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Chapter 16
It was night. That much Mel could tell as the shadow carried her out of the cave. Her limbs felt leaden, and she was sore all over. She still had no Energy and the fever hadn't broken yet. Her voice was still raw and her breathing was going bad now as well. The cold air passed over her scarred skin and she found it extremely humiliating to be snuggling up to the man who carried her, trying to find some warmth from his body.
Mel'd practically all but given up hope. She knew Mark was out there somewhere trying his best, but it just seemed as if this guy had planned everything down out perfectly. Nothing was going wrong for him. He was in control. Mel's soul stirred unhappily with this knowledge. That defiant spirit of hers hated being under someone else's control. But what was the use of fighting? Nothing could be done…
Dimly, she recognized the sound of free flowing water. It started out as a gentle lapping of water against the bank but the rush grew stronger the further they went. They were walking along the riverside and soon, she felt the cool mist begin to envelope her. The crashing grew louder and worsened the headache she was feeling. Her fear heightened when the man began to wade into the chilling water. She began to squirm in his arms, afraid of what he had in mind. He gripped her all the harder though, stilling her struggles until above the thunderous roar of the waterfall, she heard him yell out, "Hear me, spirits of the water! Cleanse this filthy creature and make her pure and worthy!"
She felt him suddenly drop her into the river. The sudden cold shocked her, leaving her breathless. Then instincts set in and as weak as she was, she tried to resurface. She was able to take in a gulp of air before stronger hands pushed her back underneath, ignoring her struggles for a few seconds before letting her catch a breath. Then the cycle was repeated with him repeating his requests to the water the entire time.
The strain of fighting wore on her quickly and it wasn't long before she gave up again, letting him do as he pleased. Inside, her soul gave a desperate cry for help to anyone who could hear. She wasn't even sure if she'd succeeded in getting her message very far before the cold overtook her and shut her mind down.