I recalled my aunt telling me to always make sacrifices for the safety of others. She had always told me to put others first and think about the  consequences before taking any decisions. Even though she wasn't always there to guide me, I used her advice to guide myself. Starting from my father, other's walfare came first but for once, just this one time, I couldn't honor her words.

              
                      Minutes.

  Minutes were all it took for one man to be dangling just above a sea of poisonous scorpions, half conscious.

      How the fuck did he even manage to get those?

   That's just one of the many questions I couldn't be bothered to ponder over as another  man was chained to a table, a nail ready to be hammered into his left eye.

                  Just pick one.

  The statement swirled around in my mind as I stared at both of the men, confusion, worry and fear all evident in my orbs. They both had their pleading eyes trained on me, each one begging to be saved.

      A cold sweat had already broke out onto my body and my whole form was trembling like nobody's business. Chills ran up my spine as I took a glance at my husband's emotionless face, silently begging him to relieve me of such stress.

     I was still looking between the men and my husband when a scream echoed in the basement we were in. I followed the screeching sound until I finally laid eyes on the butchered organ at the table.

           Who the fuck does that?

    The man at the table shook in pain as another scream left his mouth.

         I had not much time left.

   I knew it was a sign for me to hurry up. The punishment Elijah chose for me was much worse than being locked up for I held two men's lives at my lips. Their families would be crushed when they found out about them. What about their kids?

         I couldn't decide who to go.

     It was as if Elijah had heard my thoughts as his grin widened. He knew the kind of person I was and he sure knew ways to use that to his advantage. I saw him signal one of his men before a door was opened and a hunched figure was thrown across the room. I had to squint my eyes to finally figure out who it was. My eyes widened at the sight and I could feel bile rise up my throat.

               It was a little child.

    I couldn't believe that anyone would be so heartless as to threaten a child's life. She laid on the floor, her dress torn apart and her beautiful hair being pulled by one of the many men Elijah had. Her eyes were filled with fear as she lifted her face a up. That also gave me a sight of an electric collar around her neck.

      Elijah looked at me expectantly with which I ignored. Seeing as I still couldn't choose, his hand started heading for a remote but before he could do anything, I spoke out what came first in my mind.

       The child.