When I came to, the first thing I noticed was how bad the brand hurt. It felt like my skin was still on fire.I dreaded opening my eyes to look at it. I would have to live with this for the rest of my life. Surely I wasn’t going to die here, surely Alec would find me. Right? Oh my god Alec, he would have to see that man's initials on my stomach, how would he deal with that? What would he think of me? Would he hate me?

I opened my eyes trying to escape the thoughts in my head and found myself thankfully alone since I got here. I was lying on a dirty old mattress with my wrists handcuffed to each rail of the rusting metal headboard. I tried to move my legs so I could sit up and see where I was without trying to move a muscle around my stomach area. That's when I realised I had no pants or underwear on and that my thighs were wet and slightly sticky. It sent me back to the night I was raped by Dalton. My whole body started to tremble. I remembered how helpless I’d felt, how horrified and dirty. I couldn't prevent it back then and I couldn’t stop it from happening now. The tears started streaming unchecked down my face, despite my best efforts to hold them back. 

I heard heavy footsteps echo through the darkness, as someone approached the door. The door slammed open and banged against the wall causing me to jump, Dalton sauntered in with a huge evil grin on his face.

“Ah, my sleeping beauty finally wakes up. I know I must have tired you out from all our activities. But you must wake up now to feel and see what I’ve already done and everything I’m about to do," Dalton said, with a crazed look in his eyes and an ear to ear smile.

He laughed in a way that reminded me a bit of the maniac in a horror movie as he walked over to a table that was now setup beside the bed. He picked up something long and shiny and came towards me. When he reached my right thigh he used the object that I could now see was a very large filay knife to slice into my thigh. I screamed and thrashed around, my legs weren’t tied down but the trashing only made the cut deeper and jagged. He pulled the knife away and looked down at his handy work as blood ran down both sides of my leg and pooled underneath. He put one finger into the blood and put it up to his mouth smiling as he licked the blood from his finger. I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

“That color is so pretty on you, don’t you agree? I think we need a matching one on the other side,” he said grinning, as he walked around the foot of the bed.

A sob escaped me then I bit down on my bottom lip trying to work through the pain as he carved twice more into my other thigh. He moved up and down my body placing cuts wherever he decided to, I counted seven before I gave myself over to the pain and passed out again.

When I regained consciousness he was standing beside the bed, his pants were around his ankles. His hand was furiously pumping his shaft, I turned my head away and squeezed my eyes shut begging myself to wake up from this horrible nightmare. Little wet diamonds glistened in the light as they slowly spilled from the corners of my eyes and down my face. I’d only been awake for a few seconds barely enough to figure out what was going on when I heard him grunt and then something wet and warm covered my torso. I shuddered in disgust, I felt like I was going to be sick. I tried to distract myself, to push it down, to think of Alec and Liam. But his unwelcome voice pulled me from my daydreams.

“Wakey wakey babydoll. It’s time to play,” he said, with another ridiculous grin on his face.

I watched him terrified as he walked back over to his table of torture, “Hmmm, which one, which one? Oh I know,” he said to himself.

He walked back over to the bed and released the handcuffs from the bed posts. My arms flopped down onto the bed. What was he planning now? I had no interest in his games, I stayed where I was, knowing that if I moved I would suffer more.

He chuckled, “Smart, but no fun if you don't  fight back.”

He grabbed my wrist and pulled me to a sitting position. My whole body screamed in agony. I had no interest in getting up but I didn’t want to stay in that disgusting bed either. It really didn’t matter though because he didn’t care what I wanted. He pulled me to my feet and half dragged my sliced up body over to two columns with a chain hanging halfway down each one. He turned me around so I faced away from him then clicked each handcuff closed on the last link of each chain. The chains weren’t meant for someone as short as me and I had to stand on my toes if I didn’t want to dangle from them. I waited for the next form of torture to begin, but it never came. He left me hanging there and walked away, I assumed he was going to retrieve his new toture device but then I heard the door close behind him. I was extremely grateful for my moment of peace even though I knew it probably wouldn’t last more than a few seconds.

I woke up to something biting into my back. Before I was fully awake I felt it again, a sharp sting followed by a major burn that immediately started to throb. I cried out when the next one hit. I heard it sing as it sailed through the air, followed by a loud snap as it connected with my back slicing the skin open. The next one landed on my lower back, the tip on the wip curved around my waist and bit into my stomach. My back arched and I screamed loud enough for the whole world to hear my pain. I counted the lashing until the darkness covered me in her sweet embrace.

