saw him. She kissed him when he came down the stairs and asked him how his day was and undressed so daintily and invited him to join her on the bed. What more did he want? What had she missed?
Sat tucked under the desk, her knees drawn to her chest, Luz rocked back and forth softly.
Nothing. She didn’t miss anything. That psychopathic freak probably got off to the misery he put her in. As soon as Philip left he probably cranked his hog thinking about how wonderful it was that he had such an incredible girl to torture in his basement.
“Oh God.” Luz muttered aloud, her voice almost startling her. When had she last spoken aloud? “He’s never going to let me out. It doesn’t matter what I do. Holy shit.”
A sense of desperation and relief moved over her like a rolling sweat; it crept down her hairline and spine. There would be no one to save her. There would be no getting out of this situation. Quite literally, she was out of options.
A sound broke the otherwise silence. A creak so soft that she may have missed it, if there was anything else to listen for.
Luz scrambled out from under the desk and then froze there, ear turned to the ceiling.
Another creak—she knew it without a doubt, now. It was the sound of Philip’s heavy boots crossing the workshop above her.
She bolted across the floor, scooped up the broken chair back and seat, and threw her back against the wall by the staircase. The noise was louder here. Philip was coming. He came back for her!
Her heart pounded. Her palms sweat over her makeshift weapon.
Oh, God, what was she thinking? Her brain throbbed. There was no way that she could overpower the man. Did she have any other options?
The bit where one of the legs connected to the rest of the chair had splintered. If she had thought of it sooner, maybe she could have sharpened it into a spear. Damn it! Stupid!
Luz wet her lips. She adjusted her grip. Philip’s footsteps approached closer. He paused outside the door. His keys jingled.
No, no, it didn’t matter. No time to worry about what should have been. She had to focus on now.
The door clicked. Luz stared hard over her left shoulder, to the space at the bottom of the staircase. She hid perfectly in the blind spot. This was her best chance. She sucked in a quiet breath between her teeth and held it there.
Philip took the stairs languidly slow, as if he were savouring every step. Luz counted at least five heartbeats per step he took. Anticipation crawled over her skin like ants. She squeezed the chair rungs tighter. She prayed that she didn’t lose her grip.
“Finally, my dear, I’ve returned.” Philip called out. “I apologize I was gone for so long.”
At the sound of his voice, Luz’s knees nearly buckled. Her stomach tightened and anxious butterflies stirred loose inside her. Hearing another person’s voice, even if it was Philip’s, felt like music to her ears. It was almost enough to make her drop her weapon and reach instead to embrace him, the one creature she despised most in the world.
Her fingers nearly slipped. Philip came closer.
Luz steeled herself. The muscles in her biceps and forearms ached. His presence seemed to strangle all the air out of the cellar.
“Unfortunately you were correct, I did miss you the entire time. Though, I did bring incredible news for the both of us—”
As soon as Philip’s foot hit the floor, Luz jumped out and swung with all her might. Vaguely, she pictured herself as some yet-to-be-discovered baseball star. Someday she may laugh at the absurdity of it; right now she focused on the force that cracked through her wrists and arms upon contact with his midsection.
Philip grunted and folded in the middle. Luz swung again, heart athunder. She struck him across his bowed shoulders and the base of his neck. The chair exploded into bits of splintered wood. Her palms stung. Sympathy and terror sang a symphony inside her; she never intentionally hurt someone like this before. Leftover misplaced guilt wanted her to ask Philip if he was okay.
Instead, she dropped what remained of her weapon with a clatter. She shoved Philip’s wobbling frame aside and squirmed past him. She made a dash for the staircase.
Her heart soared into her throat. Tears leapt into her eyes.
At the top, the door hung slightly ajar. Light from a nearby lantern lit the space around the door frame. She just needed to make it a little further—
An animal-like growl came from behind her. Instinctively she glanced back.
Philip’s gloved hand snagged her left ankle and yanked it. Luz choked a scream as pain rocketed up her calf and the previously-sprained ligament pulled tight under her skin. Her body swept out from under her. No time to react, the bridge of her nose and forehead slammed into the staircase with another flare of pain and an awful crack. Her eyes rolled back. Blood gushed from her nostrils and sprayed over her lips.
Philip howled and swore behind her. He pulled her again; this time, though distracted and disoriented, Luz tried to kick back. It had little effect as he grabbed her by the other ankle and swept her down the short amount of stairs she climbed. Luz could only watch through blurry eyes as her only promise of escape slipped away and she bobbed back into the damp darkness.
Philip flung her from the stairs as though she weighed nothing. Luz’s back struck the ground. She skidded and rolled.
“You ungrateful little cunt.”
Luz’s brain throbbed. Her vision spun. Pain swelled her sinuses and curled over her jaw.
“After all I have done for you, you still betray me?! If I were less of a man I would throw you outside into the wilderness where you belong!”
Liquid dripped down the back of Luz’s throat. She choked. She rolled on the floor to orient herself and get her knees under her. When she sat up, her head felt like it was full of helium. She nearly toppled again.
“Is this what I deserve, Luzura?”
“Is this what I deserve?” Luz shouted back, through thick blood and saliva pooling in her mouth. It oozed over her lips and dribbled down her chin. “Do I deserve to be raped and locked up and abandoned? Huh? Do I?!”
She settled on Philip. Her hazy vision showed her two of him, both who stared down at her with a deep, dark hatred burning behind his eyes. Fear gripped her guts like icy fists.
Her bravery fled her. Instead, she threw herself at his feet. Disoriented, she pawed desperately at his pant leg to scramble up his body. Her entire face throbbed and her eyes refused to adjust.
“I— I didn’t mean that. Wait— Philip, wait!” Luz’s stuffy voice pitched. She grabbed his arm and the waist of his pants. “Wait! Don’t go! I’m sorry, I am! I have no idea what I was thinking! I’m just a stupid girl who’s lost without her husband— Philip!”
Philip jerked his elbow out of her grasp. His expression twisted with disgust. “‘Rape’. You hardly know the meaning of the word. A husband cannot force himself on his wife.”
Panic strangled Luz. It squeezed her lungs until she was positive they would burst. Tears and drool and snot and blood all smeared down her cheeks and chin.
“You’re right. You’re so right, Philip. I’m just— augh, I’m so stupid. I think I just missed you so much that it clouded me and— and—”
“I have given you more chances than you certainly deserve. However, our vows state that I will love and care for you for better or for worse, in sickness and in health.” His lip curled bitterly. “Evidently, you have some sort of sickness that forces you to act out in such a way. Hopefully more time here alone will help cure it. Take this opportunity to think about your apology to me.”
Luz whimpered like a kicked dog. She sunk back on her knees.
“Wh— when will you come back for me?”
Philip paused for a long moment. He gave her a hard look up and down, as though taking every atom of her being into stock. Luz clasped her hands under her chin. She forced a wavering, teary-eyed smile. One of her front teeth felt significantly looser against her lip and tongue.
“Once I have adequately calmed myself down. Right now, even the thought of you disgusts me beyond all words. I cannot be here any longer.” He shook his head. He clasped one arm around his undoubtedly sore ribcage and pinched the bridge of his nose with the other. “And to think you spoiled such a beautiful day.”
“I’m sorry.” Luz whispered, as her salvation within the light at the top of the staircase once more shrank and disappeared into a lonely nothingness.