Fear shot up her spine and down into her fingertips. They were supposed to remain facing the wall until he left. The one time that Kristen had turned her head to look at him he’d backhanded her across the face hard enough to leave a welt. He’d never asked them to turn around before. Slowly, Sarah turned but kept her eyes to the floor. He didn’t like them to look him directly in his eyes except when he was checking their pupils to see if the drugs had kicked in. Just as her body came around to face him he landed a punch directly on her jaw. Sarah’s head whipped to the side from the force. She felt a tooth dislodge and fly out of her mouth. White bursts filled her vision and she fell to the cement floor, metallic blood filling her mouth. She coughed, spraying blood across the floor. Kristen gasped from across the room. The pain in Sarah’s mouth was unbearable, bringing a wave of nausea hard and fast. She felt her lip swelling in front of the newly formed gap in her top row of teeth.

The man crouched down next to her and said, ‘I hear everything. A proper lady doesn’t curse. A proper lady doesn’t disrespect her master. You do that again and I’ll kill you. Do you understand, Eighteen?’

Sarah was still on the ground, her face turned sideways, her cheek against the cold concrete. The man’s face wavered in front of her eyes as he looked at her expectantly. Between the drugs and the blow to her mouth Sarah could barely nod her head. The man rose and sighed loudly.

‘After everything I’ve done for you girls, you spite me. You ungrateful bitch.’

He turned and stormed out of the room, locking the door behind him. Kristen rushed over and helped Sarah to her feet, leading her over to the sink and running water from the faucet. Sarah leaned down into the basin and opened her mouth under the stream, wincing when the water hit her raw gums. She swished the water around her mouth and spit several times, dark pink circling the drain. The inside of her mouth stung and her lip throbbed like it had a heartbeat of its own.

‘Here, let me see.’ Kristen pulled her face up by her chin and Sarah opened her mouth. ‘Oh my God!’

‘Yeah, I felt the tooth come flying out when he hit me. I’m sure it looks just great,’ she groaned, trying not to touch the raw open pocket with her tongue.

Kristen dropped her hand and looked her in the eye. ‘You have to be more careful, Sarah. You might lose more than a tooth next time. Why’d you do it?’

‘I don’t know, Kristen,’ Sarah lisped. ‘I just couldn’t take it anymore. I can’t take it!’