The sound of his breathing was the only sense of normalcy he possessed in his darkened tomb, its labored noise felt oddly comforting and yet the tears that clouded his gaze, tumbling over his lids to creep down his trembling cheeks were not. His limbs felt cramped, stiffened from his continued position lying against the icy, numb inducing cold metal. The steel’s frozen touch seemed to reach beyond mere skin, sinking into the very center of his soul slowly extracting every memory only to callously replay them before his eyes as if to mock the very idea of his entrapment, as if to scoff at his small glimpses of happiness while telling him he would never have the freedom to experience these moments again. Terror lined his emerald green depths as they glanced helplessly around this metal vault while inwardly knowing he would see nothing. Desperate fingers lined with his own blood rose to stroke along the steel walls searching in vain for some small, minuscule flaw in its design. Just one tiny crack that would somehow allow him a chance at escape.

No one knew of his plans or the failure that became of them. They knew nothing of where he now remained, and screaming was pointless he had found as he reached a bruised hand to his burning throat knowing his voice had all but vanished in his quest to yell for help. And the part that saddened him most was that deep inside in the depths of his frightened soul he knew that rescue was inconceivable, and truly everything that had happened tonight; his gaps in memory, the fear he saw residing behind the anger in Anna’s eyes was his own fault.

This was karma lashing out, his own revenge enacted, back-lashing against him. Whatever small idiotic sense of pleasure he had found in placing Anna behind these walls had long vanished, and finally the realization of how truly sadistic his plan had been donned on him. How cruel was he to place a mentally deranged girl who freely admitted to being terrified of the dark encased in this prison, trapped onto a slab?

“I’m so sorry Anna,” he whispered into the silence, the mere words burning from his throat.

He heard a noise in the darkness, its sound instantly freezing his movements listening to the tiny creak against tile. Mick lay anxiously waiting, deliriously hoping against all odds that someone was coming and that this was not a case of illusions replacing reality, for he had been here for several bleak hours and the idea of being entrapped forever was something he knew his mind could not accede to.

“Is someone there?”

What sounded like nails against tile scrapped along its surface, its sound drawing nearer, closer to where his static form lay. He longed avidly to yell out his position, to be free from this cage, but something was warning him to stop, some small miniature voice inside his head heeding for him to remain silent. For some unknown reason fear was seeping into his heart, his tears flowing that much more copiously. The sound ceased as if it had paused directly in front the cold chamber he lied in, his eyes frantically searching the darkness for reason, trying to understand how this person could know exactly where to find him when so many empty freezers resided around his. He stopped all movement even the breathing he once found so comforting, straining his ears for a noise, a small sound telling him who ever it was had left.

The sound of a nail puncturing the very steel that lied above his head was deafening as it slowly shredded the opening with the ease of a knife cutting into butter. The opening Mick had spent hours ineffectually pounding against, had wasted an obscene amount of futile moments watching blood pour from his cuts as he pummeled its resilient exterior in vain, for all that had resulted in his efforts were bruised fingers and a small dent along its surface. He cowered away from the very thing he had so tirelessly fantasized about, watching as steel continued to rip apart until finally the door of the cold chamber fell. His widened eyes combed the darkness searching frantically for his savior, or his attacker because still he remained unsure as to what would happen next, and yet all he found that lied before him was nothing.

There was no crazed axe murderer standing waiting idly by to callously chop into him, no monster waiting to rip him apart. All that awaited him was simply empty darkness, the smell of rot coming from the walls, and the urine that stained his clothes.

Mick sighed, relief flowing from his very pores, his heart finally returning to its normal steady pound inside his chest. He ran a shaken hand over his tired, weary features, “God Mick, get a grip. You’re losing it.” He openly laughed at his own cowardice, “stupid old door took this long to finally fall off. You were scared for nothing.”

Agitation still gripping his nervous form as he slipped his still trembling fingers through his blonde tresses, his eyes closing, his mind already thinking of a hot shower when he felt a burning sensation on top of his hand. Its touch charred its surface instantly leaving all that surround that blackened spot red and inflamed.

