“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else”
There are no windows in Neyaa Sunngifu's bedroom. Her mother lay dead downstairs, her step father had beaten her and imprisoned her for almost two days now. Of course she had no comprehension of how long she had been there, it felt an age! She could only gage from the small amounts of light that found it's way through the gaps in the walls whether it was daylight or nightfall.
Oh how she had beaten her fists against the door at first...she had pummeled the door until her knuckles had bruised and bled. But Henliff did not heed her pleas, he had taken his hammer and nailed planks of wood across the door frame making escape seem impossible.
Hunger and thirst befell her. When she had asked for water after a time, Henliff had sneered at her request and urinated against her door.
Sitting silently in the dimmest of light she became reliant on listening carefully to the sounds outside of her room. Neyaa had given up pleading for her liberty, fear had eventually ebbed away giving rise to a steely determination that she would find a way out of her current predicament. Many times she had been told she was resourceful, but this was far more serious than taking one of the mearas for a ride without consent, stealing from the kitchen, evading her studies, combat practice or neglecting her chores to run wild in the fields. Neyaa was not a wicked or lazy child, yes, she had discovered over time that she could charm most, especially boys. She could quell even the foulest of tempers provoked in the surliest of folk, but none of it was for selfish gain, just whimsy of dream and the innocence of youth. Perhaps this was her punishment now? Perhaps her luck had run out? Nay, she shook her head, this would require cunning, Neyaa was not the sort to admit defeat, not whilst there was still breath in her body. She narrowed her eyes and whispered into the silence “You will not break my spirit Henliff, for I am my mothers daughter”.
The sound of her dog barking and something being dragged outside woke her. She crawled to a gap in the wall and attempted to peer through it, but the angle of sight was not kind. She held her ear there instead harkening to every sound. There was little doubt that her dog had set upon Henliff, snarling, growling, he cursed loudly, then a dreadful series of yelps and whining could be heard...then nothing. Neyaa wanted to cry out, but silence grabbed her throat, instead she listened to the sound of digging and scraping of earth and grunting at toil that seemed to go on for an age.
Neyaa was drifting off when she heard the planks being removed from her door, she scrambled to her feet and looked around for a weapon but there was naught in her room but a bed and a dresser. Weak but desperate she pulled one of the drawers out and emptied the contents upon the floor and stood to the side of the door frame waiting. Henliff was soon through the door, Neyaa brought the drawer down hard upon him, but her height and strength set her at a disadvantage, Henliff was a brute of a man and the blow was ineffective. He grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against the wall forcing his mouth over hers, the stench of mead poured into her mouth and filled her nostrils. Neyaa dragged her nails across his face as the breath was being choked out of her. This caused Henliff to release his grip on her throat long enough for her to draw a desperately needed gasp of air. He clamped his muddied hand over her mouth, pressing her head hard against the wall whilst tearing at the front of her clothing. Neyaa bit down hard on his hand tasting his blood in her mouth. She struggled frantically and unrelenting against his determination to have his way with her. Henliff pulled away shaking the hand she had bitten “Enough!” he snarled as the back of the hand connected heavily with her chin knocking her violently to the ground.
Neyaa scrabbled for the door on hands and knees, her head was yanked backwards before she had traveled but a few yards, he had her by the hair and was dragging her towards her bed. He lifted her to her feet by her hair and punched her hard in the stomach taking the wind out of her. She bent forward exhaling and wheezing from the weight of the blow. Before she could recover he smashed his fist into the side of her head and all went mercifully black...
...The blackness did not last long enough, Neyaa awoke to the weight of Henliff on top of her. She struggled with every ounce of strength remaining, but there was simply not enough of it, she was helpless against the pounding of his lust. She tried to hold her breath so that she might die, but he crushed her until she gasped and was denied an escape from the ordeal. In reality it was all over quite quickly but the violation of her person seemed to go on forever. When he eventually rolled his disgusting form off of her, Neyaa stared up at the rafters in silence, just listening as he pulled up his pants and shuffled out of the room adjusting himself. She heard the key turn in the lock and lay still, torn and wretched...
"No evil dooms us hopelessly except the evil we love, and desire to continue in, and make no effort to escape from"
