a/n - great song that goes w this chap linked above!

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"Grace in our tears. High on a fever. Somebody heal me from my pain."

Blake

24 weeks/172 days/6 months

Tears gracefully fell from my eyes as I softly hummed a familiar tune. I hummed slowly, dragging out every note. I couldn't quite pinpoint where I heard it from.

I laid on my back with my left hand rested on my stomach. While the other laid on the ground beside my head. I don't know how long I've been in this house, because I stopped counting. There was no point anymore.

Everything felt numb.

I couldn't experience anymore pain than I already have. My body has grown accustomed to sleeping on the hard ground, and the rusty metal of the tight chains have eaten away at my skin.

As time went by, Jace became more sick in the head.

He was at the point of physically abusing me as his new amusement. Although, his blows didn't hurt as much anymore.

I've learned firsthand that the body tends not to function properly from the lack of food.

I could barely move a muscle. I was losing more weight and sleeping longer than usual. Sometimes I swear I could feel my body gradually shut down.

I heard the door unlock and in entered the dreading presence of Jace. He kneeled beside me and I was forced to avert my gaze to his wicked smile.

"Well you've been awfully well behaved," He reached over to me, unlocking the chains that restricted me. I rubbed circles on my red wrists with the pad of my thumb to relieve the mild sting.

"You've earned my trust back so you can get back to your normal routine," His smile remained present, like it was some generous gift.

"There's a can of soup that you can ever so kindly make," He stood up from his kneeling position, heading for the door.

"Ok," I whispered.

"Now get up and don't make me say it again," His voice suddenly dropped into an ice cold tone.

I slowly sat myself upward, with my palm stuck to my forehead. My head throbbed at the same beat as my heart. The room seemed to be spinning once I stood on my two feet.

I made sure not walk too fast when I walked through the narrow hallway. The strong lightheaded feeling I had, slowed my steps.

I immediately spotted the can of chicken noodle soup sitting on the counter when I entered the kitchen. I opened multiple drawers in search for the can opener. When I found it, I spun around and the can opener slipped from my hand when I saw -

"Blair?" I frowned incredulously.

I pinched my eyes closed, giving myself a few taps on my cheek to shake the hallucination. I would get them every once in a while. Food deprivation has made me quite delirious.

"What are you doing?" She asked me.

"I-I'm making s-"

"I mean what are you still doing in this house," She rolled her eyes.

"Go away Blair. You're not real," I whispered, making sure Jace didn't hear me practically conversing with myself.

"Look in that drawer over there," She jutted her chin toward the drawer near the sink.

"Why?"

"Just do it," She said sternly. Inwardly sighing, I followed her instruction. There was a medium sized kitchen knife.

"Wha-" I turned around to see her spot vacant.

God now I'm really loosing it.

"Aye what's taking so long?" Jace's alarming voice made my shoulders jump.

"Uh, nothing," I bent down to pick the can opener off the floor. "It'll be ready shortly."

*

I brung the edge of the bowl to my lips, drinking every bit of the soup's savory broth. Jace however still continued to eat, in slow motion it seemed like.

A gasp almost escaped my mouth when I saw Blair leaning up against the sink, pointing to the same drawer.

"You gotta strike when he's least expecting it Blake. Now's the perfect time," She advised.

I glued my eyes shut, rubbing my temples to rid myself of yet another hallucination. What's wrong with me? Why wouldn't these go away?

She may have had a point, but that didn't mean I was going to take her advice. I'm stuck here and that's that. I've come to terms with it now.

I turned my head back to see Jace still eating his soup nonchalantly.

"Sorry," I blurted. He looked up from his bowl with a questioning look. "I-I never should of t-tried to leave in the first place. I learned my lesson. I'll cooperate," I vowed.

"It's September 4th, which means you've been here for six months and you still have a stuttering problem? Maybe you're parents should've taken you to speech lessons. But that would imply that they actually gave a flying crap about you," He chuckled. "Pathetic."

Alright . . . screw that.

"You wanna know what's pathetic?" I gritted, anger sparking in me. He opened his mouth but I beat him to speaking first. "You are. Sara would be ashamed of you."

His chair suddenly flew back and he lunged toward me and buckled his hand around my neck.

"Don't you ever put my angel's name in your mouth!" He shook me back and forth violently.

In my peripheral vision I could see the pot that once contained the hot soup on the nearby counter. With my left hand trying loosen his fingers from around my neck, I used my free hand to grab the handle of the pot. I bashed the bottom of it on his head.

Hard.