“What the hell,” Mick screamed, tears streaming down his face at the indescribable pain, and yet the grip on his hand remained unyielding, desperation making his attempts at freedom seem that much more unmanageable. “Please god, make it stop!”

At his words the fire ceased, its scorching stroke lifted from Mick’s skin allowing him to finally cradle his hand delicately to his chest. He stared at his burnt skin knowing that captured in darkness he would not see its damaged surface and yet the images of his ruined hand still plagued his mind just as that cruel touch grasped his neck physically pulling his terrified form from his cell. His feet kicked out fruitlessly, his hands clutching at the smooth steel attempting to grab hold onto anything that would cease his body’s movement, while trying with every ounce of concentration inside him to stop focusing on the agonizing pain seeping into his neck, or the blood pouring down his chest.

“Please, Please no!” He screamed as his body slammed brutally onto the awaiting ground, he heard a distinctive snap of bone cracking and he gasped at the pain throbbing from his shoulder. His eyes searched frantically for what still held him captive and yet still he saw nothing. The weight lifted from his scorched neck, its invisible touch causing him to wonder even with all the pain that radiated from his body if at last truly he had lost his mind, and that maybe his body still lied safe, motionlessly inside that dark, chilly, cold chamber.

An invisible force took hold of his shirt ripping it from his body, what felt like hands held him mercilessly to the ground when he tried to flee, his pain filled cries echoing off the walls as their mere touch resulted in more melted skin, blood staining the floor around him.

“What do you want?” he helplessly shouted out into the empty space knowing he would find no answer, useless tears clogged his throat, and yet he could have sworn he heard a faint voice traveling along the stale air replying with the dreaded word; you, just as unseen nails ripped into his sides tugging with such force he could hear the literal snap of his ribs breaking. The agony of the multitude of jagged slashes causing him to arch away from his tormentor’s touch, screaming for help that deep inside Mick knew would not come just as teeth sunk ruthlessly into his skin. His pants were yanked from his struggling body while forces too impatient with cutting simply devoured his form, their teeth tearing, chewing the skin and muscle from bone, sucking and licking at his blood.

Hundreds of bite marks graced Mick’s skin, some small just allowing a steady trickle of blood to ooze from its cuts while others yanked huge gashes, skin literally missing from his chest, and still unfortunately he lived. His eyes wide, fear and pain swimming in his tears as he prayed for the relief of death.

“Please someone, anyone kill me,” he feverishly whispered, choking on his own blood, his gaze red as he watched his stomach being slashed open, scarlet lining the floor.

“Now, what would be the fun in that,” it maliciously whispered just as he felt a claw grab hold of the entrance of his boxers, clutching him, secretly excited at the knowledge that there was nothing Mick could do to stop it. He struggled in vain right before it began pitilessly cutting, sawing at his skin, castrating him until devastatingly all the sat between Mick’s legs was a vast amount of blood, and the sickening knowledge that the very thing that made Mick into a man was now lying uselessly against the filthy floor beside him. The sight caused Mick’s body to go into shock, his fear to intensify, his screams to bound from the room, seep into walls, trailing out into the hall, and yet still his cries went unaided.

My brows furrowed in distress, my head tossing restlessly against my pillows at seeing the sight behind my closed eyes. I could see them eating Mick’s struggling body, could feel their teeth sinking into his once unblemished skin, could sense his fear and how much pleasure they received from invoking it, from sucking it from his veins. Then as quickly as the vision appeared the sight thankfully went blank, and what I internally knew deep inside was not merely dreams returned back into restful nothingness.

I could feel the sun’s gentle touch against the surface of my lids, its stroke caressing my cheek, my mind finally reluctant to leave its comatose state. For once I felt rested even with horrifying thoughts plaguing me. Rest was something that had long become foreign to me in my last troubling months. Fearing any form of darkness now was my normalcy and allowing my defensive shields to falter, to weaken was not an option for me.

“How long are you going to pretend you’re still asleep?” Andrea barked into the silence, her tone obviously laced with anger.

I groaned, quickly missing the small morsel of peace I had managed to grasp in the unconsciousness of sleep. “Have you been here all night?”

