The Decimation of Mae (The Blue Butterfly) by D H Sidebottom Page B

out,” she ordered Frank.
    He shook his head frantically as his eyes swept from me
to Demi, who brandished the stick she was going to teach me a lesson with. “M…Master
won’t t...tolerate this, D…Demi.”
    Demi scoffed and smiled arrogantly. “I’m sure he’ll
forgive me. After all, the rancid rat hurt his baby.”
    I closed my eyes and sighed. The bitch had planned it all
along. I realised as Frank quietly lowered his face and walked from the room
that I had played right into her hands. I was a fool. I always had been. Even
after everything, I still held onto the hope that one day someone somewhere
would actually like me, love me even. And yet, even though my life was nearly
over, my hopes were always buried under the taunt of hopelessness.
    Demi pulled in a large breath and smiled at me, her eyes
glistening in delight as she raised the baton above her head. “Let’s get to
know one another a little better, rat.”
    I closed down after she rained carnage, the pain in my
body too intense with her malicious hits. She didn’t just beat me; she battered
and crushed me in her explosion of fury. She screamed with every strike,
blanketing my own cries as the agony rendered me almost numb.
    Oblivion took my mind to a better place after she moved
behind me and crashed the stick into the back of my knees, jolting my wrists
and snapping my joints at the pressure.
    However, I didn’t lose consciousness until I heard Frank
re-enter and force Demi’s wrath upon himself. Each of his cries scorched my
heart as he took the punishment for me.

Chapter Eight
‘The hunt for love preys on the soul.’
     
    The sear that ran through my skull was crippling, its
intensity debilitating. Panic surged through me as sickness threatened to choke
me. It had never been this bad, the torment this time was excruciating.
    I moaned as I turned my face to the side, my body
refusing any movement, then released the explosive illness clogging my throat,
vomit trickling down my cheek.
    I heard soft footfalls on carpet but my eyes refused to
open, not daring to risk more torture.
    I murmured a groan when a cool cloth swept over my mouth,
gently collecting the remnants of my illness as delicate fingers brushed the
hair from my face, perspiration gluing it to my hot skin.
    “Sshhh.”
    “Mmm.” I couldn’t speak any more thanks and hoped my
nurse understood my gratitude.
    “Sleep, lamb.”
    I stiffened, the simple action tearing explosions through
my brain. I blew out a harsh breath at the throb when I struggled to open my
eyes. My heavy eyelids squealed furiously as I battled with their stubborn
refusal to cede to my demand.
    Master’s face slowly came into focus as he perched beside
me on the bed. He was minus his customary suit jacket, just a crisp, light blue
shirt covering his impressive torso. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows
and the top two buttons were open, giving me a glimpse of fine dark hair.
    “Sleep, Mae,” he repeated more sternly.
    I stared at him, however my gaze
was soft as I relayed my message of thanks to his tendering. He replied in
understanding with a faint nod, his dark chocolate eyes melting into me. He was
the most handsome man I had ever bore witness to in my short twenty one years.
If he was a nice person he would have been truly magnificent, many women I
estimated, fighting for his attention. But his cruel personality masked the
beauty, made it irrelevant.
    Another surge of fire shot across the crown of my head
and I instinctively brought my hands up to my head to cradle the pain. My knees
bent as I pulled my legs up to my chest to protect myself from the torture.
    “Is it unbearable?” he asked in a soft voice.
    “Mmm,” I mumbled sharply as I squeezed my eyes closed. I
gagged at the pain, concentrating on my breathing like I’d been shown at the
pain clinic but it was useless this time. “Need – meds.”
    “I’m afraid I can’t grant access to your own, Mae, but Dr
Galloway will be here