She woke up in a place where everything was grey. She looked all around, there wasn’t a single person in sight. 

"What is this place? It's not Alec's or that horrid basement," Elena asked herself.

"You're in my domain, dilectae filae. I have brought you here for two reasons. Neither are good my dear," the pretty lady said. 

I looked her over, she was beautiful but she looked strange. It took me a minute to realize why. She was wearing clothes that weren't from my time. 

"W-Who are you?" Elena asked nervously. 

"I'm Diana, the goddess of the witches. Please come with me, I have something to show you," the woman said, holding her hand out to Elena.

Elena hesitated but only for a second and then took her hand. She was guided to a wishing well. The goddess walked over and sat on the edge of the well. She beckoned for Elena to come and join her. Elena sat across from her and they looked down into the well. The liquid inside was so dark it looked like tar. The goddess touched the water with the tip of her finger and it changed color. It went from black to a very pure white.

"Elena this well will tell you what's to come and what has been," she said.

“What do you mean?” Elena asked, confused.

"I'm going to show you what has already happened, but I need you to have a clear mind."

Elena nodded her head in understanding, as she peered into the well again.  As she looked deep down into the snow white water she felt herself falling down into its depths. She wanted to scream but she couldn't. 

"Elena, you're fine, don’t panic. There’s no need to be frighten,"

Elena took a deep calming breath and let it out. She took in her new surroundings. Elena was again confused about where she was, yet it felt slightly familiar to her.

"Where are we? I feel like I know this place..." Elena said. 

"I have taken you back to the beginning ,twenty-four years ago. To a time when it was peaceful for you, to a time filled with love. Back to your true family. Now remember what I said, keep a clear mind."

"Okay, but I don't understand what do you mean my real family?"  Elena asked, confused.

"Just watch and listen, you'll see soon."

Elena kept her mouth closed and watched to see what was going on. She saw a younger version of Marina putting a sleeping babe in a crib. Elena felt the need to see the baby. She went over to the crib and gasped covering her mouth in surprise. The baby looked just like her when she was little. 

She looked at the goddess for reassurance. The goddess smiled softly and nodded her head. Elena decided to keep watching. But she was taken by surprise when she saw Gianna. She climbed in through the window her mother had forgotten to lock before going to bed. She crept quietly into the room and towards the crib with a knife in her hand. She raised it up preparing to stab the sleeping child. Then Gianna’s facial features changed into sadness and she lowered the knife. She reached in and picked up the child. The baby’s startled scream surprised Gianna. She held the baby to her chest and jumped out the window. She heard a loud scream as she dashed into the woods. 

Elena was pulled away from the well, she realized that she was back with the goddess. 

"So you're saying that I was intended to die that night by Gianna? And Alec was telling me the truth, but why didn't she kill me? And why is she trying to now?"

"Everything will be explained in due time, now I need to show you what's to come if you let Gianna and Dalton continue to be in your life. Your family will be in harm's way but so will the world,"  she said, touching the water again. Elena leaned over and peered into the well again. 

This time Elena was brought back to her torture chamber. Elena started to tremble in fear. The goddess reached out and rubbed Elena's back.

 "Don't be frightened. Be strong, your true love will be here soon but I'm afraid that my protection will not be enough to protect them," she said sadly. 

"Protect them? Who are you talking about?"

She looked behind Elena, which made Elena look behind her too and she saw herself round as a bus but what made her cry out was all the blood coming from her womanhood. 

"No….. don't tell me that I will lose my babies!" Elena panicked. Then she realized what she’d said, “Wait them? Babies? So I was pregnant with more than one child?" Elena asked, putting her hand on her stomach in wonder.

Elena froze, "Please tell me it's from Alec's not…. not Dalton's." 

"I will only tell you this because I know that this puts your mind at ease and will help you to protect them. Your children will be born of your true love, but only if you can save them" she said, with a gentle smile.

Elena felt tears of relief run down her face, "Thank you."

"Now I'm going to release you from here, but before I do. You need to find your center and say these words et quiescam nec dolor. You'll be safe and so will your unborn children. Now you must go, my child." 

Elena opened her mouth to say goodbye but she was already gone…