“Yes, someone has to keep an eye on you. You know just in case on a whim you suddenly decide to torch the whole building.”

My eyes flung open to meet her vicious glare, body rising, fingers holding back my tangled curls, “You know I would never do that.”

She rolled her blue eyes, rising quickly from the edge of my bed, her arms folded over her chest, “last week I would agree whole heartedly with that last statement, but this week I know better.”

I stifled a yawn, stretching, trying to ease my cramped muscles. Running for your life was killing my body, “You act as if I did those things on purpose. You know I have no control over this power.”

I watched as she began to pace, her expression exasperated at my continued calm, “That’s just it! You don’t have any control, and it scares the hell out of me. But do you know what scares me most?”

“What?”

“Is that even now that you appear to be the same Marie I’ve always known and loved you still haven’t mentioned anything about what you’ve done. No small piece of guilt, no remorse, not even a tiny trickle of sadness.”

Brows furrowed in confusion, “I said I was sorry for what I did to you. I thought you had forgiv-.”

“It’s not me who has to forgive you.”

I held my pounding head in my hands, irritation quickly clawing to the surface of my emotions, “Andrea yesterday I almost died and then singlehandedly killed maybe fifty to a hundred demons with a flick of my finger, you speaking in riddles right now is not helping cure my headache.”

“Anna, where is Mick?” Andrea whispered, her eyes never leaving mine.

Visions of what was left of him flashed before my eyes, guilt quickly ate away at what remained of my soul, remorse falling over me in waves, “I thought you knew where he was.”

“No, the last time I was aware of anything you were doing was the moment you touched hands with darkness and then somehow you ceased all communication between us.” She resumed her seat on the bed, her hands quick to reach for mine. “Anna, what did you do?”

My eyes fell down to our clasped fingers wishing with all my heart that I was still the same Marie Andrea wanted me to be, but the fact that I could still feel that tinge of dark inside me, that burning need to lash out at all I assumed were against me spoke volumes on the person I had become.

“I never meant to hurt anyone.” Tears clouded my vision, my lip pouting as I tried to calm my chaotic emotions. “He was just lying there begging me to let him live, let him go home, and ... it was like I thought I could control it, but it started to take over. I thought I was going to kill him, and I wouldn’t be able to stop. I wanted to kill him, could feel the ache inside, the longing to smother the life from his body.”

Brown clashed with blue, “Drea, you don’t know how bad I craved his fear, to taste it.”

“God Anna, what did you do?” She whispered, sadness filling her gaze, her hand still clutching mine.

My tear filled eyes met hers, “That’s just it, I didn’t do anything. I put him exactly where he left me.”

Andrea’s brows furrowed in confusion, “Okay then, I’ll just go set him fre-.”

“You can’t,” I said yanking her back down beside me, “I left him. Don’t you get it? I left him down there like a fucking midnight snack! There’s nothing left for you to go save.”

Her expression was horrified as my words finally sunk in, “Anna-,” she began just as the door to my room swung open and a nurse I had never seen before walked in.

“Good morning Anna. Trust you had a nice rest,” her feet remained soundless, her uniform identical to all the rest. Her black hair fall to her chin in a serve bob, her form was slightly overweight and her green eyes were brimming with happiness, compassion. And yet all this went unnoticed when compared to the faint blue aurora that surrounded her body.

My eyes flashed to where Drea sat but quickly her gaze dropped from mine, her hand snatched from my grip as she retreated towards the door, her eyes never leaving the sight of my new nurse.

“It’s a beautiful day outside. It’s a shame not to let some of it in,” the woman exclaimed moving quickly to open my blinds, the sudden light enveloping the room and reflecting off the walls was almost blinding. “Now isn’t that better?”

I shielded my eyes, “not really. Who are you, and where is Maria?”

She pouted, “Oh, I thought you had heard. Maria transferred to the third floor last night, and I’m here to take her place. Name is Clarice Mitchell.”

