It was time again. Time to crawl into the deepest recesses of her mind, just as he crawled on top of her, searching for his own deepest recesses within her. Her own secret hideaway from the horrors that the man bestowed upon her body. He would take her flesh, time and time again, but she wouldn't allow him to take her mind. She would lock that safely away, what sanity she had left.

"How much do you think that is exactly?"

Erin ignored the creature sharing the space. A creature of a different caliber than the one forcing himself on her. A man she refused to remember the name of.

"It's Frank," answered a second entity.

"Quit it," she demanded in a harsh whisper.

The vocalization had the consequence of arousing the man. "Going to make me work for it tonight?" The gleeful excitement in his voice made her shudder. "It's been a long time since you've put up a fight. You deserve it."

"You heard him."

"Give him a fight."

"Go on, baby. Make me quit."

Erin enclosed herself in the darkness of her thoughts, fleeing from his voice, from the sickening scent of his anticipation. Her safe space being nothing more than a box of midnight. Scuttling the walls were beings blacker than any shade she could create. Monsters of various shapes and sizes she simply called Shadow People. There was no escaping them. They were always present, always visible, despite having lost her sight by her own means.

"That was a stupid thing to do."

"Very stupid, what were you thinking?"

It was always the larger humanoid shadows that spoke, taunting her, while the smaller ones just scurried and roamed. She would sometimes scream to drown them out, but that would only give the man ravaging her more enjoyment. As if on cue, the walls of her hideaway began to shake violently in short intervals. A thunderous booming with each strike. The monster was trying to break her.

"You're already broke."

"You can end this. Permanently."

It was an incredibly lucrative prospect. Ending it all.

"Not you, him. We'd never allow you to do yourself. You know that. You've tried so many times."

"So many times."

It was true. But she was surprisingly grateful for that. No matter the pain and suffering she had continued to endure, she didn't want to leave. Didn't even necessarily want it all to stop. Just this monster.

"You have the power to destroy him. End your suffering. The suffering of others."

Her hideaway began to throttle more regularly, an ongoing earthquake.

"Amaaaaaaaaazing graaaaaaaa..." The man silenced her with a hand, but she continued to sing to herself internally. The song her mother used to sing to her when she was child. Holding and caressing her. She felt tears begin to stream as she fought against the temptations of her demons. As she fought against feeling anything taking place that very moment in the physical world. It was important to not become a monster yourself.

"You're already a monster."

"Show him what a real monster is!"

Over and over she repeated the hymn to herself, trying to grasp at the control that was rapidly drifting away.

"It's time to let go. Be free."

"Don't worry. We'll be with you the entire time."

The walls around her began to crumble. Invisible barriers toppling from the assaulting thrusts penetrating her sanctuary. Erin could no longer block out and numb the attack, but she began to channel all of the emotions beginning to swirl. All the despair, confusion, shame. Gathering and molding them into hate. Rage.

"FUCK!" The man yelled out as her teeth clamped down on the side of his hand, blood beginning to trickle into her mouth and down her cheek. She loosened her grip and he tore his hand away, but continued to take what he felt was his. "You fucking bitch." He began to thrust harder.

"I once was lost, but now I'm found..." she sang to herself out loud. "Was blind..." Suddenly the darkness of the room lit up. A dark hazy red. She could see the beast of a man in a heap on top of her, the expression on his face. Anger changing to perplexed confusion.

"What the fuck..." He let out softly. She stopped singing, preferring to believe that her tormentor finished it for her in his head.

Instead she watched the shadowy red tentacles protruding from her body as they began to coil around him. Constrict like a boa snake, little spikes beginning to protrude from them, penetrating through his skin. The panicked man attempted to shove away from her, his screams being cut off by tendrils gushing into his mouth and down his throat. Suffocating. He begun to convulse.

Erin watched as his eyes widened, bulging in horror as his skin began to shrivel, his very life essence being sucked from him. She continued to drink it in. All of him. Feeling the most amazing rush she'd ever felt in her entire life. Agreeing with her shadow minions that letting go was to be free.

To be finally found.

Thanks for reading! What did you think about the piece? Any constructive criticism is welcomed!