The Imprisoned (Thought I'd Share)

[bratterratt]

Something I began last year. Just getting around to working on it again. Only nine chapters so far. I'll post the first chapter. If you're interested in more, I'll post the next.

Chapter 1: Imprisonment

<sub>Bright lights. The steady, high pitched beeping of a machine. Low, muffled voices. A soft groan slipped from Rhianna, brought on by the dull pounding in her head.

“Doctor, it’s waking up,” –a voice called urgently, hinting at a panicked tone. Rhianna could smell the evident fear, musty and unpleasant, right before she felt the sharp prick of a needle stab her forearm.

“We are finished for today. Take #11642 back to the cell,” –a razored voice hissed. Rhianna felt herself move, rolling across the concrete floor on the covered gurney, then the grating sound of the barred, metal door being tugged opened. Roughly, she was shoved onto the cold, damp floor and an echoing click signaled that she was once again prisoner.

Rhianna breathed sharply, bringing up a hand to rub her sore temples. Slowly she opened her eyes, blinking as they adjusted to the dull, yellow light that flooded her cell. A warm hand touched her bare shoulder, causing her to jolt backwards in unprepared alarm.

“More tests?” –a low voice asked, belonging to Gaia in the next cell. Trying her hardest to get a grip on her foggy mind, Rhianna nodded, the dark cloud of sedatives too thick for speech.

Gaia drew her hand back, her blood shot eyes narrowing. Pulling her long red hair around her shoulder, the tiny girl bottled her anger, knowing it would be pointless to explode. Pointless, for now anyway.

“How is she?” –Demeter’s voice inquired of Gaia, but only from their mutual thoughts.

“Exhausted and in need of some rest,” –she thought, her reply snappy and short, shooting a hostile glance through the metal bars as she raked her fingernails along the side of the steel bed frame.

Demeter nodded, unphased by his sister’s short-tempered reply. The experiments played were harsh and took an immense toll on ones strength, often leaving you weak for days at a time. That is, if you were lucky. It had been worse in the beginning, though, adjusting to this life. The boy’s thoughts were interrupted abruptly.

“The Doctor’s coming!” –a low voice alerted, this time from Sebastian. Demeter scrambled to the back of his cell and Gaia’s fists tightened, her nails biting into the flesh on her palms.

Hollow footsteps on the solid concrete floor followed and Dr. Fey came into view from the shadows. She was tall for a woman, with cruel, sharp facial features that could have been chiseled onto an ivory statue. Her hawk-like grey eyes leapt from one cell to the next as she scrawled notes onto a clip board clenched in her talons.

“Rhianna, that’s not really necessary. Now is it?” –the doctor cooed, her voice unnaturally gentle as her eyes lifted and peered into what appeared to be an empty cell. The iron bed on which Rhianna had been lying only moments before was now empty, or so it looked. A soft sigh breathed through the stale cell air and gradually Rhianna’s shape began to appear. A little at a time, the dark chocolate shade of her skin could be made out along with the details of her grimly expressioned face.

“That’s better,” –Dr. Fey drawled approvingly as she coldly examined the girl. After a moment, the doctor nodded a fraction to herself, satisfied, before scribbling something onto her clip board. With a final glance at the cells, Dr. Fey turned on her heels and began to exit.

“Hey, when are you going to feed us?” –Gaia suddenly screeched loudly as she leaped to the front of the cell, her thin fingers wrapping tightly around the door’s bars.

The doctor stopped midstride and turned with the antagonizing grace of a predator, her furious eyes narrowed to slits that would befit a snake.

“You will be fed, when you deserve it,” –the doctor hissed through clenched teeth, pausing with emphasis as she uttered each word.

Gaia’s fiery eyes flashed dangerously and steam began to rise suddenly from her translucently pale skin. Doctor Fey’s eyes met those of the red-haired prisoner’s, neither blinking, both fuming with repulsion for one another. After what seemed like ages, though it was merely a matter of seconds, the doctor scoffed and disappeared once again, followed by the sound of the door grinding to its close behind her.

Gaia stared savagely at the empty shadows for several more minutes, then brought her hand up to wipe the dark trickle of blood that had started from the corner of her lips. Gaia opened her mouth, releasing the grip of her teeth on her tongue.

“Sister…” –Demeter thought, scolding her softly. Gaia shot her twin a nasty glare.

“Shut up.”

Demeter breathed a soft sigh of surrender, bending down to rest his shaggy blonde head in his hands.

“Good going, Gaia,” –Sebastian mumbled reproachfully from where he stood in his cell, forehead pressed against the damp, smooth stone wall.

“Oh, take a hike,” –Gaia barked viciously, her ivory teeth snapping together, rather menacing. Sebastian growled faintly, though the sound was more aimed at himself than any other.

Rhianna sat quietly in the corner of her cell, her dark arms wrapped tightly around her middle, listening absently to the others. The hunger, though now a common feeling, seemed to be growing worse each day. Her stomach growled feebly and Rhianna’s grip tightened as she winced. The sedatives were wearing off and she felt her energy returning, though the surroundings were still slightly hazy.

Footsteps yet again and several scientists entered the hallway together, whispering in quick, hushed tones amongst themselves.

“This one’s it, #79936,” –a middle-aged male scientist muttered to the others as he pulled to a stop before Sebastian’s cell. The group of doctors peered into the shadowed room as keys and a sterile needle were produced from a white lab coat pocket.