I stared at her outreached hand remembering what had happened the last time my skin came in contact with someone else, then my eyes rose back to hers. Such genuine kindness lied there, and although I knew nothing about this blue aurora surrounding her I had a feeling in my gut that I had nothing to fear. I turned back to Andrea to see if she agreed only to find she no longer stood at the door. She no longer stood in the room at all.

Had what I done freaked Andrea out that much that she had finally left me?

“Anna, this is the part where you shake my hand,” Clarice joked clearly seeing the emotions I tried to hide.

“I- I don’t like to be touched,” I mumbled, my throat thick with unexpressed sadness.

Clarice smiled, her eyes understanding, “That’s okay sweetheart. We’ll work on that, but for now how about a shower? Then I believe you have a meeting with Christopher and-.”

I rose from my bed, careful not to touch her hand when she handed me a robe. “Christopher?”

“Yes, the head doctor.”

Rolling my eyes, “I know who he is. Why am I seeing him?”

Her smile was forced, “I’m not sure. I was just told to bring you to him.”

“You’re lying.”

A slight blush filled her cheeks, “well then I’m not allowed to tell you the reason behind your visit.”

“Why did Maria transfer?” I asked while inwardly knowing the exact reason, but wanting to see how far I could trust this new nurse.

We paused outside the large communal bathroom, my hand resting on the door.

“You are the reason she transferred,” she responded, her tone grave causing my crestfallen expression and yet somehow her honesty oddly giving me hope.

.............................................................................................

A stream of warm droplets of water trickled down my face as if washing away my past, as if attempting to cleanse my soul, a soul already damaged beyond repair. Tears commingled dropping in thundering silence to the floor, their flow never ending, the guilt all consuming. It was still there no matter what I did, that black hole in my heart, that impulse to lash out, to hurt those around me, and I wondered how long my strength would remain to contain it. Would I forever have to fight this urge that now seemed as natural to me as breathing?

I turned off the shower, my foot steps echoing off the walls of this empty bathroom as I grabbed for a towel to wrap around me. The silence was suffocating but I knew I only had myself to blame. With the exception of the slightly annoyingly happy Clarice the staff seemed even more fearful of me if that was even possible, and I didn’t think Maria if ever our paths were to cross would ever look at me the same again. She had a glimpse, a small taste of what I felt roaming inside ripping apart the humanity I clung to and honestly I didn’t blame her for no longer wanting to be by my side. I stood before the mirror wiping the steam from its surface suddenly becoming completely stationary, just staring at this virtual stranger looking back at me. Her curls appeared the same, those lips, that skin, and yet now my eyes seemed sadder. A faint fatigued darkness lingered around my long lashes, a hazel gaze that had seen too much. Tears clouded my vision as I turned from the sight staring at the slight tremor of my fingers that still clutched the unused brush.

Their cries echoed throughout my brain, his screams haunted my dreams, the fear I saw swimming within Mick’s gaze seemed entrapped behind my closed lids. I was never going to be able to escape everything I had done. Everything I had become.

“Why would you want to?”

I froze at the sudden voice, its coldness, its unsympathetic tone sounded oddly familiar.

“Is someone there?” I questioned, my body turning to scan the huge empty white walls hearing nothing but the constant drip of the spout against tile. The shadows that lingered in corners still frightened me, but in a way I had made peace with it for the moment because I knew no matter what attacked me next nothing compared to the darkness I held inside.

“Truly pathetic.”

I whipped around to face my right and yet still I saw nothing. Was I truly going insane now? Had obtaining so much power, being surrounded by so much death and sadness finally driven me over the edge?

“He was right you know. Humanity is a weakness, a curse,” that voice whispered.

My breathing became erratic; my hands now shaking beyond my control, a trickle of sweat rolled down the back of my neck for finally I realized exactly who had spoken. My eyes roamed from the tile staring directly into my reflected image, but instead of the panicked fearful expression I expected to see I was faced with cruelly exasperated features, a mocking grimace on her lips, and those eyes a savagely intense, and extremely unforgiving scarlet.

“This isn’t possible,” I whispered, my fingers rising to cover my trembling lips.

A condescending smirk lied upon hers, “after all you’ve seen, this is what you believe to be unreal?”

