CHAPTER 24

MIA POV.
With a racing heart, I frantically jumped up from my chair and pressed the power button on the VCR, my eyes desperately fixed on the television as I prayed for the screen to die. The screen flickered and went black, and I felt a relief but now I feared about what he could have seen? I couldn't bear the thought of Dominic seeing what I was watching, I would never be able to look him in the eyes again.
Slowly, I turned to face him. I swallowed nervously as his massive frame fit in the door as his piercing gaze pinned me with an unreadable expression. I sent up another prayer to the Moon Goddess, that I was quick enough and that he hadn't seen what I was watching. My mind raced as I tried to come up with an excuse, tried to think of something to say. But my voice was caught in my throat, my words stuck in my mind, but he was the one who spoke first.
"What are you doing here, Mia?" Dominic asked as his eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing right through me.
"I... I was just...Vivienne brought me here to watch some family videos." I stammered, trying to grab onto an excuse.
I swallowed nervously as I saw Dominic's gaze roam over to the boxes of unmarked tapes and to the marked ones on the wall, his expression obviously skeptical. "Family videos?" he repeated, his voice laced with doubt and warning.
I nodded, praying that he would just accept my story and leave. "Yes, Vivienne said it would be a good way to get to know the family better." I said and I couldn’t help but notice how stupid that sounded, even to my ears.
Dominic's eyes lingered on the boxes again before they met mine. "Leave," he sneered at me, his voice stern and commanding. I released a breath I didn’t even know I was holding as I felt a surge of relief. I didn't want to be there anymore anyway. I told myself. I quickly made a hasty exit, fleeing from the uncomfortable and embarrassing situation. I quickly walked out of the room, past Dominic and not daring to look at him. As I scurried past him, I prayed that Dominic wouldn't check the television. If he were to turn it on, then all my excuses would be flying out the window and my dignity with it.
As I almost reached the end of the hallway, I heard Dominic's voice behind me. "You will go back upstairs, and you will never set foot down here again! Are we clear, Mia?” He said and I heard the loud click of a door closing. I stopped to listen in my haste to get away, but I didn't dare look back, didn't dare meet his eyes. I nodded, even though he couldn't see my face before I grabbed at the chance to get away before he changed his mind.
I reached the stairs and ran up them, ignoring my trembling legs. Just as I reached the top of the stairs, I breathed a sigh of relief. Feeling a bit calmer now, ran my hand through my hair to tame it so that I wouldn’t look like a wild animal as I felt like just ran like one, and I fixed my clothes and froze. My phone was gone. I realized as I smoothed out my clothes over my pockets and didn’t feel the familiar bulge that was usually there. “SHIT!” I cursed aloud as I turned to look down the stairs that led back Dominic’s video sex pit.
I patted down my clothes again, hoping that I somehow misplaced my phone, but it wasn’t there. Panic began to rise inside my chest as I realized I must have dropped it in the room I had just left. And that I had to go back there to get it. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself on what I had to do next. I crept back down the stairs, my heart pounding loudly in my ears. I had to get my phone back. As I reached the corner where the stairwell met the hallway, I paused, listening intently for any sign of Dominic. To my relief, there was no sign of Dominic or anyone else for that matter. The coast was clear.
I crept towards the door that I just left running a few minutes again and put my ear to the door, listening for anyone inside. It was silent. I took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the room, scanning the space quickly just in case I misheard. The room was empty, the television still dark from when I had turned it off.
My eyes landed on the leather chair I had sat on, and I spotted my phone lying on the cushion. I rushed over and grabbed it, relief washing over me as I felt its familiar weight in my hand.
As I exited the room, I was suddenly stopped by a strange sound. It was like a sharp swishing noise… almost like a whip. I froze, my heart skipping a beat. I heard it again and this time I swore I heard groaning afterwards. The sound seems to come from a peculiar iron door a few spaces down. I walked towards the sounds, my curiosity getting the better of me. The sound came again, louder this time and moaning could be heard that sent shivers down my spine. I felt a sense of trepidation about what I was going to find.
I reached the iron door as quietly as I could, and the moans and groans grew louder with each whipping sound. Hesitating, I briefly thought about turning around and just leaving, whatever it was, alone and getting out of here, but my curiosity won out. I reached towards the little window in the middle of the iron door and as I slid the window open, the sounds became clearer, and I was met with a sight that would forever be etched in my memory. Two women, completely naked, were partially suspended by ropes, their bodies stretched out in a helpless pose. They were blindfolded and gagged. Their bodies were crisscrossed with whip marks across their skin, red and angry as they whimpered softly.