Jace was taken off his guard, so I kneed him in his gut with all the strength I could muster. He let go of my neck and I spun on my heels to get to the drawer with the knife. However, Jace yanked me back by my hair, grunting in pain that I caused him.

He slammed me up against the fridge.

"Alright! Alright!" I surrendered. He whipped out a pocket knife and poked it at my neck. I slowly started to feel the tip sink into my skin.

"How bout I just end your life right now? I'm sick of you and your little games," He spat.

I gathered the saliva in my mouth and spewed it in his face, "That makes two of us."

I took the kitchen knife out of the pocket of my sweater and thrusted the sharp tip into his side. I then yanked the knife out of him mercilessly and tossed it to the other side of the room.

He yelled with agony and his knife fell to the floor.

He stumbled backward until he eventually gave way to the ground. His thick crimson blood, pooled around him as he laid on his back struggling to breathe.

I walked to him and stooped down to his level, digging in his front pocket to retrieve the key to all the rooms. I tucked it into my back pocket and rose to my feet.

He looked at me, still holding his wound with his blood drenched hand. I swung the tip of my converse into his face.

I stabbed him where his intestines were located. Therefore he'd be dead soon from all the blood loss.

He deserves a slow death.

I took the key out of my pocket, stalking to his bedroom. Once I unlocked it, I kicked it open forcefully and the door banged up against the back wall.

A king sized bed was centered in the middle of the room with a thin comforter. Two nightstands stood on either side of the bed. I walked further into his room, sliding open the closet door that was in the far corner.

His closet was empty with nothing on the clothing rack or the top shelf. However, I noticed a light grey duffle bag on the floor. I took it in my hands and placed it on Jace's bed. 

I yanked open the top drawer in his nightstand. A photo of him and Sara sat in the drawer. The picture seemed to be taken a party and the two were photographed mid-laugh. Jace's arm was draped around Sara's shoulders.

He looked genuinely happy.

I shook my head and I closed the drawer. I didn't have time to feel sorry for him. Not after everything he put me through. I wont allow it. He deserves to die.

I opened up the second drawer. 

I furrowed my brows when I saw a black box sitting in the middle. I picked it up and placed the box on the bed. When I undid the latches, my lips slightly parted. 

A gun.

I wasn't sure if I should take it with me or not. After all, I had no idea how to even use one, which wouldn't do me any good.

So I shut the box and threw it back into the drawer.

To my surprise, another photo laid in the last drawer. A girl with soft blue eyes and light brown hair. Her skin wasn't too pale and almost resembled porcelain. Flipping the picture over, I gasped.

Annalise. My stomach still churned at the thought of her being dead.

You're wasting time Blake, my mind scolded. I dropped the photo of Anna back into the drawer.

I grabbed the duffle bag, and jogged back into the kitchen. Jace's motionless body lied on the floor. I kneeled down a few feet away from him, picking up his dropped pocket knife. I tossed it into the duffel bag. 

I stood back on my feet and trotted back to my room. I took the picture of Blair and I off the wall and snatched Anna's journal off the shelf.

Taking the key from out of my back pocket, I unlocked the office room and darted out of the screen door.

I was too slow last time, I wasn't going to make that same mistake. I didn't have time to admire my surroundings. I didn't even have time to really think about what I just did.

I just needed to run.

The straps of the duffel bag were scrunched in my hand. The adrenaline rushing through my body gave me the energy I needed to sprint through the forest. I turned my head back to make sure nothing was chasing me. Although I knew it wasn't going to be Jace this time - to my victory. 

When I turned my head back around, my eyes widened. After a few hundred feet, there wouldn't be anymore ground to run. I was too slow to stop myself and my body tumbled forward over a ledge.

My duffel bag slipped out of my hands. I was in a free fall, the wind was too powerful for a scream to escape my mouth and my stomach felt funny. 

I sucked in a deep breath before my body was fully submerged in a pool of green swampy water. Tiny pieces of debris floated around in the cloudy water. I flailed my arms around to get myself back to the surface.

My body shot up from the water and I inhaled loudly with a few coughs mixed in. My duffel bag floated on the surface a few feet away from me. I pushed back my slick wet hair, looking at the vivid blue sky.

Somebody tell me this is real.

"I'm free," I whispered with a wide smile. But this isn't over yet, now I have to travel through the mysterious woods to find my way back home. 

This was just the beginning. 

__________________________

A/N > anybody see that coming? haha.
It's about time huh? lol

FINALLY NO-MORE-JACE!

I purposely didn't write the part where Blake actually got the knife just for that extra shock 😝🔪⚰😂.

I really hoped you guys enjoyed :)

Votes/Comments are much appreciated xx.

-kya h. ∞