“Are you the demon I let inside? Is this punishment for what I have done?”

“What makes you think I wasn’t already inside you? Just waiting to be let out?” she mocked, laughing at the fear in my eyes.

Shaking my head in denial, “No, I’m good. You couldn’t have already been there. I would never have hurt anybody if that evil being hadn’t come inside me, hadn’t taken over.”

“Are you sure, poor little Anna? I don’t think your little sister would agree with that statement.”

My eyes searched hers, frantically trying to see beyond the apathy that consumed her gaze, “You know what happened that night?”

She openly laughed, scorning the ignorance that clouded my memories, “Of course I know what happened that night. I am a part of you, aren’t I?”

“Then you can tell me,” I begged, my voice pleading. “Tell me everything.”

“I’m afraid not Marie, but... I can... show you. All you have to do is take my hand.” Her palm stretched out towards me, her fingers resting along the mirror’s surface, such an innocent gesture and yet the gleam in her eye instilled such fear inside me.

I hesitated, my eyes still on that open palm.

“Come on Anna, you know exactly what will happen if our skin touches. You’ve traveled through memories before and this will be no different. You just have to let me in,” she persisted, her eyes seeming to glow in her impatience.

I took a step back, something yelling at me not to believe her. “No.”

The mirrors that lined the wall began to rattle chaotically against its hard surface, the sound of the glass cracking ringing out into the silence. Shadows slithered across her face seeping into her skin, her hair blew hazardously in the non existent wind while all that once was white surrounding her pupils faded, as if losing the battle before it had even begun they transformed into that unforgiving black causing the red to appear that much more ruthless in its attempt to invade her body. A body a replica of my own.

“This is pointless,” she furiously exclaimed, her voice deepening, almost unrecognizable. “We both know I am stronger than you are. It is only a matter of time before I am in control, and you are the one shoved into this fucking cell.”

“If you are as strong as you claim to be then why is it you stuck behind the glass and not me?” I mocked idiotically watching as my words only seemed to piss her off more.

“Trust me, that will soon be amended! You think you stopped those demons from attacking, that you set their bodies aflame, that you made the earth shake at the mere movement of your feet,” she openly laughed the sound completely joyless. “The only thing you are gifted at is crying and cowering in a fucking corner! Now let me out!” She raged, the volume of her screams seeming to bounce off the walls, the crack in the glass growing as tiny pieces of its edge began to fall away while other mirrors beside this one lost the war with gravity smashing against the hard tile, littering the floor like hundreds of sharp jagged crystals.

I shook my head in denial, “I will never let you free. You may have stopped those creatures, but it is you who makes everyone stare at me as if I am Satan’s daughter, you who placed Mick in that morgue, and you-.”

The vibrations against glass ceased as her grin grew that much more sinister, her words cruel, “Actually my dear Anna that was all you. You’d like to blame me for all the bad things that happen around you. I’m just power. I might make you crave the need to unleash it, but it has always been your decision what you do with it.”

“You’re lying-.”

“Can you honestly tell me when you gazed down at poor Mick’s pathetically pleading face that you didn’t dream of punishing him for all he had done to you?” she mercilessly mocked, her expression gleeful at the guilt lining my features. “I mean think about it Anna, its human nature to want to enact revenge, and we all know you’re huge on throwing your humanity in my face.”

“No, I-.”

“Oh come on Anna! I am you! You can’t lie to me. It may work on others, but not me. Now think back to that moment of you standing over him and then tell me that you didn’t want him to suffer.”

My tear filled eyes fell, staring down at my own shaken hands, my mind searching frantically for something to stop her words from seeping into my mind, to stop them from forcing me back into that night, but it remained impossible to escape. I felt my mind going back to that moment, back to me standing over Mick. He was on bended knee, crying, begging me to let him go home. Something urged me to kill him and I remember fighting it and then...

My eyes quickly rose back to hers, my heart literally stopping in my chest.

“That’s right Anna,” she grinned wickedly at my horrified expression, dimples forming in her cheeks, “you chose to let me out. You let the darkness take over knowing I would place him in the morgue.”