Sebastian did not bother to move as the wary scientists entered his cell hesitantly and flicked the needle into his tanned skin. He shut his eyes tightly, his forehead creasing as he felt the familiar dizziness creeping into his mind, beginning to consume his thoughts. Sebastian’s knees weakened suddenly as he slid down the cool wall slowly to the floor.

“Hurry! Before it wakes up!” –the first man’s shrill voice snarled, stress hinting in its tone.

Sebastian’s arms were yanked violently upwards as he was moved, his mind struggling to hang onto the last little bit of consciousness it had preserved. The leather straps were secured tightly, biting painfully into his wrists and ankles. Sebastian felt himself slipping away and knew that he would have to give up trying to stay awake. Exhaustion won over and in a matter of seconds, he couldn’t feel a thing.</sub>

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Critique is most welcome.

[remorsa]

Cant' really find anything wrong with it, great writing. I'll try and act surprised and pretend I haven't read this lol read it on chickensmoothie! Can't wait to read some more. I want to know what happens, keep on writing. =D

[bratterratt]

Haha, yeah I posted on CS but no one critiqued! I'm really trying to get some good imput on my writing so I can improve. XD

<sub>Chapter 2: A Dream

It was night; the sky starless, the moon hardly visible behind its thick curtain of clouds. Deep within the dank, dirty alleyway cutting between two towering brick buildings two figures were barely noticeable, hidden by the dark. The howl of a feral dog sounded eerily in the distance and the muted rustles against the cobblestone ground were created by rats, which explained the poignant stench the alleyway possessed.

The icy breeze bit through the dirty, torn sack blanket wrapped around the little child’s shoulders. The little mud streaked face belonged to a young toddler boy, no older than two, his lower lip trembling in a heartrending expression. Sebastian immediately knew the child. It was him. Standing next to the boy was a thin woman with a simple face that held the sorrow and anguish of an old woman, when in reality, she was only just in her twenties. Her bony hand was clasped tightly around the toddler’s, her shoulders held stiff with worry.

Sebastian watched silently, standing at the corner of an old building, the only light coming from the yellow, flickering street lamps. His mind struggled to recollect the year. Only a moment later, it came to him; 1934. That had to be right, more or less. The ancient buildings loomed above him, casting demonic shadows in the already dim, evening light. The young woman knelt by the little boy, putting her delicate hands on his small shoulders. Though Sebastian couldn’t hear what she whispered to her son, he already knew. It may have been long ago, but those hushed words were still engraved deeply in his mind. Sebastian watched as the innocent toddler nodded his round head and the salty tears streamed down the mother’s face. She wrapped her arms around the little boy in a loving embrace, her body convulsing with silent sobs. This time could only last for a moment though and before long the woman stood, hurriedly rubbing her wet cheeks with the back of her hand.

Sebastian’s own hand came up to touch his face, his fingers meeting with damp skin. Regret. Just as he did so, a movement from the deeper shadows caught his attention from the corner of his eye. A tall, satanic form stepped into the ghostly yellow light, moving its head sharply from left to right. A dark, heavy cloak covered the person’s body and a hood masked their face from Sebastian’s sight.

No words were exchanged between the overwrought mother and the mysterious figure, but merely a nod and an exchange of an unseen object. Now visibly trembling, the young woman lifted the whimpering toddler into the stranger’s outstretched arms. Hastily the mother turned and started down the street, pulling her ragged coat around her shoulders, her footsteps echoing until she had disappeared from sight altogether.

The stranger’s head bent to look into the face of the little boy, then wrapped its concealing cloak around the child. Turning to go its own way, the figure’s hood fell back momentarily, revealing a face. The cruelly angular features and dull grey eyes were those of Doctor Fey.


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Sebastian woke with a start, his arms jerking against the leather straps that secured him to the operation table. Startled cries followed as the he yanked violently on his holds. A hot, searing pain burned at his chest, as if his lungs had burst into flames, the result of the latest operation. The struggling Sebastian didn’t dare try to look down at his body, knowing that whatever this surgery consisted of would only be a blood scene of complete horror.

“I gave it the correct dosage, Doctor! He just… woke up!” –a panicking voice exclaimed in an alarmed confusion, as dozens of cold hands grasped Sebastian’s arms and legs, attempting to pin him in place.

There was no audible reply to the voice’s exclamation, but one by one, the hands were pulled back from Sebastian’s skin, leaving him to fight this on his own. Finally, opening his crazed eyes, he looked wildly about the room, surprised and intimidated to find it empty.

A soft spraying sound erupting from an unseen somewhere, reached Sebastian’s keen ears.

“No, no, no. No!” –Sebastian roared savagely, recognizing the unmistakably sweet smell of poison. The strongest type of sedative worked best in gas form. It could keep you under for weeks at a time, a silent, safe state of comatose.

Distressed and as a last resort, Sebastian sucked in the room’s stale air, holding in his breath. It was a useless gesture; he knew that. Before long, his already injured lungs began to ache, screaming for oxygen. Red spots flashed over his vision; his body threatening to shut down completely. Unable to continue any longer, Sebastian exhaled, bringing on a fit of coughing as he gasped instantly for air. His grateful lungs pulled in a new supply of air along with the vile chemical that filled the chamber.

It didn’t take long for the sleeping gas to begin its job, overwhelming Sebastian with that strange, unnatural exhaustion. His eyes slowly resigned, blinking shut and returning him to unconsciousness and the waiting operation.</sub>