Page 10 of Sadistic Obsession (Rise of Phoenyxx #1)

P hoenyxx

I am sitting in silence, letting the tears flow freely.

I have not cried since I was ten, but this shit is not something I know how to handle.

I reach up, fingering my butchered locks.

It's so short! It’s past my shoulders still, but it was all the way down my back before.

I need to go see what it looks like, but the thought of leaving my room is bringing on panic attacks.

All of a sudden, there’s banging on my door.

“Nyx. Nyx. Oh My GOD. Oh My God...are you okay? I heard what happened...I am here for you, bestie!” Valley’s voice filters through the door.

I open the door, and she flies in quickly.

She's holding a bag, with my bookbag over her shoulder, and tears are in her eyes.

“Oh! Your hair!” she whispers in horror. “Are you okay though? Like seriously?”

“Yeah, I’m okay. What's in the bag?”

She smiles, reaching inside. She comes out holding a small pair of scissors and two boxes of something. “I’m going to fix it!” she announces with a smile.

“What? My hair? You know how to do that? What are those boxes for?”

“This is hair dye! I'm going to make you look like your name!

I hold out my hand, and she gives me the boxes. One is bright red; the other one is orange. I grin, catching on to the idea.

“Valley, can I tell you something? About how I’m here? Is it okay to ask you why you’re here?” I babble out.

“Girl, it’s fine! I'm here because my parents are rich assholes who don’t like a daughter who won’t fall in line. I might have a teeny-tiny affinity for playing with fire, too.” She blushes. “I totally, apparently, have real bad depression, and I am a cutter,” she says in a rush.

“Oh shit, sorry girl! I am always here for you, I adore you! As for me, I was taken in at eight by some old couple I’m not related to. I don’t have any memories before I was eight. Anyway, I’ll just say that they are very abusive for now.”

She tosses the bag down, sweeping me up into a hug. “I am your best friend! I got your back and will never tell anyone what you tell me!”

“Thanks,” I smile, looking towards the bag. “So, is it transformation time, or what?”

She squeals in excitement. “Don’t look until I’m done, okay? We'll have to go to the bathroom, but I promise no one will come in. I've scouted it out this time of day. And if they do? I’ll fuck them up!”

She reaches out her hand, and I take it, trusting her. She swipes up my keycard, and we make our way to the bathroom closest to my room. It's empty, thank fuck!

“I’m going to fix up the cut, then put in the hair dye. This will take a while, but it’s going to be so worth it!”

I take a deep breath, sitting down on the counter, my back to the mirror. Here goes nothing!

After a couple of hours and a lot of washing, drying, and leaning my head back in the shower, she announces she’s done. “Close your eyes, then turn around and open them!”

I do as she asks, slowly turning around, and then open my eyes. I gasp in shock. It's a jagged, layered, edgy cut, with bangs sweeping across my forehead, to below my eyebrows. And the color! Fire engine red, with bright orange at the ends. I look like I just climbed out of a fire!

“Wow, Valley, I LOVE it! I actually LOOK like a phoenix! How did you get this stuff?”

“I have my ways! So, you really love it?”

“YES! Thank you so much! I look like a badass!”

She grabs me into another hug. “Let’s get back to our dorms, it’s late,” she whispers. “I’m going to stay with you tonight. I can sleep on the floor.”

“No, you can sleep with me!” I insist.

I know I won’t be getting much sleep, but I’m okay with that. I go to bed with a warm feeling in my heart. I have a real friend who really cares about me!

The snick of my door opening has me throwing my eyes open. Valley comes in tiptoeing, carrying a bag. “Crap, sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.”

I blow out a breath and sit up, stretching my back. “So, what’s in the bag now? Change of uniform?”

She grins, saying, “Yeah, also some makeover goodies. Let’s make you super badass today!”

I laugh, nodding my permission. I get up and go to the closet, pulling out a clean uniform. Donning it quickly, I sit on the edge of the bed to let her work her magic.

She pulls out some makeup—black eyeliner, red lipstick, and some mascara. “I’ve never used makeup before,” I admit, biting my lip nervously.

“I got you, girl! I'm going to do your hair too!”

She goes to work, taking only a few minutes to finish. Squealing, she stands back to take in her work. “Let’s go look in the mirror! And I’m sure you have to pee!”

I shake my head, uplifted by her mood. Taking my hand, she swipes the keycard and hands me my bag.