Tears blinded my sight, “but I never... me-meant fo-for... him to be hurt like that.”

She rolled her scarlet eyes in annoyance, “Yes you did. In that moment you didn’t care what happened to him. He deserved it!”

Shaking my head roughly, I backed further away, “No, no one deserves to die that way!”

“No one deserves to die that way,” she cruelly mimicked, mocking my pain, “this is getting old Anna! Trust me aligning with darkness is the best thing we could do. We could go to them, join their side!”

“No, never!”

“Oh, so you think Andrea and her bunch of clueless protectors are going to win this fight! What, because they’ve done such a bang up job keeping you safe so far?”

“I’d rather die then become like you!” I viciously spat, the sight of her casually inspecting her nails clearly ignoring my tears only made my hatred for all she stood for grow.

“So sad because with the way your going you most likely will,” Her eyes darkened, the wind picking up speed behind the glass, “But I can’t really allow that Anna. Because with every stupid, sentimental, asinine decision you make I suffer!”

The glass resumed its shaking, its movement so vicious, its sound bounding off the walls, “Stop it!”

She laughed at my fear, her fingers rising to physically yank pieces of the glass from its frame. Blood poured from her skin, small pieces of glass sticking into her fingers and yet still she pulled, her expression deranged, her mind not even acknowledging the pain. It was unreal to watch an image claw its way out, her fingers transforming from a mere reflection to solid flesh as it continued to expand the gap, blood dripping into the white sink below.

“Stop it”, I screamed, my body seeming frozen, rooted to this spot watching as she moved closer.

Her laugh was haunting as was the evil intent I saw within her gaze. No this wasn’t real, I thought to myself. My eyes squeezed shut, my fingers raising to cover my ears, to block out the sound of her cruel mockery. Tears dripped from my chin as I fell to my knees, rocking back in forth wishing I could somehow escape this nightmare.

“You were always the weak one Anna,” she whispered, her voice traveling out around me, “You don’t deserve to be free!”

I felt her breath on my cheek, felt the burning stroke of her touch on my arm just as the door opened, Clarice filling the doorway.

“Anna, what have you done?” she asked, concern filling her joyless green eyes. She rushed towards my shaking form looking deep into my hazel gaze.

“She was coming,” I responded in confusion as my eyes took in the smashed mirrors, and yet I was alone. She helped me back onto my unsteady feet walking me towards the sink. I froze at the sight of the blood spattered on the broken mirror, “No, she’s in there!”

“Anna look at me,” Clarice’s hands gripped my chin. “There is no one there but you.”

That was exactly what I was afraid of.

She pulled my resistant form closer towards the sink, my terrified eyes rising to meet my reflection but as I gazed up into the glass I found that all I was faced with was... exactly that, my reflection. My hazel eyes were frightened, my skin a deathly pale, my lips trembling. And then I felt it, the pain.

“We are going to get this cleaned up sweetie, don’t you worry,” Clarice whispered comfortingly, but there was no comfort to be found for along my fingers and hands lied the cuts and broken glass as if I was the one trying to escape the sight of my reflection all along.

Or as my therapist would say, as if I was trying to escape my forever guilty conscience.

.....................................................................................................................

(Okay I know this is shorter than my normal uploads but I am crazy busy at the moment with art projects so as soon as I finish that up I will be back to my normal chapters. Plus I thought since I didn’t upload last week (so sorry) it would be better for me to upload something instead of just leaving you guys hanging. I actually received some complaints about the length of my chapters once again lol but I’m like if I was reading a book I was really into, or seriously loved why would I want my chapter to end?

Anyways I hope you liked this chapter. Who thinks Anna is really crazy? Lol and who liked the death scene of poor Mick? I actually felt bad for him because he apologized for what he did to Anna and then he died so horribly. I thought cutting off his male parts was a little crazy but very vivid lol.

So you know the deal....

Always comment (because I don’t know what I’m doing right or wrong without your input lol)...

Vote if you liked it (Totally hope you did)....

Add it to your library (Always looking for new fans lol)...

But most importantly always come back and wait for more...

Until next time...