Promises and Pomegranates by Sav R. Miller

“What...” I start, pulling it past my chin to inspect the issue. A clear
substance mats the strands together, and I wrinkle my nose, trying to place
the scent.
“You don’t want to know,” Kal grits out, clasping his hands together.
Gaping, I raise my eyebrows. “What happened?”
“Some men found you in that bus station,” he says, voice low and
dangerous as it lashes against my skin. “I don’t know who they are, or if
they’re affiliated with something larger, but I suppose it doesn’t really matter.
The damage is done.”
Nausea rocks through me, bubbling up at the back of my throat.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I try to recall the events beyond when I slipped into
unconsciousness, but everything comes up hazy. A blurred film with no
sound, only the sensation of being trapped.
A feeling I’ve spent my whole life trying to escape, only to continually
find myself wrapped in its arms.
“What did they do to me?”
His jaw tics, a muscle thumping against his skin. “I don’t know. I’ve been
waiting for you to wake up so we could find out.”
Tears burn my eyes again, and I drop my hair, ready to brush them from
my cheeks when they spill over.
But they never do. I can feel them welling, scorching my eyes with their
presence, but none fall. Shame rolls through me like an angry tidal wave,
making me tremble violently, and I curl my hands into fists, trying to stave
off the fear and confusion.
A memory pushes through to the forefront of my brain; me fighting off
the bartender Kal asked to look after me, him shoving his elbow into my face
and then stabbing me with a needle.
As I relive that moment, everything else comes rushing back.
I remember running.
Voices.
Kal’s insistence on me coming back to him.
And then... nothing.
“I don’t remember anything past our phone call,” I tell him, blinking
away the other memories.
His glare hardens, eyes darkening until they’re pitch black. Almost evil.
“You passed out before we could hang up. The GHB dose Vincent gave you
wasn’t strong enough for an immediate effect to take, but I could tell it was