We trek to the bathroom, passing girls in the hall.

Gasps and stares surround me, but I ignore them.

The mirrors are crowded, so I rush back to relieve my bladder.

Once I get back to where Valley is waiting, she says loudly, “Move, bitches!” Surprisingly, some of the girls step aside.

I can’t hide the gasp as I see myself. Winged black liner, luscious lashes, and red lips, with my fire-red-orange hair. I actually look hot! I whirl around, smiling sweetly at Valley. “Thank you, you’re amazing!”

“I’m so happy you like it! Let’s go to breakfast and kick some ass today!”

I grab her hand as we walk off, feeling more powerful now.

We head into the stairwell to leave the dorm.

I start to take a step down, when out of the shadows, The Six creep out, like cockroaches.

Synn gets behind me, wrapping my hair around his fist. “Well.

..well...did the little doe transform? You're pathetic!” he snarls into my ear.

A scream from Valley interrupts him. The others are holding her back, and she is kicking and snarling, trying to get away.

“Get the fuck away from her, you psycho pieces of shit! I’ll cut you!

” she screams. Razor smacks her in the face, and I start to pop off, when Synn pulls my head back, and suddenly pushes me forward hard .

I scream in terror as I pitch face-first down the stairs.

I get bumped and bruised everywhere my body touches the unforgiving, hard steps.

I land hard on my back at the bottom, hitting my head on the floor.

I can’t breathe, and my vision is dimming fast. I can feel wetness on the back of my head.

Valley's screams become more and more faint, then everything goes black.

Razor

I have to keep pulling my head back as I manhandle Valley back to the girls’ dorm, flanked by my brothers. Well, we may as well be blood brothers; we all grew up together, having to follow the same rules and witness the violence in our families.

Razor Age 3

“Please, Mommy! No!” I scream out, running as fast as my little legs will go.

I rush into the first room I come to, looking around widely, trying to find somewhere to hide.

A spare bedroom, I think. I hurtle into the closet, scrunching up small, against the back wall.

I cover my mouth with my hand. I don’t want her to hear me.

No one else is here except the staff. Father is out of town, as usual.

Her footsteps echo down the hall, stopping at the door to the room I’m in.

“I know you’re in there, you little shit!

Come take your medicine!” She yanks open the closet door, seeing me immediately.

She drags me out of the closet and pins me down on the bed.

She straddles me, holding me down fast. Her hand whips around to show the glint of metal in it.

My Father’s straight razor, sharp and scary-looking.

“No, Mommy!”

“Shut up!” She smacks me hard across the face, making my ears ring and my vision swim.

She brandishes the razor in front of my face.

I can’t take a breath, paralyzed with fear.

She reaches down and yanks my shirt up. “No one will see it here,” she mutters to herself.

She lifts her arm and slashes downwards, cutting me swiftly across the top of my groin.

It burns, no pain registering yet. I look down, horrified by the sight of my own blood.

She cuts me several more times, in quick succession.

Blood runs off me, coating the sheets beneath me.

“Stay,” she orders. She heads into the en-suite bathroom, carrying out bandages. She cleans the cuts, covering them with the gauze and tape. “All better! See, Son? The medicine will make you well again!” She giggles and skips out of the room.

All I can do is sit there and cry.

I pull Valley’s arms back harder, gritting my teeth as I bite out, “Someone want to give me a hand? She's a pistol!”

“I got your six, brother,” Purge replies, coming to her other side, putting his hand firmly on the back of her neck. Squeezing hard, he leans over and says, “You would be wise to behave right now.”

Her body slackens, making it easier to hustle her back to her room. Synn breaks out his “special” key, which can open any dorm room. He kicks the door wide, allowing us to shove her inside. Knowing we need to scare her into silence, I command, “Hand over your phone.”

Synn adds, “You WILL stay in this room. Do not attempt to leave. Forget what you saw, you hear?”

“Or what?” she spits out, fire in her eyes.

I swing out, giving her an uppercut to the jaw. “Or you will not be getting up!”

Tears in her eyes, she nods once in agreement. “Now get the fuck out!”

“Gladly,” Synn mutters.

“Now what?” Trikk asks as we head back to our dorm.

“Now we wait and see how she reacts,” Synn answers.

We go inside to relax. Purge and I sit down in front of our gaming console. Frost and Trikk go upstairs, and Synn and Ghost go to the bar to pour a drink. Waiting, it is, then.