A Broken Mind

Sometimes being alone, sensory deprived, with only your thoughts to keep you company, can be worse than being tortured by another being. At first, Cassie enjoyed the peace and quiet of her sunken chamber. Sure, the shipwreck had been traumatic, but now she was alone, and she’d be rescued soon, right? The mainland had to know.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” had been the last thing she’d said to her mom before entering their cabin and slamming the door. A fight that probably saved her life. Now, she probably wouldn’t see her mom again. At first, she was okay with that. Then it was like her memories were playing on repeat. The times that would never happen again. It was about the 12th hour that reality sank in, and by the 27th hour, reality had disappeared altogether.

Cassie stewed in the dark for so long that she wondered if she’d gone blind in the time she’d been down there. However long that was. Her ears were ringing from the silence. Her mouth was parched. Someone told her dehydration was a terrible way to die. That’s when the panic set in.

She clawed the walls, attempting to get to the water all around her, anything to drink again. She felt wetness on her fingers and, in a moment of sweet relief, jammed them into her mouth and sucked. All she tasted was pure iron. She was bleeding. Add bleeding out to the list of things to be worried about.

It felt like years when the rescuers found her. They lifted her towards the light, murmuring calming words and phrases that meant nothing to her.

“Someday, I hope she escapes the nightmare she relives every night. It’d almost be better if someone other than herself tortured her.”


Word Count: 296
Prompt: Include the line "Don't tell me what to do."