The Queen

Chapter 3: Home is Where the Pain is

Sabrina opened her eyes in her cold, dark cell laying on her stomach with the rough concrete slab below her. Her entire body throbbed in dull agony, her legs tight, her back protesting even the rise and fall of her chest, her fingers not wanting to curl together and form a fist. She lay there for a brief moment, getting the guts together to sit up. She inched her fingers over to the edge of the pad, wrapping her fingers around the edge. Gripping the sides of the pad, she pushed herself up, her back screaming in protest. Her arms shook from the exertion but she managed to keep herself from buckling and curled her legs in, leaning her exhausted body against the stone wall. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the low light of her cell and she spotted a bowl on the desk across the room. Looking down, she wore a bra and a pair of spandex, but nothing else. The bandages from Levi were gone, nothing remained to protect her shoulders or hips from the harsh concrete. Blood already ran down her back.

Placing her feet on the floor, she pushed up and her entire body resisted the movement. Taking small, shuffling steps, she crossed the cell and fell in the wooden seat.  Bending over the bowl, she took it in her hands and lifted it to her lips.  Steam curled off the broth sloshing around, warming her face. She took a sip of the warm broth and smiled as it began to warm her insides. She finished the bowl quickly and set about discovering what her back looked like. It took a few minutes, but she eventually coaxed the man across the hall awake and he described her back as a rippled, bloody mess. Reaching around to feel it brought tears to her eyes and she felt a row of stitches under her fingers. A clang sounded from down the hall, causing her head to jerk over and pain to lash through her neck. She recognized Michael's silhouette coming down the hall at his usual hurried gait. Behind him walked two Pawns in full regalia that carried a backpack and a case.

As Michael approached the cell bars, she saw his cheek swollen but stitched up. “Sabrina,” Michael started. “I’ll help you into your armor. Daniel wants to see you.”

“I can barely stand up,” Sabrina complained.

“You know he doesn’t care,” Michael said. He turned and pulled the backpack from the grip of the one Pawn. Sabrina watched him dig through it and produce a thin black bodysuit. He straightened up and held out the thermolayer. “I can help you--”

“No,” Sabrina said cutting him off. She reached out and grabbed the suit, it's smooth surface felt rubbery below her fingers. She jerked it out of his grasp, pulling it through the bars. “You've helped enough.” She unzipped the back and rolled the suit down, sitting on the slab, she shoved her legs in and brought it up to her waist, tightening the pressure cuffs. Flipping the torso up, she pulled her arms through and tightened the cuffs. Reaching behind her she zipped the back up and turned back to Michael. Her body resisted every movement she made, sending dull throbs of pain through her body, telling her she shouldn't be doing this. She grit her teeth and pushed through the pain. Pain ended, death was permanent.

“I tried to stop them,” he said. He stuck the key into the lock and opened the cell door. He held up the backpack with the armor inside.

“Not hard enough,” Sabrina snarled and pulled the pack in. She set to attaching the armor, gritting her teeth in pain as she did so and then pulling the torso guard on and then her pack.

Michael opened the door. “Sabrina, I tried--”

“I didn't see you pulling them off of me,” Sabrina interrupted, “No, you let them beat me into the ground.”

“If I could have done anything--”

“I don’t want to hear it!” Sabrina snapped. 

Michael turned back to the Pawn's and took the case. He held it out and opened it to reveal a pistol and a knife. She took her gun and knife from the case and attached them in their holsters to their proper spots before pushing past Michael. The Pawn's reached for her arms, their hands closed tightly around her upper arm. She ripped her arms out. “I know where the throne room is," she spat.