A/N:

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Vivian's POV:

Why me?

This is downright barbaric. I don't deserve this.

I don't deserve these shackles claiming my bare body as their own, clawing deeper into my raw skin with every tug. Or the chilly bars carving patterns into my exposed flesh. Not to mention the leather strap wrapped so tightly around my neck, it cuts off half my air supply. One would assume the wooden floor to be beneficial comparing it to the cold cement floor, but the chipped pieces of wood say otherwise. My hands alone contain enough splinters to form a few matchsticks. I used to get them out as soon as I could at first. Now I just don't see the point in doing so anymore.

This is utter madness. I'm only seventeen for crying out loud. It has been four whole days since he chained me up in here. Why is this animal incapable of letting me go!? Why hasn't Peggy come to fetch me yet? She promised to keep me safe.

Stop whining and looking for someone else to blame. You put yourself in this mess, so you have to deal with it!... Jess voices and I can't help but roll my eyes so far back it causes a sharp pain in my forehead.

Maybe I should have just listened to Michael. Kept my head low and obeyed like the loyal servant they arrogantly demand me to be. Now I'm stuck here, in a poorly lit room crammed with unoccupied rusty cages and me as it's only prisoner. She's right, it is my fault that I'm stuck in here.

You don't wear self-pity well so stop. Just accept what you-... Shut up, Jess! Please.

No. Get your act together. You're stronger than this... "Okay okay okay! I get it! Just shut up!" I yell out needing the voice in my head to leave me alone.

"It's barely been five days and you're already losing your shit," a voice haphazardly announces and my head snaps up so quickly I accidentally knock it against the iron bars of the rust-covered cage.

Natural reflex compels me to try and sooth the pain by bringing my hands up to my head in a protective manner, yet these damn chains prevent me from doing just that. So here I sit, with a throbbing pain in the back of my head and a high pitched echo ringing throughout my ears.

"But don't worry, you've got company. Guess who else chose the bowl."With those words being uttered, I slowly twist my neck to the side to see who had entered the decaying room. It's none other than Michael himself, dragging along a pretty cocoa beauty with a collar around her neck to one of the cages.

"Go fuck yourself you deluded prick!" she backfires.

She looks familiar... I can't help but think. I squint my eyes while staring at her, trying to figure out where exactly it is that I saw her. My eyes widen as the realization hits me. She's the girl with the check shirt that Steven had to punish the day we all arrived here. The one that stood her ground and pissed off Marcus.

Wow, this girl hasn't changed one bit. Her confidence still reaches the sky above the clouds, I'm impressed. It seems they haven't managed to break her spirit yet. I guess that explains how we ended up with the same dilemma. We're both head strong, but I do believe that she's stronger. Even though I mentally lost myself for a few days and accepted my place here, doesn't mean I'll allow these egotistical bone-heads to treat me like a piece of gum stuck to the sole of their fecal boots. I'm still a human being and should rightfully be treated as one.

"One more word out of your filthy mouth and I wouldn't mind combining a few punishments." Micheal hatefully retorts as he yanks her into the cage after clamping on the shackles.

"Your existence is punishment enough. The condom factory sends their condolence to your parents." She counter attacks and my heart stops beating for a few seconds.

I can't prevent my mouth from licking the floor, shocked by her response.

She's brave. Where can I buy a pack of her confidence?... When you find out, I'd like some too Jess.

Michael smashes the cage door shut as a response, refusing to give into his rage and simply walks out of the room. I could see his muscles twitch every now and then as his breathing became rigid. Heaven alone knows when he'll be back.

"Maxine Palmer."

Huh?

Oh.

"Vivian Harper Maldonado."

Her eyes become round in her head as she raises one brow. Visually flabbergasted, she mouths my name over and over again trying to pronounce it and I cannot help, but be amused by her efforts.

"Wow, that name's quite a mouthful. How about Viv?"

"How about Max?"

"Deal."

This feels like the beginning of a new friendship. A friendship is sweet when it's new, even sweeter when true. Not that I'm keeping my hopes up or anything, but the idea of someone new entering my life brings across a different energy to my soul. Besides, other than Peggy and mystery man, I could do with a few girlfriends in this place.

"So why they bring you here?" Max questions.

"I refused to call the authoring-seeking-cola-brunette-musclebound-hothead jerk that just left sir," I say with heavy distaste pouring out of my mouth.

Was that too much?

My reply wavers in my head and for a split second I subjectively reach out to retract my words, but a discomforting splinter reminds me otherwise.

"Pothead? I knew those guns weren't natural," she jokingly mutters, but I catch on too late. Being the idiot that I am, my brain only clicks during my response.

"What no I said- actually yeah okay. We can go with that too." We both end up in a laughing frenzy enjoying the change in atmosphere. The throbbing pain in the back of my head has long begun to subside and I've grown accustomed to the pain from the shackles and iron bars. So it no longer fazes me. Well, not that gravely at least. After our laughter dies out I ask her how she ended up down here. It would be uncivilized for me not to.

"Oh me? Just picked the wrong damn punishment. That's all." She wavers off, but I can tell that there's more to it. So I decide to push for details.

Besides, we're friends now right?

"Oh come on. That can't be all," I say as I shift my body to find a more comforting position.

These damn splinters! Blady hell, chop my hands off already!... I mentally screech as another splinter pierces my skin. I flip my hands over to release the pressure, hoping another wouldn't do the same.

"It's- argh fine." she caves, "I tried to seduce one of the guards."

My eyes boggle with the extended info that of course was completely unforeseen, but I choose not to judge. I'm sure she has her reasons, so I allow her to continue instead of butting in my opinion.

"I was hoping that he'd fall for my charm and help me try and escape this place. Boy was I wrong." she ends with a heavy sigh.

"Been there done that," I muttered with an eye roll.

I spoke without thinking about how that could potentially sound. My own words register in my head and I quickly explain myself before she gets a chance to question me.

"Not the seduction. Goodness no, I'd rather burn alive. The escaping. I managed to break out of here and came across this little town. I could taste the freedom. But Steven, being freaking Steven, found me and dragged me back here."

She nods her head in understanding.

"So you're the one who got them all in a panic that day. Damn girl. You have more balls than I expected," she states and I find myself staring at her bewildered, my words unflappable.

"And all this time I thought it was Jenny," she continues with a light chuckle, shaking her head in disbelief.

Who on earth is Jenny?... I was about to ask Jess. Give me a chance here. I'm not thick.

"Jenny?"

"Yeah, the girl who-" Just as she's about to tell me, the door flies open and smacks against the wall. Cue dramatic entrance.

I feel a slight build up of frustration in my chest as whatever it is that Max was about to tell me got interrupted. I'm finally having a decent and refined conversation with another sensible human being and someone dares to interrupt us.

The nerve.

I twist my head to the side to catch a glimpse of the culprit. Ready to blast a string of shuddersome words at the pesky fool, only see someone I definitely was not expecting...